Monday, January 21 we woke up at 6 am, making sure that we had enough time to drive to La Paz (estimated driving time was about 2 ½ to 3 hours) to catch the ferry over to Mazatlan. By the time we ate breakfast, got ready, paid for the room and filled up the car it was almost 8 am. The speedometer read 179867 when we left Cabo San Lucas.
The ferry ( www.bajaferries.com ) departs La Paz every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3:00 pm and they strongly advise that you purchase the tickets prior to noon if you have a vehicle to board. The duration of the ferry is estimated at 16 to 18 hours, depending on weather conditions. The ferry was actually located about 30 minutes drive out of La Paz in a town called Ysantana, I believe. We made it just before noon and barely in time to get our vehicle on board. Boy, did we luck out! There is usually no problem boarding the ferry as a passenger but making sure they have enough room for a vehicle is another story. The cost per Adult was 800 pesos, so about US$80 each ( http://www.bajaferries.com/modules/content/index.php?op=edit &id=12 .) We didn´t know the conditions of the ferry and since it was going to be an overnight passage we decided to pay for a cabin, cost was 400 pesos, so US$40. The vehicle cost is based on weight and size and we paid 2,150 pesos, so about US$215.00 ( http://www.bajaferries.com/modules/content/index.php?op=edit &id=13 .)
Since we had to board the vehicle Steve loaded the SUV onto the ferry and I had to stay on land and wait until boarding time. I think it was about 1 ½ hours later when we boarded it was past 2 pm. I took lots of pictures because I have never been on a ferry that big before and found it quite exiting. But then again, I am easily amused. I met an Italian couple who were also travelling through Mexico for a few months and we chatted while waiting to board. In spite of all the things we heard prior from other people, the ferry was very clean and pleasant. Our cabin was cute, with two bunk beds and a full private bathroom with a shower. We dropped our luggage off in the room and went off to see the rest of the ferry. Dinner and breakfast were included in the price we paid for the ferry, so we thought that was not a bad deal. Dinner was a simple Mexican meal of chicken, rice and beans and breakfast was eggs, beans and tortillas, it was quite a good portion. The cost did not include any beverages, they were extra. I thought it was pretty good, but then again, I was thankful food was included.
There are many seats on the ferry and a person does not require a cabin for the ride. If you want a comfortable sleep we advise you do get a cabin since the passage is quite long. We met a couple of Americans on board (one from Sacramento, CA and the other from Seattle, WA), as well as a couple from Penticton, BC. So we all hung out and had a few drinks chatting about life, politics, the American health system, being a few of the many topics we covered. The bar was closing at 11 pm and we all went to bed. We both had a great sleep even though we think that was the first time we slept apart since we met. The bunk beds reminded me of summer camp...it was fun!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Day 7 in Cabo San Lucas - Hanging Out
Saturday, January 19th we took it easy and tried to do a bit of work on the site uploading information. We treated ourselves that night by going out for dinner at what we thought would be a great Italian restaurant, at Trattoria De Los Cabos http://www.latrattoriacabo.com/ . But the meal was quite disappointing and really not worth the high price.
We parked downtown Cabo as we always have because we had to pick up a few items before leaving Cabo. So we returned to our car and drove off realizing we had a flat tire. We were really pissed off because at first we thought someone had punctured it on purpose but that was not the case as we found out later. It took us awhile to change the tire and it was the first time we used our new 'jack'. We were in a busy area and most everyone that walked by always tried to help us and they were really nice. So we have to say that the Mexicans in Cabo are really courteous people and very helpful.
We planned to go out on the town to a few clubs and bars but ended up falling asleep at about 7 pm and didn`t wake up until after 11 pm, at which time we didn't think it was worth our time to get ready and go party..so we didn`t bother and went back to bed. Boy, were we beat!!
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We parked downtown Cabo as we always have because we had to pick up a few items before leaving Cabo. So we returned to our car and drove off realizing we had a flat tire. We were really pissed off because at first we thought someone had punctured it on purpose but that was not the case as we found out later. It took us awhile to change the tire and it was the first time we used our new 'jack'. We were in a busy area and most everyone that walked by always tried to help us and they were really nice. So we have to say that the Mexicans in Cabo are really courteous people and very helpful.
We planned to go out on the town to a few clubs and bars but ended up falling asleep at about 7 pm and didn`t wake up until after 11 pm, at which time we didn't think it was worth our time to get ready and go party..so we didn`t bother and went back to bed. Boy, were we beat!!
Belize Recommended Travel Site: Belize is on the Caribbean coast, nestled between Mexico and Guatemala and offers an intriguing mix of tropical forests rich with wildlife, majestic mountains, mysterious Maya temples, and diving and fishing experiences beyond comparison. If you're looking in Belize for a small piece of beachfront land, the perfect condominium with rental pool and income, a single family home or your vision is to build a hotel or commercial project. In the country of Belize, you only have to make one call or email for all your Belize Real Estate needs.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Day 6 in Cabo San Lucas - ATV/Off-Road Tour
Friday, January 18th we were picked up from our hotel to enjoy our third activity - the 3 hour ATV/Off-Road Tour with Amigos Cabos Moto Rent www.amigosactivities.com . The taxi was a bit late but we enjoyed the drive down to the ATV location. They are located about 15-20 minutes away from Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19 towards Todos Santos. We were geared up and ready for action! Steve was very excited because he loves racing of all sorts and I was really looking forward to driving the ATV.
We were guided for about 20 minutes, through some rough terrain, to join the rest of the people down at the beach. Upon arriving at the beach, we were given instructions to drive carefully and what to watch out for, etc... and then we were left on our own for about an hour or so to explore the area. The scenery was gorgeous and we loved being left on our own to drive like maniacs. We got our tires stuck once or twice but it was so much fun getting dirty on the trails!! It was really hot out too and we were having a blast! The unguided hour seemed to go by way too quick.
We joined the group once again, at which point we were taken through some more trails, then we stopped at an open style restaurant/ bar to have some drinks and food (not included in the price) so we bought a cerveza and it was really good!We took a break there for about 15 minutes and then back off-roading for another 40 minutes, guided this time, finally making our way back to the ATV location. We were dropped back at our hotel by about 4:30 pm. We jumped in the shower immediately. If you ever want to experience ATV/Off-Road we suggest you do not wear good clothes because you will get dirty. We would certainly recommend this tour as it consisted of most terrains that the other ATV companies use but also the beach tour was phenomenal! The staff was terrific and very helpful.
We were guided for about 20 minutes, through some rough terrain, to join the rest of the people down at the beach. Upon arriving at the beach, we were given instructions to drive carefully and what to watch out for, etc... and then we were left on our own for about an hour or so to explore the area. The scenery was gorgeous and we loved being left on our own to drive like maniacs. We got our tires stuck once or twice but it was so much fun getting dirty on the trails!! It was really hot out too and we were having a blast! The unguided hour seemed to go by way too quick.
We joined the group once again, at which point we were taken through some more trails, then we stopped at an open style restaurant/ bar to have some drinks and food (not included in the price) so we bought a cerveza and it was really good!We took a break there for about 15 minutes and then back off-roading for another 40 minutes, guided this time, finally making our way back to the ATV location. We were dropped back at our hotel by about 4:30 pm. We jumped in the shower immediately. If you ever want to experience ATV/Off-Road we suggest you do not wear good clothes because you will get dirty. We would certainly recommend this tour as it consisted of most terrains that the other ATV companies use but also the beach tour was phenomenal! The staff was terrific and very helpful.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Day 5 in Cabo San Lucas - Parasailing Day
The following day, Thursday, January 17th we were scheduled to go Parasailing at about noon. We drove down to Cabo San Lucas' main beach - Playa El Médano (The Dune Beach). This is the most popular beach for swimming and watersports. We walked over to JT Watersports http://www.jtwatersports.com/ tour guides location and they immediately flagged down a water taxi to take us to the actual parasailing boat. Steve and I scheduled single rides (not tandem, 2 people) as we wanted to experience the parasailing on our own. We were both really excited because neither of us had ever been parasailing!
The company was professional and the guys were really great at helping us with getting the equipment set up. The boat was practically full, with 2 other couples and the two of us. The two couples went before us and they both decided to go tandem. They both really enjoyed the experience. I then got geared up and went next. The most exciting part for me was while they raised me up and when they brought me down - since I had asked them to dunk me in the water a bit (to my knees.) The ride was really spectacular as it was quite high and I was able to see the entire Cabo Marina and area as well as all the beaches. It was a very pleasant ride that lasted about 15 minutes. Steve went after me and he was kind of nervous because he does not like highs at all. However, he really loved the experience and he thought the view was amazing! His ride seemed longer than mine but he thinks it was sill about 15 minutes. The entire event took about 1 ½ hours after everyone on the boat took their turn and they dropped us back at Médano Beach at about 2 pm.
We spend the remainder of the day at the beach and hung out at the hotel resting for the remainder of the evening.
The company was professional and the guys were really great at helping us with getting the equipment set up. The boat was practically full, with 2 other couples and the two of us. The two couples went before us and they both decided to go tandem. They both really enjoyed the experience. I then got geared up and went next. The most exciting part for me was while they raised me up and when they brought me down - since I had asked them to dunk me in the water a bit (to my knees.) The ride was really spectacular as it was quite high and I was able to see the entire Cabo Marina and area as well as all the beaches. It was a very pleasant ride that lasted about 15 minutes. Steve went after me and he was kind of nervous because he does not like highs at all. However, he really loved the experience and he thought the view was amazing! His ride seemed longer than mine but he thinks it was sill about 15 minutes. The entire event took about 1 ½ hours after everyone on the boat took their turn and they dropped us back at Médano Beach at about 2 pm.
We spend the remainder of the day at the beach and hung out at the hotel resting for the remainder of the evening.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Day 4 in Cabo San Lucas - Snorkelling Tour
Wednesday, January 16th and we were ready to experience our first activity in Cabo San Lucas. We had booked a few activities the day prior and got an awesome deal on them. The first activity was the 4 hour Snorkelling Tour with Oceanus http://www.loscabosguide.com/oceanus/index.html . We arrived at the pier at about 10:20 am and it was a beautiful day. The boat was very clean and the staff was very professional and friendly. They had music on the entire time, so the atmosphere was fun! The boat was pretty full, with about 50 people. On the main floor of the boat the people were going on the MiniSub Tour and they were not allowed to drink alcohol (probably for safety reasons.) On the top level of the boat, where we were - most of the people were going on the Snorkelling Tour and some were simply just on the Sight Seeing Tour.
We were taken to the famous Lover's Beach (Playa Del Amor) - located on the Sea of Cortez side of Land's End at Cabo San Lucas. There was the famous stone arch, called El Arco, a magnificent natural rock formation at Land´s End. The rock formations were really cool!
Most people hire a water taxi at the Marina to actually get to Lover´s Beach or Divorce Beach. We were told that swimming can be quite dangerous because the currents are quite powerful and the waves of the Pacific are often really strong. Swimming and snorkelling should only be attempted on the Sea of Cortez side of Lover's Beach.
They also took us near Divorce Beach - stretch of clean white sand located on the Pacific coast a short walk from Lover's Beach. Divorce Beach is great for sunbathing and relaxing, but again it is very dangerous to swim on this beach. Stay out of the water along this beach, swimming is best at the bay side of Lover's Beach.
Other beaches we were taken to were: Playa Costa Azul (Blue Coast Beach) - half mile stretch before Palmilla Bay is the world famous surf break called Costa Azul; and Playa Acapulquito - Just west of Playa Costa Azul is a little stretch of beach called Playa Acapulquito, known as Old Man's Beach; and Playa Barco Varado (Shipwreck Beach.) I believe our final destination was Playa Chileno (Chilean Beach) - just southwest of the Hotel Cabo San Lucas, a great beach for swimming and snorkelling, located on the Sea of Cortez side of Land's End at Cabo San Lucas. I guess it is very popular with the locals on the weekends, but it´s not too congested on weekdays. With an amazing reef, Chileno is perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving.
The entire time we were served `all you can drink´ beverages and we decided to order some alcohol. Once we arrived at the snorkelling area we were given our equipment and were basically left on our own. This was not a guided tour and we really didn´t see any extraordinary water life other than a few schools of fish (pictures of the snorkelling will be uploaded when we develop the film from the water camera.) So in our opinion the snorkelling was not that great but lots of fun since we were left on our own for almost an hour to explore the waters. After the snorkelling trip we were provided a snack of tuna salad and nachos and of course, more beverages of our choice. The music was loud the entire time on the boat and we really had a great time! We arrived back at the Marina by about 3 pm and went back to the hotel for a late afternoon `siesta´.
We went out to eat that night since we were beat from being out all day but this time we picked a meal for under US $20. It was really great!
We were taken to the famous Lover's Beach (Playa Del Amor) - located on the Sea of Cortez side of Land's End at Cabo San Lucas. There was the famous stone arch, called El Arco, a magnificent natural rock formation at Land´s End. The rock formations were really cool!
Most people hire a water taxi at the Marina to actually get to Lover´s Beach or Divorce Beach. We were told that swimming can be quite dangerous because the currents are quite powerful and the waves of the Pacific are often really strong. Swimming and snorkelling should only be attempted on the Sea of Cortez side of Lover's Beach.
They also took us near Divorce Beach - stretch of clean white sand located on the Pacific coast a short walk from Lover's Beach. Divorce Beach is great for sunbathing and relaxing, but again it is very dangerous to swim on this beach. Stay out of the water along this beach, swimming is best at the bay side of Lover's Beach.
Other beaches we were taken to were: Playa Costa Azul (Blue Coast Beach) - half mile stretch before Palmilla Bay is the world famous surf break called Costa Azul; and Playa Acapulquito - Just west of Playa Costa Azul is a little stretch of beach called Playa Acapulquito, known as Old Man's Beach; and Playa Barco Varado (Shipwreck Beach.) I believe our final destination was Playa Chileno (Chilean Beach) - just southwest of the Hotel Cabo San Lucas, a great beach for swimming and snorkelling, located on the Sea of Cortez side of Land's End at Cabo San Lucas. I guess it is very popular with the locals on the weekends, but it´s not too congested on weekdays. With an amazing reef, Chileno is perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving.
The entire time we were served `all you can drink´ beverages and we decided to order some alcohol. Once we arrived at the snorkelling area we were given our equipment and were basically left on our own. This was not a guided tour and we really didn´t see any extraordinary water life other than a few schools of fish (pictures of the snorkelling will be uploaded when we develop the film from the water camera.) So in our opinion the snorkelling was not that great but lots of fun since we were left on our own for almost an hour to explore the waters. After the snorkelling trip we were provided a snack of tuna salad and nachos and of course, more beverages of our choice. The music was loud the entire time on the boat and we really had a great time! We arrived back at the Marina by about 3 pm and went back to the hotel for a late afternoon `siesta´.
We went out to eat that night since we were beat from being out all day but this time we picked a meal for under US $20. It was really great!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Day 3 in Cabo San Lucas - Enjoying Cabo
Once again on Tuesday, January 15th we walked around the town and learned as much as we could about the Tour companies and what they had to offer. We met with a few owners and booked a couple of meetings for the days following. We ate our first dinner in Cabo at what seemed to be a fairly inexpensive restaurant (La Langosta Desvelada) but it ended up costing us over US $40, and all we had was an entree each and a cerveza (beer.) We quickly realized that food was not much different in cost then going out for dinner back home, in Canada. For us being on a budget and travelling for the next 6 months this type of cost was way too much and we knew we could not eat like that every day.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Day 2 in Cabo San Lucas - Sightseeing Cabo
We drove and walked around Cabo San Lucas on Monday, January 14th. We walked around the Boulevard Marina and the water front (known as the Malecon) where all the boats and yachts are located. There are many restaurants, a few resorts and tons of vendors set up, selling you anything from candy, gum to clothing, jewellery, hand crafted ornaments, you name, it they had it! We found a somewhat busy patio (Restaurant Wamango De Baja) on the Malecon and decided to stop in for the special they were offering - 5 beers with nacho chips and salsa for only US $10. We watched the sunset and really enjoyed the day.
That evening we went to the local supermarket named Super Plaza Aramburo, because we needed to buy a few groceries. For people who do the all-inclusive and they think Mexico is really cheap, think again!! We found out that food in Cabo is not cheap at all and to give you a few examples: a green pepper is about US $2.38, that is for one pepper, most vegetables were very pricey because they are not grown in the Baha and are mostly imported from the US or mainland Mexico. Anything canned such as soups, vegetables were about US $2 to $3 per can...quite outrageous!! We bought a pasta sauce and it cost almost US $5. Bread was not bad, often at about US $1.50 to $2, but some may even think that is pricey. So it goes to show you that unless you are actually grocery shopping in Cabo you will never know how expensive food really is! We are not really sure how the locals can actually afford to grocery shop in Cabo.
That evening we went to the local supermarket named Super Plaza Aramburo, because we needed to buy a few groceries. For people who do the all-inclusive and they think Mexico is really cheap, think again!! We found out that food in Cabo is not cheap at all and to give you a few examples: a green pepper is about US $2.38, that is for one pepper, most vegetables were very pricey because they are not grown in the Baha and are mostly imported from the US or mainland Mexico. Anything canned such as soups, vegetables were about US $2 to $3 per can...quite outrageous!! We bought a pasta sauce and it cost almost US $5. Bread was not bad, often at about US $1.50 to $2, but some may even think that is pricey. So it goes to show you that unless you are actually grocery shopping in Cabo you will never know how expensive food really is! We are not really sure how the locals can actually afford to grocery shop in Cabo.
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