Cabo San Lucas (Mexico) | Wandering the Marina - Day 2

 

Cabo San Lucas was once a small and quiet fishing village before the mid-1990s. The marina in Cabo San Lucas is one of the largest that I have seen in my recent travels. This view looks north back towards the town of Cabo San Lucas, taken about halfway down the marina.

I remember when I used to travel to Mexico every summer during the early-1990s, the colleagues I was traveling with did not want to come to Cabo San Lucas as "there was nothing there." At that time, only one resort hotel existed in Cabo, with very few nightclubs. Thirty years later, that has all changed. This little town has grown drastically! It now has the feel of a resort town and is full of "Gringos" (i.e., foreigners).

I spent a good portion of the afternoon walking around the large marina. I walked close to 10 mi (16 km) today. It felt great to wander through the shops, enjoy the sunshine, and explore. The iconic restaurants and nightclubs like Señor Frogs and Hard Rock Cafe are very much present here. The marina is lined with them and is the primary location where Gringos hang out while on vacation. However, when I left the marina and explored the town, I saw a few signs of Gringos.

While walking past a couple of locals in front of a small shop this afternoon, I overheard one say to the other, "I need the Mexican price, not the Gringo price." I couldn't help but chuckle.

The north end of the harbor even has a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. I prefer a different choice for dinner while in Mexico. However, I know that people love to have the comforts of home. Several years back, I had the pleasure of experiencing Ruth's Chris Steakhouse while traveling through Minneapolis, Minnesota. I remember the 10 oz (280 g) ribeye being one of the best I ever ate. In addition, I remember it was one of the most expensive steakhouses I have ever visited.

The marina is also full of wildlife. This is only sometimes the case in other locations. Snowy Egrets were one of the many bird species I observed. While at Humboldt State University, as an undergrad, we had to learn to identify these birds in Ornithology. The Snowy Egret was easily distinguished from the Cattle Egret, which looks similar because it appeared that the Snowy Egret had stepped in "yellow snow."

The Pacific Brown Pelican is a much prettier bird than its inland cousin, the White Pelican. Unfortunately, the last time I saw these birds was when I left the Pacific Northwest.

Exploring the marina allowed me to run errands, like purchasing a SIM card (Telcel), making my reservations for whale watching tomorrow, and buying sunscreen. The SIM card cost me 200 Pesos ($11 USD) and gave me 3 GB of data for 30 days. This will be more than I need to navigate while exploring Baja.

From the west side of the marina, late in the afternoon, this group of Brown Pelicans caught my attention. Several similar boats were moored next to each other. However, only this one attracted the Pelicans. It reminds me that people are like birds, often flocking to where the "cool kids" hang out!

Tacos are undoubtedly one of my favorite foods, and I plan to eat many while on this trip. I love the diversity. I can eat tacos every night and never eat the same taco twice. Tonight, I wanted to try Tacos Guss. The restaurant makes its own corn tortillas. They are fabulous! I ordered two grilled chicken (bottom) and two pork Al Pastor (top).

Tacos Guss is known for the custom salsa bar and taco toppings they bring to your table when you sit. There were 5 salsa types, freshly mashed avocado, chips, and a tray full of cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, onions, cilantro, pico de Gallo, and limes. 

After finishing the meal and my Piña Colada, I settled my bill for 160 Pesos ($20 USD). When I frequently traveled to Mexico, I drank Piña Coladas with dinner. This was my favorite drink. It is so refreshing, and when I wanted to avoid alcohol, I would order "Sin Alcohol." A virgin Piña Colada is refreshing and gives the appearance that you are consuming alcohol like everyone else.