San Jose del Cabo (Mexico) | A Quirky Artisan Town - Day 17

I arrived at the Playa Cabo Azul just before the sunset. The beach is only a 0.7 mi (1.0 km) from the center of San Jose del Cabo. The beach is extensive. There are few people here today as it is a Red Flag day, meaning the undertow is too strong, and swimming conditions are dangerous.

I chose to move to San Jose del Cabo to warm up when the weather changed. I was hoping to explore the mountain regions to the north, but the bus schedules could be better. In fact, most bus routes don't actually pass through the small towns like Santiago. Since I am not interested in renting a car, which eliminates the hot springs near Santiago, I plan to spend three nights here, before returning to La Paz. 

The weekends accommodations are booked in Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas, and San Jose del Cabo. San Jose del Cabo is an artisan village about 20 mi (32 km) northeast of Cabo San Lucas. 

Before leaving Cabo San Lucas, and because I can only check into my accommodations after 3 pm, I head southwest from the Marina to visit the beach on the Pacific Ocean side. Once there, I notice it is a Red Flag Day, so I stop and enjoy the view. This side of the Cabo is busy with tour boats and yachts heading north and south along the coast. Around noon, the boats disappear, and I start noticing Humpback Whales. Several fountains are visible in the distance, the occasional breach and flop, and there are even some that are close enough to see surface not far from the edge of the water.  

Whale watching was something I was hoping to do in Oregon, United States when I was there a few winters ago. The weather didn't cooperate then, but I have been blessed with fantastic weather here in Baja. I have enjoyed watching whales here, much more than I thought I would. There is something very captivating about being near a mammal that is so large.

The southern end of the beach has a spectacular granite rock formation. It is possible to traverse further south by climbing over the formation, something I decide to skip today.

After a 40-minute ride on the local bus, I arrive in San Jose del Cabo. I am unsure if the door was not functioning properly or if the driver simply forgot to close it, but it stayed open most of the way. This cooled breeze on the hot bus, so I didn't mind.

The town center is in San Jose del Cabo is lovely and quirky. The streets have countless art galleries and shops. I can't wait to explore it more thoroughly. Tomorrow night San Jose del Cabo hosts an art walk in the square downtown.

Streamers and lights hang across nearly every street downtown. It gives the town a friendly and colorful vibe.

On my way to the beach, I pass the town square. The art walk on Thursday nights was one of the reasons why I chose to spend time in San Jose del Cabo. Plus, I remember Jason telling me he enjoyed his time here too.

As I pass the art galleries and shops along the way to the beach, I can't help but think that San Jose del Cabo has a Taos, New Mexico, in the United States, quirky artisan vibe. I mean that several galleries show art from only one artist and the prices are relatively high.

I finally make it to the beach that is over 1.3 mi (2 km) away as the sun disappears to the west. In the last few days, I read through my travels in Ireland and my struggles with walking after my injury. It feels lovely to cover this distance in only about 20 minutes. There was a time when walking 0.7 mi (1 km) took me twice that, and simple mechanics were a struggle. I was blessed to have healed so quickly and in turn, was able to walk the 600 mi (960 km) of the Camino a few months later. 

One thing I've picked up on in reading my blog is how much I enjoy walking. I like walking from town to town, as I did in Ireland, Wales, and Spain. I am amazed at how so much can happen in one day, especially when so little distance is covered. I also remember how frequently I would draft the blog in my head while walking. I enjoyed that time tremendously. 

These days, it is different. My time in Mexico feels more like coming home, even more so than when I was in the United States recently. I didn't realize how much I missed Mexico. The food, the culture, and people are fantastic! The pace of life and security here are reasons I need to reflect and read my blog. Doing so has also opened up new things to ponder and explore. As I ponder things and reflect I've even found a couple of curtains, I needed to pull back. I didn't realize they were even there, but I need to expose the things behind the curtain to the light. It feels good to do so. The downside is that I have been reclusive and had little interaction with other people I have encountered.

For dinner, I head to local Mezcalaria for tacos. I'm having chipotle shrimp and fried mushroom taco in a blue corn tortilla tonight. The tacos are delicious here, though a bit on the pricey side. Each costs me twice what I have been paying in Cabo San Lucas at El Paisa. Nevertheless, they are tasty, and that is all that matters tonight.