We left Mag Bay early on the morning of Monday, November 29th. The wind had been howling from the northeast for a couple of days, and was forecast to blow for one more day, so we figured that if we would stay in really close to the shore it wouldn't have enough fetch to build up big waves. We stayed about a mile offshore in the morning, as we motored southeast along Isla Margarita. The shoreline jumps several miles east at the end of the island, and I thought that we may get the wind there. It was around 1400 hours when we finally got there, and it was clear that the forecast was wrong about the big winds. We did get a little from the west later that day and evening, but most of the time we used the motor along with the sails. We proceeded direct, and before dark we were far enough offshore that no land was visible anywhere. Daylight found us approaching Cabo Falso, and then it was only another couple of hours until we got to Cabo San Lucas.
Cabo San Lucas is a dramatic ridge line that runs east-west and ends in a series of tall rocks. The bay is open to the east. We anchored on the north side of it, along a sandy beach, in about 20 feet of water. It was so clear that I could see the bottom as soon as I donned my goggles and put my face in the water. The beach is lined with hotels, and the water is full of jet skis, glass-bottomed water taxis, and plenty of other boats. The hotels play their music very loud, so it's quite different from Mag Bay and Turtle Bay. To conserve water, I go snorkeling each morning, and then rinse with fresh water. On the west end of the bay, they have dug a man made harbor that is very protected. Their are hundreds of slips in there, and a dinghy dock all the way up at the end, near the marina office. There are high end stores around the harbor, and several blocks of gringo alley type stores catering to people who show up on cruise ships.
The second day that we were here, we joined some other cruisers and rented a van to drive up the Pacific coast to a town called Todo Santos, where the real Hotel California (remember the
Eagles?) is located. I made sure to not check in! We left Cabo around lunchtime, and we were hungry, so we stopped on the outskirts of town at a real Mexican restaurant. They didn't seem to have menus, but I ordered cauldo chivo. Hope the spelling is correct. It was a fantastic bowl of soup with goat meat. Topped with fresh chopped onions, cilantro, lime juice, and a little hot sauce with a tortilla on the side, YUM! It was interesting to travel by highway, and driving through the desert was a treat, but really it's just another tourist thing and we didn't even go to the beach.
Friday, we moved into the marina and stayed there two nights. It was kind of nice to have the boat in flat water and to be able to step off onto a dock. It had been nearly a month since we were last able to do that. It was also nice to have electricity, water, and showers! For this 35 foot boat, the fee was 54 dollars per day. When we are anchored out, getting to shore often means getting wet. Hitting waves in the dinghy sends water spraying over the bow. The water taxi charges $5 per person each way, so that's out. One morning I swam to the beach, but that's not practical if you're buying groceries. So it was nice to be able to just walk away and see the sights. I needed to see a dermatologist, and was able to get the name and phone number of the one here in Cabo. I was able to get her on her cell phone, but I could not figure out what she was saying when she told me where her office was located. She did tell me to call at 2 pm, and I decided to be in her office at that time. I went to the marina office, gave them her name, and they looked her up on Google. They gave me her address, and I was sitting in her office before 2 pm. She got me in at about 2:15, checked me all out, gave me the sunscreen lecture in Spanish, and sent me on my way for 600 pesos - about 45 dollars.
Saturday morning, I took the dinghy out in the bay to Greg's boat and picked up Kalel. We went across the bay to Lover's Beach, and then went snorkeling at a rock called Neptune's Finger. The fish were amazing. So was the surge from the ocean swell, and it certainly stretched my snorkeling comfort zone! It's a small world! Later in the day, I moved a load of clothes from the washer to the dryer and headed back to the boat to wait on the dryer. Along the way, a guy came and started walking beside me, close, to get my attention. I looked at him, and it was Jack from Tomahawk Bay back in Portland! He was here with his sister and her husband, we sat and had a cerveza. I enjoyed visiting with them very much! Jack is a sweetheart and it was good to see someone from home.
The Sea of Cortez is prone to strong winds from the north in the winter. These northers are reported to kick up really steep waves, and this year it seems that there have been a lot of them. We have been watching the forecast for several days, and one was forecast to start blowing late Sunday. It looks like it will be windy for most of the week, that means we'll be here for a while. We will be leaving here on Thursday morning, Dec 8, headed to Los Frailes, which is a bay about 45 miles northeast of here. We will make some sotps along the way, but should be in La Paz and internet coverage in a week or so.
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