Did you know Virgin America flies direct from SFO to Cabo San Lucas? That’s only a three-hour bus ride and one-hour boat ride from the Isla Espiritu Santo.
Obviously, Josh and I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to snorkel with some sea lions, eat fish tacos on a beach, and generally gallivant in a new corner of the world.
Baja California is another part of “the developing world” that makes me cringe with guilt by association for my role in forcing it to develop. Ease of access to SFO and others will ensure this area continues getting paved and privatized, while the residents are conscripted to the tourism trade. This wouldn’t be as bad if the Federales, in their Washington-issued digital camouflage, weren’t so visible. Sorry about the gentrification and drug war, Mexico.
Based on tales of resorts and bad American tourists, we avoided Cabo proper altogether. Based on the rows of art galleries in nearby San Jose del Cabo, and their white, English-speaking clientele, this was a good call. La Paz, three-hours north, serves as a gateway to the natural world, and caters to a slightly more rugged brand of tourists. We had to use Spanish a little, at least when we left the narrow pedestrian mall searching for taco carts.
The real highlight of the trip was a boat-ride away. We joined a small tour group to camp on the national park that is the Isla Espiritu Santo. The company (Mar y Adventuras) was phenomenal. We kayaked in the morning, snorkled in the afternoon, and were met with ample margaritas and beer back at camp in the evening. Our fearless tour guide even caught a pufferfish bare handed for our amusement.
Well played, Mexico.
