While I was in Turkey I checked email and saw a string of emails from some college friends saying they had all bought tickets to go visit our friend who lives in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Although I was on vacation at the time, I figured why not?!
So after a week at home, I was off to Mexico. Michelle has been living there for three years, selling real estate for her brother's company "Dream Homes of Cabo". She has a fabulous condo on the beach east of Cabo San Lucas, in a town called San Jose del Cabo. Her condo overlooks pools, palm trees and the beach. What more could I ask for after my three week adventurous trip in Turkey?! Add to that the fact that it's apparently 90 degrees and sunny every single day in Baja California Sur, and it was the perfect place to have some down time and recover from the sleep deficit :)
Lauren and I arrived first, after meeting in the Phoenix airport (she came from Denver) and upon arriving in Mexico, Michelle took us for shrimp tacos and margaritas. Needless to say, we didn't complain!
Amy and Nicole flew in from L.A., just in time to spend time by the pool and host a barbecue at Michelle's for her friends. It was Halloween, although the only costumes were her 2 year old nephew (Spiderman) and three guys who wore skirts. 
The following day we all went to a cove called Santa Maria for some swimming and snorkeling. Although the beach was pebbles, instead of sand, we enjoyed the perfect weather. 
Michelle suggested we head into Cabo for the evening.
I didn't know what to expect in Cabo. It's definitely a tourist town, with luxury hotels lining both sides of the main road. The prices are more American than Mexican. But Michelle took us to a phenomenal Mexican restaurant called "Mi Casa" for dinner. I think we liked it more for the fact that the margaritas were the size of a human head than for the food!
Regardless of the fact that each margarita probably had the alcohol content of five drinks in the U.S., we decided to order one final margarita to "share". This prompted our waiters to bring us free shots of chilled Don Julio tequila. How could we turn that down?
After this, Michelle thought we should head over to Cabo Wabo, Sammy Hagar's bar. I recall a lot of dancing, a lot of singing along with the band, and just general debauchery! The pictures say it all...did we think those beer bottles were microphones?
The following day we returned to Cabo and spent the day on a beach close to the downtown area. It was sandier than Santa Maria and had a lot more people (mostly locals). We had the most delicious shrimp tacos! Amy and Nicole rode a banana boat. Or at least when the boat pulled away, they were on the banana. When it returned, they were on the boat. Apparently it's painful to fall off the banana in the middle of the Sea of Cortes, as they will vouch...
That night was November 2nd, the final day of "Dia de los Muertos". Dia de los Muertos is a three day Mexican celebration where people remember those who have passed away. Indigenous people in Mexico believe that when someone dies, their souls do not die. The Day of the Dead is an opportunity for the souls to visit their families. Flowers and candles and food are laid out at altars, as an offering to the souls. The zocalo, or town square, of San Jose del Cabo was filled with people and altars, welcoming the souls. It was really great to be a part of the celebration.
After spending some time wandering around the square, we had dinner at a great local restuarant called La Tropicana. There was a traditional band singing and playing drums. We really enjoyed it! 
I have to admit, the following two days were lazy "lay by the pool" days. I never take that kind of vacation, and now I wonder why! It was so nice to swim, read magazines, nap...and not be wondering what overnight bus I would be on that night...
Michelle was nice enough to take a day off of work and we took a day trip to a town on the Pacific coast called Todos Santos. It's one of 20 magical towns (pueblos magicos) in Mexico. The towns were chosen based on their historical, architectural and cultural significance. I can see why it was chosen...a rutted road leads into the town, which is filled with small inns, restaurants, art galleries, ceramic shops, and one hotel named "Hotel California". Michelle and I stopped in to the bar to have a drink...just in case...
On our way back to San Jose del Cabo, Michelle took me to a beach called "Cerritos", also on the Pacific side of Baja California Sur. It's known for it's great surf waves, although the water is significantly cooler than that of the Sea of Cortes. We plopped down on towels in front of a surf bar and soaked up the last rays of the day. As someone who spends most of her time on the East Coast, I can tell you that the sunset was amazing...
Strangely, I watched the election results in Mexico. I voted absentee ballot (of course!) and I was really nervous about the results. I worried we had become a country that would question every election and not believe in the validity of the vote counts. But luckily I didn't need to worry and the outcome exceeded all expectations!
Anyway, I'm home now and trying to adjust to the 50 degree weather, not to mention the rain and gray skies. Maybe Michelle has the right idea?
