Cabo (06.12-16.2019)
Documenting my experience in Cabo!
I was invited by Karissa aka SushiSis, who I've been friends with since we were practically in our mothers' wombs, to vacation in Cabo with her and her parents. It was an absolute dream to experience the beautiful landmarks, eat lots of Mexican food, and walk along the beaches. Let me tell you about the highlights of this trip!
La Casa by Palmilla Beach
We stayed at a Diamond Resorts timeshare house by Palmilla Beach during our stay. The house was fit to hold 8 people so with only 4 of us, we felt like we were in a mansion! There were four bedrooms, each with a beautiful view. The kitchen was fully equipped with coffee and espresso machines which was a big plus in the morning. By the infinity edge pool, there were pool towels and pool noodles. On top of all of this, housekeeping came each day so we didn't have to do dishes or laundry! I got to relax and wake up everyday and enjoy the view of the infinity edge pool and the sunrise. We also had two golf carts for nearby exploring so we drove around the neighborhood and then to Palmilla Beach.
Flora Farms
When checking out things to do in San José del Cabo, Flora Farms came up on TripAdvisor. We decided to eat at Flora's Field Kitchen for lunch so I made a reservation the night before since we weren't sure how busy the restaurant was going to be.
Upon arrival, it was so beautiful to see this 25 acre organic working farm located in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. We got seated right away via reservation and we got to enjoy live music while we ate. Afterwards, we explored the Shoppes at Flora Farms after eating lunch. We also received a mini tour of the farm courtesy of one of the workers there. Before we left, we got ice cream from the ice cream stand - I had the Citrus Basil ice cream which was perfect for a hot day.
El Arco de Cabo San Lucas
Even though we were in San José del Cabo, it was only an hour drive to Cabo San Lucas from our house so it was a no-brainer to go experience the famous landmark, El Arco or The Arch. Once we got to the beach at El Medano, we took a glass boat tour that was about $15 per person. We got to see Land's End and The Arch of Cabo San Lucas. We agreed with our boat tour guide to be picked up in 3 hours before getting dropped off at Lover's Beach. It was beautiful to gaze at the huge granite rock formations that went up about 500 feet. On the south side, was Divorce Beach, where it was unsafe to swim due to the strong winds. We snorkeled at Lover’s Beach and I got to dance on the granite rocks. Before we got picked up, a seal came about 10 feet away from us.
Rancho Ecologico Sol De Mayo - Cascada Waterfall
In addition to swimming/snorkeling, we wanted to go on a hike. We found the Cascada Sol de Mayo Waterfall hike at Rancho Ecologico Sol De Mayo. I recommend having a 4-wheel drive car as the main road was all sand with only one lane. We managed to get there in our Nissan Altima but it was definitely a question whether to keep driving or turn back.
When we got there, there was a small farm with goats, fish, and roosters. They asked for a $15 donation per person and then we were on our way to the waterfall. The signs to the waterfall were clear to follow and along the way, there were ropes and stairs. The hike was only .5 miles which made the trek into the canyon short and moderately strenuous. Once we got in, the water was so clear, we could see little fish swimming around. It was quite a sensory experience feeling courser sand and sitting in the cool-temperature waters.
Balandra Beach
Karissa's dad heard that the Balandra Beach in La Paz had clear waters and was a good spot for fly-fishing so we drove two hours from Santiago to La Paz. This beach was perfect for just relaxing and enjoying the day. You could wade for about a mile and experience the cool-temperature waters. We did have to watch out for stingrays so we were shuffling as we were wading but other than that, we got to see huge schools of fish swim around us. We even met a few local girls who were in middle school. They only spoke Spanish so we got to practice our Spanish while learn more about each other. We happened to take a crash course in Duolingo so that came in handy. There were also a few people selling mangoes with tajin which were perfect to enjoy with our chips and guacamole salsa.
The Beautiful Sunrise
On the last day, Karissa and I woke up around 5am and we drove one of the golf carts to a high peak in the mountain to watch the sunrise. Sunrises are my favorite thing about nature and my relationship with God. I have realized that if something means so much to you, you will make it a priority and you will wake up for it - literally or figuratively. In this case, it has been literal. However, like God, the sunrise is always there every day for us to appreciate and start our day with. The sunrise has been beautiful in every place that I have been in and has made me want to appreciate the sunrise wherever I travel next.
Summary
I have never laughed so much in the span of these few days with the memories and stories that we've created in the past and present as well as just enjoying each other's company. To be able to have a lifetime friend where you can worship God during car rides and explore new destinations, I am forever grateful to have been invited to go on this trip with Karissa and her family. We even did karaoke the last night which both put us out of our comfort zones!