On top of the rock

On top of the rock
Our Cliff

Sunday, February 14, 2010

CABO PULMO

Oh my God I think I have truly lost my mind. It has been 10 days since the Ya Ya’s started arriving here in the Baja. After a week of different adventures and celebrations, this past Wednesday we left the populated areas of Cabo San Lucas to drive almost 3 hours up a rutted, washboard dirt road; destination Cabo Pulmo. There were two cars in our caravan. Our truck was in the lead, followed by the VW Jetta that was rented at National Car Rental for the week. Brian, Ann and Megan followed Maurice and I in the rental car as the rest of our group stayed at Cabo Surf; a lovely boutique hotel on the ocean in Cabo. Cabo Pulmo is on the East Cape and its claim to fame is its coral reef. There is even a quote from Jacques Cousteau stating “Cabo Pulmo is the earth’s aquarium“.

After a few photo stops, as the drive is spectacular and we had some whales sightings, we finally got to the Cabo Pulmo dirt road that veered off the dirt road we were on. We knew we were there when we saw a sign that was hand painted in rust, tan and aqua shades. The sign read Welcome to Cabo Pulmo. 200 mtrs DIVING SNORKELING KAYAKING SPORT FISHING GROCERIE STORE RESTAURANT
200 mtrs ahead you could see the blue water pila in the sky.

Between the sign and the 200 mtrs it took to get to “town” we passed an overturned red RAM van. No windows, no tires, and painted with one gold and two light blue turtles on it. (the turtles are the town’s logo, so to speak) This van has been there for a long, long time.

I did not know that in the car behind us Ann and Megan were freaking out wondering where we were taking them!!! This was my third trip to Cabo Pulmo, so to me I was not surprised. I was excited. The town itself has ten homes that are lived in all year round. There are 5 American and 5 Mexican families. The rest of the town is either occupied by part time home owners, or people like us, tourists, who rent our accommodations for a chance to snorkel there. For the two days we were there there were wind advisories and the ocean was off limits. Very sad when you go there to enjoy the sea.

The place we stayed was spectacular. Lovely, quaint, charming. This is not about this, though, this is about me loosing my mind. Remember, I love Cabo Pulmo!! The snorkeling is fabulous and it is has a surreal environment. We have decided that people who live here must come to hide. Old hippies, nudists, mental patients, or ex-cons, who knows; but there is zero crime. That is what we have been told. We absolutely believe that.

The town consists of a couple of dive centers, a 50 sq ft shop that sells gifts items, and a few places to eat that have grown out of some of those 5 Mexican familie’s homes. There is also a restaurant above one of the dive shops. Also… there is a creepy rusted playground surrounded by barbed wire. Inside are monkey bars, a swing set, a slide and a merry-go-round. These were once painted red and white, but that was a long time ago. There is also a small vehicle that drives around playing music and selling sweets. The music is very disturbing and eerie, well not if you are Mexican child I assume. Megan and I started fantasizing we were in a Stephen King movie. Kujo was certainly lurking behind a cactus. To increase the weird factor the town was windy. I mean really windy. So windy that when we walked around we felt like our legs were being sand blasted. Also strange. Most of the time there were no people around. (except when the scary “sweet car” came around) There was a horse that wandered up and down “Main Street”…..and there was us.

Today we took the last of our guests to the airport after spending our three nights in Cabo Pulmo. So creepy little Stephen King town was left in the dust as we drove the hour and 40 minutes to the airport, enjoying 50 minutes of paved highway.

When we gradually worked our way back to Todos Santos, a town of 5000, I was not happy. There was so much traffic. There were people everywhere. There were barking dogs. There was even a tour bus in front of Hotel California!!!

I yearned for Cabo Pulmo!!!!

In two months I have gone from Toronto, a city of 2 ½ million people to Todos Santos, a town of 5000 and now I think it is too big and busy!!!

I think I have truly lost my mind. The saving grace is that I still shave my legs and have dyed my roots. I shower daily and wear lip gloss on occasion.

There is still hope for me.

P.S. We still do not have our things, nor have they left Vera Cruz
P.P.S. I have many many stories about the incredible 10 days spent with our 7 guests….they are coming….
P.P.S.S There was no work done on our land in the past ten days. Shocking isn’t it?
P.P.P.S.S. Patience is becoming a four letter word to me!!!!

2 comments:

  1. Megan told me some of the amazing things you did while she was there! Sounds like a great place to live. I look forward to reading more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Maria!! We had a ball!!!!! Now I am very lonley... :)

    ReplyDelete