Viva Mexico!

Well, as many of you know, we spent two weeks in Cabo San Lucas last month. We were slightly ambivalent about making the trip after the market collapse did a number on our finances, but I’m so very glad we boarded that tin tube and went. I’ve arrived at the conclusion that traveling is a most worthy endeavor, and planning a trip creates an exciting focus when the drudgery of the daily routine threatens to drag us down. For that reason, I want us to "keep on trippin'" for as long and as often as we possibly can. It really matters in our lives.



*Los Cabos (translated, "The Capes") are the twin towns at the Baja peninsula's southernmost tip. Cabo San Lucas holds court on the Western cape and San José del Cabo rounds out the Eastern cape. Connected only by the Tourist Corridor, 21 miles of coastline studded with golf courses, luxury resorts, dramatic beaches, and master-planned communities, the two capes could not be more different.

Cabo San Lucas, also known as Land's End, is the rowdy younger sister who shoots cheap tequila while dancing on the table chanting, "what happens in Cabo stays in Cabo."






The other side of San Lucas is a bling-flashing second cousin who frequents swanky clubs, ends the night in his oceanfront Jacuzzi, and cruises the coast in his luxury yacht.


Somewhere in between are the fun-loving aunts and uncles who've come to fish for marlin and/or for a peep at Sammy Hagar.


On the other hand, San José del Cabo, on the eastern side of Baja's tip, is a decidedly more "Mexican" experience. Colorful 18th-century homes-turned-artisan shops, vibrant flowering trees, world-class waves, and exquisite restaurants draw well-tanned surf gypsies; jolly snowbirds in search of sun and margaritas, celebrities and executives looking for respite from the rat race, and couples and families who wake up early to enjoy a full day of outdoor fun. The tree-lined streets of the downtown area are particularly enchanting, and the melodies of Ranchera or Banda music float from century-old homes still inhabited after generations.






*Info from Frommer's

It's so very divine to sink my toes into the sand, gaze out at the sea, and feel the gentle caress of the ocean breeze. Kahil Gibran wrote, "Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet, and the wind longs to play with your hair." Admittedly, I'm not a surfer or a swimmer, but I consider it such a privilege to just be in the presence of the sea, and I feel drawn back again and again to the Pacific side of Mexico, to bask in the sun and be simultaneously lulled and energized by the surf.

Not only does the beauty of Mexico inspire me, but her people are among the warmest and most welcoming I've ever met. While many Mexicans live with very little in the way of material goods, by and large they possess a gracious nature and exude friendliness and a genuine openness which is evident upon the many smiling faces that look our way. Smiles, smiles ... always -- smiles abound.





Almost as soon as we touched down back home in Fort Worth, we began planning our next Mexican get-away. We'll travel to Puerto Vallarta in August for my birthday, as we did last year. Already I'm counting down the days, filled with a childlike excitement and anticipation of adventures to come.