Our direct flight back to Calgary was at noon. L walked to Starbucks for coffee and a bagel while I made another pack of ramen noodles for my breakfast. Cabo Shuttle Services picked us at 9:15 am. While our driver Macho arrived on time, he looked hung over and cranky. His mood improved when he found out that L had visited Macho’s hometown, Mexico City. I knew my place and remained silent throughout the ride to the airport. I did make one comment and Macho looked irritated that I chimed in and interrupted them.
Some interesting tidbits I overheard, as I was not part of the conversion. Los Cabos is pricey for locals to live, particularly when compared to other areas in Mexico, such as Puerto Vallarta or Mexico City. One reason is water. Apparently it only rains about five days a year. Water has to be imported and desalination is an expensive practice that locals pay for through municipal taxes.
Hurricanes are a cyclical issue in Cabo. Our driver pointed out a pile of rubble and said it was a run down resort that was purposely left alone, because it was common knowledge that the hurricane would eventually demolish the decrepit building. In 2014, Hurricane Odile did just that.
The current president of Mexico is heavily taxing residents, facing a series of scandals, and is rapidly losing popularity. I already know about the drug lord escape fiasco, but our driver also told us how he had friends that were students that were mass murdered by drug lords, and no one was happy how the president handled that crisis. Gasoline prices have sky rocketed due to crazy high taxation, which is more expensive than people pay in Texas.
We got to the airport and the whole process of checking in was a breeze compared to my experiences at the Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Plata and Playa del Carmen airports. The duty-free store was pricey. My Don Julio was double what I paid in town. I didn’t bother buying anything. I was pleased that I already bought my souvenirs at the best price.
L has a ton of clients that we see whenever we travel. These clients get vacation the same time as L, and I can always count on bumping into them. We saw two of his clients at the duty-free shop and then they were seated right next to our table at the Corona Bar. I always have to mind my manners around them. Sigh.
We ordered Pacifico beers and shared some greasy fries. The ketchup was a Mexican brand and it looked like a gel. Our fries came automatically with the most disgusting cheese whiz. What annoyed me was that we never asked for cheese and it came at an extra charge.
On the plane I watched my new favourite show, Fresh off the Boat. I find the show hilarious though not entirely accurate. Eddie’s parents are unrealistically laid back, optimistic and there’s no talk about losing face or bringing shame to the family. The focus on grades is dead on. Also, I think these kids get way too much play time. Why aren’t they helping at the restaurant after school? It’s like they took the Brady Bunch show and incorporated aspects of it into a Chinese family.
Cabo was a pleasant escape for a week. If I can budget it, our next winter trip will be Havana. However, right now my focus is on Japan. L and I are looking forward to our three-week trip to Kyoto and Tokyo in the spring.
Hitting the Sauce 