It was the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. Two weeks after our youngest daughter moved off to college, we boarded a plane and flew to Cabo. It wasn’t that we didn’t miss her, it was just that we were ready to start the next chapter of our life as a couple. From the moment that we arrived in Cabo, we fell in love with the town. We went during the off-season, so there weren’t a ton of people, but even during the busy season, it isn’t over-crowded. Within the city limits, there is a height restriction of seven stories, so there aren’t the enormous resorts with thousands of rooms like there are in places like Cancun. Since our first trip, we’ve been back a couple more times and our passion for Cabo has only grown. It is our go-to location when we want a vacation, not travel, but a “sit on the beach with a drink in your hand, complete relaxation get-away”.
Happy on the BeachReverse View of the ArchLiving Like a Local
This is our entry for this week’s Discover Challenge: Opening Line. Not only do we like to go back to Cabo, but we like to revisit our photos from Cabo as well, they are soothing and calming. All of these were taken during our very first visit to Cabo, which actually ended with a hurricane coming into town on the day that we left. We have shared other pictures from this trip in the past, so these are all photos that we haven’t previously shared.
Second HoneymoonBoating ActivitiesFish Under Water
When travelling, we try to go to a show that depicts the history and culture of the people where we are visiting. They can be a little bit hokey at times, but they are also pretty informative. When we were in Puerto Vallarta a few years ago, we had two different experiences, but they were both a lot of fun. First we took a tour on a pirate ship that combined some pirate swashbuckling with a show about their Incan ancestors. Then later in the trip, we took a cruise to a remote location south of Puerto Vallarta for dinner and a show. Most cultures are extremely proud of their heritage, so they put a lot of effort into shows such as these.
The Pirate Ship at the PortSailing Out to SeaPuerto VallartaIncan Ritual
On the pirate ship, they started by doing some interactive activities to get people to loosen up and relax. As is always the case whenever there is something interactive that we attend, Dona is selected to participate. First they threatened to toss her overboard before pulling her up to the “stage”. Then they had her sing La Cucaracha with ice in her mouth and, if that wasn’t enough, they gave her a poncho and had her do a mock-striptease. There is nothing to do except to take it in all in with a smile, it is all in good fun.
Dona Being Tossed OverboardSinging La CucarachaSun Setting on the Ship
After the ice-breakers, we enjoyed some drinks and looked around at the splendid views from the ship. As the sun started going down, the pirate show began. It was a lot of tongue-and-cheek humor and leaping around waving swords. Probably more fun for the kids than it was for the adults, but it was interesting enough. It was certainly more about entertainment than culture or education.
The Pirate Show BeginsSword FightPirate
After the pirate show, the highlight of the night started with an Incan performance. There was a lot of fire, drums, and chanting. It was quite entertaining, culminating in a fireworks show.
Native DancersPlaying with FireIncan Performance
When we went to the dinner, it was quite a different experience. This show really centered on the history of the Incan ancestors and their mystical beliefs. We didn’t get too many pictures of that show, but it was quite fascinating. It was very elaborate with dancers all over the stage telling the story of their gods, complete with a pulley system swinging actors above the audience. After the show, we ate dinner on the beach and watched the sun set before heading back to Puerto Vallarta.
Drums on the BeachThe StageAerial AcrobaticsHeading to the Jungle
These cultural shows provide an opportunity for visitors to get a glimpse at traditions, folkdance, folklore, and the culture in general. It isn’t a substitute for reading about a culture in advance of visiting or taking the time to go to the museums that might be in a city, but it can be an entertaining way to reinforce what you’ve already read and learned. Worse case, it might just be a fun evening with drinks and a show.
For Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Happy, we once again had a difficult time figuring out what to post. Our first thought was to use one of our pictures from hiking in the mountains, because that always makes us happy. We could have easily put a picture of our children doing what they love, they are always hamming it up for the camera. In the end, we decided to go with this photo from Puerto Vallarta. Perhaps it is just because we’re both a little tired with work at the moment, or maybe its just that we’re getting a little older these days, but the thought of hopping on a ship and sailing into the sunset to some new destination yet unknown, seems really appealing to us right now. Hopefully this will take you to a happy place of your own.
