A Quiet Little Beach- just a few thousand people and us

Today we ran a few errands including Walmart again for beverages for everyone. Then we went in search of the Post Office (Correo) to get some more post card stamps. We had it on the GPS, but drove right by the building. It doesn't look anything like a Post Office, and we thought it was a closed up restaurant in the middle of a construction zone the first time we passed by it. Finally we went in, and the sleepy little man running the place figured out what we were asking for. He got out some various envelopes from several drawers and started counting out stamps, then writing and figuring on a little ledger book. He sold us 4 different kinds of stamps of four different denominations, and tallied it all up for a final price in his little book (about 60 cents each for foreign post card stamps). He took our money and it disappeared in another envelope behind the counter too. We have no idea if the cards are correctly stamped or will ever make it to the States. He said it should take about 15 days, so we'll be back at work when they finally get to the recipients!

We parked in the parking garage of the largest mall in town, because I read it was the best deal and closest to everything we wanted to do. After the Post Office experience, we walked down a few streets and found the marina and boardwalk area. Again we were assaulted by strolling salespeople hawking boat rides, city tours, and all manner of souvenirs and handicrafts. We bought some items in a few shops along the pretty marina waterfront.

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It was hot so we headed in the waterside mall and found the food court. Sarah, Amy and I got Gyro sandwiches with Greek salads on the side and iced jasmine tea. The owner came out from the kitchen and was very proud of his food. He made sure to tell us he makes everything himself (hummus, tabouli, his own pita bread, zazeki sauce, and baklava). He insisted we try everything (no charge for samples) so we did. Everything was delicious. Sam got a Mexican sandwich (torta) with ham onions and tomatoes.

We returned to the car to stow our stuff and get our beach stuff together. It was a few blocks to Medano beach (the only swimmable beach nearby), including a big hill up and then down. We actually accessed the beach right next to where we ate dinner our first night here. 

Saturday, all the locals come out to the beach with their families, so it was hopping! The area near the restaurants is jammed with umbrellas, palapas (see here), blankets, towels, and people. We made our way away from the biggest concentration and found some space to put our stuff down. We were continuously offered jewelry, pottery, hair braids, and henna tattoos by strolling hawkers including children again. Some girls were selling mango from a cardboard box,
 
and some others had cooked shrimp on a stick with slices of lime.

We passed in the 100 degree heat.

Sam and Sarah got right in the water and dove headlong into the crashing waves. 

 

The water is about 80 degrees, and crystal clear. You can see about 10 feet down when it is still enough. We all had a blast swimming and playing in the water with the dozens of other people near us. 

You can see our condo down the shore from this beach, with a huge stretch of nearly empty coast in between.

 

There is nowhere to park to access that area, a long walk to get there, and so far no development. It's really odd to see such a great piece of unused coastline so close to the jumble of tourist development in town.

After an hour or so we had enough of the heat and packed up. Just as we left, a huge rogue wave crashed on the shore, soaking us and all the pampered folks in the palapas. The attendants rushed in to dry off and clean off their clients, who were aghast at having water and sand on them at the beach. Funny!

We stopped for a beverage at one of the seaside businesses. Smoothies, orange soda, and a margarita or two were the perfect end to a fun beach day trip.
 

We walked back to the car (a slightly shorter route) and figured out the cumbersome parking payment system. 

We drove through some back streets just to see what the rest of the town looks like. Once you leave the tourist glitz and marina, Cabo looks a lot like every other Mexican town we've seen. Small businesses with  hand made signs, fenced and gated yards, older model cars, and today, people socializing as Saturday afternoon moved into Saturday night. Lots of people walking to their jobs in the tourist businesses. Sam apparently offers some services here.

Eventually we returned home and unloaded our treasures. A quick dinner in the condo and a few spirited card games of Uno, and everyone went off to bed, worn out from the sun and waves. 

Tomorrow we are taking a tour in a glass bottomed boat, and maybe going snorkeling at a more remote beach area.  Hasta manana!