CABO SAN LUCAS

This is day seven of our cruise.  We are off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  The next three days will see stops in Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo and Acapulco.  How many tours will we take?  None.  Been there, done all that, but nice weather.  Sunny with a high of 86F.  This condition will prevail until Acapulco, when rain is expected.

While cruise tours are very safe, Mexico is always a concern.  The State Department notes that violent crime is common and widespread in Mexico.  They recommend that travelers reconsider travel to Baja California because of crime and kidnapping.  About Cabo San Lucas, the advisory says don't walk around at night and leave the bling at home.  Never take your eyes off your belongings.  Be careful around ATMs.  Be on guard for pickpockets.  Same for all the other mentioned cities.  In other words, if you go to Mexico, do it on a cruise ship.

A week from now we will be at Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica.  Actually paid for that tour, but will now no doubt cancel, mostly because it is a port town, and San Jose, the capital, is almost two hours by bus away.  Why pay $200 to do nothing much but gaze at the sea from land?  While safer than other counties in this region, the State Department gives the country a level-2 (exercise increased caution) rating.  Of course, one needs to also be careful in most U.S. large cities.  Here is something from the State Department.

If you decide to travel to Costa Rica:

• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Do not physically resist any robbery attempt.
• Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• U.S. citizens should always exercise caution when traveling abroad.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• Review the Country Security Report for Costa Rica.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Informationrelated to your travel. 

Oh well, I caught a very similar cruise to the one I'm now on 20 years ago, and did drop by those locations.  There was no problem, but, except for a tequila tasting and a visit to Hotel California for lunch, don't remember anything else.  And later learned that the hit song by the Eagles has no connection to that hotel.

But about Cabo San Lucas, it is a resort city, 1055 miles south of San Diego.  

• Located at the southern tip of the Baha California peninsula.
• The Sea of Cortez (see map) was formed 200 million years ago, and is the youngest sea on Earth.  Named by Jacques Cousteau as the Aquarium of the World.
• Metropolitan area of 351,111 inhabitants.
• Human habitation is evident from 10,000 years.
• However, according to Hatsutaro, a Japanese castaway, in 1842 there were only two houses and 20 inhabitants.
• 
  Land's End Arch is 84 million years old.  Southern tip of Baja.
• Todos Santos (just north of CSL) was where the Mexican-American war ended in late March of 1848.

• 
  Cabo San Lucas has the highest-paying marlin tournament in the world, taking place annually this month, and for 2024, occurred from the 8th to12th.
• Winter pods of whales can be observed.
• There are two universities and an international airport.
• Baja represents 40% of all Mexican coastlines.
• American dollars accepted here.

• 
  A go-to place for Hollywood stars, like Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Zac Efron, Robert de Niro, Justin Bieber and George Clooney, although he and Rande Gerbe sold their side-by-side villas for $100 million.

Some photos on the Norwegian Encore from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas.  We had lunch at American Diner.

I had a Caesar Salad and Spaghetti/Meatballs with beer.

Noticed that there are a lot of these on this ship.

Buffet dinner of veal scallopini, spinach concoction and udon noodles, with Chardonnay and Stella.

We then went to the theater for the first time.  Act was so so, so we left.

Saw some silly games in the Atrium.

Went to Social for some dancing.

Went back to District overviewing the Atrium for some late night snacks of chili, salad and scotch.

Good walk day at 7952 steps.

Ship arrived on Day 7 in Cabo San Lucas.

Had lunch 

Noticed that moored next to us was the Majestic Princess.  Checked to see if we were on the same itinerary, but, no, that other ship will return to Los Angeles on a 5-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit another record high yesterday, rising 37 points to 43,276.  This the fifth session in the last six where a new record-close occurred.  The big winner of the day was Netflix, jumping 11%.  There is some worry that the S&P 500 is trading at nearly 22 times forward earning, and that the November 5 presidential election, depending of what happens, could trigger something ominous.

Another potential concern is that a hurricane could well be forming in the Caribbean.  That would discombobulate our exit from the Panama Canal towards Miami.  We arrive on November 3, two days before the presidential election. 

• There currently is Hurricane Oscar heading for Cuba.  However, he will then swerve northeast and be well into the Atlantic Ocean by midweek.
• There is Invest 94L that also looms to become a hurricane, but similarly then head into the mid-Atlantic.

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