I have found that this phrase, “First time in Cabo?” is a frequent one spoken by the locals in the service professions. I have been asked this by countless cab drivers, time share salespeople, and shop keepers throughout the years. Guess I still do not look like a local!
I’m sure that this is a common ice breaker around the world. As I have moved from answering, “Yes”, to “First visit in a long time”, to “I live here part time,” I have witnessed various reactions. The first two answers elicit recommendations for restaurants, the best beaches, and discounts for tours. Once you say you live here part time, the timeshare salespeople walk away in search of new potential clients, and most others do not share their recommendations. So I started asking!
There is no better way to get to know a new place than to talk to the locals. And I think that when you share that you are in their home year-round, or even part time, like us, you get some recommendations beyond the tourist traps. This requires some stepping out of my comfort zone. If you haven’t read before, I was a shy kid and remain an introvert (as they call us now!) so I struggle to initiate conversation. Throw in a language barrier, and I am even more reluctant to engage. But I continue to force myself for three reasons: 1. The benefits far outweigh the risks. I have learned so much about our new home by talking with local people. 2. This is the best way to practice and continue to learn Spanish. 3. Casual conversation is much more expected in Mexico than in the US. The people are friendly and assume that you will exchange the occasional “buenos dias” and “como esta? “ It is also customary to wish strangers “provecho” (enjoy your meal) when passing by their table in a restaurant. These are just a few of the customs I have noted, and I have much to learn. So, “First time in Cabo?” “No, but more importantly, it won’t be my last”!
In my last blog, I tackled the topic of “ordinary” tasks of the expat life. One of these, at least for most of us, is exercise. Whatever it looks like for you, exercise is a part of most of our lives in 2025.
For me, this involves four days a week of running and lifting, two of walking, and one “rest day” with yoga and maybe a light walk. To define further, “running” at age 57 might look more like a slow jog, and “lifting” is usually some resistance for the arms and legs. But an “E” for effort goes a long way and is better than nothing (or so I tell myself!).
At home in the States, exercise is mostly done in my basement workout room, or maybe outside if it is a beautiful day to walk. But in my 425 sq.ft. condo in Mexico, there is not an exercise room. Nor is there a fitness center in our complex, because it is not a resort, but rather small apartments with only limited amenities. So I had two choices: not exercise for the months that I am in Mexico, or get creative. I chose the latter!
I began by running outside, which sounded like a logical choice. I also purchased some small hand weights and a yoga mat. Luckily, the same yoga videos I access at home via YouTube are available here, (Yoga with Kassandra are great ones!) so that part was easy. However, I soon found that there were a few issues with jogging outside in San Jose del Cabo. Not to say that this was a totally negative experience; the scenery is beautiful and the city has provided lovely jogging/biking paths in our area. For awhile, this seemed like the perfect solution. But then…summer came, and that beautiful Baja sun was beating down on me by 7:00 am. As a non-morning person, this was the first glitch in my morning run, which I usually didn’t start until 9:00-10:00 am. It became a fine line of starting a run in the dark and finishing before the sun was too hot. Also, while the hills and mountains of Mexico are gorgeous to look at, the terrain proved to be challenging for a runner of my age.
So I joined a gym. The Vidanta gym in San Jose del Cabo is amazing and has given me the opportunity to use their cardio equipment, resistance machines, and free weights at my convenience. Throw in spin and yoga classes, and access to tennis courts and a pool, and I am set! Motivation, that could be another issue. But my Sunday walks are often on the beach, along the coast of the beautiful Sea of Cortez. So again, completing tasks of minutia in paradise is part of the life of the part-time expat!
Buenos dias from San Jose del Cabo! It’s always great when we have good friends visit from the US. I think that most love Cabo ALMOST as much as we do! There is nothing better than having friends from home share your second home. Especially, when they love it!
As we often do, we decided to go into Cabo San Lucas and take a sunset cruise. This was courtesy of Cabo Adventures, and they provide an excellent experience that I highly recommend. We spent 2 ½ hours in the Sea of Cortez/Pacific Ocean looking for whales and watching an amazing sunset over the Pacific. For those of you familiar with the area, we crossed into the Pacific when we went around the iconic rock arch. We even saw sea lions sunning themselves on the rocky beaches AND swimming in the ocean near our boat, which I have never seen before. All of this was accompanied by an excellent dinner and open bar. But the best part of this, and any experience we have here, was sharing it with good friends. We have taken my in-laws and two of our children and their significant others on this trip, and it never gets old enjoying the beauty of a Cabo sunset. So that is an example of a fun vacation type week, and then there are always catch-up weeks. You see, some people forget that part of living in a new place, full or part time, is having to “adult” just like when you are at home! Paying taxes, renewing license plates, cleaning, grocery shopping, doctor and dentist appointments will all be a part of your expat life as well. But when I can sit and write blogs on my patio office with a view of the ocean, I once again feel blessed to be doing these “ordinary” tasks in an extraordinary setting!
Like all good things, the epic road trip must come to an end. I find myself wishing it could go on forever, and simultaneously looking forward to being back home in San Jose del Cabo, like all great vacations. San Ignacio is about a nine-hour drive from SJD, so we decided to break it up and take our time.
Our first stop was Santa Rosalía. Santa Rosalía was once a bustling company town, founded by the French and sporting both a marina and a railway station. Copper, cobalt, zinc and manganese were all found in the Boleo Mine in Santa Rosalía. The Boleo Industrial Plant now serves as a museum dedicated to mining and transportation, as well as celebrating Mexico’s baseball heritage. Another amazing sight in this small town is the Iglesia de Santa Bárbara, which is an all iron church designed by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel. After being displayed at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1889, it was moved to Santa Rosalía in 1897.
Iglesia de Santa BárbaraMuseo El Boleo
Fascinating town, but we were moving forward! Our lunch stop was back in Mulege, as I wanted a repeat of the fantastic lunch we had enjoyed there a few days before. Again, Antojitos Mexicanos Zuria, did not disappoint!
We opted to spend the night in Loreto again. Loreto, part dos was just as amazing as Loreto part uno. This time, we lodged at the Santo Cielo, which is right on the main street in town. The church was gorgeous lit up at night, and we enjoyed the views and local street noise while eating dinner on our balcony. I also tried a delicious Cadillac margarita made by Martin at the El Dorado Sports Bar, if you go there ask for him. One thing we didn’t think of was the loud chimes from the church all night; but that only added to the authenticity of staying in Loreto!
Evening view from our balcony at Santo Ceilo
So I bid Adios to the stretch of road that travels the Baja until next time, but not to my second home in San Jose del Cabo. We will be visiting often and I look forward to sharing more adventures!
The stretch between Mulege and San Ignacio provided us with some of the most amazing mountain terrain that I have seen in the Baja. The views were extraordinary, and the roads, while not exactly treacherous, do require some attentive driving. Steep hills and overlooks led into our next stop for the night, San Ignacio Springs Bed and Breakfast.
This overnight accommodation was unique in that it had the look and feel of a campground, but you actually stay in a yurt. The term “glamping” comes to mind, as the yurts look like tents, but are spacious and have solid floors and walls. The roof is canvas with a skylight. Our private patio sat next to the Rio San Ignacio, where we could watch ducks and other wildlife. We enjoyed the the peace and quiet with our morning coffee. Breakfast is provided in a family style dining room. The dinner option for a small fee was a bargain and convenience, not to mention delicious. We met our “neighbors”, and our hosts were super accommodating of my food allergies.
Our yurt!Just beyond our patioOur private patio came with our own pet!
San Ignacio is a quaint little town where locals sit and visit on benches in the main square. Misión San Ignacio Kadakaamán sits close by, surrounded by orange trees. Next to the church is a small museum housing replicas of cave paintings found in the nearby Sierra de San Francisco, which were painted by the Cochimí and other indigenous groups. We found the museum to be a great option for us, as we were a little unsure how we might react to the high altitude and the hiking involved in going to the actual caves.
Misión San Ignacio KadakaamánCourtyard of orange treesShaded town squareReplica of a Cochimí cave painting
I am so happy that we opted to stay two nights in this delightful Baja town. While San Ignacio is small, staying at San Ignacio Springs is an experience in itself. I can’t wait to return!
