Travel

VITAMIN-SEA : CABO

Like many of you, WF’s winter travel plans have been placed on an indefinite hold. Here’s a little snippet of one of our last Vitamin-Sea escapes to satisfy our wanderlust.

I am sitting outside trying to squeeze out the last memories of summer during the first warm day of fall and allow myself to close my eyes. As a warm breeze cascades over me I dreamily imagine myself looking out at the mystical aquamarine water of the Sea of Cortez.

As John Steinbeck once said of Cabo, “A dream hangs over the whole region, a brooding kind of hallucination”.

I vividly remember, as our boat cut effortlessly through the glistening water, the warm breeze dusting over my face with a feathery touch. As we made our way up the Baja coastline in search of whales, a pod of dolphins suddenly joined our excursion, jumping playfully in the wake of the boat. They were so close you almost feel as though you could reach out and touch one of these graceful mammals.

The Sea of Cortez is a unique microcosm filled with rich sea life. It is a virtual aquarium, just waiting to be explored. And, luckily for us it wasn’t long before we came upon a pair of whales. I can still remember the awe-inspiring view of the pair breaching out of the water.

Pure magic.

I do recall thinking that the tourists in the Kodiak boats might be a little crazy being so close to the 1700 tonnes of majestic beauty.

Cabo San Lucas is a little slice of heaven. The rugged desert landscape marks a stark contrast to the endless sea of water. No more evident is the contrast than at the famous arches at Land’s End – which demarks the point where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean.

I remember feeling there was truly nowhere else I would rater be the warm sunshine gently toasted my skin a golden brown, while Spanish music played in the background.

Lunch was an exquisite delight for the palate. Fresh avocadoes mashed together and then infused with freshly squeezed limes – pure decadence! The guacamole was served with warm, fresh corn chips and topped with Pico de Gallo, that was equally as fragrant with its cilantro, onions and vine ripened tomatoes. A glass of bubbly glistens in the sunshine and completed our first course.

After a buffet of Mexican delicacies – we leapt from the top of the boat into the cool crisp water of the Sea of Cortez. Floating in the waves while staring into the endless blue sky was truly a slice of heaven. Eventually we all swam back to the boat against the gentle waves.

Sadly, our afternoon adventure comes to end. The Captain turns the boat around and we nap as we head back to Pedegral.

Our last gift as we pull into the marina passing by the arch is a sea lion that hops boldly onto the back of the boat in search of treats.

It really is as if we have spent our day in a living aquarium.

Our perfect day ends watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean as we dine on the terrace of the Waldorf Astoria’s El Farallon restaurant. We listen to the waves crash against the rugged shoreline as Chef Gustavo Pinet creates his magic.

A perfect day in paradise – cannot wait to return.

Until we meet again Cabo…