Having rested up a full day on board the ship we were ready to explore the southern tip of Baja.

Sidebar: Matt, Murphy, Dan and I spent a fun, activity-packed (swimming with dolphins, zip lining,
golfing, rappelling, fishing, dune buggying) Thanksgiving here a few years ago.

We chose to spend our afternoon exploring Todo Santos, a small town on the Pacific coast an hour north of Cabo. It was initially founded as one of 18 Spanish missions along the coast. The quaint mission church is in wonderful shape and still open to the public. There are no remnants of Todo Santos’ sugar-cane producing past, but pearls, once a major draw, are still farmed in the waters of the Sea of Cortez. Artists and jewelers have discovered the charm of Todos Santos as well as tourists like us. We had lunch in the Hotel California, possibly the inspiration for the Eagles song by the same name; walked the clean, colorful streets; visited the small culture museum; and popped in and out of shops.

Our guide peppered us with fun facts on the way back to the vibrant, bustling adult playground of Cabo: the area gets 10 inches of rain a year; it’s part of a desert that extends into Arizona; the saguaro-looking cacti are not actually saguaro; and the average-income residents store water in black tanks mounted to the roof of their homes. When we passed a McDonalds’s he said, “I want to point out the American Embassy on your right.” It got the laugh he anticipated.

We had our third date night (possibly my favorite part of cruising) with Dan hosting day two of his contest. I retained a firm hold on last place. I was the only one who had a frozen margarita in celebration of our host country, but we all had delicious four course dinners. Cyd shared the only joke she knows; Ricky followed with the only one he could remember; and Dan topped them all with his three standards.

Part two of the contest was no easier than part one.
1) How many major-league baseballs made by Rawlings Sporting Goods pass inspection to achieve ‘pro’ grade each year?
a) 1.2 million
b) 2.1 million
2) Which of these things hit an all-time high this year? (Be still my heart…an easy one!)
a) Courtesy in Congress
b) Federal debt
3) With a lifespan of as much as 512 years, this animal is the oldest known living vertebrate.
a) Galapagos tortoise
b) Greenland shark

Entertainment: Vox Fortura, four classically trained tenors, captivated us with their harmony on classics, show tunes, pop, and rhythm and blues.

For what it’s worth…..

Cabo San Lucas together with San Jose del Cabo are known as Los Cabos.
Los Cabos is one of Mexico’s top five tourist destinations.

Each October Cabo San Lucas hosts the highest-paying marlin tournament in the world
with millions of dollars in prize money!

Contest answers: a,b,b