The more people I talk to, the more I realize that people don’t know a heck of a lot about Los Cabos. Besides what you can find on wikipedia or tripadvisor, here are some first hand experiences from spending time there during the holidays.

Remember that Los Cabos, is actually 2 separate cities, when you book. There is Cabo San Lucas, and there is San Jose Del Cabo. This is very important as most travel agents will either not know this or forget to tell you. It’s important to know this because most people tend to book because of the party scene.

Cabo San Lucas - warmer beaches, amazing night life, amazing marina area, amazing restaurants, amazing bars, decent stripclubs but don’t bother, stick to the Toronto ones. Everything is in walking distance if you have shoes. Chances are it is about a $10 cab ride from your hotel to downtown, or about a 30-40 minute walk (I’ve done it). The resorts are mostly occupied by Canadian and Amercians in the ages of 20-35…looking to rock out.

San Jose Del Cabo - About as exciting as watching two cockroaches fight. The beaches are colder, very breezy in the morning and evening and the town is very much into local art. There are 2-3 bars, but mostly the place is filled with agents trying to sell you timeshare. The resorts have about as much atmosphere as the waiting room at the local dentist. It is about a $35 cab ride to San Lucas (30minutes) or a $6 bus ride. The resorts are mostly occupied by Canadian and American families.

General info;

- Cabo is very much known for its rock nightlife. There are many happening bars in San Lucas and everyone knows to have a good time. This is good if you like to party, but if you don’t like running into drunk kids around midnight, then maybe you should go to Negril, Jamaica.

- San Jose is extremely quiet. Very quiet. There’s not THAT much to do outside of the resort at night, and that is in comparison to Cabo San Lucas. It will also be expensive for you to trek back and forth if you want a dose of the action.

- Mendano beach is where it’s at in Cabo San Lucas. This is the beach at the very tip near the famous ‘arch’. The beach is filled tanners and partygoers….there is a really good bar called the office, incredibly busy from sunset onwards.

- The steak is extremely good in Cabo, anywhere really. It is almost as good as Kobe when cooked right. Surprisingly, we had the best steak meal at the hardrock cafe…even the burger was sinful. All the premium beef is served at the resorts, so if you are staying at an all inclusive, enjoy it.

- People ask for tip everywhere. Yes the Caribbean is bad, but this place is a bit extreme. Even the doorman to the strip club wants a tip for giving you a flyer on the way out.

- The marina at Cabo San Lucas is a great place to stroll around at night….to take some pictures. Very romantic setting with quite a few patio restaurants and lounges.

- The glass bottom boat ride is great if you want some scenic shots of the arch, the pelican habitat, or even the loud sea lions. You get quite close.

- Don’t go to the adult only resort (desire), it is filled with “fat and gay” men, I quote the tour guides.

- Don’t go whale watching unless you happen to be there in January. We didn’t, but many tried and complained that they didn’t see anything.

-You can’t swim on the beaches there, the undercurrent is deadly strong. The beaches are not the nicest either, sometimes a pain to walk. The view is spectacular in san lucas as you can see the arch and watch the beautiful sunset or take a quick ride to the clothing optional lovers beach where a lot of couples and 3somes get it on….oh yes….natch!

-Avoid the timeshare people like the plague. They are everywhere, trying to bribe you with free tours to this and that.

-Bring a sweater for the evenings, the winds are crazy.

-Stay at the Riu palace in cabo san lucas (not the riu santa fe), save money, afford it. It is truly a palace.

-The best bars to visit are;
barometro
el squid roe (gong show)
zoo
hardrock cafe
giggling marlin (earlier in the nights if you love a tequila show)
cabo wabo

-The best tours;
The taste of cabos - gives you a very nice tour of both cities, highly recommend.
ATV - Looks like a heck of a lot of fun driving on the roads.
Bar hopping - you get to hop around 4 bars, all inc…..and get a nice dose of clublife..
Jungle booze cruise – Only if you want to get smashed and party with mexicans (careful ladies, it is pretty sketch)

There are also plenty..and i mean plenty of fishing tours as Cabo is the Marlin capital of the world.

The Best burrito I have ever had came from the taco burrito stand outside of Squid roe. These guys open the stand at 1am every night, and sell the stuff for $5 a pop.

Pics to come shortly.

I love this photo of a bald eagle just about to snatch its lunch. I remember fiddling with my 70-300 Lens trying to see if I can get a shot of the fast creature. My camera needed cleaning but luckily you don’t see to much dirt in this shot. Cleaning prices are astronomical and I seem to require it every few months.

Lately I was thinking about the recent trip to Vegas (May). Thinking that I want to go back soon. The Adult Playground is calling — luring me with bright lights, epicurean opulence, and nocturnal fun.

Next time I’m staying at the Wynn, one of the newest and possibly best hotels on the strip. The MGM Grand is still a lot of fun though and probably the best bet if you like flashy restaurants and quick access to a dozen clubs. But this is vegas baby, explore…

Vegas as I see it in four polyptychs. I think this pretty much covers the essentials. Click to see the shots….

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As much as I was hesitant — looking back I’m glad I got a chance to visit the Discovery cove while I was in Orlando several years ago… Read the rest of this entry »

I think I’ve finally recovered from the weekend. Yes it was a lot of fun, but also quite tiring considering I’ve just managed to regain my strength from being bedridden for a few days….

There were a lot of events in Toronto. Taste of the Danforth (A festival celebrating the multiculturalism of a neighborhood in Toronto highlighted by food, music and corporate sponsorship), the Hot & Spicy Food festival, and the Beer Festival. I set out a list and managed to get everything done.

Instead of duplicating the entry, I’ll just point you to the write-up on my other pet project regarding the weekend activities.

The beer fest was fun, but under the Red Stripe tent it was simply awesome. Considering it rained the entire day, everyone that managed to find the Red Stripe tent were too busy partying and drinking to give a shit. There was a great vibe because of great music and energetic staff. Albert and his gang also kept serving some delicious Jamaican treats which sealed the deal. Everyone that I spoke to said it was easily the most enjoyable part of the festival.

The velvet revolver show was incredible. It was a trip down memory lane seeing Alice in Chains perform and then the re-grouping of GNR and STP. These guys are one of the biggest rock bands out there right now in terms of experience and history, and I don’t know how Scott can sound so incredible live after all the years of drugs and alcohol. Slash is my guitar hero, seeing him live again was a memorable experience.

“New York is not for little pussies who scream”

Ahh, It’s been a long long time since we crossed paths. I miss your perpetual rhythm and insomniac qualities. Let’s re-unite soon, I forget the way you dance.. Read the rest of this entry »

Crab, Andrew, Mayabe Beer…

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On this weekend at Nathan Phillip’s Square. A celebration of Thai culture. Eat, Listen, and Dance with the local Thai community of Toronto. Deep fried Spring Rolls, spicy mango chicken, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gimme.