Cabo San Lucas: Oh No They Didn’t

by Brenda Yun on

If you have just the slightest clue what the title of this article refers to, then you will also know how I feel about the subject. I guess you could say there are two subjects in this case: Cabo San Lucas as a celebrity hotspot and Speidi getting married. Neither subject is a pleasant one in my opinion, but just the thought of the second makes me want to wretch.

Yes, they did. Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag of MTV’s “The Hills” fame eloped this weekend and got hitched at the One and Only Palmilla Resort. For those of you who don’t follow “The Hills,” this basically means there is no chance in hell that Lauren and Heidi will be best friends again, but did we really want that to happen anyway?The Palmilla appears to be the celebrity resort of choice in hot and heavy Cabo San Lucas. Britney escapes there, Christina Aguilera had her bachelorette bash there, and Eli Manning (the New York Giants quarterback) got hitched there in April. So, I guess it would come as no surprise, really, that the shallowest couple on the face of the earth would also choose the Palmilla as the locale for their secretive nuptial.

What really has me stumped, though, is the appeal of Cabo San Lucas. Based on all of the tropical and romantic destinations in this world, why does Cabo stand out for celebrities? Maybe it’s close enough to Los Angeles that celebrities can make it a weekend getaway, but I would certainly fly an extra hour or two to experience something authentic (like to Hawaii, for instance?) rather than Cabo, which is like a hot Disneyland for adults (and when is that ever fun?). I just remember spending a day there last month on what must have been the hottest day of the year and thinking I was going to sweat to death. I actually wrung out my clothes from all the sweat that day.

There are, of course, two redeeming things about Cabo and maybe just one with regard to Speidi:

  1. The famous “El Arco,” which is a natural rock arch formed by crashing surf is a sight to behold if you make your way to Lover’s Beach.
  2. Zippers, a surf break located about forty minutes by car from the Cabo San Lucas Harbor, is one of the best breaks in Mexico if not the world.
  3. I can look forward to jubilation upon hearing the news of Speidi’s breakup/divorce; it’s bound to happen.

No Wrong Turns: Skip Cabo and Head to Todos Santos for a Unique Baja Experience

by Kelsey Mulyk on

About an hour north of the cruise ships, the huge gleaming hotels and the Cabo San Lucas party crowd lies the small town of Todos Santos. If you are looking for a place to relax and unwind, minus the deafening party beats found in Cabo, this little town is it. It offers everything from amazing surf breaks and great restaurants to a lively social scene made up of Mexicans, ex-pats, old school hippies and those who just came and never left. Todos Santos offers a much different “Baja” experience than Cabo.

Tom and I ended up stumbling onto Todos Santos accidentally. Fueled by the need to start the work project we brought with us, we released a flurry of emails to many vacation rentals places in the Baja area. We knew that we didn’t want to live in Cabo San Lucas but realized the benefits of being near a larger city. Considering most of the replies came from Todos Santos we figured it would be a great place to start looking.

Todos Santos was founded in 1723 and, in the late 19th century, it was a wealthy sugar town – you can still see remnants of the old mills in the area. Recently, the town has been dubbed a “Pueblo Magico” (Magic Town) by the Mexican Tourism Secretariat. This decree is given to certain towns “that are of particular historic or religious value.” With this new title the town receives support from the government to help to promote the cultural uniqueness of the town as well as to show those who visit that Mexico is more than just sand and sun.

About twenty years ago a few dedicated surfers ended up stopping here in search of waves. They discovered many great surf breaks and, in their own way, they brought tourists to Todos Santos. After the surf crowd put this village on the map, artists started to flock in from all over…looking for a quiet place to focus, work and create. I heard through the town’s grapevine that one of the founding artists here just turned 86.

Today this small town (the population is around 4400 – most of the locals are related) attracts a mix of those looking to escape the more regimented Western world, Cabo San Lucas day-trippers, tour groups, backpackers, yoga gurus, organic farmers, art lovers and those looking to invest in property.

In the last three months, Todos Santos has acquired a new, large road putting its paved road total to three. Due to all the traffic between Todos Santos and Cabo San Lucas this new road was built to provide an alternate route for the semi-trucks. With this new road they won’t need to drive straight through town anymore. As a visitor to the area it is not hard to see that the face of this Mexican town is changing quickly, much to the distress of many locals, so if you want to experience a more relaxed version of the Baja you might want to take a trip down here sooner rather than later before its fully gentrified.

Todos Santos does not have an airport which means you’ll have to negotiate a land route into town. Cabo San Lucas and La Paz both have regular buses arriving here all the time and tickets cost around $15 one way. Alternatively you can rent a car in either town and drive in yourself. Be warned that the highway from Cabo to Todos Santos is very dangerous and be wary of police officers looking to stop you for any minor traffic infraction in hopes of scaring you into paying a hefty bribe. Follow the rules of the road and stick to the speed limit….you’ll be fine.

Coming up next post I’ll let you know where to stay and where to enjoy amazing food in this vibrant pueblo.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

No Wrong Turns: Protect yourself from food poisoning

by Kelsey Mulyk on

You know that feeling: the one where the contents in your stomach churn and before you can say “I think I ate something bad,” you are already running for the bathroom. Fun, right?

Every time you get on the plane, bus or (in our case) in the car and travel to another country you expose yourself to the likelihood of coming down with some sort of stomach illness. Call it what you like (and we all know there are some pretty descriptive names out there) but the experience is the same and it flat out stinks.

Last week I was unlucky enough to eat something disagreeable (I believe a locally made tamale was the culprit) and spent a rather uncomfortable and feverish 24 hours trying to recover. I have been pretty lucky in the past to avoid food poisoning but I knew I was in for a rough time as I was with Tom when he succumbed to food poisoning in India a few years ago. And it really did live up to it’s horrible nature.

Generally my rules to avoid food poisoning/unhappy stomach are as follows:

Does the stand or restaurant appear clean?
If it doesn’t I’ll choose to go elsewhere.

Does the eatery smell bad?
I think this question really explains itself.

How many black flies are there buzzing around?
Black flies can carry and transmit numerous diseases like cholera and typhoid. Do you want them sitting on your food? I didn’t think so. Click here to read more about how gross these flies really are.

Are the locals eating here?
This is a good indication of the caliber of the food as well as the cleanliness of the eatery. A full restaurant usually indicates good food and less chance of illness!

These rules tend to keep me feeling pretty healthy while traveling though Tom has broken a few rules (for instance eating in a place in India that smelled like a sewer exploded beside it). Getting sick is almost inevitable and a part of the adventure…or at least that is what they say to make you feel better when you get hammered with food poisoning, a parasite or some other infection.

So what do you do when you come down with a case of food poisoning?

Arm yourself with these basics

  • Find a comfortable, quiet room where you can rest even if it means forking over more money than you’d normally pay. Believe me, you are going to want a decent place to stay with your own bathroom. This way you can recover in peace without worrying about your dorm roommates waking up every time you have to excuse yourself (or run like hell) to the loo.
  • Tylenol is good to have on hand for fevers as well as the aches that are common with food poisoning.
  • Electrolyte drinks (or oral rehydration salts), are available at most markets here in Mexico. These are worth having on hand as they help to restore your glucose and salt levels caused by dehydration. If you don’t have the solution you can easily prepare one: add 6 tablespoons of sugar (or honey) and a half-teaspoon of salt to 1 liter of boiling water. You can try adding lemon or ginger to this mixture to make it easier to drink. Tom made some of this little concoction for me and I will tell you now that it tastes absolutely awful but I choked about half a cup down and felt fifty times better.
  • Eat plain starchy foods like crackers, bananas, boiled potatoes. If you don’t feel like eating don’t force yourself to, your body will let you know when it’s ready for food.


When to see a doctor

If you experience any of the following symptons

  • You can’t keep anything down due to vomiting for more than 24 hours
  • Your temperature is higher than 38 degrees Celsius
  • Your stomach issues keep up for more than 4 or 5 days

Of course there are many other abnormal symptoms that may occur so if you feel like you aren’t just dealing with food poisoning or travelers’ diarrhea try and see a doctor or get to a medical facility. Cabo San Lucas and La Paz both have decent medical care centers. If you need assistance in the Baja and are unsure of where to go contact Ameri-med for more assistance and western-style health-care.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

No Wrong Turns: Off-road Race in the Baja

by Kelsey Mulyk on

Take a bunch of hardcore off-road racers, support teams, mechanics, motorbikes, ATVs, a host of other racing vehicles and throw them all into the Baja desert…what do you get? You get the Baja 1000.

Last week we ran into a guy at a local bar who competes in this race. He gave us a quick run-down of what it includes: the race begins in Ensenada, though it has started in Tijuana and Mexicali, and ends in La Paz or Cabo San Lucas. There are tons of different vehicle categories from four wheelers, which range from Baja Bugs (VW Bugs on steroids) and mini trucks, to motorcycles, which can vary from 125cc to 250cc or more. The guy who we chatted with swears by his customized bike and, after competing twelve times as well as sustaining numerous injuries (he wanted to show us all of his battle-wounds which we politely declined), didn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

The Baja 1000 began in 1967. Initially the race was 849 miles (the 1000 is a bit misleading as the course tends to vary yearly) and the winning team finished the race in less than 28 hours. These days teams are finishing under 26 hours, an astounding time to me since it took us about 3.5 days to get from Tijuana to La Paz and we were on the main road. These guys drive all day and night in attempt to win the race. The course consists of rocks, dry lake-beds, mountain passes, paved roads and a lot of desert scenery. Mechanical problems and flipped vehicles only reinforce the fact that this is a brutal course and it’s because of this that only half of the teams are actually able to finish the race.

Competitors usually enter as a team where they take turns riding so it is more like a relay race. Team members often carry a toolkit that can be used in case of a breakdown. They ride to a designated stop and then switch drivers after 6 hours (about 300km) of racing. There are some who attempt this race solo but they are few and far between.

According to our Baja 1000 source, competing in the race isn’t cheap. The racing vehicles cost a fair bit, tack on the add-ons and time spent customizing them and the price just keeps on rising. Fuel, pit teams and extra gear add to the overall cost. Geez, not only does it cost a lot of money, there is a fifty percent chance of not finishing…I had to ask why they keep competing, our rider guy (about eight beers later) just replied, “It’s just awesome man!” Well said.

For more information on the Baja 1000 click here and here.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

No Wrong Turns: Surfers Give Cars Away in Baja Road Race

by Kelsey Mulyk on

A few weeks ago I overheard a bunch of locals chatting about a group of American surfers who drove down to the tip of Baja California Sur and gave away everything they came with including their cars. I decided to do a bit of research and find out what this was all about.

A group of guys, who affectionately refer to their vacation time together as “TGT” (The Guys Trip) decided to switch up their rather typical surf vacations for a new kind adventure — a trip that would jar them out of their middle-class comfort zones and, as they put it, “require balls.” The trip was dubbed “The Baja 3000”.

“The Baja 3000” challenged the surfers to choose a teammate and a vehicle that would get them to the tip of the Baja in seven days. Each team had a budget of $3000 which had to cover the purchase of a vehicle, car insurance (US and Mexican), permits, food, fuel, toll charges, and their accommodation. The maximum budget that could be allotted to the car purchase was $1500, leaving the other half to cover the remaining expenses. I want to know where they found decent cars to drive in Mexico for $1500!

As if that wasn’t already enough of a challenge, they created a complicated contest, based on a point system, with a list of activities that had to be completed along the way. Each team was given a camera and film as well as journal to document their contest accomplishments. Points were given based on the activities completed. One of the top ways to earn points was to have village children paint the car (earn 5000 points). One way to lose a serious amount of points was to receive jail time (lose 100, 000 points…though I think losing points would be the least of your worries).

They even had a “Baja 3000” trophy along with a prize for the winning team. The prize involved never having to buy beer for the rest of the trip and well-deserved bragging rights.

And, though the trip was all in fun, these guys also wanted to give back to the community where they have spent dozens of years surfing. Teams donated cars, school supplies, books and much more to low income families as well as to local organizations like Classroom on Wheels and Communidad Biblica de Cabo San Lucas.

Sounds like a fun and socially responsible vacation to me…I wonder where they will head to next year.

Check out their website for more information.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.