We woke up in Puerto San Carlos on Thursday morning with a decision to make.  Leave, or wait another two days until the dreaded “Friday” passes.  We researched the paperwork required to import Sonrisa into Galapagos and realized we needed to apply for our Autographo no later than…immediately...to make it happen.  So, we headed to shore to find some wifi.  

With that task finished, we got underway.  We weighed anchor around 4:30 p.m., with a short 165 mile passage to make.  We planned for an arrival in approximately 36 hours, or 4:30 a.m. on Saturday just outside of Cabo San Lucas.  Another beautiful yellow fin tuna and two pleasant night watches later, we arrived on Saturday morning.  

We put down the anchor and watch as the bay fills with wave runners, para-sails, glass bottom boats, cruise ships, pirate ships, catamaran tours, and pangas. "IT’S SPRING BREAK IN CABO SAN LUCAS!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" blared a loud speaker across the water.  I peek through my camera lens and find that the party has already started on the beach.  The Mango Deck is crammed full of be-thonged gals, and young men with no shirts but headbands that read “F^&K Trump!” 

In this maelay, Andrew decides we should swim to shore.  We pack a change of clothes and a stash of pesos into a dry bag.  With gusto, I dive from Sonrisa’s deck, but as I break the surface and the water rushes across my face, my heart sinks.  I realize I am/was wearing my favorite pair of sunglasses.  I grasp at the water, turn around and momentarily hunt for them before swimming to the surface to take a breath.  First dip in the Pacific, and I’ve already lost my sunglasses, rats. Mourning my loss, I replace my fancy shatterproof lens, UVA/UVB protecting Oaklies with the “(D)on and (G)ary’s,”  i.e. my $8.50 sunglasses with the “Dolce & Gabana” emblem on the side. We swim to shore.   

Soon, we are in the thick of the action and our toes are curling around Cabo’s course, pink sand as we walk the length of the beach. The sun is bright and warm, the breeze is cool, and the ocean water is crystal clear.  It seems we have finally made it far enough South to find paradise.

We seek out the Port Captain’s office, but find it is closed until Tuesday.  We scope out the marina, and we look for Gordo Lele’s Taco Shop which was highly recommended but seemed to be closed.  We walk deeper into Cabo and find an open air taco stand with three Mexican ladies and one gentleman working hard in the open kitchen.  Tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños smoldered on a grill. Corn was being mashed for tortillas and then formed into little patties on an iron that flattened and cooked the dough.  Meat was marinating in bowls next to a hot griddle, standing ready for us.  The ladies laughed and joked with each other, and heckled the one man who was busy dicing onions with a large chef’s knife.  We decide this is our lunch spot, so we sit down and order two tacos for Andrew and a Mazatlan Style Torta (sandwich) for me.  

Upon return, the Mango Deck is still hopping. As we walk across the beach in the afternoon sun, we weave our way around several “sleeping” college students, some sprawled face down in the sand, some face up, all clutching half full water bottles.  Now I know how I will make my debut in Girls Gone Wild, 2016 Edition.  If you look beyond the ladies cheering for the contestants of the "all male pushup contest", you just might see a lawyer-turned-sailor tip-toeing between face-down post-adolescent lightweights, rolling them onto their sides and tucking their elbows behind their head to ensure that when they regurgitate their “Waboritas,” they can do so safely without drowning.  

We started our swim back to Sonrisa as the sun began to set.  We were tucked into the Captains Quarters snoozing away by Cruisers Midnight, or 9:30 p.m.  I laughed aloud, though, when I awoke to an eruption of “WOOOOOOO!!!!”   “WOOOOOO!!!!”  “WOOOOOOOO!!!!”  at sunrise.  Someone made it all through the night.  The party continues.  

WOOOO!