BajaNews - 1-20-2014 at 03:25 PM
http://www.sfgate.com/mexico/mexicomix/article/Discovering-M...
Maribeth Mellin
January 17, 2014
"What's Cabo like?" friends often ask. "Newport Beach South," I respond, only partially in jest. You can get by just fine without speaking Spanish or
changing dollars to pesos. Parking lots are jammed at Costco, Wal-Mart and Home Depot. Starbucks, Subway and Ruth's Chris please timid palates, and
Budweiser is as common as Corona.
I prefer culturally rich destinations like Oaxaca, Chiapas and Mexico City, yet end up vacationing in Cabo frequently. Why? Because it's quick, easy
and breathtakingly beautiful. The combination of a desert landscape framed by the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez is unbeatable, and the weather's
perfect as long as you learn how to handle the summer heat. My husband and I tend to spend a week or more, pretending we're full-time residents. We've
accumulated good friends and favorite haunts, and have watched Los Cabos evolve from a swank exclusive destination into one that's more diverse,
embracing its Mexican heritage. You can too.
Shop like a local
Grocery stores were in short supply in Los Cabos until recently, when the big chains exploded on the scene. Now our visits begin with a foray through
the Mega, a gigantic sundries-pharmacy-grocery store with an unbeatable view of the sea. We gather bolillos and cookies from the panadería, Oaxacan
cheese and salsa verde from the deli, six packs of Victoria or Leon Negra beer and Topo Chico mineral water. Unable to resist a few oddities, I've
also picked up a yoga mat made from foam strips, Virgin of Guadalupe notebooks, various lotions and potions. We avoid pricey U.S. brands, pay with
pesos and ask for assistance in Spanish, as though we were shopping in mainland Mexico.
Both San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas have weekly outdoor markets featuring amazing organic produce from local farms. Thanks to the area's many
star chefs and gourmet restaurants, there's a constant demand for impeccable veggies, herbs and fruit, and I've found delicious mangoes, arugula,
asparagus and lettuces. Each town also has a small Mercado Municipal where vendors sell chilies, beans, spices and cures for everything from
heartbreak to halitosis.
Scope out authentic eats
Cabo has some excellent restaurants where you can easily spend as much or more than you would at home. It's also got great taco stands and down-home
cooking. A few standouts are scattered close to Cabo San Lucas hotels, including Maria Jimenez Restaurante, El Huarachazo and Asi y Asado. Gordo
Leli's Tacos y Tortas near the Los Milagros Hotel combines great tacos with bountiful Beatles memorabilia—show interest and Gordo will happily break
into song. Venture farther inland to join laborers and office workers at Restaurant Campestre for the inexpensive comida corrida (three-course meal)
or a huge plate of arrachera, beans, rice and guacamole. Seafood restaurants abound. I love the pulpo al ajillo (octopus with chilies) at Mariscos
Mazatlán and am a faithful fan of Mariscos El Torito and Mariscos Las Tres Islas.
Most of San José del Cabo's great Mexican restaurants are on the west side of the Carretera Transpeninsular highway, about a 15-minute walk from beach
resorts. The pastor rotisserie by the front door at Las Guacamayas is a sign of great things inside. Try the molcajete, a stone bowl filled with
grilled onions, cheese, nopales and meat of your choice. Rossy's Taqueria has long been a favorite for fish tacos, while Barbacoa Vicky stands out for
its slow-roasted lamb tacos. Closer to the hotels, El Mesón del Ahorcado (The Hangman) is the go-to spot for tacos de cabeza and calabaza (squash
blossom) quesadillas as well as tamer carne asada and carnitas. For sublime ceviche check out El Marinero Borracho. It's a little pricey, but
delicious. El Toro Güero, with branches in both towns, specializes in Baja's almejas chocolatas (chocolate clams), seafood c-cktails ceviches and all
manner of seafood dishes.
Get involved
With its constant construction, abundant hotels and seemingly endless job opportunities, Los Cabos is a magnet for workers from throughout Mexico.
Many are penniless when they arrive and lack the skills needed for tourism jobs. Literally thousands of homeless children and adults live desperate
lives in cardboard hovels in the hills above Los Cabos. On my last visit I joined a tour with the Solmar Foundation to see how some organizations are
helping the poor.
The foundation is the brainchild of the Bulnes family, one of the founders of the region's tourism and sportfishing industries. It's dedicated to the
memory of Don Luis Bulnes Molleda, a true gentleman who arrived in Los Cabos with his wife Conchita in 1955, when there was little more than a tuna
cannery sandy streets. Always devoted to caring for the larger community while developing his tourism empire, Don Luis was a generous man whose legacy
was ensured when his son Don Francisco Bulnes established the foundation.
The free tours, held every Wednesday and Thursday morning (reservations required), demonstrate just how much donations count. We visited a homeless
shelter where volunteers serve 300-400 meals each day and distribute used clothing and supplies to a constant stream of needy people. At the center's
training center residents learn housekeeping, carpentry and other skills. Those who pass a competency test after training are given jobs at Solmar
resorts.
We next stopped at a day care center for 150 children of Solmar's employees and were greeted with hugs, smiles, dances and songs from immaculately
dressed, happy kids. The center serves three meals each day and has a waiting list of 1,000 children needing care. At a senior center we watched
ladies making piñatas and toured a homey facility with TVs, a kitchen and comfy furnishings where seniors lacking any sort of benefits find a safe
place to spend the day. Finally, we toured a Humane Society facility packed with feisty dogs and cats. By the end of the tour, we all had substantial
donations in mind. The foundation accepts donations through its website and welcomes gifts of gently used clothing.The tour convinced me Los Cabos is
embracing the essence of Mexico.
Culture in Los Cabos
Lately, I've noticed a welcome trend everywhere I go. Posh resorts like Capella Pedregal are relying on curanderos and shamans to incorporate Baja's
healing herbs and techniques in their spas. At the new Puerto Los Cabos Marina development, sculpture gardens display works by renowned Mexican
artists like Leonora Carrington. Shops now contain superb folk art, restaurants highlight regional ingredients and cuisines and musicians and artists
from throughout Mexico are featured in hotels, galleries and clubs. Seems Los Cabos is becoming a Mexican destination after all.