Cabo's Social Climbers, Us!

We had only been in Cabo San Lucas for one day and we were already on our way towards becoming Baja Socialites, Mark Harrison and me. We had gone tramping around because we have come to expect broadband internet cafes on the cheap and some of the places we were stopping near the Marina were bilking people out of one peso-per-minutes. We had been getting our internet at fifteen pesos-per-hour and we knew that we would benefit from leaving the main tourist traffic. Cabo is expensive, even by US standards. By Mexican standards, its highway robbery. And since we have become spoiled and have normalized on these pricing structures, we were willing to do a little bit of traveling. The cheap places are always full of gamers and local kids. And I am in such a place right now and Mark and I were on our way out of another cheap place when Mark spied a very attractive blonde who was walking from table to table in a café down the road. I recognized this from back in Hawaii. Every now and then, a throng of local models invade a café or a pastry place and entertain and sell locally-designed resort wear table-to-table. What I new as I walked towards the café is that this gorgeous woman was married, as one of the diners -- a woman -- had asked. Before we had made it through the 25 feet of tables and chairs, Mark -- a real sucker for what he calls a generic blonde -- chatted this beauty up. In seconds, we met the owner, a petite and exotic woman from Singapore, and were seated in a two-top. It was high tea and presumably we were there to enjoy the afternoon, the fashion show, finger sandwiches, pastries, and cup after cup of tea. The cafe is called The Swiss Pastry, and its very lovely and would stand its own in any urban center.

Rightfully, the blonde kept out of reach. In no time, we met one of her fellow models. Lovely Coral is a local girl who is half Mexican on her dad’s side and Canadian on her mother’s side. She stood there chatting with us for a good twenty minutes. She was preparing to attend university in Calgary, she would not model in Canada, she was originally from Acapulco, and her mum was there as well. Before we knew it, we were sitting with Coral, her mum Corey, and Coral’s friend Yasmin. Hours past, we burned through all of our delicate sandwiches and the sweets. I was insatiable, tea wise, and before I knew it, they were closing the doors. And off we went.

Mark and I headed down to the water. In the back of my head I remembered two things. One was that there was to be a fashion show that night in the space adjacent to The Italian Coffee Company. Mark needed to speak to the owner, Alexandro, about Kinship II’s diesel problems so we headed to visit to see what Cabo society had going on for it. When we arrived, it was filling with very beautiful people, to be sure. Also, very rich-looking. They were also taking invites. I was caffeined-out so I didn’t order one of their delicious espresso doble’s, but it didn’t matter. In seconds, Alexandro had sheparded us out to the entrance and before we knew it, we were sitting in fine seats, awaiting the beginning. It wasn’t until yesterday that I discovered that Cabo is an hour behind Manzanillo, so I have been moving around the entire time we have been here an hour early. From the waking up on. Mark and I were there at least a half-hour early. And for either one of us to be anywhere early or even on time -- even a bikini, undies, and resort wear -- is absolutely fantastic! Pure disinformation! It can’t be true! Maybe I need to keep my watch set to an hour later -- somewhere in the Atlantic east of the coast. It just might work!

Don’t fashion shows end with the bikini and underwear bits? This show began the program with it before transitioning to banal resort wear, golfing shorts, polo tops, zoris, canvas bags -- all in pastel.

The finale came into the room with the boom and thunder of a couple Harley-Davidsons. There is an H-D boutique here in Cabo and they dressed the sweet girls in leather halters and told them to act rough and tumble, but they continued to look really cute, sun kissed, and lovely.

We left right after the finale and rushed over to grab some joe at The Italian Coffee Company. I was really keen on seeing the crowd let up. Over an espresso doble, we watched the glitterati of Los Cabos. These socialites are like the socialites from anywhere else save NYC. Families of affluent mothers and their girls and even some of the sons.

Just like everywhere else, the same wildly gorgeous selection of the wealthy and healthy. The same people did the same thing while I was growing up in Hawaii, but in the day, our resident model was Willow Change and it was Tedd and the HK Boys and the Kahala and Hawaii Kai families who’s children went to HSG and Punahou who were in this timespace speaking Spanish and going off to do this or that: see a film, grab some coffee, get some desert or grab a late dinner.

And that is how Mark Harrison and Chris Abraham enjoyed becoming Cabo San Lucas society for a day.

Luckily, there had not been a single day during the entire month when we have not met some really amazing people. Neither Mark nor I are shy in any way around people, and it certainly aids in the gentle sweet production of memories. None of this trip has had anything even remotely to do with the place, it always has to do with the people, in my opinion.

We are off first thing in the morning. This morning we took lessons from Sebastian on how to have a sustainable, happy, and sexual long-term marriage while growing a beautiful family on a 35-foot sailboat. If he can make it work, then we all should be able to. Great kids; great couple; awesome marriage! We spent our day refilling the diesel and water tanks. Alexandro, in addition to being the owner of the Cabo Italian Coffee Company, was an jet and airplane engineer, his specialty being diesel engines.

So, we had him and his family over to enjoy some crazy bay wildlife behavior and Alexandro helped us totally and completely fix our diesels so that they stop leaking. While talking to Alexandro’s son, Alexandro, it came out that I can speak pretty good Spanish. Sadly, with any language besides English, I am too embarrassed to actually speak! So, after two hours on the cat’s tramp, Alexandro looked completely frightened that this silent English speaker who has been coming to the café can in fact speak passable Spanish. Funny that, even I didn’t know I could any more. Its good to know.

(But of course its not even remotely true -- I can barely speak English fluently!)

Funny animal behavior? Mantas jump two or three feet out of the water! Even better, when they do they flip head over teakettle as if they were thrown into the air like a horseshoe. Then they splash into the water in whichever direction they happen to hit. This has been going on all day. It happens all the time here and Cabo is known for it. There are also loads of Sea Lions here, and they move in packs and are funny and lovely and truly look more like the animals called by the Germans “sea dog.” They truly look like pups with flippers. Innumerable pelicans, frigates, gulls. As we remain moored, the pelicans become more and more emboldened. Soon, Kinship II will be enshrouded with a feathery toupee of what I believe are direct descendants of the pterodactyl. And their generous donation of fertile guano! Want to see Mark happiest? Cover his boat with poop! He loves that. So, alas, we leave tomorrow. Cabo has treated me very well!

Adios y hasta luego!