Answers!

Last month we asked if anyone had any questions for us about living here in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  We have written quite a bit about living here but felt we may have missed something that someone might want to know more about.   Many thanks to those who asked us some questions, and you will find our answers below.

What SPF sunscreen do you use?
I have read that a sunscreen with SPF of at least 15, preferably 30 or 45 should be used under the Mexican sun.  I usually use a moisturizer with SPF 15 on my face in the morning, as we normally sit outside to eat lunch.  Because Lorne works fulltime, we are not out and about in the sun much, and when we do venture out (on weekends for grocery shopping or errands) we are either in the car or in the store so not exposed to the sun very much.  If you are planning to vacation in Mexico, it is advisable to bring sunscreen with you.  Sunscreen with SPF 50 found online at Walmart Canada is $7.97CAD but will cost $229 pesos ($14.64CAD) here at Walmart Mexico for the same brand.

Have you made friends there?
Canadians are known for being some of the friendliest people in the world, but we have found Mexicans to be just as friendly and the locals always greet us with “Hola” and a smile.  For the most part, making friends here has been a little slow for us.  We arrived six months into the COVID pandemic so many of the activities and events we probably would have attended to meet people, were cancelled.  People mostly stayed home or only ventured out to the grocery store, so socializing was kept to a minimum.  Much of Cabo has reopened again, but reopening has brought a massive number of tourists and with COVID still making waves, many locals continue to keep to themselves.  We are hoping one day things will be different and making friends will be easy again.

Where do you go for holidays (other than Vegas)?
We talk about this a lot, of where we want to go on vacation and the conversation usually ends with no decision being made.  This is very odd for us because back in Canada we usually had all our vacation time for the year planned and booked by February and we would daydream constantly about the great time we would have on these trips.  Now that we live in a tourist destination, it feels like we are already on vacation.  We spend a great deal of time on our patio, staring out at the ocean, breathing the fresh air and feel so totally content right here where we are.  We have talked about the possibility of going back to Hawaii or taking another Alaska cruise, but for the most part we are not in any hurry to go anywhere. Maybe mañana!

Was there anything you brought with you from Canada that you thought you could never live without… and find that you no longer need?
Without a doubt, clothes and shoes!   Before moving here, I made sure to buy a bunch of new clothes as I was not sure if I would be able to find what I liked here, or in my size.  Also, I stocked up on shoes – mostly flats like I was used to wearing most of the time.  We have a very large closet here in our master bathroom, and all the clothes we brought filled both sides of the closet, plus we had to buy an adjustable hanging rod just to hang the rest.  We bought plastic shoe boxes to hold all our extra shoes, and these filled our closet as well.  Months passed, and when we started noticing dust accumulating on everything we realized then that we weren’t even wearing any of these things. We went through everything and packed up all the stuff we weren’t wearing or would have reason to wear here.  Now, all our clothes that we do wear fit in half of one side of the closet!  We basically now live in shorts and tee-shirts.  We have our “around the house shorts” and our “going out shorts” and our life has become so casual that we now refer to our flip flops as our “dress shoes”!

In what ways has your diet changed? I remember when I was there in 2017, we had a really difficult time finding authentic sour cream. I still feel like I couldn’t live without it…but maybe I’m wrong! lol 
It took us a few months to stop shopping like tourists and start shopping like locals.  There were many things we could not get here that we took for granted back in Canada, but we started to enjoy the new and exciting things that were available to us here, like fresh fish, chicken, and lots of new and interesting organic produce.  Lorne is still able to get his favourite Coke Zero, which is called “Coca Cola sin Azucar”, but he has had a hard time finding chips that he likes, like the ones he used to buy in Canada.  Most chips here are queso flavoured or flaming hot flavoured (some are even extra-flaming hot!) so he has started eating more fruit and nuts, which in the long run, is way better for him.  Our diet has certainly changed for the better, and the fact that Lorne works from home gives us the opportunity to make fresh healthy meals to enjoy for lunch and dinner every day.  And no worries, the stores now stock authentic sour cream!  However, we have also learned to love Mexican crema, which not surprisingly goes much better with Mexican food!

Do you feel like locals yet?  If so, when did that change?
It took a while for us to start feeling like locals.  For well over a year, whenever we were out shopping, someone would always approach us thinking we were tourists to tell us about some exciting excursion they had available (this is a common thing in many of the stores here).  Each week, they would come over to ask us where we were from and we would always answer that we lived here and often they seemed surprised, even though there is a huge expat population here.  I guess we just looked like tourists.  Then a few months ago, we were standing in line at Costco waiting to check out and the woman in front of us turned around and asked us if we lived here.  We said yes, and she said, “I thought so” and started telling us about her massage therapy business, and how she offers a nice discount to locals, and gave us her card.  We left Costco that day wondering what was so different for her to recognize us as local, rather than asking where we were from.  Whatever it was, that was the day everything changed.  Now when we are at the grocery store, the sales guys come by and say, “you guys live here, right?” and we smile and nod and carry-on doing things like a local.

Are you learning to speak Spanish?
English is commonly spoken in the tourist areas of Los Cabos, the locals always speak Spanish to each other, and Spanglish has become the common language between locals and expats.  We have not had any kind of lessons; however, Lorne has managed to pick up quite a bit of Spanish just by talking with people and is able to easily ask for what he needs.  After my head injury in 2014, I have a hard time retaining new information, but I am finding that when I talk the odd word now comes out in Spanish without me even realizing it.  And of course, for both expat and local, Google Translate is everybody’s friend.

That was it for the questions, so we thought this might be a great opportunity to include some little tidbits of information about Los Cabos that you may find interesting. Hope you enjoy!

Did you know… Los Cabos is located 30 miles south of the Tropic of Cancer, at the tip of the 1,000-mile-long Baja California Peninsula.  Los Cabos is the designated name for the 20-mile coastal Corridor.  This Corridor is bookended by two sister cities that could not be more diverse: Cabo San Lucas is an international tourist destination with a world-class marina, and San Jose del Cabo is a charming colonial town with untouched nature reserves.

Did you know… In Spanish, “Los Cabos” means “The Capes”.  Cabo San Lucas translates to “Cape St. Luke” and San Jose del Cabo translates to “St. Joseph of the Cape”.

Did you know… Los Cabos enjoys approximately 350 sunny days each year.  Temperatures hover as high as 35C (95F) between May and October but, compared to the tropics, humidity is usually low.  Warm, mild days and cooler evenings prevail from November through April.  The rainy season in Los Cabos usually occurs from August through mid-October and the region receives an average of six to 10 inches of rain annually.

Did you know… Because of the mild Mediterranean-like climate, Los Cabos has become a magnet for retired Canadians and Americans alike.  Its popularity can be traced back to the 1960’s when it was discovered by Hollywood celebrities looking for a place to live.

Did you know… Los Cabos is on Mountain Time, same as Calgary AB and Phoenix AZ.  Mexico observes Daylight Savings time, but most of Mexico (including Los Cabos) moves forward three weeks later than Canada/US does in the spring and moves back one-week earlier than Canada/US does in the fall.

Did you know… Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) is 45 minutes from Cabo San Lucas (about 40km / 25 miles).

Did you know… The legal drinking age in Los Cabos is 18.  It is illegal to drink on the street and travellers will be fined or jailed for public drunkenness.  The government likes to keep the peace prior to elections so they instituted a dry law, meaning it’s prohibited to purchase alcohol up to 72 hours before voting.  There are some states within Mexico where this law does not apply (such as Baja California) where alcohol can still be served in restaurants with meals, or only during daylight hours.

Did you know… Land’s End (El Finisterra) is the name of the famous rock formation (including the Arch) that juts out of the ocean where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean at the southern-most tip of Cabo San Lucas. It is the final section of land of the Baja California Peninsula. 

Did you know… The Arch (El Arco) is known as the “window to the Pacific” and is the most photographed site in Los Cabos.  It is adjacent to Lover’s Beach on the Sea of Cortez and Divorce Beach on the rougher Pacific Ocean side.

Did you know… Mexico has slightly more than 9,000km (5,500 miles) worth of coastline and nearly 40% of that coastline is around the Baja California Peninsula, which means Los Cabos has more than its fair share of gorgeous beaches.

Did you know… The Pacific Ocean and portions of the Sea of Cortez have strong, potentially dangerous undertows and swimming at some Los Cabos beaches is considered unsafe because of strong waves and riptides.  Beaches zoned as not safe for swimming are marked with red safety flags.

Did you know… Jacques Cousteau called the Sea of Cortez “The Aquarium of the World” referring to the abundant schools of large fish and marine life.  Snorkeling is one of the most popular beach activities as it allows you to view these ecosystems up close and personal.

Did you know… From mid-December to April each year, thousands of Humpback Whales and Grey Whales travel down to the warm waters of the Baja California Peninsula, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean, which is the perfect place for whale breeding.  Late January through February is when the females typically give birth and later in the season, the more active the babies are.  The whales tend to spout close to the shore, even jumping out of the water in great leaps, and can often they can be seen from the beach during this time.

Did you know… In Mexico, it is customary to turn on your hazard lights (four-way flashers) when traffic suddenly slows down, to alert the cars approaching behind you that you are not driving full speed.  This helps avoid many rear-ender accidents on the highways.

Did you know… You cannot use a drone in Mexico if you are not a citizen, and even then, all drones weighing over 250 grams must be registered.  Registration requires an official ID proving Mexican citizenship, therefore prohibiting registration by foreign persons.

Did you know… Mattresses sold in Mexico are shorter than mattresses sold in Canada or the US.  A standard King or Queen mattress in Canada or the US is 80 inches long, but in Mexico, they are 75 inches long.  This difference is significant when buying sheets.  When buying sheets for Canadian or American sized beds in Mexico, they are almost impossible to find locally and instead need to be purchased online. 

Did you know… The people who pack your groceries or other items at the check-out counter are not paid employees.  They depend solely on tips for income.  Similarly, people who pump your gas receive very minimal wages and they also depend on tips.

Did you know… The minimum wage in Mexico increased 23% on January 1, 2022, to $172.87 pesos per workday.  That is equivalent to $11.22CAD or $8.70USD per day.

Did you know… As a tourist, you must always carry your passport and original FMM tourist card with you.   As a temporary or permanent resident, you must always carry your resident card.  If you are stopped and do not have your original documents, you may be held in detention until someone retrieves the originals.  Copies and cellphone photos do not meet the legal requirements.   Checkpoints to confirm identity have become more common in the past year as the government is working hard to identify those who have overstayed their allowable time here and have subsequently become illegal in the country.

ps…  Don’t forget to check out the latest Snippets!