Cabo San Lucas

The last Mexican port on our cruise is Cabo San Lucas. In my perception, it is the most beautiful of all our stops. Long strands of white beaches, brilliant blue water and sculpted rock formations signal your arrival.

Carnival Elation Cabo San Lucas

The cruise ships anchor out because the harbor is shallow. Small boats shuttle you to the port where you are greeted by a gauntlet of town's people vying for your tourist dollar. There are glass bottom boat rides, sport fishing and resorts to be visited. We choose to hang out in the port area and do what we laugh at tourists for back home: have our pictures taken with the locals!

We buy some souvenirs, hang out in a port side restaurant and play my favorite sport, people watching. On our last visit to Cabo, we purchased a hand painted ceramic tile depicting our ship, the Carnival Pride. We locate the vendor this time and he makes us a new tile of the Norwegian Sun to add to our collection. The view, the sunshine, and the margaritas make this wonderful day. Two more days to motor back to reality.

Tile artist Cabo San Lucas
Glass bottom boat marina Cabo San Lucas

Peurto Vallarta Mexico

At this point in our cruise we have been lulled into a constant state of happiness. The staff on the Norwegian Sun are stealth in their endeavor to make us happy. When we go out to breakfast they quickly clean our cabin and stock us with towels and such. While we are at dinner they remake the room and leave us towel animals. This is a pampered lifestyle I could get used to. The price in right if you shop wisely. This 12 day 11 night cruise cost us about $1200 for two, inclusive of room and board. There are extra charges for tips, alcohol, tours and any other activities. We threw caution to the wind, a bit' and spent extra for incidentals. I felt like it was a bargain for such luxury.

Norwegian Sun party animal!

We arrived in Puerto Vallarta early to perfect weather. I was not feeling like the intrepid traveler so we decided to take a tour of the town. I negotiated $30 for an hour tour that took us through town in a new Nissan Van. At first it was a little unnerving as other cabs and vans pulled alongside us and had excited conversations with our driver. He explained he was the captain of the cab company's soccer team and the other drivers wanted to know about that day's game. The narrow cobblestone streets were teaming with cars and buses belching fumes but the city was beautiful nevertheless.

Puerto Vallarta old town photo by April

Just across from the ship there was a shopping area that included Walmart and next door was Galleria Vallarta, an upscale mall with Liverpool department store as an anchor.

Galleria Vallarta (left)
Wal -Mart Puerto Vallarta (right)

We hit the mall after our tour and found an impressive offering on par with Nordstroms or Macys. The food court was just like the U.S. versions. Subway and McDonald's offered their wares in Spanish. The stunning view overlooking the port was certainly not ordinary.

Norwegian Sun Puerto Vallarta

It was time to head back to the ship and enjoy the rest of the journey.

Mazatlan Mexico

The whirlwind tour moves to Mazatlan. One unique thing about taking a cruise is going to your hotel room and unpacking once. Each night your hotel moves you to the next town, all the while providing splendid amenities.

On this stop we partake in a ship endorsed tour called Shrimp Fest. From the port we are shuttled in air conditioned vans to a private home on cross hill overlooking the city. Not much to look at from the front but once inside it is quite spectacular. Besides the great view there is a pool, hot tub and small gift shop. We are offered margaritas, beer and soft drinks. After a brief introduction we wander about the grounds and enjoy. The mother of the owner gives April and I a tour of her adjoining residence where we admire the stone and tile work. It seems prices here are about a quarter of what we paid for our stone at home. The yard is lush but we are told that a recent storm had taken a toll on the trees.


It was time for a feast. Shrimp three ways, deep fried, boiled and garlic saute. Included was rice, beans, fresh tortillas, guacamole and some spicy salsas. More beer and margaritas were quaffed as we relaxed and kept an eye on the boats in the harbor.

Norwegian Sun shrimpfest excursion
Carnival Splendor Mazatlan Mexico

Back to the boat and onward.

Peurto De Pichilingue/ La Paz

Next day it's another port and accompanying city to explore. It's a rough job, but someone has to do it!
Peurto de Pichilingue is more of a tourist oriented port. It houses an attractive building with a marketplace and landscaping of Saguaro Cactus. A little farther down is the Baja Ferry that transports people, cars and cargo across the bay.

Puerto De Pichilingue Mexico



The ride into town is scenic as the desert grows to the sea. The Sagauro Cactus are everywhere and so are luxury resort residences and hotels. The bus dropped us in the Malecon area of town. The main street is next to the bay with restaurants, bars, shops and sights to see. It seems to be home to many artists and we purchased handmade earrings for our daughters. Statues and murals decorate a nearby courtyard.


We are here a few days before Dia De Los Muertos celebration. It is a remembrance of the departed and there are decorations in some of the stores

One thing I learned in Mexico is to be careful while walking. This was discussed somewhere in the shipboard tutorial that I mostly ignored. There is a more relaxed attitude towards building codes. The sidewalk will randomly drop a couple inches without notice. In the U.S. a construction zone will be lined with orange cones and signage. Here so is not the case. Someone was kind enough to place a plastic garbage can in an electrical box with no cover and a twelve inch drop. Watch your step! I did not follow my own advice as I stepped into the returning bus and flung myself in the open door unceremoniously. An elderly couple on board watched and lifted their beers to me. "Too much cerveza," they said. I replied, "Not enough!" and they pointed out a store nearby where I could purchase some for a dollar. Another observation I made was how tourists flock to the familiar. With all the unique restaurants and shops, a lot of our fellow passengers hung out at Applebee's and Thrifty ice cream.

With not enough time to fully explore this beautiful town, we head back to the ship. Tomorrow we will be in Mazatlan. Loving this vacation.

Topolobampo/ Los Mochis Mexico

The itinerary of our recent Norwegian Cruise Line trip included five ports in Mexico. My plan is to write five blogs of impressions we had of each port.
Our first stop was the Port of Topolobampo. We woke up to a beautifully warm day. Customs arrangements for passengers to enter the country were being made, so we climbed on deck to peek out at our surroundings. The port is a no nonsense working pier. We had docked next to a freighter offloading as trucks and train cars stood by. Small fishing boats sped by as we waited for the word to go ashore.

Topolobampo Mexico

Finally we had permission to disembark and headed for the gangway. The ship's photographers scrambled to take pictures to sell us later. I was busy with my own camera trying to shoot a photo of the ship's logo.

Norwegian Sun, Topolopambo Mexico

Then I realized that I was missing something - my wife! It seems the ship issued identification card had demagnetized and she had to return for a replacement. As I waited, I eyeballed the long lines for the buses to take us to Los Mochis. In an impulsive moment I decided we should take one of the taxis queued up nearby. This is the place where old eighties and nineties cars come to live. The price was right, $20 for nearly 30 minute trip into town. We rode in a late eighties Datsun with no shocks, a speedometer that did not work and the windshield wiper was tied on with a piece of cotton bandage. We were living the Vida Loca! We passed a lot of poverty as we drove into town. Some homes with children and chickens playing in the yard barely qualified as shacks. A cowboy herding several cows in the median seemed strange. I felt sad and out of place but the people in town seemed happy to see us and were welcoming. I imagine the tourists brought a little money to the local economy. The cab dropped us downtown at what I would describe as a sixties style strip mall. Therein was a Woolworths and a bowling alley as well as a Burger King and KFC. Glad to see we are exporting our lifestyle to our neighbors to the south.

Los Mochis Mexico

We checked out the town square and the adjacent church. The folliage was lush and the warm weather was wearing us out. We decided it was time to return to the ship. This time we took the air conditioned bus. Back at the ship a group of local dancers entertained. We hung out on board and watched the sunset. Lovely!

Sunset aboard Norwegian Sun Topolobampo