It’s not ‘goodbye,’ it’s more like ‘see you later’
By Ed Kociela There’s this beautiful place by the ocean where palm trees sway in the tidal breeze and the water is crystal blue. The towns that dot the coast are quaint little villages with more of a connection to yesterday than today, with shops where you can haggle over price or sample a mini-shot of fine tequila. The pace is different there, you know. Not everybody is tied to a cell phone that tells them where to be and when. Appointments are casual. And, the attitude is truly, “No shirt, no shoes, no problem.” It’s rather communal,...
read moreIt’s the shoulder season in Los Cabos
By Ed Kociela We’re in the shoulder season down here in Los Cabos. The weather has turned from warm to hot and the humidity has cranked up a notch or two. It’s quiet time. This is the season when those who call Los Cabos home usually head out of town for awhile. Last year, we were about the only folks in the condo complex we were living in at the time for half of August and most of September. Just about everybody had left and even those who come down for frequent visits stayed away. It’s the same this year, except to top it off, our...
read moreBest of both worlds while watching the Olympics
By Ed Kociela Only a few days in and Azteca, a national television network here in Mexico, has earned a gold medal for coverage of the Olympics, at least in my book. We watched the opening ceremonies last week on NBC, the same as a lot of folks in the States. But, as the Games continued, we have had a sort of split-screen setup going on. We’ve got the NBC broadcast on one of the laptops, while we channel surf through the satellite stations on our television. I have to say, Azteca has impressed me. NBC has been under fire this Olympics. A lot...
read moreHappy Fourth of July
By Ed Kociela Happy Independence Day! This is our second Fourth of July celebration in Mexico and I really hope this year is better than last, which turned into quite a dud. Our daughter was on a hiatus from college, spending some time with us a year ago. It was a bit odd to her, being in a foreign country for the Fourth of July holiday, so we tried to make her a little more comfortable by doing some grilling, then heading to the beach for the fireworks. It was a hot and humid day, so we did a little pool time, hung out at the grill,...
read moreMusic festival rocks
By Ed Kociela One of our favorite places to hang out is the plaza in San Jose del Cabo. We have been there for Mexican Independence Day, Day of the Dead celebrations, Christmas fiestas, and a number of other events we just sort of stumbled upon. We find it the coolest place to hang out because it is a wonderful place for people-watching—we have what we call a couple of “gawking corners” where we watch the world pass by—and you never know what to expect. I mean, we have seen guys coming back from the nearby arroyo with a huge...
read moreG20: And now, they’re gone
By Ed Kociela I saw a lot of photos of the heads of state who were here for the G20 Summit and couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. Here they were, in this tropical paradise, all spiffed out in business attire. Is that any way to enjoy Los Cabos? I realize they had important work to do while they were here, but it was sad to see them all gussied up in shirts, ties, jackets, and dresses. I also felt sorry for members of the Mexican Navy’s infantry, who were clad in their camouflage fatigues with heavy Kevlar vests and helmets. They had to...
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