January 7, 2022 76°F/25°C

#myvikingstory

Last night we had our second delicious dinner at Manfredi’s, followed by singer Michael Washington’s tribute to the music of Ray Charles, and this morning we woke up anchored off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Dinner was amazing, but the service was even better. My Sogliona al Limone (Dover sole sautéed in lemon, parsley and butter sauce) came with a show of it’s own: our incredible waiter expertly deboning it.

The Baja peninsula (above) sure looks different than it did when the Spanish used it as a pit stop on their routes, and later when pirates used it as a base of operations from which to plunder Spanish galleons. It is a popular sport-fishing destination for marlin, but an even more popular destination for catching a glimpse of the rich and famous at play – and potentially their luxury yachts.

We’ve been here before (Episode 52 – The Two Cabos) . In 2019, we skipped the kitschy port area with its discount pharmacies and novelty t-shirt vendors, and travelled by bus past the beautiful hotels, resorts, and vacation homes along El Malecón to San José del Cabo, the more subdued sister city to Cabo San Lucas.

San José del Cabo is the oldest Spanish mission on the peninsula, featuring a lovely traditional town square and a truly beautiful church. Having toured it before, and finding out that with fewer guides available our “tour” would actually just be free time, we decided not to go ashore.

Despite having had a series of sea days, we were nonetheless quite happy to remain on board, with Ted taking photos from the decks, and me just lounging and writing.

After a truly relaxing day, we enjoyed another gorgeously presented and flavourful tasting menu at The Chef’s Table tonight, made even more special for being shared with fellow world cruisers Allan and Karin, who we’d met virtually last fall via the Viking Star World Cruise 2021-22 Facebook group. One of the advantages of a really long cruise like this is the opportunity to get to know some of our shipmates better, and where better than over dinner?

Tonight’s theme was “Lotus”, with a Pan-Asian menu designed by Viking’s Director of Culinary Development, Chef Anthony Mauboussin.

After dinner, we headed for the Star Theater for a musical variety show featuring the full complement of the ship’s entertainment team, from our Cruise Director, to the Viking Band, Viking Vocalists, classical string duo, resident pianist, and (our personal favourite) resident guitarist, King.

We’re hearing rumours of yet further itinerary changes after we leave LA, but we’re in it for the long haul. Honestly, it’s all more than we ever thought we’d be experiencing in our retirement, no matter where the Viking Star takes us.