Baja Desert Dream

Article and photos by Victoria Brooks, Editor of GreatestEscapes.com

Los Cabos, at the tip of the Baja Peninsula -- a place of golden deserts, verdant jade mountains and sapphire seas. A hot place of glittering resorts; condos and time shares; world-class golf; kayaking and ATV riding. A still wild place where one can live the life of a sportsman; rock till you drop; study the sea; drink mezcal until you get to the worm; or dream you are Mayan royalty...

On a sensuous summer night, I dreamed I was living the life of a Mayan princess in the prettiest of Mexican villages. It was named Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort and Spa.

Located in what is called the Los Cabos Corridor of the mountainous Cape Region, (at the tip of the finger of land known as the Baja Peninsula), the area surrounding my lovely village is renown as a world famous beauty spot. It is also a sport fishing playground -- and I can without exaggeration -- tell you I have seen the blue whale, the largest mammal known, and more dolphins than I could ever count, in the sea that is my doorstep.

I have also seen swordfish, sailfish, and three types of marlin, jagged fins flashing iridescent on the water. I am told that these magnificent fish can weigh up to 1,200 pounds and fight like demons when they are caught. I am also told that visitors refer to our beautiful Sea of Cortez (sometimes called Gulf of California) as "God's Fish Tank."

Back to my village

My village, Hacienda Del Mar, was a wealthy one, and in my dream I was fortunate to be of high birth. Although the entrance, off what is called Highway 1, is gated with a massive wall of stone work, there was no poverty or warring in my lovely seaside village -- only the sound of bells ringing high and clear from the bell towers, heard against the rhythm of the ever pounding sea. The waves that rush against the fine, powdered sand of Playa Barco Varado are the same color as the much sought after pearls of La Paz that are harvested in this warm, summer Sea of Cortez. And even though my beautiful and private adobe hacienda within the village is located on the blanched, sandy skin of the desert, my entire village always stays cool and shady. The founding Jesuit fathers planned it so in the 18th century.

Mornings in my Hacienda

As usual, I woke early to the gentle breeze of the ceiling fan, rotating noiselessly above my spacious bed. And even though it is now high summer in the Baja desert, the sweet morning breeze that greeted me through my open window is laden with the scent of camellia and jasmine, and of course with the salty smell of the sea. Eager to meet this new day, I threw off my sheets of pure white Mexican cotton and put my brown feet down on the cool glazed terracotta tiles decorated with a typical Mexican pattern that covers the expanse of floor.

My duck feather pillow beckoned me back to my elegantly dressed bed, but I resisted. Although I had nothing to do but enjoy my princess status, I had made myself a busy schedule. First, I would call for freshly squeezed juices of naranja, pina and mango to quell my thirst before I ventured outside. I could have prepared my own morning feast, as my suite was well equipped with a working kitchen, but I preferred to leave these and other chores to village staff. Quietly and efficiently, they maintained the cleanliness of my comfortable and well-appointed living room, bedrooms and two bathrooms, (complete with a bubbling spa bath) in impeccable splendor. Outside my own brightly colored hacienda walls, I would start my morning by wandering down the winding cut-stone paths of intricate design that meander past purple, orange, and pink bougainvillea.

For a short while, I will relax by my favorite fountain, inlaid with tiles of yellow and blue. And there, I will further my education by reading peacefully beside this tinkling fountain of butter and sky colored mosaics. The only problem is the plethora of butterflies and birds that sometimes distract me from my books. I often find myself counting the many species of butterflies and greeting the variety of birds that share my life so happily at Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar.

The day offers many treasures

As a princess, I have many choices of activities and never get bored with my surroundings. Everywhere in my village there are fountains that sparkle in the sunlight, or dance under the shadows thrown by proud royal palms, and also the elegant traveler's palm. (The traveler's palm always reminds me of a Mexican senorita, fan held flirtatiously up against the morning light.)

When the bell tower strikes ten, I am off to the fitness center and beauty spa for a massage and wrap of soothing sea algae and aromatic oils. I, like most Mayan royalty, take beauty seriously, and my village imports trained masseuses and beauty technicians from faraway places. I may also indulge in a cleansing steam or sauna while I am there, or use the special equipment devised especially for keeping my muscles taunt and fit -- as a princess must keep herself in shape in case she finds a prince worthy of her attentions.

Once I am buffed and smoothed, and my brown skin glows like a topaz, I will relax in a white canvas chair by one of the shimmering pools that edge my village's private beach. The beach is a visual drama: rock formations carved by unseen hands rise majestically from the powdered shell sand. Above, hawks soar-serrated wings wide against the Baja blue sky.

continued on Page 2

Books by Victoria Brooks

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