The Cruise Ship People have left, so we decided tonight would be a good time to experience downtown Cabo. We booked a taco and tequila walking tour. I love walking when traveling in foreign lands. It’s an intimate way to experience the environment.

As an operating rule I try to avoid Cruise Ship People, or CSPs. They’re easy to spot, so it’s not usually difficult. I am at once horrified and fascinated by cruise ships. How the crew make it all work is fascinating — this improbable city at sea, keeping thousands of people alive in the open ocean where we are not designed to live. They are great for beginning travelers. For the elderly, with limited mobility, or the young, who can experience independence in a safe environment, it’s a good setup. The people who love them really love them. My first cruise was at 17 and I had a great time. But I was 17.

On the other hand, knowing what I know about microbiology, there are not enough antibiotics on this planet that would entice me to vacation on one. It’s a mass produced product, the Walmart of vacations. I am not a fan of Walmart or being herded into having authentic experiences. The economics of cruise ships require cheap, exploitable labor. Plus, being stuck in a small space with thousands of entitled Americans whom you cannot escape reminds me of Hell.

I digress.

We met our tour guide, David, in downtown Cabo near the marina. The tour was advertised as all you can eat and drink with several stops, returning to base for tequila and churros. None of us were prepared for the volume of food that followed.

It was an interesting setup. We paid one fee to the company, which covered everything we consumed from our various stops, plus David’s time and operating costs. If you ate and drank a lot, they might make a little less profit. However the stops were small, local joints with low overhead and the food there didn’t cost very much. It probably isn’t physically possible to eat enough to make the venture unprofitable for them.

David was a gregarious, high energy guy with the nickname of “Shorty” (for some reason) who knew everyone in town. Around every corner, someone was saying hello to him. He joked he was running for mayor. I assumed he already was the mayor.

It’s difficult to show appetizing pictures of food. It takes a lot of editing. I tried, but nothing worked out. I suppose we’ll leave food shots to the professionals. I did capture images of the places we stopped.

The places above are not fancy but have delicious food. We were eating among locals, who were amused to see us out of the normal places.

David likes CSPs. They come and do walking tours or cooking classes with his outfit, aptly named Juan More Taco Tours. He’s busy when CSPs are in port. He said other food vendors aren’t thrilled, mostly the restaurants on the beaches. Since everything on the boat is free, CSPs spend very little on food on land but take up potential revenue generating space. Cruise ships offer a complicated economic bargain for the local ports of call. They promise volume but want cheap prices for their (sometimes) demanding customers. It’s not easy money.

Should you find yourself in this area, do make sure to arrange a tour or cooking class. I advise booking directly and never through Trip Advisor. You all know my feelings about Trip Advisor, a site that has weaponized the opinions of entitled assholes and bullies.