Moderation in the Land of Party

Sunset and music from a rooftop perch

By Maria

On my second night getting to know Todos Santos, I want to hear all of the sounds and see and smell and taste the evening, but I am also not in the mood to go out. The thought of meeting strangers or spending money exhausts me. For the first time in two weeks I want so deeply to be alone and recharge. So when I climb the stairs from my second-floor room to find a rooftop patio, I know exactly how I’ll spend my night, and I go to get my guitar.

It is a private little walled patio looking out over the tops of the surrounding trees, deep green foliage of palms and other amazing but unknown tree types in bloom. (Todos Santos has some very beautiful trees, including some old ones that throw some nice shade.)

I quickly realize that the rooftop perch is also a free ticket to the live drumming coming from the outdoor stage of Hotel California, just one street over. I can’t see the drummers through the trees, but I do not mind. Their rhythms echo through the golden hour, the fiery red setting of the sun, and on into dusk. This is probably one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever experienced. It comes with a 3D sound soundtrack, birds and red tree flowers to catch the light.

So this is what going to bed by midnight at Burning Man must feel like, I decide. It feels good to slow down and soak up the exciting vacation-in-the-tropics energy from the comfort of “home.” I think it can be easy to be swept up in indulgence in Baja, and I reflect on the last two weeks of fried food and margaritas, and decide to have a healthier vacation from here on out.

I enjoy one cool Corona picked up from the corner store (they even open it for me at the counter), toast to the sunset and moderation in the land of party, and enjoy every drop of the evening. After spending a good two hours getting to know the nylon strings on my guitar and watching the light change, I head downstairs to my room and fall into a restful sleep, the cover bands playing on Hotel California’s stage not even unwelcome in the dreamscape.