Latin America 2022/2023, # 10: Ensenada

Latin America 2022/2023: # 10

 Ensenada, Mexico

Dinner possibilities: American, French, Asian, Italian, BBQ and/or…

Early morning – Heading north to Ensenada, near USA border

Jerry used to work in Ensenada when it was a small border town

Getting ready to tour

(We were amazed about how much cleaning took place throughout the day and night. Bathrooms were checked every thirty minutes. Handrails, door handles and surfaces were constantly wiped down).

First visit was to see a “Ballet Folkorico” show located in a historical building. Notice the ornate ceiling.

Naturally, there were mariachis

Fun to watch

The swirling dress adds so much to the dance.

There was a real connection between the dancers

So that’s where our truck went! We were looking for it!

Miles and miles and miles of farmland also specialized in organic and hothouse operations. Besides typical veggies, Ensenada is known for its olives.

Typical roadside eateries

We’ll take one of each. Do you ship?

Is there a health inspector around here?

Huge mudflat area. There must be large variations between low and high tide.

Ensenada is growing a new type of crop: Tires!

Many fish farms off the coast: Tuna, mackerel, etc. We learned that when full size, the tunas are shipped in water (to keep them alive and fresh) to Japan. This must be an expensive undertaking!

Coastline is pretty and rugged. It’s possible to drive Mexico’s Highway # 1 from lower Baha to our PCH and further up to the Trans-Canadian highway.

Tchotchke’s, junk and “must have” items are sold on the way to a blowhole.

Vendors offer samples. Yum!

Anyone hungry?

This man was simply “watching the world” go by!

Anyone for shrimp left out in the open?

How about a coconut concoction? We passed. Jerry is allergic to processed/cooked coconut!

Match or mix? We’ll take one of each!

Vendor claimed “the leather was real, the brand was not…”

Mexican serape delivery: "What? Where are the red and yellow ones I ordered?"

La Bufadora: The blowhole!

We got a little wet but it was still fun!

Men’s (public) restroom does not have a urinal. Men have to use a trough.

Bakery: Wonderful smells wafted out from this place.

Last chance to buy something!

Business is slow. Vendors playing a game.

Father and daughter sing for a few coins.

This is really the last, last chance to buy something!

Surprisingly, many locals and tourists were riding horses. Jerry’s parents rode horses on the Ensenada beaches when they first got married.

We thought this old man trying to cross the street was wearing a mask. When the photo was enlarged, it turned out that the “mask” was really a beard!

All of the large American chain stores are in Ensenada including all of the fast food restaurants except Taco Bell (for obvious reasons).

However, if you want to buy from a local supplier, there are stores that offer one-stop shopping.

If you need a mattress in a hurry, there are stores such as his one which has soft and firm styles sitting next to the street. Just drive up with a vehicle, make a deal and drive off for a restful sleep.

We’re now at the end of a wonderful cruise. As much as we liked visiting different places and learning new things, “Seadays” were just as much fun where we could relax, read and work on the blog.

The food and beverages were very good. Staff was friendly and we are looking forward to our next cruise.

  Early morning arrival at San Pedro port 

We were picked up on time. During our drive home, we noticed distinct cultural/social differences between Los Angeles and the countries we visited. In those countries, we saw very little graffiti i.e. gang insignia and so-called artwork whereas in LA, graffiti was throughout the entire area. Although there is a lot of debris on the side of our roads, the situation is not as bad as in the other countries where there were huge dumps of trash along the side of the roads as well as on empty lots near residential areas.

It was interesting that guides from each of the countries indicated the seriousness of "global warming" and the impact on their country. They also bemoaned the fact that their national team did not do well in the recent (Qatar) World Cup

Most of our expectations for the trip were met. There was one (slight) disappointment. We were not able to visit Nicaragua. Depending on who we should believe, the excuse had something to do with "Covid." Either Regent didn't want passengers picking up something during a tour or the local authorities didn't want passengers exposing the locals. Perhaps there will be another opportunity to visit this country.

In any event, as always, it's good to be home. Once we do the laundry, return the luggage back in the garage and get back to our normal routine, we can  start thinking about "...repacking our bags and being on the road again!"