Day 10 - Ensenada BC Mexico Repeated

It’s been a few days since I’ve written and to mark how long I’ve been gone, I’m going to call this blog ‘Day 10 Ensenada’ since it has only been 10 days that I’ve been gone. It sure seems longer than that, but as the days go by and I learn a little more Spanish things go by pretty quick. I can say that I am much more comfortable in my surroundings and have gotten to know much of the area. My days have been pretty typical lately getting up at 6:30 for a quick shower before breakfast at 7:00, a little studying of my Spanish before walking to class which starts at 8, getting back to my host families house shortly after 2:00, having a quick lunch, a 30 minute siesta, heading to the tourist zone to have a number of cervezas and back to the host family for dinner at 7:00 just to finish up writing these stories and doing some studying of the drive to Cabo. I’ve also been working on figuring out what I am going to do about a phone before I head south and making sure I have to place to stay in Cabo once I get there. Thanks to some help I do have a pretty cheap place booked in Cabo for only $35 a night which is suppose to have a secure garage for my bike and is close to where al the action is. I am looking forward to getting there and being able to relax as though I am on vacation instead of worrying about getting up and going to Spanish class.

The class can get a little long, especially the last 2 hours after a 30 minute break. There’s not a lot to see and I haven’t quite figured out what restaurants I might be able to trust and those that I should stay away from, so as long as my host Diana is making some great Mexican meals, there’s no need to eat out. There is however one thing that I will likely be going out for this weekend and that’s la langosta or what Maine knows better as lobster. I’ve heard it is suppose to be pretty good here so definitely have to try it. I did check out one of the better seafood restaurants downtown and it’s only 481 pesos, that I think I can handle that. 

The dollar sure goes a long way around here when you get as many pesos as you do for the exchange rate. My first stop the other night was Hussong’s, but wouldn’t you know it they were closed on Monday’s that I had to hit it Tuesday which was the day to be there because that is when it is 2 for 1. Sure the beers were 35 pesos, but once you figure that out based on the exchange rate, I think I can handle a number of cervezas when I’m getting 2 for $2.92 US. I did try to get the 2 for 1 Wednesday and tonight, but that was only the Tuesday deal which means I’ll probably be back next week Tuesday. 

I did find another bar down the street, one of the few sports bars in the tourist district and they have beers for 25 pesos or $2 US that I’ve been spending a little more time there since I’ve gotten to know the owner Lou, his side kick Steve and some of the bartenders, and again since it is one of the few sports bars I have been able to see some of the world series and Thursday night football. There other thing is this place televises it in English so I have a better idea of what is going on. Sure I’m learning Spanish, but you can’t expect me to know it that quick. I do wish I could stay to watch the end of the games, but when they are starting at 5:00 or 5:30 my time and dinner is served at 7:00, it’s time for me to head home for some good Mexican food. 

The other thing I’ve been doing a lot of is just walking around and taking in so much of what there is to see around town which is quite different that those from the boats in town and in the tourist district see, but it is a lot of run down vehicles, houses, businesses and streets. I’ve notice that most vehicles are in pretty tough shape and there seem to be quite a few mechanic shops that I’m sure most people around here just get them fixed up to get by. Sure I’ve seen some pretty night cars, but not that many and I’ve only seen one Harley and that was an old police bike parked in front of a jewelry store that the owner owns. I know because I stopped in to find out a little more about it. First it was to ask the nice looking lady selling jewelry only to find out it wasn’t hers; of course I’ve gotta ask. 

As for how people drive around here, I’m learning that Alto does not mean stop in Spanish, but slow and go if even that. Yep, hardly anyone stops for an Alto sign and you have to be on your toes to make sure you’re out of the way of any oncoming traffic. There are those occasions where they will yield for a pedestrian, but you better make it quick. To go with that you really have to watch your step on many of the sidewalks because you either hit a hole that isn’t covered, step on a board covering a hole only to break is or just stumble over an unexpected but, that and the curbs are pretty high and take some stepping around. Trust me I have already broken 2 boards on the sidewalks and one all the way thru and have tripped on many of an unexpected lip on the sidewalk. Oh, and there are also these sidewalks on the hilly part of town that you just might miss a step or too, and yes I’ve almost fallen flat on my face doing the same.

Ok, so how about back to the tourist area. Since I am one of the few gringos walking around down there other that the people from the boats I get the merchants always trying to get me into there store for something Harley. I’m not sure how they know I might like something Harley other than the shirts I normally have on, and yes they are almost all Harley shirts, but I also get the same guys that have now seen me every day making sure I know they can get me girls, cigars or any kind of drugs I might want. I have to keep telling them I need to keep it clean since I don’t want to get thrown in jail, but it sounds as though it’s pretty easy to get whatever you need. For me just some cervezas and maybe an occasional shot of tequila is all that I need. 

So there’s a lot more that I could cover such as how the tourist area is a ghost town when there aren’t any ships in town and just how crowded it can get when the ships are around, but I can save those stories for more to come. I end up missing a lot of the boat crowds because by the time I get down town, most of the people have to get back to the boats since they normally leave by 5:00. This weekend will be a different story and since I won’t have class to get up early for, you never know what kind of trouble I might be able to work to stay out of. More to come and TGIF and I’m done with school for at least a couple of days.

More Ensenada pics of the downtown tourist zone, boats coming or going, some of the bars I’ve visited and a day on the beach. 

Day 10 Ensenada pics