Mar 15, 2004 05:42 AM
4696 Views
(Updated Mar 15, 2004 05:42 AM)
Ensenadais beautiful upon first look. Dionne and I saw Ensenada from the balcony of our cabin, and was very surprised with how pretty it was. The sun was just coming up over the mountains, the sea was a deep, glistening blue, and the city was sprawled out before us.
Of course, Dionne snapped some photos. As soon as she stepped onto the balcony, we heard some sort of weird barking. We later found out that it was a sea lion that hangs out in the Ensenada port, known as Pancho Villa.
Upon setting foot on the concrete pier, we were greeted with the busy sounds of Spanish and English conversations and the hustle and bustle of Ensenada traffic. Dionne and I quickly found our Mexican tour guide, Miguel, to bring us to our Baja Bandidos Horseback Tour with the rest of our tour group. He was waiting with a big sign. Dionne and I rushed over to him and boarded our small bus to take us to the mountains of Ensenada.
The drive took just 20 minutes, but the scenery was wonderful. The first site we beheld as we turned into Ensenada was the hotel once owned by Al Capone. It?s a bit of American History in Ensenada. I wish I could remember more about it so that I could describe it to you. It?s a large white building right outside the heart of the shopping district of Ensenada. It is supposedly one of the most beautiful structures in the city. Apparently, Capone ran this as a hotel and bar when Prohibition was in effect in the USA. Now it is used as a convention center.
Ensenada is located on the coast of Mexico. During the drive up to the mountains, we were able to see how beautiful the Pacific Ocean really is. It?s unpolluted here?a crystal blue spanning the entire Coastline of Ensenada. Of course, Dionne snapped a few photos. I have never seen water so blue than when Dionne and I went on this cruise. It was fantastic.
The bus turned off the main highway and up a dirt road. We climbed a short distance up the mountain and came to the ranch ? called a hacienda (pronounced hah-see-EN-duh) ? and got off the bus. I felt like I stepped onto the set of The Three Amigos! There were cacti and rocks everywhere. This was stereotypical Mexico, glorified in American movies that contain scenes in Mexico. I don?t know if this is what Mexican haciendas are really like, or if this particular ranch was designed this way to appease the preconceived notions that the American tourists have.
After being briefed on the tour we were about to take, we mounted our horses. Since I was the only person who had any riding experience in our entire group, I was placed at the back of the line. Fortunately, I had given Dionne some basics of riding, and they allowed her to ride in front of me. (For a first-timer, Dee looked like a PRO!!! I was so proud.) We had a 5 mile ride through the mountains of Ensenada, which gave us a glorious view of the ocean and city below. My only complaint of this ride was the quality of the saddles: very poor and hard. You would think for $55 per person, they would be able to afford nicer saddles. Half an hour into the ride, I wanted to cut my leg off. But, the view from the top of the mountain was worth the pain.
After descending the mountain, the tour group made our way into the hacienda, where we were able to eat some real Mexican tacos. I was surprised at the vast difference between the tacos in Mexico compared to those served in the USA. (I mean, even at ''authentic'' Mexican restaurants.) The meat was mashed rather than ground, and quite spicy. The tortillas were made out of corn rather than flour, too. By the way, don?t forget about NOT drinking the water. This includes ice cubes!
After our little lunch, we boarded the bus and were brought back into Ensenada. Dionne and I opted to be dropped off in the heart of the shopping district so we could pick up a few souvenirs for our loved ones. Before getting off the bus, we were instructed to haggle with shopkeepers about the prices to get the most for our money. Since Miguel was a native of Ensenada, we believed him.
He couldn?t have been more right! Besides the big shops in Ensenada, there are a lot of little shops that the locals run. These places are more flexible with their prices than the other stores, like Gold Duck. Definitely haggle with them! I got 2 woven blankets and a cape for a mere $25, rather than the $40 he wanted. Also make sure to get some Mexican vanilla. Mechelle asked me to pick some up for her, as it?s apparently the best vanilla in the world. So, I bought some for Mom, Julie and Gramma, too! Gold Duck is the best place to buy this: A mere $2.95 for a half-pint glass bottle! Everywhere else was $4 or more.
The streets are pretty crowded with people, mainly tourists, so be careful that you carry your bags close to you. Try not to get separated from your party either?It?s very easy to do that (although Dionne and I didn?t have that problem). The thing I absolutely HATED about Ensenada was the fact that locals would try to sell ANYTHING to you. They would approach us and get right in our face, trying to sell us gum and souvenirs. They would stop at nothing to get the mighty American dollar?As Dionne and I were walking back to the ship, we passed this woman who had her 2 year old holding the gum out to passers-by! I couldn?t believe it.
The most famous restaurant in Ensenada is called Papas & Beer. As Dionne and I approached it, we could hear the loud music and rowdy conversations. We could see how packed it was, and it was barely 1:00 in the afternoon. People were already staggering out of it, drunk as skunks. We decided to pass on this place?Definitely not our type of thing.
The walk back to the boat was long, although we could have paid just $1 to have a cab take us back. Unfortunately, nary a cab could be found!! We got back to the boat, boarded, and quickly found our rooms to take naps. Dionne wanted to go back around Ensenada later in the day, but I definitely had my fill. Instead, she took a few panoramic photographs of Ensenada from the upper deck of our ship.
Ensenada was definitely not as dirty as I expected it to be. It?s a big shopping district and a major tourist trap. Truth be told, I?m glad I went but I wouldn?t make it a point of going again. However, if I?m ever on a cruise again and we stop there, I?m going to take advantage of the other sites around Ensenada that we didn?t get to see, including La Bufadora, one of the few natural sea sprays in the world. There isn?t too much to do there, except sightsee and shop. We saw enough from our horseback tour and bus ride. I wouldn?t recommend more than a day there.
