Day 47

Everyone on the bus!

Mexico Flag



Our tour begins with a narrated drive through Ensenada, passing the monuments of the old city. We travel through residential areas and pass the University of Baja California, the Research Center and Plaza Civica, home to the largest Mexican flag in the country. The pole is 350’ high and the flag weighs 500 pounds!! 

Arriving at the center of town, we stopped at the Riviera Pacifica, once a hotel land casino that was opened in 1930. It briefly put Ensenada on the international glamour map. Jack Demsey was the general manager and people like Lucile Ball, Lana Turner and even Al Capone stayed there. It is now used for cultural events. It's a grand structure with its majestic ballrooms, beautiful hand painted ceilings and lovely handmade tile.  There were exciting murals and simple breathtaking chandeliers. 

Riviera Pacifica

It is said that the margarita was invented here at the Bar Andaluz on August 21, 1948!

Leaving Riviera Pacifica, we drove past some of the oldest homes it the area. The architecture was very eclectic. We drove by the famed Hussong's, cantina founded in 1892. 

We were dropped off downtown for an opportunity to do some more shopping.  Several of the shops were closed however, because it was Monday and the cruise ships weren’t in, but it was fun just walking around. 

Next we headed for the local bakery “panaderia”. As we got off the bus the delicious smell of pastries wafted from inside.   Where we each got a tray and tongs and loaded up on pastries and breads for the next leg of our tour.

We then headed to our final destination, La Bufadora (the blowhole). It is about thirty minutes from Ensenada, in a seemingly remote section of the Pacific coastline. We drove through the countryside which was dotted with farms of asparagus and olive trees. We pasted by several American communities along the rugged coastline as well. When we reached our destination we had to walk through a gauntlet of very aggressive venders. But the end result was worth it.

From a safe distance you can look down about 45 feet into what looks like a rock crevice about 10 feet wide. The crevice, however, is actually the mouth of a cave. As the waves recede from the cave it fills with air. When the waves come back in, the water entering the cave compresses the air until it explodes, blowing the water as high as 90 feet into the air. Granted, that isn't a terribly scientific explanation, but it gives you an idea. How high the water shoots up depends on the tide conditions. You might wait five or six minutes between swells before you see anything. I liked seeing the rainbow in the mist created by the sun’s rays.

After we all enjoyed natures show we were hungry again! Not really, we ate too many pastries on the bus!  We found a restaurant with a view for lunch.  Some of us had never had fish tacos before so they tried them!  Well, it was back on the bus with some very full tummies and back to the RV Park. While we were all resting or walking off lunch the staff was slaving over a hot stove preparing a lasagna dinner for us, plus a delicious desert. We are so spoiled!! And to think our adventure is almost over! And if it couldn’t get any better, we had another fabulous sunset!

 

Paul & Eileen

 Manana