When Ash suggested a couple of days in Baja I barely knew what he was talking about . If you look at the map of Mexico you’ll notice a long Peninsula hangs off the bottom of California , that’s Baja . It’s actually a huge stretch of land that extends 1600 km from Tijuana to Cabos San Lucas . Ahhh , we’re not driving that but Ensenada at just over 90 minutes across the border which is 3 hours from my joint is doable .
You don’t hear much about Baja or Ensenada but most people I’ve spoken to here have been there or know someone who has . Still , information wasn’t abundant , and it seemed to indicate that this was a relatively new tourist destination with a young wine region sprouting up but with a cowboy past and a sketchy reputation for safety …. perfect . Off we go .
We are told to not carry too much cash in case the federales or poliizia pull us over and decide that taxes are required , but still to have enough so as to keep them happy . As we approach the border crossing the nerves and excitement increase . Here we go boys we are about to cross one of the busiest border crossings in the world . Passports are ready , bladders are full and here comes the gates ….. but wait , where is the queues of cars you always saw in those border reality shows ? We cruise past the 1st gate and nothing , a Mexican border guard barely raises his eyes to nod , we roll around the corner and there it is …. a sign saying we are in Tijuana .
Tim roars “Yeeeahhhhh!! Boys we are in Mexico without even being stopped , we just went straight through !!! ” laughing his head off . We are all stunned ….. is that it ? Ash complains he doesn’t get México stamped on his passport . In minutes we are bursting through clean well made roads that skirt the border fence , with old rundown buildings and shacks scattered on the nearby hills . Within 90 minutes we get to Ensenada . As a keen surfer I am taken aback at the quality of waves along this coast , and just how empty they were . I’m amazed there’s only the odd guy out , but it it also reveals how tricky it must be to get down here to surf and feel secure …hmmmm .
Ensenada …..1st impression was it wasn’t pretty , sitting on a container port , with an industrial feel to it , feeding into that 3rd world dusty dry streetscape , but it got better . Well ……. it didn’t but my expectations of some sort of subtropical paradise quickly subsided to the reality of “Hey Howie , you’re in Mexico mate , this is real and that’s why your here “. Our hotel the Corona Del mar was basic but reasonable .
The main drag of town was better than I’d thought it was gonna be . A selection of nice coffee houses , and I mean nice when you compare them to So Cal , cool little Mexican eateries , beer houses and a ton of tourist stalls meant that walking this strip each night would always be entertaining . The locals pushed there wares but were never rude and always had a sense of humour . Yes there was plenty of crap fakes but still there was stuff worth buying for just $10 , sunglasses and shirts being better than I expected . The real highlight was the street food …… excellent and ridiculously cheap .3 tacos , an empanada and a bottle of coke could be bought for $6 to $8 with tip included and each time I shook my head at the quality of the food ….. best Mexican I’ve tasted . 
Breakfast, lunch and dinner we feasted on the corner stalls without hardly taking a dent out of our wallet . Fish tacos ….. now I understand the love that is associated with this little treat , tortas and empanadas too . Beer was cheap , haircuts for $10 in cool little barber shops and then there was the pharmacies . I’d never heard of the burgeoning prescription or prescriptionless drug market here . “Uppers , downers and allrounders ” were on sale at every corner .Viagra , amoxicillin, penicillin , Xanax and a host of drugs that you’d need a doctor to prescribe were readily available over the counter and for a fraction of the cost.
I picked up sixty 50 milligram tablets of amoxicillin for future ear and throat infections for $8 . The town has a seedy side with massage and prostitution also a productive selling point . Even with the intention of going down this path you’d have to have your wits about you . 
I’m sure there’d be plenty who might just get rolled in their endeavour to see a lady of the night , you wouldn’t be arguing too much down here , you might not get home , but don’t worry this is just far away enough so as to keep the kids oblivious to the ‘other side ‘.
There’s things to see : La Bufadore , a blow hole 40 minutes around the coast that has been swallowed up with the Mexican tourism machine
. Let’s be blunt , it’s been totally bastardised, but we still loved the whole scene . Almost anything and everything was for sale . Did I say there was a natural attraction down here ? Wineries too , this was interesting and something that I’d come back to with friends .
Ensenada is a grimy , fascinating tourist location . Cruise ships arrive regularly, which may explain the presence of armed soldiers cruising the streets , it seemed too heavy handed and it invited Anglo insecurity to creep in 
. We were the minority but by no means we were treated like it , ok we probably had to pay Gringo prices on some things but the locals were always helpful . There was a small trap that next time as an Australian you’d prepare for ; cash and in particular US dollars were needed , but with previous advice of not carrying too much caught the guys out . When withdrawing cash from the ATMs the boys were stung with a US$32 fee to grab their cash in US dollars …. ouch !!
Would I go back ? I’d love to but this time We’ll be better prepared and I’d really hit those wineries , cause that was a buzz and I love getting buzzed .
aussiehowieinla 