Ensenada and Homeward Bound

 

Where is Ensenada?

Ensenada is very popular among Americans because it is so close to the US.  There are several communities that are built for Americans.  It is an opportunity to enjoy Mexico at a lower cost of living and yet be so close to home.  Las Rosas hotel has a beautiful surrounding.

Room at the hotel

We arrived just in time for the sunset

Hotel overlooking the beach and ocean

I have one last "duty" in Ensenada - visit Hussong's or more appropriately Hussong's Cantina.  When I was traveling in Baja California in 1978 I was invited by a group of Catholic priests to meet them there.  It was a popular American bar in Ensenada.  Anyone who has been to Ensenada must go to Hussong's.

I checked the fare and the distance to Hussong's from the hotel on my Uber app.  It was only a $5 ride and about 10 minutes away.  I told my group that I was going there that night after dinner and indirectly, inviting anyone who want to come along.  No one was crazy enough.  Our guide Jazz was planning to come but she had to much to do at home that night.

I asked the hotel front desk where I should wait for my Uber ride.  The receptionist told me that he can send someone to pick me up when I am ready to come back.  I also asked about the safety of the area.  He said it is very safe.  So, here I am, off to my last destination in Ensenada.

Hussong's Cantina in downtown Ensenada

Inside the Cantina

A mariachi band was playing

When I entered the cantina I was surprised to find that there were no Americans, only Mexicans.  I was told later that it has become a very popular Mexican bar.  I took pictures of the place and videos of the mariachi band.  Everyone was amused as to what I was doing there.  I couldn't have been more out of place.  An Asian in a Mexican bar!  However, everyone was very friendly to me and waving at me.  As I was leaving the mariachi band was taking a break outside the cantina.  I had a little snack and gave them a tip.  I called the hotel and the driver was there to pick me up.  In 10 minutes I was back in the hotel.

After breakfast the next morning we were ready to say goodbye to Mexico.  It was about a 2-hour drive to the border.  There we do what we always do when we cross an international border.  A Mexican immigration officer came up the bus and walk through the aisle.  Roberto then drove the bus to the American border.  Our bags were scanned and we handed our passport to the Immigration Officer.  Very soon we were across the border into the United States.

Border fence between Mexico and US

Entering the Mexican side of the border

Entering the US side of the border

Port of Entry in San Ysidro

We are in the US

There is a tram that runs from downtown San Diego to the border.  It is very convenient to visit Tijuana from San Diego.  I know of people who own businesses in Tijuana and commute every day from San Diego.  I understand that many Mexicans also live in Tijuana and commute to work in San Diego.  It is much cheaper to live in Mexico.  There are also buses available to take you to different parts of southern California.

Tram that goes to downtown San Diego

Buses that will take you to different parts of California

It took about 30 minutes to drive from the border to the San Diego airport.  By about 11am that morning we were dropped off at the airport.

This ends our exciting 8-day trip to Baja California, Mexico.  It exceeded my expectations, especially the whales.  We also got an education about the desert and Mexican culture.  We ate a lot of Mexican food and were warmly welcomed by the locals.  A Great Trip and Adventure!

North to Cataviña and San Quintin

 

Itinerary for the day, March 4, 2026

Today we are heading back north.  It's the 6th day of our 8-day trip.  But we have another exciting whale watching trip in Scammon's Lagoon.  It's about a 2-hour drive from San Ignacio to Guerrero Negro.  After our stroll around the oasis in San Ignacio, we boarded our bus for another beautiful drive through the Baja California desert.  

For our third whale excursion we engaged a different company - Malarrimo (www.malarrimo.com).  This time we did not do a briefing but were taken straight to Scammon's Lagoon, known in Spanish as Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (meaning hare eye lagoon).  On the way there we passed by the biggest saltworks plant in the world.   Salt is made from evaporation ponds around the lagoon.

A mound of salt ready for export

A barge full of sale heading to the ocean for markets around the world

In the mid-1800s' Scammon's Lagoon was a popular whale hunting site.  However, after over-hunting, less and less whales were taken from the lagoon and eventually abandoned.  With the discovery of oil whale-hunting or Whaling became almost obsolete.  Only Japan, Iceland and Norway still engage and support commercial whaling for food.  Some coastal indigenous communities still hunt whales for food.

We went through the same process as the first day at Scammon's Lagoon except this time we have a different company to take us.  With wildlife you never know what to expect.  Will the whales show up or will they keep a distance?  Our boat took us about 20 minutes out into the lagoon.  We saw some spouts so our guide slowed down and hung around the area.

Before we know it we had a mother and calf coming to our boat.  They kept swimming and playing around out boat for about an hour.  It was one of the most thrilling wildlife encounters I have experienced.  The whales were not shy.  They came close to the boat and allowed us to rub them.  They spouted next to our boat.  They turned their heads to look at us.  Sometimes they just popped up and let us rub them.  Touching a whale is something I never thought I could do in my lifetime!

Mother and calf swimming near our boat

The highlights of our trip is now over.  We had lunch provided by the guide company, then got into the van back to the company office.  Roberto, our driver, was waiting for us with more freshments.  We changed into comfortable clothings, freshen up, then drove about 2 hours to our hotel in Catavina.  This is a very isolated location.  Our internet access came through a satellite.  The hotel is not fancy but very nice for this area.

In the evening we got together for a story about tequila and a taste of it.  For the first time I ate chimichanga in Mexico!  This is really an American food.  We continued with the Mexican tradition of trying to hit a piñata.  We ended the evening with a couple of birthday celebrations.

Before breakfast in the morning we took a walk in the desert around the hotel.  It was a beautiful unspoiled setting.  It was refreshing smelling the desert air and admiring the vegetation.

Desert behind the hotel

Boojum and Cardon trees

It is a long drive from Catavina to Ensenada so there were a couple of stops.  We took a short hike and walked to a rock cave.  Local school children lended helping hands for those who were unsteady in their walk on uneven surfaces.  This part of Baja California is called Valle de los Cirios Nature Reserve.

Our final stop for the day before we reach Ensenada is San Quintin, a coastal town.  We had lunch at a restaurant that used to be a flour mill.  It's in a beautiful setting by the bay.

Location of San Quintin

We had time to stroll around the restaurant before settling down for another excellent lunch.

As we drive north towards Ensenada we passed agricultural fields, tended by migrant workers from other parts of Mexico.  We can't see what is being grown but I understand there is an office for Driscoll's, which is a big wholesaler of produce in the US.

Finally, we reached our destination in Ensenada, where we checked into the Las Rosas Hotel and Spa.  It is set by a beautiful beach by the Pacific Ocean.  It is our farewell dinner.  Again, it was another excellent dinner and nice conversations.

San Ignacio, Baja California Sur

After our first whale-watching trip we set out to drive south on Highway 1 to San Ignacio.  San Ignacio is in Baja California Sur (or South), another state in Mexico.  The town is named after a mission that was built in the 18th century.  In the midst of the town is an oasis where date palms grow.  

On the way we stopped at a bird refuge where many varieties of birds come.  It also give us a chance to stretch our legs and enjoy the Baja California environment.

Bird Refuge

We were treated to a local specialty - fish tacos, for lunch.

Taco Joint

Tony, the owner

After an exciting morning we checked into the Desert Inn Hotel.  It's a treat for us, staying at the same hotel for 2 nights.  I took this opportunity to do some laundry.  In the evening before dinner we gathered for our regular happy hour and socialized at the bar.

After dinner that evening we were treated to a dance performance by the local school.  It was amazing to see these young Mexicans enjoying dance their own traditional dances.

A dance performance by young locals

Here is our itinerary for the next day:

The company that we engaged on this part of the trip is called Kuyima.  Again, in the morning after breakfast we were taken to the company's office and given a short briefing.  Following that we drove to the San Ignacio Lagoon and boarded our pangas.  This is another big lagoon that the gray whales come and spend the winter.  They come here to give birth and mate.  There is another 3rd lagoon further south where the gray whales spend the winter.  It's called Bahía Magdalena (Magdalena Bay).

We saw many whales at a distance.  Some came close but were not as playful as the ones in Scammon's Lagoon.

Briefing by our guide

Map of the Lagoon

Boarding the pangas

Whale Blowing

After a subdued excursion at San Ignacio Lagoon we were free to explore the town of San Ignacio.  It seems implausible that a town like this would survive in the middle of nowhere.  It is located in the middle of the Baja California peninsula, reachable from the north from Ensenada or from La Paz in the south, both on Highway 1.  In 2020 it had a population of 521.  

Life revolves around the town square.  We visited the town square to see a demonstration of how hand-made tortillas are made.  We also had a chance to visit a very well-preserved Mission Church.  We ended the evening with a beautiful dinner at the Rancho Grande Restaurant.

A demonstration on making tortillas

San Ignacio Mission Church

The altar

Inside the sanctuary

The town square

We took a short tour of the oasis in the morning before we left.  Around the oasis date palms were planted by one of the early settlers.

The oasis, planted with date palms

Water is precious in the desert

Beautiful Mexican dinner at the Rancho Grande Restaurant

The Desert Inn Hotel where we stayed in San Ignacio

Our Big Bus, with driver Roberto