First Time This Year....A Mexico!

Last week I went to Mexico twice.   It was the first time I left the country ALL YEAR.  Big deal you say? Maybe not to you......but I haven't gone this long without an international trip in 10 YEARS!  It's a hard thing to let go of I tell you.......

Dear Mexico, 

Thank you for speaking Spanish, thank you for having such a beautiful coastline, thank you for selling seafood on the beach for such reasonable prices,  and thank you for being just a 15 minute drive from la casa de mis suegros.  

When we came to San Diego in March, Ernesto and I forgot our passports, and since the days of crossing the border with just a drivers license are gone, we weren't able to go into mexico.  We have been looking forward to eating lobster on the beach ever since.  

Puerto Nuevo is located just south of Tijuana and Rosarito and is well known for seafood.  Only a few square blocks, this little pueblo relies on tourists, which Im sure has really been slow lately.  Needless to say,  they were happy to see us and fighting for our business.  

{Jason and I munching on candied almonds and coco}

All the restaurants prices are the same, you really just pick for ambiance.  My only criteria was a great view, and that is just what we got at Olas del Mar.

Four plates of shrimp and fish ceviche started us off while the lobsters were being steamed or grilled.  Although prices have gone up since last time (I think they were $12 in 2007) they were still only $20 and come with beans freshly made tortillas and salsas. 

Ernesto's cousin Victor  met us to hang out.  He is a great guy and an AWESOME artist.

While perusing through his portfolio, I came across this masterpiece.  He painted this wall [and many other rooms in a house] for a movie set.  I am in LOVE with it and have already asked him if he can recreate it in my [future] house.  It will go perfectly in our old Spanish style house. 

After lunch/dinner, we cruised on down the coast [another 40 minutes] to Ensenada where we visited the famous Cantina Hussongs.  Supposedly the margarita was invented here back in October 1941.  Im not sure about that, but it was definitely an authentic Mexican cantina complete with mariachis and locals singing along.  

It was a long drive back to the US.  We were so tired and pleasantly surprised when the border crossing only took us 20 minutes!