Why I have so many Mexican flags.

My friend Nick (not to be confused with My Nick) always has fascinating stories. Like the times he babysat the Olsen twins or when a drunken Lisa Loeb tried to stick her tongue down his throat. Stories you would totally doubt unless you knew him. Nick is the sort of person to whom things happen. Happen with a capital H.
And he's had some of the oddest odd jobs imaginable. Like chef, or bicycle thief.

For a while, he was temping for a company that outsourced trash pickup along freeways. He told me that the two most common things he'd find were Mexican flags, and bottle of pee.

Which made me nervous every time he'd tell me he had "found me a present."

Now all I need is a big scraggly cat named Don Quixote. But then, don't we all?

You know how Dulce loves her monkey, right?



The monkey I got in Mexico and couldn't find just the right name for?



When I saw the resemblance between Peter Coco's Sancho Panza, and Dulce's faithful little sidekick snugglebuddy, I knew we'd hit on the answer.



So "Sancho" it is.

Also, it might be time to trim her nails.

Viva Mexico!

Gratuitous rear view mirror shot below. Because I like risking life and limb to take them. Hindsight is flattering.
Our trip began with a brief detour to the bank, where my brother Jesse has more friends in that one building than I have in the world. This might not sound fun, but watching Jesse bend people to his will is like watching a opera singer in the peak of their career. It's his superpower. Mine is passive aggression. Together we are the Wonder Twins. Powers, activate!
Next was the drive down to Ensenada, along a road rated by National Geographic as one of ten drives everyone should take in their life. I'm sorry to say I have no pictures, because it was dark. Sorry. You'll just have to use your imagination. Picture rocky mountains sloping down to sandy beaches, the occasional fishing village and the moon reflecting on the waves.
First stop when we got to Ensenada was the taco stand. I cannot begin to explain the taco stand so lets just say it's a religious experience. Here, Jesse and I are about to chew our own hands off in excitement.



Once we checked into the hotel, it wasn't long before we'd given up the notion of going back out again, and just surrendered to the sweet, sweet embrace of the beds. This most certainly does NOT make us lame.


The next morning, we took a walk along the water and soaked in some sun. Jesse tried to catch me a little sea bird with a long beak, but it outran him.



This is Bethany at breakfast. She is hella cute.


After a lazy breakfast, we drove south to La Bufadora, so I could buy STUFF. Great masses of STUFF that nobody, especially not a girl who would be moving all her earthy possession the next day, needs.


Here I am wearing a wrestlers mask, which I did not buy.....


...... and a giant sombrero, which is very similar to the one I did buy.


After I acquired one of everything in the market, including a cone of strawberry ice cream, we walked on to 'the blow hole,' for which the town is named. This man was dancing and playing music all at once. Someday I will hire him for my wedding. I hope he knows some Phil Collins jams.


The blow hole is actually an underwater cave, that when the water level is right, sprays seawater hundreds of feet up the cliffs. There was no spray that day, which didn't stop us and hundreds of other people from staring down at it intently.




Someday, I will have a little house and a little boat down there.


Next stop, Habana Banana, the world's most family friendly bar. Seriously, it's just booze and stuffed animals. Genius.


One margarita later, we moved on to my favorite place in La Bufadora, for fish tacos. Everyone got to try on the hat. Don't lie, you want to wear it too.



At this point, the batteries in my camera died. So once again you will have to use your imagination and picture the whale swimming by, and the lion that lives in a cage by the sea. I will fill in this blank with pictures from J&B's camera once I get them.

After that, we sat in the hot tube and let the sunset wash over us.


Jesse and Bethany looked very cute and Baywatch-esque in their matching red swimsuits.


It was beautiful, and hard to leave, but I had Nick kisses and puppy kisses waiting for me back home.
Picture another long drive up the coast in the starlight and I arrived back at the border.
Vendors sell their wares between the lanes of cars waiting at the border. I tipped a little boy who was juggling three balls and an orange.



Next post, I'll tell you about moving, my new neighbors and the wonder that is ....... my new bathtub.
Stay tuned.

Mexico, Here I Come.

Ok, so we planned this trip before we realized it would also be the weekend we'd be moving.

And instead of looking forward to it, it became this logistical nightmare.
No, we couldn't move earlier or later.

Nick said there was no way we should both be sitting at home while the trip (partly already paid for) went on without us, and since it's my tradition with my brother, I should go. I said I wouldn't feel right about partying in Mexico while he's at home schlepping what is mostly my stuff anyway.

So I'm going by myself, and coming back tomorrow night.
(And another trip with all of us is in the works, 'cause if anybody should have a vacation to Mexico, it's my Knickers.)

Anyway, this morning was the first time since we found out that we're moving that I've been able to think of this as anything but a logistical nightmare.

I'm going to Mexico, baby!
I can taste the street tacos already!

(Sidenote - Oddly enough, "street tacos" is not a euphemism for anything. It actually means a taco purchased from a street vendor. Huh. Odd. Seems like it should mean something else.)

Tonight, I will be sitting in a hot tub with a swim-up bar and a view of the Pacific Ocean. Tomorrow, I will be bartering for churros, silver bracelets and possibly a small burro.
Ahhhhh. Life as it should be.

I leave you with this song.
It's about the new year, three wishes, and good times arriving.
And it's my wish for you.