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Ensenada, California
On Tuesday, September 15 the Ruby Princess docked in Ensenada, in Baja California, Mexico. We didn't have a lot of time in port (sailaway was 3:00 pm), so Steve and I decided to spend our time in town, exploring the city on foot. He and I have been to Ensenada before and seen the most popular attraction, La Bufadora. Trevor was in Ensenada when he was 3 and CJ had never been, but they both opted to join us rather than take an excursion out to the blowhole.
When talking about Ensenada, the first thing I have to mention is the enormous flag. It's the first thing you'll see, no matter where you are. The flagpole is 338 feet fall and towers above everything. It serves as an outstanding navigational aid - if you ever get turned around, look for the flag!
Here we are, walking along the Malecón toward the flagpole.
Here's a small portion of the flagpole, with people for scale. The fountains operate at night, along with a light show. That's part of the performing arts theater to the left.
This artwork is called "Historic Symbols of Ensenada." As you walk up the curving path, different things become visible. It's really impressive.
There is a lot of public art in Ensenada.
Most of the businesses in this area are geared toward tourists, with plenty of signs in English.
But it is Mexico, so of course the street signs, stop signs, and signs on the garbage cans are all in Spanish.
We were very surprised to discover this gorgeous mural dedicated to Vallejo, California! That's where we boarded the ferry five days earlier to get to our cruise ship in San Francisco. It turns out that Vallejo and Ensenada have recently become Sister Cities!
Ensenada is also a Sister City to San Juan Capistrano, California.
This is the Plaza of the Three Heads.
This is the Regional History Museum of Ensenada.
It's a small museum, free to enter. It covers the history of Baja California. The signs are all in both English and Spanish.
The building was originally constructed as military barracks. It has also served as government offices, a hospital, and school, and a prison. And now, a museum.
This would have been a highly unpleasant place to be in prison. The cells are tiny, with just a slab of concrete as a bed.
After the museum, we headed back to the Mercado Negro, the large fish market. Ensenada is famous for its fish. In fact, it is the birthplace of fish tacos and (possibly) margaritas. It is well-known for its culinary offerings and is also home to the best and most famous wine region in Mexico.
This sign stopped me in my tracks. "If you are going to cross into the United States of America, do it legally and avoid putting yourself at risk. Many people have lost their lives trying to cross by sea." Devastating. It brought me right back to the exhibit we'd seen the day before in San Diego.
We had a great time exploring Ensenada on foot and would highly recommend that to anyone arriving by cruise ship. It's a neat city. I wish we'd had even more time to look around and visit more of the attractions. Next time!
We had one more day aboard the Ruby Princess before returning to San Francisco. I'll tell you about that tomorrow.
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