October 7 - Ensenada MX

soupy morning, can you see the ship?

welcome to Mexico

Weather – more soup this morning, but then clear
and warm 21º (about a million degrees on the bus back from the tour!)

Steps – 9,930

farmer's cheeses

Today is the first day is a loooong time that we’ve had someplace to be. This morning that place is a tour: “La Cana de Marcelo” to visit cows and taste their ice cream, cheese, and butter. The day starts with my first room service breakfast of this trip. I only order room service breakfast when we have someplace to be in the morning – I get my

cheese and beer pairing

usual…yogurt (didn’t even bother to ask about flax), pineapple, and bacon (not typical, but sometimes.)

The tour was a small bus filled with 22 people plus a guide. 22 is a great number when on a regular sized coach, this was fine, but no usual room to spread out. Margarita our guide was great, the guide will make or break a tour. The people on the tour were duds, but Margarita made it a fun day despite the sauna-like

cheeses aging

conditions of the bus on the hour-long trip back to Ensenada. One thing she did that seem obvious for guides to do, but don’t necessarily is outline the itinerary. We always have half an idea, but details including ‘comfort’ stops is welcome, but not always given.

The tour was exactly as advertised…an hour drive to the farm, visited the cows, visited where the cheese is made, tasting of ice cream, cheese, butter and accompanying wine and beer. This was fun! Lunch was also included which was not the best, but fine. Eventually we were a bit, dare I say…cheesed out! There were 2 farm workers who were also great. Super informative and engaging.

checking out the cheese

I was glad Chris was sitting close to the window…the road wasn’t great and the drive was a bit treacherous – lots of drop offs and hairpin turns. I choose to just not look out the window.

cheese and beer

The rest of the afternoon was spent chilling,
packing, and blogging.

I am reminded how much I have appreciated travelling this trip with only carryon luggage. Typically, I dread packing and unpacking, but this small number of things to actually pack, makes the task less painful. It also means that we will just walk off with our stuff tomorrow and won’t have it picked up tonight and carried off the boat for us tomorrow. Putting your luggage out the night before i

farm pomegranate trees  

s always a pain. This way, in the morning we will just grab and go.

Lori – yup, this foot issue isn’t pleasant…ice 2x daily is helping – def worse first thing in the morning and after a lot of walking. Luckily, we haven’t been walking a lot…that’ll likely change for the next few days on our own in LA – as long as the hotel has an ice maker…I’ll be good!