Day 4: There's always Mexico!

Thursday the 4th.

I am changing the names of my relatives for their privacy, even though it's fairly obvious who they are. (this marks the point where I chose to go back and change all the names of the people I have previously mentioned in my blog entries to preserve their privacy outside of our immediate communities and families.)

My aunt Nina and cousin Jes were coming to visit my cousin Elisa in San Diego.  I agreed to meet my mom at her house and then carpool to a rendezvous spot.  But as I got close to my mom's she told me my cousins were en route there.

When everyone was together Elisa expressed desire to go to Mexico.  Oh the irony considering my concerns the night before...  But sure, why not!!! After working out concerns about not having their passports on them, we went.  We were going to go to Tijuana but we ended up going all the way past Rosarito to Puerto Nuevo to eat Lobster.

Upon arriving Elisa suggested her mom, Jes, keep driving to the end of the drive path closest to the ocean, but since Jes rolled down the window we were swarmed by valets which serve as promoters for their respective restaurants.  He convinced us to try his spot and assured us there was an ocean view.  The deal was three lobster halves, rice and beans, tortillas, and a beer or a margarita.  We pulled up to the restaurant and parked where he directed, right up front.  We were not convinced there would be an ocean view but he said if we could not see the ocean, we would eat free.

Do you see this photo above?  I did not take it, but that first street on the left is the turn we took to get to the restaurant only a few doors over... needless to say, not ocean front.  Still, the guy was fun, and made a joke about being my Mexican boyfriend.  My mom knows what is going on with my husband and I, but my aunt and cousins do not... anyway I played along with witty come backs.  It's odd how Spanish just comes right back to me in Mexico.

We climbed up some sketchy stairs to the roof but it was too foggy to see the ocean.  We opted for the middle section, and down we went again. We decided this was a cute spot anyway.  And it was though construction was halted, but it had potential and the staff was friendly.  Oh and they had free wifi which was important to Elisa.  They did take a while to bring us the pass-code.

The margaritas were more like lime slushies but they were good.  We did not taste any alcohol in them.  My aunt had the right idea and ordered a beer instead.  The food, of course, was DELICIOUS!  And conversation was fun, I even snuck in Flat Earth comments though I made light of them and presented the whole issue as a joke, but I found that my cousin Elisa was genuinely interested, perhaps I will revisit the topic at a more convenient time.

We did not get the food for free, we did not ask for that, we were nice.  They were very hospitable.  All in all this was a great girls day out thus far!  My Elisa's little brother found out thanks to Instagram and felt left out, and Jes picked on her for posting at all.

The meal was $17 for each of us, and they left a $10 tip.  Elisa and I were both servers in our past so we felt wrong about that and I convinced my mom to give me $5 to add to it.  Elisa and I giggled that my mom was not aware they left a tip no were Nina and Jes aware my mom left tip, but it totaled a more acceptable amount in Elisa's and my opinion, even though Mexico tipping is a bit different anyway.

After our meal we walked towards the shops.  The valet called us over but only I went.  My aunt and cousins kept walking and my mom stopped to wait.  I went over to a little shot where the valet gifted me some earrings, he tried to get everyone to come over but they didn't want to be convinced to spend money on stuff they did not want, which tends to happen at the shops down there.  He of course asked if I was married and I said yes and he made a final flirtatious joke that I have a free Mexican boyfriend down there whenever I want to visit.

I walked over to my mom and found my cousins had walked ahead so my aunt, my mom and I walked down in search for them.  Of course we found better locations we could have eaten.  And my mom saw a succulent plant she thought was cute.  My aunt Nina cut off a piece and gave it to my mom so she can plant it and grow it at home.  We saw different artisan shops and my aunt bought some earrings... but we couldn't find my cousins.  My aunt Nina joked that she hoped her daughter and granddaughter weren't kidnapped, and my mom wondered if they were just as worried looking for us.  I felt like it was my fault for getting distracted before.

We headed back the way we came and entered a liquor store where my aunt bought Grenadine and some orange liqueur. And as we came out of the store we saw my cousins in the minivan driving back towards us.  We all got in and headed back.

On the way back towards the border my cousin Jes kept pulling over and slowing down to have us all peek at curioso shops in search for a donkey and carriage statue, so to use a a planter at her house.  None were pleasing and we kept looking for the specific one she wanted.

We passed a giant statue of Christ the King, as they call him, Cristo Rey which my aunt Nina couldn't see from her angle on the way to Puerto Nuevo.  Jes egged on her mom to sing to him since it is like a mini tradition for my aunt to do.

And as we passed she said, and my mom and Jes joined in as Elisa and I laughed at their cuteness and silliness.  All in all I do think it was beautiful... it's just that the song is kind of a war cry rather than worship song.

"Viva Cristo Rey, Viva Cristo Rey 

el grito de guerra que enciende la tierra 

Viva Cristo Rey"

We took two hours to cross back at the border and mimicking what we saw my cousin Jes do in Puerto Nuevo, her window rolled down.  Already we chose the first restaurant at the persuasion of the valet in Puerto Nuevo, then a man washed the windshield when we were all distracted at a light to get to border crossing.  Now at the border jes rolls down the window and starts egging vendors on, joking with them but never saying no, so they started really pestering us.  Though it was funny to me enough for me to join in on the fun and said that my mom should lend her niece money to buy stuff.  Elisa protested my involvement in the shenanigans!  And my aunt also said she wasn't going to.  Finally Elisa told one of the guys that Jes was not gonna buy anything.  he seemed really disappointed, but well, he should have gotten the hint...

But the kicker was, a lady came buy in the midst of all the commotion of saying no to stuff but yes to churros and coconuts and Jes said she was looking for a donkey with a carriage.  The lady ran off to fetch one... just then Jes also told a man she was looking for a family of ducks... Now I know this all sounds silly, but we are talking about lawn ornaments... He ran off to find some.

The lady came back with a small donkey and a carriage and we all laughed and I said she wants a bigger one, so the lady came back with a bigger one but now the carriage was too small... mean while Jess also had told a little boy that she wanted a donkey and a carriage. Elisa realized Jes was going to cause a vendor war and protested her mom's actions.  Jes bought the ducks the man brought back just as the lady brought back the larger burro which now looked silly with the carriage.  My aunt felt bad about the confusion and bought the burro figure from the lady... Right then the little boy showed up with another burro and carriage.  Elisa complained about the war that got started because her mom talked to too many vendors.  My mom felt bad and bought the carriage portion from the boy.  The lady never came back with change and we all told Jes to roll up the window!

We succeeded after jes wanted to go to the bathroom, I accompanied her and Elisa drove, and when we got back to the car I said, "Roll up the windows and put the child locks on!"

Honestly, I think the whole thing was a lot of fun...

And once we got to the crossing, since Jes and Elisa did not have their passports, the lady looked them up and that was it.  Easy peasy.

We got back and said our goodbyes, Elisa got my number and we decided we need to go to Tijuana since we still didn't get to walk around TJ.

Considering this year's start, this was a much appreciated adventure!