MX22: Ensenada

You can feel the anxiety about the trip coming to an end… We were all up early, loaded and ready to roll. No trip through Baja is complete without a stop at Mama Espinoza's in El Rosario. Even though we ate breakfast just two hours ago, we stuffed down more fresh shrimp tacos! This place has been a Baja 1000 checkpoint since the beginning.

We made a detour to the Old Mill area in Molino Viejo just outside of San Quintin. From there it's largely one dusty rural town after another until Ensenada.

This story is hard to believe, but bear with me. When we stopped in San Quintin we selected a hotel in Ensenada. My preferred one was sold out so Sergio did some searching. He noticed one hotel with pictures of a GS in the parking area, so we figured it must be biker friendly.

Friendly is an understatement. Genuine Mexican hospitality. The owner, Jaime, welcomed us and directed us to park next to his new 1250GS. We shared stories and he showed us his overland Tacoma loaded with audio gear. He gave us a bottle of wine for dinner!

We went to the famous Husongs for a beer. A mariachi band played while one of the patrons sang. It was unexpectedly fantastic. From there we headed back to the hotel to have dinner.

Jaime was waiting for us at a table outside and directed us to sit with him. He grabbed another couple of bottles of wine as folks began to join us - his wife, his business associate, some other friends! The restaurant staff kept increasing the size of the table. Jaime stood often to greet passers-by. We talked and talked as we enjoyed this Mexican hospitality! And then he refused for us to pay.