MEXICAN
CONNECTION 2002 RALLY
Estero Beach, Ensenada,
Baja, California Norte
Hosts
Dave & Laurel Utecht, #22591
What an experience! If you have never hosted a Chapter 8 Rally, you
don't know what a wonderful experience you have missed. We were very
unsure of how things would work out, and we worried that things would, in fact,
go wrong. Well, let us tell you. With the help of Victor, the resort
manager, and Mario, the restaurant manager, and the wonderful Chapter 8 members,
we had a fantastic time, and unless you complained to someone else, we know you
did too.
Estero Beach is
just gorgeous! You won't find anything more luxurious south of the
border. The main RV park sat right on the water. Those that had to
boondock were just a very short walk away. A red brick walkway went from
the RV area to the hotel where there was a beautiful pool and hot spa for our
enjoyment. There was a shop with lovely clothing, jewelry and art objects
to purchase. The Restaurant Las Terrazas was open from breakfast to late
dinner. The food was outstanding. The atmosphere was elegant but
very comfortable as all of the employees (as well as Mario, who was always
there), made you fell like you were in your own home town. Our Farewell
Fiesta was a sight to behold. The buffet had so many Mexican dishes and we
had never seen so much guacamole. Everything was scrumptious, even the
blistering hot jalapenos.
The highlight was
a personal tour of the Estero Beach Museum given to all of our members by Don
Benjamin Novelo Silva, the owner. We learned that Mexican names include
the name of the mother, thus Silva was Don Novelo's mother's maiden name.
Don is a title, not a name, and it is more proper than Mister. He takes
great pride in his efforts to educate the people of Baja, California. He
asked us to call his country by its proper name, not "the Baja".
He has spent thousands of dollars building the museum. It is an
outstanding collection of folk art and artifacts entitled "40 Decades of
Mexican Culture" in chronological exhibition rooms. He was very
pleased with the interest we showed in his country and his museum.
Getting tours
coordinated and on the road was hilarious. We had to just keep saying,
Remember you are in Mexico. The tours were great and the tour bus guides
were very informative. We filled four buses that went to "La
Bufadora", which is an amazing natural "blowhole" spouting water
70 feet into the air. It is surrounded by botanical gardens and an
observation deck. A stop was made at Riveiera del Pacifico Cultural and
Convention Center. It is a former 1930's gambling casino and hotel which
was built when the first paved highway from Tijuana was completed. This
permitted large numbers of American tourists, including movie stars, to discover
Ensenada and its beauty. Here we enjoyed the drink of Mexico, the
Margarita. We were then dropped off in downtown Ensenada to shop
"till we dropped." The town was very clean and fairly
quiet. We found a great streetside cafe that served fish tacos for 70
cents and the best chile rellenos we have ever had. The beer was icy cold
and hit the spot.
The wine tour
took the members out to Guadalupe Valley on the road towards Tecate. A
very scenic drive where you can observe the beauty and some of the poverty of
Baja California. The bus stopped at three wineries. From the
hilarities observed as the passengers got off the bus upon their return, we knew
everyone had a great time. We did not go on the wine tour, but we did have
someone bring us back a bottle of Blanc de Blanc white wine, which was crisp,
with a touch of tart and sweetness.
As well as seeing
the city and drinking the wine, 35 Chapter 8 members went on a whale watching
boat trip. A few whales were spotted, even though it was a bit late in the
migrating season. It was very cold in the windy, rocking boat and a few
people got a little "green around the gills". Speaking of gills,
15 members spent a morning testing their skills at sports fishing.
Sunday morning we
put on our infamous "omelet in a bag", cook your own breakfast,
serving 234 omelettes. It turned out to be a great social
event. That evening we were treated to a performance of Folkloric Mexican
Dancers, who had also performed at the restaurant. Victor was very
generous in holding them over to perform for us. The dancers costumes were
very colorful and the dances were outstanding.
It was an
exciting adventure for us, and we were pleased to be your hosts. We just
hope you had as much fun as we did. If you didn't you must have been
having a siesta throughout the whole rally. Because it was the best touch
of Mexico we have experienced. We rate Estero Beach a 10 on the travel
list.
Dave & Laurel
Utecht # 22591
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