An Ensenada Afternoon

    Yesterday we headed out to spend the afternoon at La Bufadora. The kids had enjoyed it so much last winter and it's always fun to revisit familiar places. By the time we left, we  realized we wouldn't have enough time there, so we decided to put it off for today. Instead we drove into Ensenada and walked along the malecón. It's quite common in Mexico to get lots of positive attention due to the size of our family, and yesterday was no exception. A young man out strolling with his girlfriend walked alongside us for a moment, and he was so pleased to see our family. It was really sweet. I love being in a culture where families are celebrated, and where four kids is seen as a good thing! We had my cousin Tomas' son along with us as well, so we actually had five for the day. We all had a nice, relaxed afternoon together.

Pearl on the move. 

The kids were fascinated with the big cruise ship in port. We tried to walk out closer to it but weren't allowed to get very far without a boarding card. Apart from the sheer size of this thing rising up out of the water, I think the most alluring bit was the watersides up on the deck! Of course now my kids want to go on a cruise...

I was super happy to see recycle bins set up all over the malecon area! I'm used to recoiling everything at home, and I hate throwing out stuff that is recyclable. I'm happy to see this catching on, at least in the tourist area. It's a step in the right direction. 

Walking the wall was lots of fun until the security guard told us it wasn't allowed. 

The kids were excited to revisit a playground we came to earlier this year.

Happy boy.

I love Mexican playgrounds because they're like the ones I remember as a kid. They're not as, ahem, safe, as the newer ones in the US. This playground has a more modern and "safe" structure and Erik and I noticed at one point that there wasn't a single kid playing in that area. Hmmmm. 

We enjoyed having "King David" along.

Watching, and listening to, the sea lions.

In the golden glow of the setting sun.

This made me happy too, a little book kiosk along the way with a sign that says the books are not sold or rented, they're provided completely free!

The flag of Mexico, in a really big way!

Peregrine called us over to the waterside and excitedly told us he'd watched a cormorant dive into the water. I was a little skeptical, as he sometimes has a rather active imagination, but sure enough, the bird surfaced a moment later with a small fish in his beak!

Our day out wouldn't be complete without stopping at a little taqueria for dinner. Habañeros, anyone? 

The kids love watching adobada being shaved onto tortillas.

I thought this chopping block was pretty neat. It was a thick slice of a tree with a rounded indentation in the middle, perfect for chopping carne asada.