Hermosillo

So I got on the bus to head to Hermosillo at 7pm.  It is a 14 hour bus ride, so I figured better to do it overnight so I could sleep.  Before I left everyone from Tijuana to Guadalajara told me not how miserable this trip was going to be.  They told me how uncomfortable the buses were, how the desert is super cold and how the second class buses stop every two hours!!! Not surprisingly I had a different experience.  The bus was packed full and just when I thought I was going to luck out and have two seats to myself, a nice older gentleman sat down next to me.  He was very sweet, we talked for a little while and then I went back to reading my book.  When we stopped for the first time, he got off the bus...and came back with a bag of chips and a couple drinks.  He asked me to take the chips.  I thought he just wanted me to hold them while he got settled, but after a couple minutes he asked "well aren't you going to open them" surprised I opened them and tried to hand them back to him at which time he promptly responded "no, I got them for us to share, here is your drink too". What!!  I didn't understand but I sat there and talked to him for a while, while we had our snack.  Next thing I know as its getting late, he reaches up and pulls down a big, warm, soft blanket which he proceeds to share with me for the whole night.  In the morning when it was time to wake up, he bought me coffee and brought me an entire bag of creamers and sweeteners cause he wasn't sure how I took it.  :). It was probably one of the most comfortable 14 hour bus rides I've ever had!!!! 

After arriving to Hermosillo I was picked up by some of the couch surfers that I had talked to and proceeded to have an amazing time in Hermosillo!!  First and foremost they took me to this restaurant  where I saw the biggest tortillas I had ever seen in my life.  They are bigger than a large pizza!!! 

Tortillas sobaqueras (por sobacos recién sudados de doña Lupe).  Which basically means that they got their name because the woman who originally started making these ultra thin super big tortillas used to toss them around her arm kinda like a pizza and people would say that they were made with her sweat mixed in...   I was assured that the person who made the ones I ate had long sleeves on!!!  :)  

Gerardo let me stay at his house, I met his friends, Gaby is an incredible girl, and his family was super nice and welcoming.  His mom made fresh tortillas and amazing food everyday.  We went to the lookout point, saw the Government Palace, the Church and many other places in the city.  

La Catolica

El Palacio del Gobierno

These paintings were done on the inside walls of the palace. 

All in all I had a great time!!  :-)

Gaby and Me!

I thought this sign was funny.  I know its dorky, but the HMO made me laugh. 

A picture of the side of the Palace and also the lookout point of the city where were taking pictures the night before. 

This is PJ's sister!  :)

Lions that we saw at the zoo. 

The White Tiger in the zoo that for some reason would not stop staring at me. 

Ensenada!

I arrived in Ensenada, Mexico on Friday January 4th and ended up staying in a hostel called Ensenada Backpacker. 

Ensenada is known for its wine/vineyards and the fact that cruise ships port in the city almost every weekend.  I think some of the shop owners spoke better English than me!!! Hahahaha... 

Speaking of English... At the hostel I met a couple really cool people traveling from London.  They were very nice and we ended up hanging out a lot over the weekend. We went out to a wine tasting on Saturday night.  

and afterwards stayed out to check out the local scene.

We had a lot of fun... And on the way home we got a little turned around and started walking in the wrong direction.  Next thing you know a big police truck came out of no where and stopped us.  He told us to get in the back of the truck.... At first it was a little bit scary until we realized we were getting a police escort back to out hostel!!!  :).

The next day we went and saw the famous "blow hole" which is one of only 5 in the whole world.  The video at the end is really cool!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some other pics from Ensenada.

The entrance to the cave that makes the blowhole do what it does. 

ROTARY CLOCK IN ENSENADA!

Need I say more!  :)

I just thought this was funny.  Maybe he was parked incorrectly!  jajajajaja

Downtown Ensenada

The Cruseship everyone thought I was on.  I mean why else would a white girl be in Mexico. :) 

Tijuana

 

In Tijuana I met some incredible people from Couch Surfing that took me all around the city and gave me a place to stay for a couple nights.  We sang Karaoke, ate great food and had some amazing conversations! 

It was a really interesting experience to be so close to the boarder and not be able to cross it... To be in a city that basically has a wall up everywhere you went....  It even extends into the ocean....  

If you look closely on the wall it says "Bi national Friendship Garden"

There was an area across from the airport where an artist had put up crosses along the wall to represent all the people that died crossing the boarder.  Some of the crosses had names and ages of the people that died.  It was a very moving experience.  We stopped to take a picture and just happened to stop in front of a cross of a 27 year old guy.  It made me think of my parents and what if that were me. 

On a lighter note, we went and saw a statue of a naked women that some guy had built like a skyscraper in the front of his house.  If you look closely you can see the area where people can climb up and see the whole city.  Hehehehe!! 

Here are a few other pics.  :).

View overlooking the city of Tijuana.

A hole in the old wall looking at the new wall

A donkey painted to look like a zebra that tourists take pictures with on Calle Revolucion. 

Security cameras everywhere!

Me in a cactus garden.  Its actually really pretty.  Watch where you step!  hahaha

It says "We are not fish to live in the sea, not birds that fly in the sky, we are humans that live in the land"

ROTARY CLUB TIJUANA!

Christmas, New years, and across the border

I lot has been happening lately and I finally have time to catch you all up on it.  I left Guadalajara (GDL) on Dec 13th and started my travels by visiting my friend Thalia in Dallas, TX.  We had a super fun weekend together.  It was great to be able to catch up and reconnect!  Her apartment is awesome!!  Overall I had a great time! 

Thalia and I!  It was so great to see her! 

View from her apartment of downtown Dallas

Christmas tree made of car parts.

My next destination was Chicago!  But I only stayed long enough to rent a car and drive up north.  It was a little disappointing to arrive to Wisconsin and not see any snow, but the universe quickly remedied that with a big snow storm that kept everyone in the house for two days straight.  Quality family bonding time!! Hahaha. I left for a weekend with my dad to go visit my sister's family and see the babies. They are growing so big!  

Miles eating carrots.  As you can see, it takes a lot of concentration. 

Camille sleeping like an angel!

We got back to WI just in time for Christmas Eve. Spent a great day making Christmas cookies and pie and then proceeded to eat more than what I thought was biologically possible. :). 

10 inches in one day! 

After another snow storm that made my mom convince me to leave for Chicago 5 hours early I made it safely back to the airport and on a plane to LAX. Kali picked me up from the airport 

and spent the entire time I was there laughing, reminiscing, and hanging out in the city. 

LA Skyline

I rang in the new year with Kali and her fam.... And "drinks & drama" and prepared myself for another trip across the boarder.