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Published: February 1st 2015
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Hola!
My apologies on taking an eternity to write, my trips in the past few months have been more personal than pleasure based. I went home in late October/early November for a lovely autumn visit with family and friends, and then up to Northern California in December for a white Christmas. But these trips were not quite enough to cure my travel bug, so by mid-January I was getting stir crazy and fixated on my next international adventure: Mexico.
Now to residents of Southern California, Mexico is the normal weekend getaway. Everyone has crossed over the border at some point in their life, even if just for some Coronas on a lunch break. It's just not a big deal! I suppose I could compare it to Canada for anyone up north, except there's a lot less snow and maple syrup...
Anyway, my mind was made up- I must experience the authentic So Cal tradition of hopping the border at least once while I am here! So off to Mexico we went.
Last Tuesday Justin and I packed up our backpacks, stocked up on water and beer, and made the surprisingly short drive down
to the US-Mexico border. We breezed on through the security check points and we instantly affronted by the dirty, smelly city that is known as Tijuana. As we drove along the wall that separates these two countries, I gawked at the stark difference between the landscapes of the adjacent lands. Eventually we veered from the graffiti-clad border and cruised south along the coast, passing the remains of run-down shacks and abandoned resorts. Despite the crude roadside constructions, the view of the cerulean waves against the cliffs was absolutely breathtaking.
We had booked a room at Las Rocas Resort and Spa in Rosarito, which was severely discounted during the winter off-season. I was instantly in love- white stucco walls, blue tile stairs, palm trees, thatch roof cabanas, and an infinity pool. The view from the room revealed a rocky coastline that exposed hundreds of tide pools, for which I assume the resort gets its name. Absolute heaven. We spent the next two days in utter relaxation, lounging poolside, playing in the tide pools, eating the most delicious tacos ever created, and drinking tequila by sunset. The pictures don't do it justice, but I will post them for you so that
you might begin understand the bliss. Look through all 10!
Alas, we had to return to work, so we reluctantly said goodbye to our Mexican oasis. Getting home was a bit trickier, being searched not once, but twice because apparently Massachusetts license plates look hella sketchy in Mexico. Fair enough. The Mexican police did a thorough inspection of my vehicle only minutes after leaving Las Rocas, and then border patrol hassled us and took a peak in our trunk just to be sure we weren't involved in any drug (or human) trafficking. Note to self, drive a car with local plates next time. Regardless, this is a place I would happily visit again in the future, and really hope that I can squeeze in another trip before I jet set.
That's right folks, I have travel on the brain again, and it's not going to be so local this time. Nothing is set in stone but look forward to a big announcement within the next few months on my next backpacking destination 😊
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
Other than the quick trip to Hong Kong...
it's been awhile since you've had an extended overseas trip. I'm looking forward to your next great adventure.