Around The World In 80 Waves

Highway 1 is the toll road south towards the tip of the Baja pensular and I am keen to put a few miles between me and the border.

The coastal scenery is epic and I drive all the way to Ensenada stopping only at a cash point on Rosarito, where each ATM was furnished with rear view mirrors like the ones on your car so that you can see who might be creeping up on you.

Not very reassuring, but I take out a few thousand pesos and immediately stash as much of it as I can well away from my wallet.

There is a festival going on in Ensenada when I arrive, which makes navigating tad tricky because they have blocked off all the roads, but I’m not quite ready to mingle with the locals yet, particularly because the first two hotels I stop at that had secure parking, blatantly try to rip me off. It is quite funny really but the 220 pesos price for a room advertised in huge neon signs outside (Approximately £11) magically increases to 800 as soon as I open my mouth. When I question the difference between the sign and the price quoted I get some bull about the sign being the rate for only 4 hours or it is because of the festival. Done with a smile to boot! I thank both politely, but say no thanks too!

I had better get used to life perceived as a rich gringo I suppose, because I will be in Mexico for most of February. Either that or cultivate my Spanish skills and/or my moustache further!

I drive on and it is getting dark so I don’t want to push my luck and am glad when I find Motel ‘El Camino’ on the edge of town run by a charming old lady. She doesn’t speak English and it is immediately clear my Spanish is non-existent, but we get by with mime and writing. She offers me a rate of 350 which is probably still a bit cheeky, but I can live with it for one night and at least there is no sign here to let me know how much less others may be charged. The room is clean and after unloading the car I settle in by watching Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade dubbed in Spanish on the telly in my room, and scoff a mountain of ham and brie sandwiches that are washed down with a couple of bottles of beer.