MEXICO (BAJA CAL.)

My first time ever to Mexico was the bomb! Spontaneous trips always make for the best memories.

We flew to Utah to pick up a car with the possibilities of going to either Colorado, California, or Mexico. We arrived in Utah, had sushi and thee best cake bites (you must try-sweet tooth fairy!!) with good friends, a visit with grandma and then we were off! Max is amazing and somehow drove 10hrs through the night with only 15mins of shut eye. Meanwhile I was lapping up all the sleep I could get, I guess Im not the best roady passenger haha. We ended up borrowing some surfboards, staying a night in california with Seek & Bree, and then with no bed the second night we were like hmmm well lets just go to mexico then! So we left, 9.30pm haha . It was one of those "I don't know where Im going, but Im going, are you coming with me!?" moments haha. We were so excited! Its been a while since I felt this kind of spontaneity in my life. I guess living in hawaii theres only so far you can drive in a car before you've seen everything haha. It was only a quick 2 day trip, but felt like we did so much! 

Its crazy one second your in California and the next your in Mexico. I thought it was gonna be an intense process crossing through the border. but nope, just drove straight through no sweat at all, the way back was a different story...
We drove straight to Rosarito, up and down the strip, up and down a few sketchy looking streets searching for a cheap hotel or something. We were planning on just sleeping in our car. But ended up paying for a nicer one (Cityexpress) just to play it safe since it was already 11.30pm- I was a newbie to Mexico and Max hadn't been for years.  Thank goodness he speaks Spanish though, he could wheel us some deals ;) And Im not gonna lie, listening to him talk back and forth is so attractive to me haha and really made me feel the culture more!

It feels so good to have no plan, no agenda, no time frame and just going with the flow. To explore the unknown and jump into a new culture. There is so much to appreciate from all perspectives. Talking to locals, getting suggestions and what not is always fun and we ended up at some fun surf spots and gooooood places to eat! Despite all the crazy things you hear about Mexico, everyone we met were super nice and humble. Drives along the coast looking for waves were beautiful. The architecture of some of the houses are just stunning. And I wouldn't mind a cliff face ocean view home myself haha. I love all the bright colors it makes it feel so alive. We were hoping to get waves at San Miguel, but nothing there so we went up the road a little to K-58 and caught some fun ones at a beach break there. Such beautiful beaches and barely another soul around other than the few surfing campers. We second sessioned it at K-38. Only 3 guys out, and a perfectly fun right hand break that really reminded me of stent road, down in Taranaki back home in NZ. Its epic coz quite a few places you can camp in your car right at the beach. We also took an afternoon to go see the Tijuana LDS Temple. Its just fairly new and absolutely beautiful. The architecture has the same vibe as the country, but on a whole different level. Absolutely gorgeous! Now for the FOOD!!

GOOD EATS!!

We hit up K-38 Taco place and that is a must! the shrimp and fish tacos are so good. and they're like a dollar something!
 El Nido Restaurant Bar, this place is so cool! It seems like a old grungy place, until you go in! The details and plants and vibe is so cool, you have to at least take a walk through if you are ever there. One of the tortilla maker ladies had been working there for 21 years!!
Another is El Paisano Taco on the main strip in Rosarito (Red and White and really open). These are actually $1 haha. Good tacos and quesadillas, and apparently the carne asada Torta. 
There are a few roadside stands and plenty on the beach in Rosarito that sell a variety of things like food and groovy nik naks. My fav was the "Nieves" on the roadside which is basically water-based ice cream made with natural fruits and other ingredients. Soooooo good!! And then these epic coconut fruit platter bundle of goodness things at the beach. (can't find a photo of it and my camera died but they are a work of art!)

We couldn't stop talking about how cool the whole little trip was, and how glad we were that we came, that we followed our guts and just went. It is definitely one for the books and a place we want to go more often. We want a van just so we can road trip all around!
So if you are even in the situation of "IF", follow your gut! Be spontaneous, because thats when the real you comes out!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”                                                                                                                                                                      – Mark Twain

Until next time Mexico. Gracias x