Time Capsule - February 2006 - Cruise to Ensenada, Mexico

     Ten years ago we went on a cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. My grandmother enjoyed taking the whole family on vacations; but I think her favorite type of family vacation was on a cruise ship. On this particular adventure, we sailed out of Los Angeles on Royal Caribbean. If you've never been on a cruise before, the main thing you do on board is lounge and eat. They feed you about four meals a day (including a midnight buffet). Not only is there plenty of food, they also have a variety of foods that you would probably never try under other circumstances because: 1) Many of the entrees are very unique, so they wouldn't be found on most menus; and 2) If you did go to a restaurant that served them, they would probably be extremely expensive. However, since the food was included in the ticket price, you could experiment with new foods without worrying about ordering something expensive only to discover that you didn't like it. I ate lamb, duck, Mahi Mahi, chilled soup, and too many desserts. Dinners were formal affairs, and the staff did a show on one of the nights.
    The cruise ship sailed down to Ensenada, Mexico where we took a tour to La Bufadora - one of the largest blowholes in the world. La Bufadora is a marine geyser located on the Punta Banda Peninsula of Baja California. When waves enter the cave, the air trapped inside is forced out through the blowhole, shooting water up to 30 meters into the air, accompanied by a thunderous noise. The rougher the sea, the higher the spout will shoot. The process is repeated every minute or so. Family members who were with us had seen some more famous blowholes in Hawaii, New Zealand, and Samoa, but we all agreed that this one was the best we'd seen. After our visit to La Bufadora, we did some shopping at the outdoor markets on the way back to the ship.

La Bufadora

      Other activities we enjoyed on board were: basketball, the rock climbing wall, face painting, and watching the beautiful sunsets and coastal scenery. We saw one of the evening shows, but the entertainment was somewhat crude, so be forewarned if you have children with you. We also reserved a room for our family reunion activities, which included family stories, trivia, a talent show, and games. Overall, we had a lot of fun, and probably gained a lot of weight.