In mid-August we spent three glorious days in Ensenada. I had a mission of doing some bodywork on my car and turned this mission into a mini-vacation.

 

On an early Monday morning we headed south crossing the border in Tijuana. I used to visit Tijuana regularly to do some buying, but now Avenida Revolucion features drug stores, liquor stores, bars and junk stores for the very few tourists walking the street. Gone is Gloria's store (I never knew its name) and the venerable Tolan.

 

By now it was lunch time and we headed for the great seafood place, Arco Iris. This is a family owned chain with nearly a dozen branches throughout the Pacific Coast and Mexico City. My garlic laced shrimp dish was excellent. The restaurant was filled with local business people, no visible tourists.    

 

We headed to Ensenada on the excellent toll road that accepts dollars or pesos, a sign of the times. We had a reservation at the ocean-front Hotel Las Rosas and Spa. I learned to deal directly with the hotel for better prices than on the various options on the web.

 

I was extremely happy with our choice. Although the hotel does not have a beach for swimming, the view was spectacular. I spent many quiet moments watching the tides, the sunset, and the constant parade of birds, pelicans, ibis, seagulls and small birds. I never saw anyone in the large swimming pool. We took advantage of the king-sized jacuzzi.   Read more about Rocky's trip  

 

Born in Oaxaca de Juarez in 1960, Maestro Villegas began learning to work tin at age 10.  At 20, he started his own workshop, returning to old designs and techniques such as embossing copper and tin.  Tin art is referred to by the people who work it as "the noble metal."  It is shaped, stamped, punched and cut into a wide variety of art.  Because it is so soft, it can be rolled, pressed, or hammered into extremely thin sheets.  Mexico's tin art dates back to the 1500s.  Candleholders, plates, frames and other household objects are made from this popular metal, often painted in bright colors.  Over the years Conrado Villegas has received numerous awards for his artistry.  The Folk Tree has a large selection of his embossed hearts.