By Balwant Sanghera
The weather in California and Mexico is warm throughout the year. After visiting some relatives in various cities in like Manteca, Selma, Fresno, Modesto and Livingston, it was time for Mexico. One of our close relatives has a place in across the border in Mexico. It is a closed community not very far from Tijuana, one of the largest cities of Mexico.
Mexico has a very colourful history. It was home to some of the ancient civilizations like Mayas and Incas. It is one of the 13th largest countries in the world with a population of 130 million people. Mexico is the tenth most populous country in the world and has the most Spanish speaking speakers. This southern neighbour of the United States has 68 Indigenous languages. It is one of the chief economic and political forces in Latin America with 31socially and physically diverse states. We had a lovely tour of Tijuana and enjoyed visiting a lot of its beautiful tourist places. Then we were off to Ensenada, Baja California.
Our nephew has a beautiful house in San Diego and a lovely place in Ensenada. Ensenada is situated on the Pacific coast. With a population of over 300,000 people, it is the third largest city in Baja California. The city is an important trade centre and home to the Port of Ensenada, the second largest port in Mexico. It is a major tourist destination due to its warm climate and proximity to Pacific Ocean. This city is commonly known as Cenicienta del Pacifico (The Cinderela of the Pacific). It is a major economic and cultural hub for Baja California. My wife Baldev and I ,along with some of our relatives, enjoyed strolling through its tourist hub. The people, especially store /businesspeople were friendly. It was interesting to communicate with them as they knew a little bit of English, and we did not know any Spanish. Regardless, we were welcomed by them, and it turned out to be a very enjoyable experience for us.
Our nephew’s place is a closed community right on the Pacific Ocean. It was very exciting for us to sit out on the sundeck and watch the waves of the Pacific Ocen roar back and forth. Watching the sunset was a very enjoyable experience for us. In the evening, we would thoroughly enjoy the view of the vast Pacific Ocean from our sundeck.
The delicious Mexican food made our trip even more enjoyable. After spending a few days there, it was time to head back to San Diego. While returning to San Diego we noticed two stark reminders of the difference between the United States and Mexico. First was the border wall erected by American authorities dividing American and Mexican borders. The other one was the large encampment on the border between Mexico and the U.S. where asylum seekers from Latin American and other countries are processed. This reflects the vast disparity between Western countries like U.S. and Canada on one side and developing countries of Latin America, Asia and Africa on the other.
We wanted to spend more time in Mexico. However, due to other commitments we had to say goodbye and return to San Diego where our relatives were waiting for us. We will cherish the time spent in Mexico. Hopefully, some time in the future we may visit this lovely place again.
(Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist)
