The customs office was behind us as my husband, Chris, and I made our way back to the marina in the van, having been told by the authorities that we had to solve our paperwork problem or cruise out of Mexico within 48 hours of just having arrived aboard our 1979 Cheoy Lee 41, Avocet.
Our friend and buddy-boater, Peter Metcalfe from the 38-foot Hans Christian Kessel, was tied up next to Avocet at Ensenada’s Marina Coral. Peter immediately began doing what he does best: He jumped into fixer mode, calling all his contacts since he’d had a similar issue with his temporary import permit, or TIP.
“We can fix this,” our escort from Marina Coral told us, “but it’s going to cost you.”
We were bracing to be met with a $1,000 solution, but we were shocked to learn that it would only cost the amount of a new visa: $30.
The details of how we pulled that off? Well… suffice it to say that we had chosen well when we picked the Marina Coral as our landfall destination. We soon had a new TIP and the confidence to continue sailing south along the Mexican coastline.
But first, we were going to explore what Ensenada had to offer, starting with a nice, long celebratory soak in the marina’s hot tub.
I had been to Ensenada aboard cruise ships: three times as a kid with my family, then once with Chris on our honeymoon. Experiencing it as a cruiser was entirely different. There was no one to present perfectly curated itineraries, tell us where to eat or direct us toward things to see. Instead, it was up to us to navigate this city with our minimal Spanish and our own feet.
During the TIP debacle, Chris had treated our Marina Coral agent to lunch at his favorite taco place—which had also given us a chance to learn where the locals eat in a sea of tourist-trap palapas. The tacos were so amazing that Chris suggested we make a return trip. That’s where we started, with our friend Peter in tow. The tacos de asada for breakfast were fantastic, followed by fish tacos for lunch a few hours later and a churro for early dessert.
And that was just the beginning of everything that Ensenada had to offer.
Lesson learned: Local knowledge is key for a lot of reasons, from solving paperwork problems to finding the best food.
Coming next: Part 6, at last, the good life in Ensenada, but with new challenges never too far off on the horizon.
