Tell me about Ensenada Mexico...?

Question

Getting ready to go to Mexico next week...So what information do you have that would help me. Going to Ensenada for a surgical procedure. Should be up and walking next day so have 1 1/2 days to spend, cannot eat so thats out. Love to shop so where should i go. Do i use US dollars?? How about calling home have a treo cell phone but is it cheaper to get a card?? (they charge 1.49 min 35 cents for text)..what is the weather like now. What great deals can i find there. Anything and everything you can tell me. Should i take an empty suitcase, for my shopping. Can i drink the water, how can i get from the hospital to the shopping. taxi?? How long are we talking. Can i buy ETOH?? Can i buy prescrition drugs?? I hear they are really cheap. So many questions....please help with this puzzle, any info you have will be great. Going thru san diego...any thing i should do there will have a few hours.....

Answer 1

The best advice I can give you is to ask your doctor and staff these questions. A good town, friendly people lots of good shopping...taxis will take you everywhere. Check the great up market jewelry stores, the south American emeralds are real and fantastic. Enjoy your stay.

Answer 2

The shopping for typical Mexican goods is great in Ensenada. Stroll the main avenue (you can't miss it) for jewelry, leather goods, silver, artisan crafts, glassware, ceramics, etc... Be ready to BARGAIN. The first price they quote you is usually about double what you could actually get away with. Bid low. Be ready to walk away. Ask for a better deal if you're buying more than one item. The jewelry and leather goods there are my personal favorites. There are great blankets and rugs too. Either take an empty duffel bag or buy one there to carry your items home. Most stores have someone who speaks English on staff, but it'll help if you can speak a bit of Spanish.

You can do all of your shopping in US dollars, just be sure you understand the exchange rate to avoid getting ripped off. It's about 10 pesos to the dollar. They'll usually give you a better deal if you're paying in cash, instead of with a credit card, and a lot of places don't take cards at all. There are banks along the tourist strip with ATMs that dispense dollars.

You can drink bottled water. It's pretty much the norm. Hotels will make the bottled water available for you. Don't worry.

Taxis are easy to find. Make sure you ask how much it'll be before you get in. If it's a metered taxi, that's OK. Just ask more or less how much you should expect to pay before you get in. Ensenada's main district is pretty compact, so it's easy to get around either on foot or by cab.

As for alcohol, you can bring 1 liter of liquor back into the states without paying a duty. Typical items worth buying are good tequila (forget about Cuervo and any "silver" tequila - aim for Patron or Don Julio - there are several quality brands, the more aged the better) or the ever-popular Kahlua. If you're daring, look for Mezcal. Again, be careful not to overpay. Shop around and compare prices before you buy. The prices along the tourist strip may be artificially high.

As for prescription drugs - OK if you have a prescription. If you don't, I wouldn't advise it. I personally know of Americans who have been put in Mexican jails for carrying Mexican-bought pharmaceuticals without having a valid prescription on them (arrested by police in Ensenada, in fact). Yes, they are cheaper. But get a prescription before you do this.

Buy a phone card there. They're easy to find. You can get a Telcel card that works at Telcel public phones. This is a card with a chip in it, you push it into the slot on the phone and then make your call. Dial 001 to reach the states.

The weather there is a bit cool (by my standards). About 70 degrees right now. Go to weather.com and plug "Ensenada, mexico" into the search field before you go. But expect to wear long pants and a shirt and sweater layer during the day, a jacket at night. Take comfortable shoes of course for walking while you shop.

Too bad you can't eat there. The seafood is fantastic.

When you cross the border back into the States, be prepared for a long wait. The line is the worst on Sundays. Best time is in mid-afternoon (after the morning rush) or late at night. If you hit the border on a Sunday morning, be prepared to wait for two or more hours.

As for San Diego, it's a beautiful city. If you're only there for a few hours, you'll have to pick what you're interested in. For shopping, check out the upscale boutiques in La Jolla. For beach culture, there's Ocean Beach or Pacific Beach. My fave would be the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park, or maybe Old Town if you're up for a tourist experience.

Answer 3

3rd world country