Day 69: Back to Training and a Bollywood movie

Woke up at 6am to do a 5.2km run in 45 mins.   I felt tired upon reaching 5km.  Signs that I should pick up my training plan again.  On the good side, I didnt feel sleepy at work.

And tonight, we went to see a Bollywood movie.  D's recommendation.  It was, how should I describe it, grand! I wonder how big the budget is.  Must be similar to a hollywood movie.



It was my first time to see a Bollywood movie in a moviehouse. I was excited and didnt have any expectations. At the end of it, I was entertained. The movie was an action film but it had everything in it.  Musical, drama, comedy, love story. It was worth the $9 ticket.

Budget travel series: Having an experience of Mexican culture through food

As a Filipino, my idea of Mexicali and tortillas are these: a Mexican food chain and a brand of junk food.

When I went to Mexico for a taste of authentic Mexican food, I learned that Mexicali is a place in Mexico and tortillas is a thin Mexican bread.

This is the taqueria we went to. It started as a small taco stand but is now a big roadside restaurant.  Nothing fancy but clean and Trip Advisor ranks it as one of the best places to eat in Mexicali

Menu board. M did the ordering

The toppings. Whenever I think of Mexican food, lots of cheese and lettuce toppings come into my mind.  Apparently, there's more to that.  Look at this spread. 

The tortilla corner.
They seemed amazed and amused when M told them Im from the Philippines. Why did this Filipina travelled across the globe to go to a place that looks like home?

The meat corner.

Baby red radishes

Pickled carrots

Grilled leeks. I remember loving this. 

If tortillas is an every day food, it makes sense to have these toppings instead of too much cheese

Tripas. Intestines. Wrapped in soft tortillas

Tostadas.  This is a bit crunchy I think

Carne asada

M ordered four different kinds of tacos so that I could try everything.  Well, I managed to finish 2 1/2 I think.  I wanted to eat more but I was already fulll.  These tortillas suited my taste.  They taste like every day food.

Drowning all the tortillas with Horchata, a drink made from rice.  

The gang who were so kind to give me a taste of Mexican food and culture

The look of a tired but happy tourist

My experience of Mexican culture didnt end in Mexico.  That day was Jan 6, the day of the three kings.  In Mexican culture, families usually come together to have champurrado and rosca de reyes.   

Rosca de Reyes.  A bread shared by families during the three kings.  A kind of bread with 3 monitos hidden in it.  Whoever gets the monitos will have to throw a party on Feb 3.  The Mexicans surely have a lot of reasons to party! 

A slice of rosca de reyes and a cup of champurrado

Mexican champurrado, I learned, is different from what we know.  Ours has rice, and resembles porridge.  Theirs is pure chocolate drink.   

Tamales.  This one was surprisingly good. Made of corn with meat in it.  

My Mexican experience was one of the highlights of my first trip to the US. Everything in it was pure adventure. I had no expectations hence was surprised and enjoyed every bit of it.  Plus I guess I felt at ease with the warmth of the Mexican culture.  The experience (probably because of the language) was different but felt like home.

If you are visiting Southern California, I recommend dropping by Mexico.  I heard crossing at the Tijuana border in San Diego was more difficult (traffic jam, more strict) so I recommend the one in the Calexico-Mexicali border which is just about 2 hours drive away from San Diego.

Budget travel series: An afternoon in Mexico

I thought I'd write about this given Mexico's heightened appearance in the media recently because of Trump's pronouncements.  This is not in any way political but pure adventure. 

Two years ago, I was in Mexico. It was a side-trip as I was visiting my relatives in the US.  While planning for the trip, I wa already toying with the idea of going to Mexico.  So I googled what I had to do to cross the border.  The Mexican Embassy website said that I needed a Mexican visa to visit.  I didnt have time to secure that so I said, ok, maybe I'll visit the place next time.  Besides, I've also seen a few episodes of border patrol on National Geographic so I was a bit hesitant to go.

When I was in Camarillo my cousin L asked me what food I wanted to eat so I told him that I wanted to have authentic Mexican food.  He suggested that I wait until I get to El Centro where I can get proper Mexican food.  So I did.

In El Centro, my cousin A also asked me what I wanted to eat.  And I told him the same thing.  So they asked around, and a cousin of M who works for border patrol checked my visa ( I had a multiple entry B1/B2 visa).  When she said Im good to go, we all went to Mexico.  And this was the trip in photos.

I think I only exchanged USD20 and this was its equivalent in Mexican Pesos

We went through the Calexico-Mexicali border. Going out of the US is not a hassle. I think they just checked our  IDs and that was it.

This is what separates the US and Mexico.  A fence made of GI sheets.  Fences in  gated villages in Manila seem to be sturdier and higher than these.  Probably that's the reason why Trump made the "border wall" as his campaign promise lol

And we're in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico! After we crossed this sign, they all said Welcome to Mexico!  When I asked where the immigration is, they said there is none.  How amusing!  

I felt like I was in the Philippines, except that the signages were in Mexican. A lot of household stuff on the sidewalk: clothes, containers, etc.  And potholes too!

I dont know why they had such pretty canes.

Right. Breastmilk is the best for babies.

Me trying a Mexican sombrero

Pacquiao's photo in a bar that we passed by.  I dont know what's written on it.

Street food peddlers 

And this was the traffic jam in the border on our way back.  To have a complete experienced, I hopped off from the car together with my cousin A and M and together with people who regularly cross the border on an everyday basis, we walked the underpass going to the US side.

Getting back to the US was more strict that leaving.  I was told by an immigration officer to fill up a form but M had a chat with another immigration officer, who apparently was a neighbor or a cousin (I couldnt remember anymore) and got a chop instead without such form.

It was an exciting experience :)

This is really a budget travel because I didnt spend anything except for the souvenirs which consisted of 2 mugs, a small sombrero, and a keychain.  They cost less than USD20.

Im back!

After a month of no training, I finally ran today! 3.5km in 20 mins.

We have just a little over two months. Not bad.

It's the new year

Google's new year GIF

2016 was a challenging one.  Come to think about it, I had what I wanted last year.  Not just in the way that I wanted it to be.  It was answered nevertheless. I guess I have to be more specific.

2017 will be a crucial year.  Lots of crossroads and decision points. I pray and wish for wisdom, courage, strength, good health, wealth, laughter, happiness, fulfillment, love and a meaningful year ahead.

Cheers to new beginnings!