Ensenada

When I woke up Saturday morning, the Ensenada sunlight was spilling in the port window.  Over night, the Royal Caribbean cruise ship had docked, and now looking out my window, I could see the coast of Ensenada, Mexico.  It was the very first time, in all my fifteen years that I had been to Mexico, and my first cruise.  I was blessed enough to go on a three day cruise with the family I babysat for.  I could hardly wait for the day to begin.  People had told me stories of Mexico before, but this one day in Ensenada would teach me things their words never could.

            We took a bus tour of Ensenada, towards the flea market, where it dropped us off.  By the time we reached the flea market, I felt as if I had been through four cities, not one.  First, there was the tourist area, with the famous restaurants and bars, filled with people from the cruise ships.  It was obviously designed to tailor to the desires of tourists.  There was an upper class area, with the traditional Mexican architecture, where government buildings and businesses were located.  It also included a few houses, which would be considered upper scale homes even by America’s standards. We also drove through what was lovingly referred to as Little America, a shopping center, complete with a brand new Wal-Mart and Home Depot.  On the outskirts of town, which constituted a majority of the bus ride, was the part of Mexico I had been told of.  The homes were one or two room shacks built at the end of dirt roads, obviously with no electricity or running water.  It was nothing like the few homeless people living in a cardboard box that we see occasionally here in the United States; these homes made up the majority.

            This realization made me think about how blessed I am and how much I take for granted every day.  I am sure that if these families came to the United States they would appreciate the houses that we see as old and shabby.  Too often, we get caught up in always wanting more, newer and better materialistic items, and forget to appreciate and be content with the blessings we do have.  The people living in those homes probably did not have to “get away” on a three day cruise to enjoy life; they focused on the simple everyday pleasures.