Desert Adventures

For the last two and half months we have adventured to many different places that are reflective of the Mexican culture. A few of my favourites were a volcano hike, Lucha Libre, Globos market, and the Baja 1000 off-road race. All of these excursions were terrific outings where we met many kind people and experienced Mexican culture. The volcano hike was an interesting and smart way to view a new part of Mexico. We traveled to a lovely beach and, from there, hiked an hour up a beautiful volcano. The volcano has not been active for many, many years. Hiking up was a leg killer because it was all up hill, but reaching the top made it all worth it. The views were spectacular and breathtaking. There is something so mindful and peaceful about being on the top of a mountain and soaking in the beauty that Mexico has.

Lucha Libre is a form of entertainment wrestling widely enjoyed throughout Mexico. Mexican wrestling is characterized by colourful masks. The wearing of masks has developed special significance and matches are sometimes challenged where the loser must permanently remove his mask, which is a done with a high degree of weight attached. I am aware that this type of entertainment is a huge part of the Mexican tradition, which we haven’t seen a lot of.  The wresting event that we watched was held at Globos, a market that is held every weekend in a nearby town, San Quintin. Many items are sold at the market including clothing, food, and toys. The owners of the market were celebrating their 10 year anniversary in business and to celebrate they hosted a Lucha Libre event.  Many people gathered for this experience because it is a very popular tradition in Mexico.

The Baja 1000 is an off-road desert race that takes place on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula the third week of November every year. It draws in thousands of spectators, sponsors and media. We were able to participate in the Baja 1000 festivities by travelling to Ensenada for the pre-race fan fair and spending the next day watching the race on the track near our home. The Baja 1000 allows various types of vehicles to compete on the same course, from dirt bikes, atv’s, dune buggies, trucks, and custom fabricated race vehicles. The name of the event can be misleading as the mileage varies each year because the track changes, but essentially it is about 1300-1500km’s! You can imagine how long it must take! The racers who are able to complete the race usually finish in an average of 18-22 hrs.

All of these outings have been so much fun and have made the LDA experience so much more enhanced by participating locally with Mexican culture. With only three weeks left, I hope to attend more fun filled excursions in order to soak up more culture and knowledge about Mexico.

– Grace, Academy Student 2015