Day 10 Apres Wedding

Ensenada to Tijuana

I woke at 7 am. Definitely not enough sleep. I downloaded photos and charged up my batteries.

It felt like Heather and I held court in our fancy beds in our pj’s while the kids and grand kids came through to discuss today's plans. Out of bed at 9:30 to get quickly dressed and showered ready to catch our rides into Ensenada to meet some of the other guests for the après wedding brunch.  It was still overcast and all of us were very tired.

We went to the most amazing tiny restaurant named “Mr and Mrs Waffles.” What a find! Amazing waffles apparently, just none GF. I had two rice cakes and a banana in the car on the way- just as well. I managed to get two fried eggs, but they did have HOT black tea! At long last. The owner was a lovely man, who had quite a long chat to us.

We left about 2:00 for the return trip to our accommodation, packed our bags and car for the journey back to Tijuana. We left about 3:30, after saying goodbye to Susan and Oscar and the kids. This time Tim found all the toll roads, so it was a faster trip back. At the first two tolls we handed over the $1.75 in small change,much to Tim's embarrassment and the "delight" of the toll officials. 

We arrived in Tijuana on a Sunday afternoon to horrendous traffic, with a phone GPS who wasn’t too certain about anything. Eventually after Heather had spotted the hotel in the distance, the magnificent Tim performed an amazing feat of driving -crossing over three lanes to get us into the hotel car park. They dropped us off at 5:30 and began the even more arduous task of getting back across the border.

Heather had chosen a fabulous hotel. Real Inn. What a difference a day makes? Very helpful concierge. Huge rooms with everything clean and marble. Unfortunately marble in a bathroom = very slippery. So when I had a shower, I had to be very cautious. Washing my hair in a huge amount of hot water was just wonderful. After the shower time it was time to find somewhere to eat. The concierge directed us across the road to a Sanborns. Good Mexican dinner. Cost $409 (pesos) We didn’t linger over dinner. Both us wanted to get back to the hotel and catch up on diaries/ computer. Possibly our last Wi-Fi for a long time? Although there is traffic noise outside we also get a great view from the third floor.

At 9:15 I got a text to say the other had almost got to the border. Four + hours to go less than a few miles . Poor things. What a travesty! Thankfully they only have to get to San Diego tonight.

Catching up on diaries tonight. Bed at 10:30.

Post script. What looks wonderful, may not be. Very uncomfortable beds.

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Day 9 The big day at last.

Heather and I have decided that this wedding could be made into a movie, a comedy with the colour and details straight out of Bollywood.

Up early, to drizzle. We drove the short distance to the place where Susan was staying for the wedding preparation, arriving at 8:00 to find an extremely "compact" room at a lovely venue, where Susan was going to have to walk quite a distance over red dirt in her dress. 

The make-up ladies arrived very soon after us and the only way they could fit, was to open the patio door and put up the sun umbrella to cover their equipment. They were just lovely and worked on each of us for a VERY long time. 

The photographer – Alan and his crew arrived. They were just SO professional- quietly going about their business. Never invasive and I would be very certain that both the videos and photos are going to be stunning. They even had a drone for the outside shots!

The hairdresser Renee worked under very cramped conditions- basically in a small en-suite. If she stepped back too far, she was in the shower and we had to ask every now and then if she could leave the area so we could use the toilet. (There was no door leading to that area.)I had time between make-up and hair to get coffee and teas, but sometimes sat outside just to create more space inside and did some hand sewing. Sarah went and got lunch for us for the cafe. A Caesar salad without croutons = cos lettuce leaves.

Thank goodness for the rice cakes and banana I had bought.

The wonderful flowers were delivered by the wedding planner- what colour! All too quickly it was time to put on dresses, using the open cupboard door for privacy in our dressing area between the front door and wardrobe! 

I took some great natural shots of the preparation. My favourite one was Susan putting on her bright red trainers- her trade mark, just slightly more upmarket having a wedge inside. Oscar and Troy arrived at 3:00, to be given a photo book that Susan had made about her preparations for the wedding. Tissues required. A few photos and then it was time to leave for the wedding venue. Troy was magnificent in helping Susan hold up her dress across the red dirt.

Oscar drove one car to the wedding which was only a short distance away and Sarah the other. In the rush to get everything, I missed one important one which contained the signature blocks I had prepared at home. On the drive, Oscar was phoned by his friend to say that one of the hired buses had a problem and half the wedding party was stuck in Ensenada. He tried in vain to ring the planner, ended up ringing his friend again to be told there was now a bomb threat on the bus. I think he nearly had a coronary, until his friend said “just joking”. The air went blue with expletives.

The wedding venue was JUST AMAZING. So colourful and so pretty. A Mexican oasis. My new high heels got quite a bashing from lost of walking and running in the next few hours. As soon as I got to the wedding rotunda I realised I should go to the toilet > way back near the gate. 

The wedding was streamed live via Facebook with a drone for even more creative shots.

The service and vows were pure Susan and Oscar. Highlights of the service were Susan and crew crossing the bridge, Torah being reminded to throw the petals, so that’s what she did with great alacrity, Torah NOT liking leaving the bridal party and having to be “persuaded", the spirit smoking ceremony, the colours, the rings being left back at HQ on a floral bed and the planner using the walkie talkie to get someone to rush them down quickly.

The pre-dinner drinks and nibbles began in a separate section of the venue around a pool area. While listening to the fabulous Mariachi band and sipping lemonade, it had turned even colder. As soon as I could, I got Oscar’s car keys and went to the car park to get my woollen wrap, which was luckily in my backpack and the bag of signature blocks and pens. More very fast walking in high heels over uneven ground. Unfortunately it was then that I discovered I had left the signature blocks behind. 

I returned from the car park in time for the family photos. Great photos and no stress. Alan was fabulous. He allowed people to get behind him to take their shots. As soon as they were done, I asked Tim to take me to the preparation venue to pick up the missing bag. He was about to go and get some jumpers for the family from our accommodation, so we made a detour on the way. 

Slight issue trying to run as fast as you can over uneven dirt to Susan’s room in high heels, but success, after I eventually found a light switch and ran all the way back to the car. (Think about that scene in It’s a Mad, Mad World and the cars going around the roundabout with the guys sitting on the edge = Me running up and over the dirt path in a lace frock, in heels and back again in five minutes. The guys sitting at the bar had that “What on earth?” expression.

A quick trip back to the home stay with Tim, who was not too certain if the car would run out of petrol at any minute? But we made it back in time. Dinner had begun, but now I had the fabric, the heart was almost back to normal and my feet were feeling no pain at all despite that high heel running. 

After eating my delicious GF chicken, it was time for Heather and I to go around each gorgeous table and harass the guests into signing their bits of fabric. Only had to speak “sternly” to a few, who couldn’t keep within the designated lines that I had spent hours preparing. The tent was just so colourful. The dessert table so amazing. The planner had done a terrific job. Pure perfection Mexican style.

It was a wonderful, high tech, multi media event with great DJ music turned up loud enough to blast your eardrums clean and possibly crack your pacemaker.  Each table had a wifi device for the techno heads. Beautiful lighting. Fabulous food. Lots of dancing, but the highlight was Torah. WHAT a champion! She stole the show on more than one occasion, insisting on joining in the dancing  in a vigorous fashion all night long. It wasn’t until 10:00 that she finally just crashed and fell asleep. Lana and her feet were very glad. But at the end of the night, when the music stopped she was screaming that it had to continue!  What a party animal.

Troy gave a great speech and I had the opportunity of filing the guests in with Susan's early life. Heather and I had fun in the photo booth. They had a vast selection of hats and you had to try to swap hats for each photo and of course a funny face.The shoes may have been amazing for running, but were a nightmare on the dance floor. Safer to sit and listen and eventually hold a sleeping Lachie.

All too soon it was time to go. But even this required me to do the car park run one last time to pick up my backpack from Oscar’s car and put it straight into Andrew’s car. 

Back to the venue in time to pick up all our things and five VERY tired children. Once again Teagan and Troy were going to be staying with us in our cottage. Torah was screaming because the music had stopped. Those travelling in Tim’s car had to stop at the service station for fuel. Another comedy. Sarah trying to find the side of the car for the petrol pump. The attendant possibly thought we were completely insane?

Home to bed and to scrub off all the make up. 1 AM and the end of an incredible day.

Day 8

Quinta E Shaddai -Ensenada

Our high altitude beds

The roosters woke me up and just to make sure the sheep, chickens, goats and dogs joined in.  Snoozed back in my comfortable high altitude bed. Heather and I eventually got up about 8 and walked up the hill to breakfast. There were no bowls , until they raided the kitchen area but I knew from previous experience that a zip-lock bag works perfectly as a bowl when travelling.

A very creative fence made of industrial waste

The restaurant entry

Soon after it was time to go into Ensenada for our brunch with Toni, Louise and the others. I met Oscar’s mother, sister and sister in law, plus a few more of Susan’s friends. It was a lovely few hours by the sea and a delicious brunch. Unfortunately the waiter taking the group photo must have jiggled and it was all blurry.

Oscar's sister Liz, his mum, Susan, me, Sarah

After brunch we drove along the coast into Ensenada to see the “sights”. Fairly typical Mexican town but lots of tourists places because this is a port for the very big cruisers. A mix of old and new

Home via a very large supermarket where we stocked up on food supplies for the next few days. When we arrived home, the boys and kids were out. They went to the local zoo/ playground and the kids had a wonderful time, as did the dads. That meant relaxation time up on the terrace for the women.

Now that we had internet connections, the women were all planning their next stop after the wedding. Heather found a place for us to stay in Tijuana for Sunday night, which will be a whole lot better than trying to get the kids up so early on Monday. Sarah and Lana were looking online for places to stay back in America. I was catching up on emails. Susan tried to get my Google + account linked for Angela, but didn’t seem to have much success. Susan and Oscar left and we sat around reading or typing.

The others returned at 4:45 from the local zoo and had had a fabulous time. Apparently the playgrounds were great and the whole experience was very cheap and the kids loved it. However some very tired children. No rest for them. Dinner was early as there was address rehearsal and Sarah and the two girls had to go. That meant Heather and I prepared risotto in the kitchen. The dinner was eaten by the adults but the kids were tired. They all left and Heather and I sat in the setting sun eating our dinner. Then we washed up all the plates. Not very happy to find the dogs had got into the rubbish tin while we were gone and there was rubbish on the terrace.

When it was clean and tidy, we went back down the hill to our little house to sit and create our emails and blogs, listening to a goose that was fast becoming a potential victim for tomorrow’s dinner. As darkness descended so did peace and quiet. Then Troy and Teagan arrived to sleep the night with us, but they were both very tired.