Baja Review A community newspaper serving Ensenada, Valle de Guadalupe, and Rosarito in Northern Baja California
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For me, mornings in Baja are special. Drinking coffee, fixed just the way I like it, sitting quietly to enjoy the familiarity of the flavor—a magic time. A list of the days chores is at hand, a look outside checks the weather. My dogs, keeping me company in my office, need a scratch under the ears. Living in Mexico has made me appreciate small things in life, like the birds singing in the trees outside the patio. Wind chimes making a counterpoint accompaniment.
Time later to go to the market, check out the beautiful vegetables and fruit, still in their natural state. Fresh fish lie in chipped ice, not in packages. It’s easier to decide how to prepare my meals when food isn’t tempting from all sides—sliced, diced and accompanied by chemicals I can’t pronounce.
Friends from the States ask if I’m frightened living South of the Border. I tell them the story about the Mexican man who followed me through the market one morning, asking repeatedly if my name was Alice. I was new to Baja at the time and a bit fearful. He wouldn’t give up. Finally I said, “Yes, I’m Alice.”
“I thought it was you.” He said and handed me my drivers license, my bank card and a Visa card. “Here, you must have dropped these when you got out of your car.” Then he patted me on the shoulder, smiled and walked away, leaving me open mouthed with thanks barely off my tongue.
Now I’ve lived here long enough to know it was just another Baja day.
Alice Donenfeld-Vernoux is the author of “Cave Dreams” a novel available on Amazon.com
