Cycling
Riding a bike in the city gets a little hairy at times. The large potholes cause the cars to swerve wildly and there isn't a great deal of awareness about cyclists in general.
The surrounding hills do have some great single track trails. One of my favorites is a two hour loop starting at the east end of Av. Ruiz and heading along a dirt trail over the mountains and finally to the coast, North of Ensenada.
Be careful of the dogs - there are literally thousands of strays and they will chase you.
The government run Pemex gas stations are a great place to fill up with air - make sure you have the little adapter valve.
Getting Connected
The Internet cafe (CompuClub) is surprisingly well kitted out, with 30 machines ranging from P166 - PIIs. Nobody seemed to know how fast the connection was, but performance ranged from 2kb - 128kb. It's easy to locate as it is next door to the largest church in town.
The prices varied from $1.50 to $2.00 per hour depending who was at the till. If the person at the counter completely ignores the fact you are waiting for them - don't take it personally - this is par for the course.
Learning Spanish
I spent 5 weeks at The Baja Colegio de Idiomas, learning Spanish for the first time. Enrolling in early spring means pretty much 1-on-1 tuition for US$200 per week.
The teachers really make this school - all college qualified with at least 4 years teaching experience. Above all, the have a great sense of humor which really helps in the learning process. I stayed with a Mexican family, to complete the total language immersion.
Nightlife
"Hussongs" is still the place to go out if you want to see a somewhat Mexican bar - even though it was built by a German. It's been there for over 100 years and many of the locals and local expats go there.
Be careful engaging the dozen or so mariachis - they charge US$1 per musician - per song. The resident shoeshine man is a great way to have your boots cleaned - he charges $2 and does not take tips.
Across the road is "Oxidos" - pretty much a designer yuppie bar with friendly service and bathrooms that have to be experienced.
There are quite a few Mexican pool halls with very cheap rates and beer. One thing that is very well hidden, and not in any guide book I've seen, is the 1950's bowling alley. It has been remarkably well maintained and even has short men working frantically to restock the pins and roll the balls back. It is 6 blocks inland from Hussongs with a sign that says Exclusivo.
For something a little different, try out one of the Karaoke bars - they are really popular with the locals who aren't half bad.
Cultural
The Santo Thomas winery is in the middle of town and provides a fantastic way to indulge in a little decadence. The owners are gradually moving the bottling functions back to the vineyards and converting the buildings into galleries, cafes and concert venues.
It's very easy to spend a sunny afternoon in the cafe, reading a good book, listening to the soft music and sipping the wine. I recommend their very drinkable (and cheap) Chinnon and their premier Duetta, but at US$26 per bottle, it's up there.
