Original airdate: March 9, 2008
It is… Eden!
Karla hands over the bottle to an exultant Eden, who cradles it in her arms and caresses it lovingly. "I'd just like to thank all of the little people who made this possible," she says, pretending to choke up.
Lively conversation and friendly banter help pass the time. All too soon, the bus pulls in front of a hotel in Estero Beach. It is here that most of the group from California's central coast disembarks; 20 of them have arranged to extend their stay in Mexico for two days to allow them to explore Baja's wine country.
"Hey, why don't you join us?" The invitation is extended by the group's de facto leader and is echoed by the others.
"I wish we could."
"Well then, when the whales migrate back north, we're having a party at a Mexican restaurant overlooking the ocean. We'll drink margaritas and toast the whales. We'd love for you to be there."
With genuine regret our intrepid heroines say their goodbyes and reboard the bus. It makes its way to Ensenada, where the remaining passengers decide to forgo shopping in favor of drinking. They head for Hussong's Cantina, birthplace of the margarita.
The floor of Hussong's is littered with peanut shells. The air is scented with smoke, sunscreen, and lime. Cruise ship passengers and locals alike crowd small tables. A mariachi band plays loudly for two comically drunk Mexicans.
Downing margaritas here, where the drink was invented, seems a fitting final activity. The group finishes its libations. It's time – unfortunately – to bring this epic journey to a close.
© Eden Feuer
Two Crazy Chicks Productions is pleased to present the seventh and final episode of The Adventures of Yumiko and Eden in Mexico.
Joking and laughter dominate the group's final evening together. Most people are sensible enough to go to bed at a decent hour, but, as has become their custom, our intrepid heroines party with their hard-drinking cronies until they are kicked out of the hotel bar.
Thus it is quite late by the time Miko and Eden return to their room. Yumiko falls into bed exhausted, but Eden, aware that the damiana bottle is at stake, forces herself to stay awake and work on the word puzzles. She solves the first 36 with ease, but soon must concede that she is too tired to continue. Reluctantly, she turns out the light with a vow that she will tackle the rest first thing in the morning.
But between the howling of the wind and the caterwauling of the hotel's resident cats, there is little rest for the wicked and the weary. Bleary-eyed, our fearless females fumble through breakfast and stumble onto the bus at 7:30.
They perk up during a short hike to see some cave paintings. Several local school children and the more able-bodied among the tour group assist the elderly and less agile and everyone negotiates the trail without mishap.
To keep the natives from getting too restless on the long ride, Karla puts them to work making origami whales to decorate the bus' windows. Naturally, Yumiko's whale is the sexiest of all, its crisp folds and perfectly curled spout made with the precision, patience, and creativity that only an anal-retentive, detail-oriented, Tokyo-raised architect can muster.
Seeing others working steadily away on the word games, Eden ignores her tendency to get sick when reading on a moving vehicle and hunkers down, all her focus centered on solving the puzzles and winning the damiana bottle.
But will it be enough? Her competition is clever, highly educated, and well-traveled. And the clock is ticking away relentlessly. Yumiko tries to reassure her, but by the time the bus stops for lunch, Eden is anxious, uncertain, and uneasy (not to mention a bit nauseous).
Lunch comes to and end and the bus resumes its journey north. The moment of truth has arrived. Karla reviews the answers to the word puzzles. With bated breath, the tour group awaits the final tally and the announcement of the victor.
Joking and laughter dominate the group's final evening together. Most people are sensible enough to go to bed at a decent hour, but, as has become their custom, our intrepid heroines party with their hard-drinking cronies until they are kicked out of the hotel bar.
Thus it is quite late by the time Miko and Eden return to their room. Yumiko falls into bed exhausted, but Eden, aware that the damiana bottle is at stake, forces herself to stay awake and work on the word puzzles. She solves the first 36 with ease, but soon must concede that she is too tired to continue. Reluctantly, she turns out the light with a vow that she will tackle the rest first thing in the morning.
But between the howling of the wind and the caterwauling of the hotel's resident cats, there is little rest for the wicked and the weary. Bleary-eyed, our fearless females fumble through breakfast and stumble onto the bus at 7:30.
They perk up during a short hike to see some cave paintings. Several local school children and the more able-bodied among the tour group assist the elderly and less agile and everyone negotiates the trail without mishap.
To keep the natives from getting too restless on the long ride, Karla puts them to work making origami whales to decorate the bus' windows. Naturally, Yumiko's whale is the sexiest of all, its crisp folds and perfectly curled spout made with the precision, patience, and creativity that only an anal-retentive, detail-oriented, Tokyo-raised architect can muster.
Seeing others working steadily away on the word games, Eden ignores her tendency to get sick when reading on a moving vehicle and hunkers down, all her focus centered on solving the puzzles and winning the damiana bottle.
But will it be enough? Her competition is clever, highly educated, and well-traveled. And the clock is ticking away relentlessly. Yumiko tries to reassure her, but by the time the bus stops for lunch, Eden is anxious, uncertain, and uneasy (not to mention a bit nauseous).
Lunch comes to and end and the bus resumes its journey north. The moment of truth has arrived. Karla reviews the answers to the word puzzles. With bated breath, the tour group awaits the final tally and the announcement of the victor.
It is… Eden!
Karla hands over the bottle to an exultant Eden, who cradles it in her arms and caresses it lovingly. "I'd just like to thank all of the little people who made this possible," she says, pretending to choke up.
Lively conversation and friendly banter help pass the time. All too soon, the bus pulls in front of a hotel in Estero Beach. It is here that most of the group from California's central coast disembarks; 20 of them have arranged to extend their stay in Mexico for two days to allow them to explore Baja's wine country.
"Hey, why don't you join us?" The invitation is extended by the group's de facto leader and is echoed by the others.
"I wish we could."
"Well then, when the whales migrate back north, we're having a party at a Mexican restaurant overlooking the ocean. We'll drink margaritas and toast the whales. We'd love for you to be there."
With genuine regret our intrepid heroines say their goodbyes and reboard the bus. It makes its way to Ensenada, where the remaining passengers decide to forgo shopping in favor of drinking. They head for Hussong's Cantina, birthplace of the margarita.
The floor of Hussong's is littered with peanut shells. The air is scented with smoke, sunscreen, and lime. Cruise ship passengers and locals alike crowd small tables. A mariachi band plays loudly for two comically drunk Mexicans.
Downing margaritas here, where the drink was invented, seems a fitting final activity. The group finishes its libations. It's time – unfortunately – to bring this epic journey to a close.
© Eden Feuer
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