Slow Baja - Travel Talk With Slow Baja We Talk To Jesse Atkinson Owner Of Ensenada Massage

Episode Date: March 15, 2021

In today's Travel Talk with Slow Baja, we sit down with Jesse Atkinson, massage therapist, and owner of Ensenada Massage and Valle de Guadalupe Mobile Spa. Jesse shares his life story. From growing up in Wisconsin, to his work in Central America as a consultant, to surviving cancer and making life changes that led him to become a certified massage therapist. As we were ping-ponging back and forth trying to coordinate our schedules to record this conversation, Jesse knowing we were on the last day of the BajaXL Rally booked one-hour, hot stone, deep-tissue massages for Ted and me. After ten days behind the wheel of my 50-year-old Land Cruiser and 3000 miles of brutal Baja backroads, we were delighted to receive one hour of healing care. Ensenada Massage was clean and quiet, and our massages were top-notch! The hot stones were an unexpected delight. They melted the pain and tension away from my abused back. You can find more information and book your massage at Ensenada Massage or Valle de Guadalupe Mobile Spa. You can find them at: 1278 Avenida Ruiz Ensenada, B.C., 22800, Mexico. Ensenada Massage is Slow Baja approved! Visit Ensenada Massage's Website Visit Ensenada Massage on Facebook Visit Ensenada Massage on Instagram Visit Ensenada Massage on WhatsApp

Hey, this is Michael Emery. Thanks for tuning into the Slow Baja. This podcast is powered by Tequila Fortaleza, handmade in small batches, and hands down, my favorite tequila. Hey, do you have a four-wheel drive? Did you always want to see Baja racing up close and personal? You need to join Slow Baja in the Nora Mexican-1000,

April 23rd through 30th. The Safari class is your way to get your street legal four-wheel drive vehicle up close and into the action. You've got to check out the safari class at nora.com. That's www. n-O-R-R-A.com. Well, it looks like it's recording. I can hear you nicely, so we should get started. Okay, good. Thank you for taking the time to get together.

All right. Hey, it's Michael Emery with Slow Baja, and it's a travel talk. podcast with Jesse Atkinson of Ensenada massage. And Ted and I had just wrapped up the 3,000 mile drive in my old land cruiser when we rolled into Ensenada and straight on to Ensenada massage for a couple of massages that Jesse arranged for us. And I just want to say, A, those were fabulous. And B, Jesse say hello. Hey, thanks for having me on your podcast. It's fun to be involved in slow Baja stuff. I love it down here.

Yeah. So, Jesse, hey, let's talk about that. I'm assuming you are from the States. Yeah, I'm from southern Wisconsin, a couple hours of Chicago, a nice rural small town called Janesville. How did you find your way to Ensonata and how did you get started as massage therapist and then running a massage studio? Sure, Michael. Yeah, you know, I really enjoyed, you heard my accent there, you know, I, I did my accent there, you know, I enjoyed life growing up in Wisconsin, but I was ready to get out and try a city.

I was particularly interested in international stuff. So I took a degree in economics and moved Washington, D.C., so I could try and work in that field, international economics. And that was great for a while, and I saw that I wasn't able to get abroad with just an undergraduate degree. So I started to get some graduate school experience. That was quite the trend at the time. Everyone around me seemed to be doing it. So I came to San Diego for my graduate studies in international finance and economics.

And thereafter took a job actually in Guatemala, where I started something like I thought would be an international economic consulting career. Of course, it was just around the time of the Great Recession. So I was also kind of avoiding. the economic slowdown in the U.S. by being in Central America. Let me stop you for a second there. Did you have, were you fluent in Spanish at the time? I would say I was office fluent. I had done a lot of time in the classroom, studying books and sitting through classes, and I guess getting school credit for it. But, and that was sufficient for most office work. Gotcha. All right. Proceed. Yeah. And then,

After that, a couple of stints were done in Central America, I was actually wrapping up the project, writing the academic paper that got published. And we decided to, it had to be near my base in San Diego. And my partner at the time decided we would live in Baja to save, keep our costs low since we were already accustomed to living in Latin America. And things changed. That partnership ended. and, you know, my heart was broken at the time. I adopted a dog that I originally fostered and then ended up adopting it. And then I had a change in my health.

I had a diagnosis of testicular cancer. So those three things, which I like to say make for a great blues song or a typical country song, forced some changes in my life. So I had the tumor removed and through my recovery phase, I moved to Ensenada to not travel to make sure all the, any potential complications from the surgery were taken care of, and then hang out with my dog and be a little social since Enanada is big enough to have, you know, young people to, to dance with and go to coffee shops with. So I started that process and eventually let the economic consulting, the traveling, kind of fade away. It didn't fit my new lifestyle that was focused on health. I didn't fit my lifestyle that required me to be a dog daddy.

So I started doing massage therapy. And turned out I loved it. Didn't really know how to make it a life sustaining thing. But that took, you know, the process of 10 years and changing from a massage therapist to now, I guess, a business owner of Ensonata massage and ViyaMobil sports. off. Yeah. So did you do your massage training? That massage education massage training is is quite extensive, you know, learning all the muscles and bits of the body and then doing all the required hours. Did you do that down in Encinata or were you doing that up in the States? I did a fair amount of the actual bookwork I did remotely because I got involved with a group of, you know,

very technical massage therapist. Our social hub is the San Diego Pain Summit that applies massage and chiropractic to pain clients. So they really introduced me to a lot of technical knowledge. My hands-on knowledge, I would say my internship experience or apprenticeship came through a professor at Ipsby in San Diego, a great massage school that unfortunately didn't survive the last few years. I worked the professor there for over a year learning massage techniques and the massage lifestyle and running a business of massage. So that was my real hands-on experience. I also did some traveling as well, taking intensive courses in India, in Ayavetic massage, here in Insanada, on some sports,

sports massage techniques, and then a variety of other programs and skills and techniques that have picked up along the way. Well, I'm going to jump in and just give a personal recommendation for lack of a better phrase, but I fully believe in in healing therapeutic massage and I'm lucky to live in San Francisco where I have a fantastic chiropractor. And when you drive a 50-year-old vehicle on dirt roads in Baja with bench seats and lap belts, it puts a strain in a toll on your body. And, you know, we had kind of been in touch back and forth. And I was hoping to do a podcast with you in Ensenada on the last day of the rally. And you were kind enough to arrange massages for us,

even though you were going to be out of town and not be able to do the podcast live and in person. But that, I probably haven't driven my old land cruiser as fast as I did that day with that massage schedule, that scheduled time looming ahead of us trying to get through all the Sunday traffic and folks, all those little towns driving. up the one saying, I don't want to miss this appointment. I don't want to miss this appointment.

I don't want to miss this appointment. And I mean, we did the hot rock one hour and is fabulous. I mean, it's really fabulous. Ted fell asleep. He was in the adjoining room. I could hear him snoring. And he said, wow, that massage wasn't very long. I said, well, you slept for half of it. He said, well, I feel great. I want to, you know, I'm totally energized. And so can you break down A, what people can expect from a visit to Ensignada massage or if they're in the Valle when a massage therapist comes to their hotel. Can you break that down for us a little bit? And we can, you know, kind of, I don't know, demystify what your offerings are.

And I hope encourage some people to visit you when they're in Ensonata or in the Valle. Sure. That's very kind of you, you know, to say that about your experience. And I'm glad that you did. receive great work and enough to actually rest and sleep. Some of the things that I think that we're offering, you know, since I'm from the U.S., I did set up my website in English, my first website at least, with online booking and deposits that make it really quite easy.

I know when you're traveling sometimes, you know, starting through a foreign language. and foreign ways of finding out when things are open, you can make an appointment, can add extra layers to the day. So that's actually quite convenient. We have online booking. In terms of the massage and facials that we're offering, I've constructed a team of about 10 massage therapists. I've essentially handpicked over the years and work with to ensure their quality. And we really focus on, you know, listening to the client.

You know, massage is amazing as you know yourself, but everyone has slightly different preferences. So we really try and listen to the client both before and during the massage in terms of the pressure levels they're asking for. What parts of their body they just, you know, love to have massage on some people of feet, some people's shoulders. and then adjusting throughout the massage as well. Our basic offerings are massage and facial. We really do high quality work, and then we combine those elements of massage, facial, some hot stones, some CBD creams,

as well as exfoliation of hands and feet, and put together packages for couples and groups. So that's kind of, of our take on it. I try and keep it simple and really high quality and personalized to the clients. Well, you're there on sort of a medical row, not directly in the downtown close to the cruise ship terminal as I had expected your location to be when I mentally, you know, placed a pin in my mind of where I was driving. And then I had to maybe we went back and forth and I actually looked at the address on my phone and realized that you're a little bit off of the downtown

strip. But you're in an area that's all seemingly to me, or there are many medical offices. So that seems to be a conscious choice on your part as well. Yeah, that was part of our evolution. In the early part of my career, I was focused on doing high quality medical massage, since I'm a cancer survivor, and I worked with a stem cell therapist and was working on a variety of clients with different medical situations. So I got a lot of experience with that, and as well as our technical ability allowed us to excel in that. As we started to do more couples and groups, it turned out that where we were working has an amazing space with a really large couples room. where we can actually fit, accommodate up to five people for service at the same time. And I decided to keep that location.

You know, we're not on the busy First Street. And, you know, it turns out at least in normal times, first street is, you know, it's kind of a raucous environment with Papa's and beer, other, you know, large bars and lots of noise. Yeah, not exactly conducive. to a quiet therapeutic massage environment. So I understand why you're over there. And I just wanted to point that out that in my mind, that's brilliant. Although you did tell me if I were parking downtown, that it would be a 20-minute walk over to your spot. And that made me realize, oh, wow, yeah,

it is a few blocks over. So it was a certainly, it was a professional environment and a very relaxing, quiet, lovely experience. I enjoyed immensely, as I said, you know, Ted was instantly asleep, so he must have been quite relaxed, let's say. Right. Tell me about the, just aside from massage, tell me about the VAE and how that's grown. I started going to Baja in the mid-80s, and there was a couple of old wineries that, you know, were 100 years old, I think, but there wasn't a VAIA. So tell me about the VAE and the highs and lows of the tourism there.

and obviously you've captured a market there as well. Yeah, we do work out there quite a bit. I use the same team of really amazing massage therapists, and we use the name Valle Mobile Spa to be very clear about what we're doing, coming to you in the Valle, the Wine Valley. Of course, that wine valley makes 85% or so of the wine in Mexico. So it's the main hub of wine production in Mexico. It's just 35 minutes outside of Encinada, but it really has a distinct vibe and image.

Now, it's a wine valley, so it's beautiful. It's generally rural area with mostly olives and vineyards. And the last, I would say, 10, 15 years, it really put a lot of investment into restaurants and hotels and infrastructure, too, the roads. So it's a really unique place to go and be in a rural environment, a beautiful wine valley, have exceptionally high quality food, fresh, tasty, and some really unique places to stay. They've got really cool bubble hotels, the really modern stuff, the container hotels, really all the cool modern vibes, since the investment is relatively recent.

And still, at a fraction of, you know, what you might expect in, I would say, Napa or Sonoma Valley, you know, northern California stuff. Absolutely. Sorry for interjecting, but for people who haven't experienced it personally or haven't explored it on the web or in the magazines, you're not going to see any high-rise hotels. There are big properties. there are over a hundred plus small distinctive inns or bed and breakfasts. It's a very interesting spot in the world, and I hope it can retain that interest as, you know, as more and more money gets focused on that, that tiny valley. And I'm assuming you're able to go anywhere there and you're bringing a mobile,

you're bringing a portable massage table and doing a massage in somebody's hotel room, correct? A therapeutic massage in a hotel room, but it's mobile. Yeah, massage and facial. We usually send several therapists for couples or groups, and we're working either inside the hotel room or most of these places also have really beautiful patios to enjoy the views that are all around. And because, of course, I think the best evidence shows that most COVID, is most easily transmitted through air circulation.

We're doing a lot of outdoor massage. People love the views. You get their fresh air. So when we have permission to work in almost all of these hotels, and as you mentioned, they're kind of boutique hotels. So very few of them are big enough to have their own spa. So they love to have our, I was visiting to keep their clients happy and enjoying the beautiful grounds that they're at.

Yeah, it's a great. value add for the for the in or the the glamping facility or the the the winery or what have you that's got a bed and breakfast there it's a great great value ad for them you know we can't wait to drive our old land cruiser down to baha and when we go we go at baha bound insurance their website's fast and easy to use baha bound insurance serving mexico travelers since 1994 well wrap it up for me have you been faring during COVID? I would imagine it's got to be a tough, tough time with tourism as down as it is. Yeah, of course, everyone's gone through huge, you know, interpersonal changes with COVID, you know, some work stuff, but also just changing the social environment

and not getting enough human touch and hugs. So that's affected me personally. And of course, we had a total shutdown in the beginning. We've made big changes to our operations to be as safe as possible, reopened. And as a business, you know, we're not focused on the cruise boats anymore, since the cruise boats are not actually arriving right now. But we have focused on the mobile massage and serving more of the Mexican national population as well, since there's a lot more national tourism in these months as the border is opening up more and more and fewer restrictions. So really we've been nimble. My team has been great.

I've been able to keep everybody, you know, employed paying their bills. And that's been a huge value for them and for me. And I'm really thankful with everyone that continues to support us. You know, we have our website homes at ensignada dash massage.com. And we're also offering the Viya Mobile Spa on that same website. you can find a place to book for mobile services as well. Well, I'll have those links in the show notes.

And of course, when I promote this podcast on Instagram and Facebook, I'll have those links. And I just want to say from my own personal experience, obviously, I wore a mask during my massage. And the massage therapist wore a mask. And I just want to say it again, just that that massage was a, I wish it was a, we only had a one hour massage because we were. off to the Baja Mar for the closing ceremonies of the Baja XL rally, which turned to a virtual closing ceremony as it was. So I wish I would have booked a two-hour massage. But that hot rock massage, I had not had that experience previously. Great, isn't it? It was really, it really was. And, you know, using the rocks and the oil

and just the, I could feel the, the abuse of my lower back. and take and driving that link or I can just feel it flowing away as the when the therapist left the rocks on my lower back and it was just really a terrific thing. So again, I'm assuming you have you'll have a therapist available as long as you have a client wanting to do a massage. But I think my next massage definitely has to be a two hour experience rather than the one hour just left. Let me say it. The one hour just left me wanting more. It was really fabulous. So well done. there. I enjoyed it immensely. Slow Baja approved to my audience. If you find yourself in Ensenada, visit Ensenada massage. And if you're in the Valle, book that mobile massage and

get outside and get a massage when you're at the Adobe Guadalupe. What an experience that would be. Yeah. And if you know you're headed north and you're going to hit the border in an hour, it might as well get relaxed and ready for it. Well, that's an interesting experience that I hadn't thought of planning a massage prior to crossing the border so you can put up with that, that, you know, weight that you may have. All right. Well, Jesse, it's been a real pleasure, but let me know when you decide to sponsor a big-time race team like Slow Baja here, because I think mobile massage, we can take it out and trade

forever. Yeah, we work on some of the race teams, bringing a few therapists out to wherever the hotel they're all staying at. And that's been a great experience. When I get into sponsorship, though, you'll be on my list. Of course, I'm kidding. I'm needling you, buddy. But yeah, all right.

Well, it was a real pleasure experiencing your service at Ensonata Massage. And I look forward to stopping in on my next visit. So thanks for making some time for Slow Baja. And I really appreciate talking to you and hearing about your businesses. Okay. Thank you. All right. Well, that's Michael Emery with Travel Talk on Slow Baja.

and we're saying so long to Jesse Atkinson of Ensignata massage, but it is a strong Slow Baja approved. If you're down there, you should book those massages. Slow Baja's wardrobe is provided by Taylor Stitch. I was lucky enough to wear test some items on my 3,000-mile Baja XL trip. The vertical jacket, the California shirt, which is a beautiful flannel shirt. I call it the Baja California shirt, and some white oak, beautiful, salvage denim jean.

put all that stuff on to make me look good in Baja, and I never took it off. I was wearing that stuff for 10 days straight. That vertical jacket is a handsome, handsome jacket. In the truck, under the truck, at dinner. Taylor Stitch, clothes that are meant to wear in, not out. Folks, you made it this far. I got to ask you, please help us out. Rate it, review it if you're on iTunes.

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