Ensenada, Mexico • February 2024. Spartan Cruise Day 4: Hogan Spartans Class of 1985 go ziplining in Ensenada, Mexico. Hogan Spartans, cruise, Ensenada, Mexico, ziplining, Filipino American, Glenn Pingol, Vallejo, kapatiran, fil-am.

Ensenada, Mexico • February 2024

Spartan Cruise Day 4: Ziplining in Ensenada

The Hogan Spartans Class of '85 take on the ziplines of Ensenada, Mexico — because Spartan spirit doesn't stop at the water's edge.

Day 4 — Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. • Photos © Glenn Pingol / PinoyBuilt contributors.

Day 4 of the Hogan Spartans reunion cruise brought the crew to Ensenada, Baja California — and they didn't spend it at the dock. The Class of '85 hit the ziplines, proving once again that the Spartan spirit doesn't slow down with the years.

★ Did You Know?

Ensenada is one of the most visited cruise ports on the Pacific Coast, drawing over 1 million visitors annually. The city sits just 80 miles south of San Diego — the nearest major U.S. city, which is home to over 100,000 Filipino Americans. Many Bay Area Filipinos make the drive south for weekend trips, wine tasting in Valle de Guadalupe, and adventures like the very ziplines the Spartans tackled on Day 4.

★ Tagalog Word of the Day

Tapang

(tah-PANG)

Courage; bravery; boldness. The willingness to face something daunting — a Spanish colonial army, a typhoon, or a zipline 200 feet above the Baja California hillside. The Hogan Spartans have always had tapang.

📸 Day 4 — Ensenada Photo Gallery

Photos © Glenn Pingol / PinoyBuilt contributors.

Once a Spartan, always a Spartan.

★ Did You Know? — Filipinos in Ensenada

Ensenada and the broader Baja California region have a small but growing Filipino expat and OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) community, many employed in hospitality, healthcare, and the fishing industry. The closest major Filipino-American hub is San Diego, just 80 miles north — home to over 100,000 Filipino Americans, the largest Fil-Am population in Southern California. San Diego's Naval Base and healthcare sector have long drawn Filipino workers and veterans, making it a natural gateway for Bay Area Filipinos cruising south to Ensenada.

GLENN PINGOL FIL-AM FILIPINO ENSENADA MEXICO HOGAN SPARTANS CRUISE ZIPLINING KAPATIRAN TRAVEL REUNION HOGAN CLASS OF 85

Contributor & Photographer: Glenn Pingol

Born in San Fernando, Pampanga and raised in Guam and Vallejo, Glenn is a UC Davis and Hogan High ('85) grad and world traveler who brings a global lens to the PinoyBuilt collective. Having spent many years as a resident of San Francisco, he documents the diaspora through a nuanced perspective on culture and identity. Travel · Food · Music · Identity · Perspective.

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