Jonathan & Mack were once again gracious hosts for us as we re-entered the U.S. There's always a bit of culture shock when crossing borders, but going from the Baja to Orange County... yikes! We had a lovely visit with them.
Luckily, we also got to meet up with our Baja traveling pals Elke and Chris. They told us all about their travels in the U.S. while we were still down in Mexico. We look forward to traveling again with them, perhaps across Europe soon.
We left Irvine and went to Pismo Beach, chasing the wind. However, we found little of it there. What we did find was that our trailer for the motorcycle had pretty much breathed its last breath. After the long haul across the southwest and then a mere 2000 mile jaunt up and down the incredibly lumpy Mex 1, our hitch was sagging like a baby's full diaper! It was time to make a change. We put a for sale sign on the bike at the beach and waited for wind or a sale! Neither occurred. Karen--who has issues with letting things go she's been told--had a think-outside-of-the-box moment. Before you know it, we're ripping out the bench seating in the camper (that Karen had fantasized about turning into a captain's swivel chair--you know like Captain Kirk!) so that the motorcycle would fit INSIDE the camper! It sure made for an obstacle course to the potty. Because the length of the "hallway" was almost exactly the length of the bike, we had to pop a wheelie on the couch to get it in and turned down the main path. And of course, camper doors are NOT very wide, so we had to do some fancy moves just to get the handle bar through.
Not knowing if this crazy plan would even work, we turned the camper's entrance away from the fancy three-axled humongous trailers that families of wealth brought in (from neighboring vineyards off in the hills) in order to ride their horses at the beach. Yes, we've become the Beverly Hillbillies, and we're not ashamed of it. Hell, after all the basically homeless people we've met in the Walmart parking lots, we know we are rich: we have a full fridge (that we keep cool with ice b/c it's broken), a full gas tank, and 6 functioning tires. More than anything, we count ourselves quite fortunate because we have friends and family who we could call for help if we were stuck, and whose company is invaluable.
Speaking of which, after loading up the bike, we headed north for a visit with my brother and his four boys. I can't believe how big they are getting! We camped for the weekend and got to see two of Matt's baseball games as well. The boys are really cool kids. We enjoyed them very much. Fortunately, upon our return from camping, we were able to sell the motorcycle. We even got the hitch torched off the back. El Dorado feels like she just got an ass-lift! We don't cringe anymore when going in and out of parking lots. We're feeling foot loose and fancy free!
So, it's off to the giant Redwoods for us. We can't wait! If southern Cal is a consumer's oasis, then northern Cal is treehugger heaven!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Mexico chapter comes to a close...
For all those holding their breath for us, you can let it back out! We made it back across the border without any difficulties.
We're in Irvine at present, staying with my best bud Jonathan and Mack. We'll be wandering up the Pacific Coast and into Canada hopefully for this next leg of the journey. I may even pop over to Egypt for a couple of weeks too! We'll see. I'll keep you posted.
We had a GREAT time on the Baja. There are many more stories to tell. We've gotten SO relaxed down there we haven't posted lately. I'll prod Tony to post some more as he's much more the story teller than me.
Happy spring to you all. We were enjoying perfect swimsuit weather and then, we headed north. Now we are in southern Cal and its actually quite nippy out. We even woke up to rain this morning, something we hadn't seen in the last 3 months. So, yeah, sunny Mexico, hangin' at the beach was just what the doctor ordered. Tony and I are like two goofy peas in a pod! We are well suited wanderers. We look forward to the next leg of our trip together.
Thanks to you all for your positive thoughts and prayers.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
How The %&@! Did We End Up Here!
The morning came quickly and I found myself nursing a slight hangover. I was the first to wake up but laid in bed for a few moments trying to take in last night’s events. As I laid there watching the sun peek through the curtains, slowly a sound seeped into my consciences as if I was still dreaming. The sound was loud and irritating like a motorcycle that will not start. I leaned up on one arm and slowly looked over the side of the bed. There it was the maker of the irritating noise. Four paws covered in white fur with sky blue eyes, tongue hanging out to the side with what looked like a tennis ball in her mouth. I could see that hope sprang eternal as she glared at me like the photos of the RCA dog from the seventies with her head cocked to one side. “You better take her out seeing how she saw you wake up first;” came a husky voice from under the covers. I rolled over and plopped out of bed. Now Graceland does not have a tail only a nub and when she gets excited her whole ass wiggles and the nub moves like the remainder of an amputee’s body part. If you were to walk past her and her sphere of perpetual joy, she would pick it up and race in front of you and drop the toy in your pathway. This is the curse we live with on an hourly basis of every day. One must understand that the minute Karen and I walk away from that camper Grace will attempt to chew your face off if you walk too near. This is the sole reason she was chosen to come along in a household of three dogs. I dawned the days uniform of cut off shorts and a tank top, threw on my flip flops and out we went. In the parking lot of the campground is where I decided to play fetch with Grace but after the first ball toss a chorus of barking came from the other campsites as she sprang off to chase the ball. Everyone in the camp was now up.Elke and Chris wanted to mail off the postcards they purchased the day before so before leaving all four of us went on a morning hike to find the only post office in town. Afterwards we picked up last minute supplies, filled our gas tanks then headed out to Los Cerritos which was about ten miles down the road. Now Karen and I were utilizing a book to help instruct us through the Baja which happened to be in its third edition. The book was still four years old yet we followed its instructions to a tee. Somehow we made the wrong turn and convinced Chris and Elke that the dirt road the book is specifying is the one we were on so we kept on driving. Within a hundred yards into the desert I found myself on three wheels with the fourth wheel a foot off the ground. I don’t think El Dorado was designed to do this but here I was stuck on an isolated dirt road that was a mile and a half long heading towards what the author of the book said was the best beach on the Baja. There was no mention that the damn thing was a true four wheel drive road! Out came Elke and Chris who with Karen pushed me on through. When we reached our final destination we were sadly disappointed to find out that the town of Todos Santos had closed the beach area due to the sale of the property to some developer who had condos in mind! Son-of-a @#$%! Now I had to drive out with the anxieties looming ahead. We decided to get a bite to eat before doing the deed. Chris was sure he saw another road that connected to our purgatory after the four wheel debacle. So instead of eating, Chris took one of my two way radios and decided to walk the road he saw and discovered that this road was the best way out with no boulders, roller coaster turns or soft sand pits in the road. He radioed back that he would wait for us at the exit and within minutes were back on solid paved road heading south.
We only drove for what seemed like a few miles when we saw the signs for Playa Los Cerritos and turned in. The Pacific winds were blowing gently as the sun was starting it’s decent over the horizon. Karen and I quickly located a spot for both vehicles to park. We leveled out the camper and with Grace leading the way scurried to the beach that was about a hundred yards away. As we sat enjoying the sunset and watching Grace bark at the waves, one of the seasoned locals named Marcos who boondocked this camp since early November sat down next to us to give us the lowdown on the beach scene. A biker from Arizona who was newly divorced with a fat pension brought him this far south. He made mention that tonight at the local gringo bar called the Sand Bar was all-u-can-eat pizza night and that most everyone in the camp heads over. He even offered to give our group a lift over if we wanted. Then two other campers named Dennis and Pat came over with Elke and Chris to chat. Marcos made the introductions and we all sat to watch the last daylight fade away.
The idea of pizza and beers sounded very good seeing how none of us felt like cooking dinner. Marcos was just pulling up in an old 82 two door hatchback Chevy Citation when Elke knocked at our door. Dennis and Pat came strolling into our campsite as well and like a college prank stuffed all seven of us into the small car and was off for the night. As we drove out of the campground the poor old car scrapped bottom at every bump. We were laughing hysterically.
“You can check out any time you like…
The rhythmic flapping of a dozen hummingbirds filled the air as each bird individually worked the various flowers on the numerous cacti which grew around the field. The local dogs barked as their masters began laying food dishes out for the morning grub. The scent of a diesel engine tractor lofted through the campground as it sat idling in the lot next door. The clock showed seven thirty when the side door entrance of the Westfalia slid open. Karen and I were still sleeping soundly. Chris made loud throat clearing noises as he and Elke prepared their breakfast; a subtle alarm clock. Karen was the first to stir awake. She gently threw the covers off her as she slid out of the elevated bed. “Wakey, wakey, hand off snakey!” she bellowed as she filled the tea pot with water. I threw the covers off and sprang to my feet like a cheetah on a baby gazelle. Do you really believe that shit? It took me ten minutes to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Then I crept slowly up to sit on the edge of the bed. The tea pot started whistling. I threw on the shorts I wore the day before but made sure a fresh t-shirt was on, poured me a cup of coffee from the now hot french press, sat outside under the awning and smoked the first cigarette of the day. 
We made no qualms about prepping for the day’s drive and by eight thirty both vehicles were pulling out. Todos Santos was the today’s destination which happened to be about two hundred kilometers. The journey took us through Lapaz, the largest city on the peninsula. The drive was truly uneventful and drab overall. By mid morning we neared the ten kilometer marker as the mile markers count downwards to the large city. Here we passed a military checkpoint set up to appear as an agriculture stop. There was a tank covered with desert colored netting and what looked like the barrel of a fifty caliber gun set on a tripod with two young recruits listening to their ipods all the while pointing the large weapon at our camper. The traffic leaving the city was backed up a few hundred feet as the soldiers were more alerted to the vehicles heading north on Mex1 with vehicle inspections that occupied several soldiers at a time. The young officer in the southbound lanes took one look at our vehicle and waved us through, lucky I thought. At about a mile north out of the cities edge our caravan needed to gas up at the local Pemex gas station. Two guys that looked like surfers who were heading back to the states stopped over as I was pumping gas. They noticed the surfboard on the back of El Dorado and wanted to chit chat a little. They warned us that the city of LaPaz was preparing for the holiday carnival and so the police force has quadrupled. “Their stopping any gringos for every reason under the sun and pulling the ‘ol pay-up-front-now so-we-don’t-have-to-go-to-the-police-station routine” said the older of the two. I also mentioned how lucky I thought we were to blow through the check point with no hassle. The younger surfer said “These boys on the Baja don’t give a shit about what you may or may not be carrying heading south towards Cabo. You can expect long searches for any American vehicles headed north. Drug runners from Cabo are notorious so everyone gets checked out thoroughly all the way to Ensanada.” Damn! I thought it might have been the dog sitting between Karen and I that swayed the young officer’s mind in stopping and questioning us. Oh! Well! Before parting the two surfers shouted “be careful, have a great time and don’t forget to check out the surf at Los Cerritos!” Chris and I started looking on our maps for this hidden jewel tidbit of information and found it to be a few miles past the town of Todos Santos. Chris also noticed a new highway that loops around the city of Lapaz on his map and made mention of it to me. Without words we knew this was the route of least resistance and possibly no police squirmishes. The highway shortcut guided us through the western edge of the cities barrio and life in this neck of the woods looked pretty dismal. Karen snapped photos of the daily bizarre lifestyles as we scooted along through neighborhoods and in no time was back in the desert terrain.
An hour had passed when Chris slowed the Westy almost to a halt. A local police checkpoint was just ahead. Without even a glance the police officer waved our caravan through and within minutes we were driving on a cobblestone road. This was the main street through Todos Santos. Colorful banners zigzagged across the tops of the street. Every flower seemed to be in full bloom. Tourists dressed in white shorts and straw hats darted in and out of shops and restaurants. Chris and Elke pulled over to park the van in the first open spot. I found a spot a few car lengths down. Chris walked up to Karen and made mention that he needed to stop at an ATM machine and to make a call. Karen and I started to look around some of the local shops instead of waiting around. Todos Santos has many art galleries and Karen wanted to check them all out. Just then Elke walked up and said she’ll have to try the phone call again later because there was no answer so all four of us decided to walk around town and join the colorful clothed tourists.
The town had a real carnival type atmosphere. The first shop we walked into had many colorful items like coconut masks and numerous t-shirts with clever ads pasted on the front and backs. Ponchos and jewelry made from the various regions in Mexico and brightly painted bathroom sinks in a multitude of shapes and sizes. But as the hours passed we noticed that all the shops pretty much carried the same items. Near the center of town Karen and I walked up to the famous Hotel California with Its legendary status that was started from a song written by the infamous rock band the Eagles called Hotel California. Karen was oblivious to the story so it was not as impressive to her as it was for me. I walked through the hallways and arched entrances to the various rooms taking photos like the other tourists who were in the know. The afternoon hours were upon us and the four of us decided we best locate the campground we planned on staying at for the evening. It wasn’t too far away just a few blocks. We drove in and found two campsites side-by-side and made it our night’s headquarters. Karen and I decided to take advantage of the hot showers then made us a nice dinner all the while we were inspecting the day’s loot. We bought some jewelry, clothes and postcards. That night all four of us decided it would be easier to walk back into town and have a few drinks at the famous hotel bar. The margaritas were superb and going down like water! I was so glad we walked to the bar as we headed back to the campers at the end of the night. Two margaritas and one can forget the straight line walking!
We made no qualms about prepping for the day’s drive and by eight thirty both vehicles were pulling out. Todos Santos was the today’s destination which happened to be about two hundred kilometers. The journey took us through Lapaz, the largest city on the peninsula. The drive was truly uneventful and drab overall. By mid morning we neared the ten kilometer marker as the mile markers count downwards to the large city. Here we passed a military checkpoint set up to appear as an agriculture stop. There was a tank covered with desert colored netting and what looked like the barrel of a fifty caliber gun set on a tripod with two young recruits listening to their ipods all the while pointing the large weapon at our camper. The traffic leaving the city was backed up a few hundred feet as the soldiers were more alerted to the vehicles heading north on Mex1 with vehicle inspections that occupied several soldiers at a time. The young officer in the southbound lanes took one look at our vehicle and waved us through, lucky I thought. At about a mile north out of the cities edge our caravan needed to gas up at the local Pemex gas station. Two guys that looked like surfers who were heading back to the states stopped over as I was pumping gas. They noticed the surfboard on the back of El Dorado and wanted to chit chat a little. They warned us that the city of LaPaz was preparing for the holiday carnival and so the police force has quadrupled. “Their stopping any gringos for every reason under the sun and pulling the ‘ol pay-up-front-now so-we-don’t-have-to-go-to-the-police-station routine” said the older of the two. I also mentioned how lucky I thought we were to blow through the check point with no hassle. The younger surfer said “These boys on the Baja don’t give a shit about what you may or may not be carrying heading south towards Cabo. You can expect long searches for any American vehicles headed north. Drug runners from Cabo are notorious so everyone gets checked out thoroughly all the way to Ensanada.” Damn! I thought it might have been the dog sitting between Karen and I that swayed the young officer’s mind in stopping and questioning us. Oh! Well! Before parting the two surfers shouted “be careful, have a great time and don’t forget to check out the surf at Los Cerritos!” Chris and I started looking on our maps for this hidden jewel tidbit of information and found it to be a few miles past the town of Todos Santos. Chris also noticed a new highway that loops around the city of Lapaz on his map and made mention of it to me. Without words we knew this was the route of least resistance and possibly no police squirmishes. The highway shortcut guided us through the western edge of the cities barrio and life in this neck of the woods looked pretty dismal. Karen snapped photos of the daily bizarre lifestyles as we scooted along through neighborhoods and in no time was back in the desert terrain.
An hour had passed when Chris slowed the Westy almost to a halt. A local police checkpoint was just ahead. Without even a glance the police officer waved our caravan through and within minutes we were driving on a cobblestone road. This was the main street through Todos Santos. Colorful banners zigzagged across the tops of the street. Every flower seemed to be in full bloom. Tourists dressed in white shorts and straw hats darted in and out of shops and restaurants. Chris and Elke pulled over to park the van in the first open spot. I found a spot a few car lengths down. Chris walked up to Karen and made mention that he needed to stop at an ATM machine and to make a call. Karen and I started to look around some of the local shops instead of waiting around. Todos Santos has many art galleries and Karen wanted to check them all out. Just then Elke walked up and said she’ll have to try the phone call again later because there was no answer so all four of us decided to walk around town and join the colorful clothed tourists.
The town had a real carnival type atmosphere. The first shop we walked into had many colorful items like coconut masks and numerous t-shirts with clever ads pasted on the front and backs. Ponchos and jewelry made from the various regions in Mexico and brightly painted bathroom sinks in a multitude of shapes and sizes. But as the hours passed we noticed that all the shops pretty much carried the same items. Near the center of town Karen and I walked up to the famous Hotel California with Its legendary status that was started from a song written by the infamous rock band the Eagles called Hotel California. Karen was oblivious to the story so it was not as impressive to her as it was for me. I walked through the hallways and arched entrances to the various rooms taking photos like the other tourists who were in the know. The afternoon hours were upon us and the four of us decided we best locate the campground we planned on staying at for the evening. It wasn’t too far away just a few blocks. We drove in and found two campsites side-by-side and made it our night’s headquarters. Karen and I decided to take advantage of the hot showers then made us a nice dinner all the while we were inspecting the day’s loot. We bought some jewelry, clothes and postcards. That night all four of us decided it would be easier to walk back into town and have a few drinks at the famous hotel bar. The margaritas were superb and going down like water! I was so glad we walked to the bar as we headed back to the campers at the end of the night. Two margaritas and one can forget the straight line walking!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Dreads & Banana Pancakes
The sun was creeping over the sole peak on the island of Isla Chivato which was due east about a half mile directly across the beach. El Dorado was parked perpendicularly a mere twenty five feet from the water’s edge. Elke and Cris parked the 74 Westy in front of El Dorado and we formed an “L” shaped camp site. Both our entrances to the vehicles opened to the ring of rocks that caged the large camp fires we had during the previous nights. On this morning I decided to make all of us my famous banana pancakes. Karen loves these delights and our young German travel mates never heard of such a dish yet in their polite European manner devoured as many as I sat in front of them. With our tummies full, all four of us were zipping around our vehicles, breaking down camp and prepping for the trip to our next destination – Ciudad Constitucion.
After eighteen long hours and a river of pain, Karen’s dreads were done! She’s a beautiful buffalo soljah girl. At first glance, you would think she has had these dreads for years due to the length. I am very proud of the crop of dreads I made for her. She wears them well!
The drive was scenic along the rocky coastline to the town of Loreto where Mex 1 headed west again cutting and climbing through the mountains of Sierra de la Giganta and on through to the farming town of Ciudad Constitucion. Here we stopped for a quick visit to a roadside fruit stand set at what appeared to be the entrance of the town. Little did we realize how tiring this four hour drive can be, we were all drained. I swear some of the truck drivers appeared to be young teenagers on crotch rockets blowing down the highway passing vehicles at 75 mph. What’s really scary is that Mexico’s highways here on the Baja have no shoulders. Some spots drop two to six feet. It can be very nerve wracking.
As we drove through the orange groves and fields of corn, we discovered the backbone of the farming life here on the Baja. These people work quite hard for a few pesos a day. We finally see our landmark destination that turns us off Mex 1 for a half mile to a cheesy little RV park called La Pila Balneario RV park. It was nothing really but a palm tree encased field with dozens of red ant hills dotting the park, time to break out the Ajax and sprinkle around the tires. Ants hate Ajax! The pool was half full of ice cold water and the Jacuzzi had a sign that read “under reparacion,” there goes the swimming and the hot tubbing for the night. The camp did have electric hookups and potable water but the highlight was the whole camp was WIFI rigged. That night calls were made to a few utilizing our majic jack hookup. What a cool device, free calls anywhere all year long! Dinner consisted of teriyaki beef and broccoli over rice. Karen, who’s not a big fan of bell peppers, actually ate the red bell peppers sautéed in with the broccoli. She then, let out a loud my-compliments-to-the-chef burp. As night settled in Cris and Elke came over to check their emails and down a couple of warm Cervesas with the chef. Karen had her favorite drink which consisted of coconut rum and pineapple juice. The night was peaceful until sometime during the night several gunshots in the distance set the security tone for the evening.
El Coyote one of our fav beaches on the Baja
Damn! Our very first vehicle problem had snuck up on us, at least here in Mexico. We apparently ran the batteries low during the night. This minor mishap slowed our departure from the barren Laguna Ojo de Liebre and the 28th parallel. As Willy and Anna were passing by he shouted in his broken English “need a jump?” Within minutes the Dolphin was running. Sadly though Willy and Anna decided last night that they were going on separately and so we all wished each other safe travels. We exchanged our home addresses and individual email addresses before giving hugs to one another when Elke and Chris drove up to the group. Words were then spoken in German and the hugs followed thereafter.
The fifteen mile drive to the main road did not seem as horrific as the drive in and soon our two vehicle caravan was scooting down the highway. We drove through the Sonoran desert again crossing from the Pacific side to the eastern side of the Baja and the Sea of Cortez. But for the first time we had to cross through mountains known as the Sierra de la Giganta. These mountains run along the whole eastern shore of the Baja. Exciting! We blew through the quaint desert town of San Ignacio which marked the entrance through the mountains and within an hour saw the first glimpse of the Sea of Cortez.
We drove along the seaside for a few more miles before entering the French colonial town of Santa Rosalia where we stopped and resupplied our food shelves then found the local internet café. Before departing, we found the oldest French bakery in the Baja. Yum! Eee!! This is a must find for anyone passing through. We also found the church made by Mr. Eiffel, the man who made the famed Eiffel tower. The unique thing about this church is that it is all metal. Each piece was hand crafted in France and shipped over to Santa Rosalia.
We drove for another hour or so passing the palm tree oasis of Mulege before entering Bahia Coyote. This is a bay within a bay. Bahia Concepcion is quite large and the paradise cove of Bahia Coyote is near the entrance to the much larger bay. At the southern end of Bahia Coyote marks the beach of the same name - Playa El Coyote and we pulled in for our next adventure. Playa El Coyote has to be the coolest of all the beaches in Bahia Coyote with a drive in that can rival many drives along high passes in Colorado.
We cruised the short beach until we found a beautiful mangrove patch with what seemed like a permanent vacationer parked under it. The twenty five foot Winnebago had a signed painted on the rear which read “Raven Research Laboratory.” We had to park next to it!
Gary was the sole owner/operator of the research facility. He has been coming to this very beach for eighteen years. The birds know this guy for he had in the mangrove trees bird feeders for the various birds, a bird bath with fresh water and fruits on broken branches. Hell, he even had the pelicans hanging around the stretch of beach off his camp site. This guy even had a beach museum next to the lab in a makeshift palapa stock full of shells, dead fish and corals and did I mention dead fishes? I know he told me what he was researching but I forgot. Anyway, this guy seemed really cool. We decided to stay for several days. This beach really had it going on. Every morning local vendors would come and sell their goods. One sold fresh fish, shrimp and scallops. Another sold fresh picked vegetables and fruits. One sold fresh baked breads and pies. There would also be a few trinket sales men selling such things as hammocks, necklaces and of course Mexican silver whatevers. We found ourselves hiding in our campers when these guys came around by the third day!
Life is slow and easy here. Gracie even made friends with many of the local pooches. One in particular was a puppy named Gypsy. At first glance, one would think this dog is one of the thousand homeless canines. How wrong we were. This dog had a home with some world renowned kayaker. Gypsy was the local trash inspector. Gracie and Gypsy played all day long which was cool with us seeing how bad she can be with the ol’ Jedi mind tricks and throwing the ball or Frisbee. Besides it helped tire her out at nights. This place is beautiful. It will be hard to leave this place. Tomorrow will be the big day for Karen. I will start the long process of dreadlocking her hair!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Grey whale watching!
“Yes I am pirate, a few hundred years too late!
The cannons don’t thunder, there’s nothing to plunder,
I’m an under forty victim of fate arriving too late!”
The cannons don’t thunder, there’s nothing to plunder,
I’m an under forty victim of fate arriving too late!”
~~ Jimmy Buffet
The afternoon sun was nearing 2:15 when the two younger German couple came strolling up. The boat captain was still pleasantly smiling even though the trip was scheduled to leave at two. Willy and Anna muttered phrases in German and the four began what sounded like an international chicken squabble but off we were. There were eight of us not counting the boat captain loading up into a twenty foot wooden v hull. Soon the vessel was skipping across the two mile wide lagoon and the mist off the front of the boat was a cool oasis from the afternoon heat. Within minutes from our departure, bottle nosed dolphins were escorting our boat. Then as the captain lowered the gears on the 75 horse Yamaha, the atmosphere was filled with the sound of what could best be described as someone blowing air through a short garden hose. We had arrived! Majestic Grey whale mothers and babies were breaking water like submarines submerging from the deep. The sight was breathtaking. Not one or two but dozens and dozens in every direction and in varying distances from the boat as well. Before we knew it the captain pulled the boat within twenty feet of a sleeping mother and baby. It took the baby which averaged fifteen feet or so no time at all in realizing there were visitors near them. It swam as if from a sea world show flipping a single fin at us and rolling along. The ruckus woke the mammoth forty foot mother and off the two went. We cruised slowly through the giant pack watching the occasional brown pelicans diving for food through the maze of whale humps for what seemed an eternity. The sounds of digital cameras filled the air when the captain found another sleeping pair. I realized he was utilizing a more stealthy approach as he idled the engine. The boat drifted in a near perfect perpendicular glide to within a few feet of the dormant mother. I stuck my waterproof camera a foot and a half below the surface and snapped an excellent shot of the mother’s eye when all of a sudden the camera clicks woke the pair. Within seconds the second sea world show started this time the mom was also involved with the play time. The two whales danced around the boat for a good half hour before the captain asked if we had had enough. Yet even before the captain finished his sentenced Karen was reaching for the fin of the mother grey whale as they were about to swim off. The whole scene looked like a child in a petting zoo reaching for a goat who wants to stay out of reach. The afternoon sun was cooking now as the winds slowly picked up. The ride back seemed more wet as the boat cut through two foot waves. That night the six of us upon finishing our dinners met at Willy and Anna’s camper to compare pictures and videos. We laughed into the wee hours of the night then departed to our camps.
The afternoon sun was nearing 2:15 when the two younger German couple came strolling up. The boat captain was still pleasantly smiling even though the trip was scheduled to leave at two. Willy and Anna muttered phrases in German and the four began what sounded like an international chicken squabble but off we were. There were eight of us not counting the boat captain loading up into a twenty foot wooden v hull. Soon the vessel was skipping across the two mile wide lagoon and the mist off the front of the boat was a cool oasis from the afternoon heat. Within minutes from our departure, bottle nosed dolphins were escorting our boat. Then as the captain lowered the gears on the 75 horse Yamaha, the atmosphere was filled with the sound of what could best be described as someone blowing air through a short garden hose. We had arrived! Majestic Grey whale mothers and babies were breaking water like submarines submerging from the deep. The sight was breathtaking. Not one or two but dozens and dozens in every direction and in varying distances from the boat as well. Before we knew it the captain pulled the boat within twenty feet of a sleeping mother and baby. It took the baby which averaged fifteen feet or so no time at all in realizing there were visitors near them. It swam as if from a sea world show flipping a single fin at us and rolling along. The ruckus woke the mammoth forty foot mother and off the two went. We cruised slowly through the giant pack watching the occasional brown pelicans diving for food through the maze of whale humps for what seemed an eternity. The sounds of digital cameras filled the air when the captain found another sleeping pair. I realized he was utilizing a more stealthy approach as he idled the engine. The boat drifted in a near perfect perpendicular glide to within a few feet of the dormant mother. I stuck my waterproof camera a foot and a half below the surface and snapped an excellent shot of the mother’s eye when all of a sudden the camera clicks woke the pair. Within seconds the second sea world show started this time the mom was also involved with the play time. The two whales danced around the boat for a good half hour before the captain asked if we had had enough. Yet even before the captain finished his sentenced Karen was reaching for the fin of the mother grey whale as they were about to swim off. The whole scene looked like a child in a petting zoo reaching for a goat who wants to stay out of reach. The afternoon sun was cooking now as the winds slowly picked up. The ride back seemed more wet as the boat cut through two foot waves. That night the six of us upon finishing our dinners met at Willy and Anna’s camper to compare pictures and videos. We laughed into the wee hours of the night then departed to our camps.
Monday, February 9, 2009
A caravan is created
Our caravan companions: tan customized Toyota Landcruiser is Anna & Willie's; the orange vintage VW Westfalia is Elke & Christian's (pictured below)
We left Ensanada with four traveling companions. The night before our last night there a number of travelers arrived at La Jolla Beach camp: a seasoned traveling couple from northern Germany, a young couple from southern Germany, and two young goof balls from Alaska. Then an American Chris arrived on a BMW motorcycle, fresh out of Iraq. He and Nate and Jake the Alaskan boys (from Wasilla of all places!!) made their way off roading together down the Baja. We ran into them later down the road at a nice restaurant/RV place in Ciudad Constitucion. They went their separate ways. Happy Trails guys!
Anna & Willie are a German couple dancing around their 60 year mark. They custom designed their Toyota Landcruiser, they're set up with solar panels and 4 wheel drive of course; it's already tasted the terrain of the African landscape. We got to witness a slideshow of their TWO YEAR TREK across AFRICA. We can't begin to tell you how thrilled we were to meet people who've actually done what we have yet only dreamed of doing. These are true wanderers indeed. It's been great getting to know them. Learning what can make people laugh on the other side of the ocean has been a fun endeavor. Annie & Willie headed off on their own near Mulege, after we all stopped at Scammon's Lagoon for a whale watching excursion (more of that in another posting).
Chris & Elke are a fun-loving, sweet couple in their early twenties. Elke is a carpenter officiando who has a love of the country. She has three sheep and a horse back home; we're totally envious of course, as well as Gracie who would do Dharma and Karma a HUGE favor if she had sheep instead of them to chase around all day. Chris is a saavy entreprenuir dealing in vintage vespas and Westfalias. They both have master's degrees, he in economics and she in fine woodworking. What's funny is Elke and Christian have been together twice as long as Tony and I yet we are twice their age. Regardless, we are enjoying their company very much. We've made a peanut butter fan out of Chris and Elke-- the lone vegetarian-- has been seduced to the dark side a couple of times with Tony's ridiculously delicious grilled creole shrimp, cooked right over th camp fire! Yum Yum. We've heard at least as much German as Spanish on our journey through Mexico! We are still traveling with them and are currently at the very southern tip of the Baja, yes, the ultra touristy Cabos San Lucas.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Oops, missed one of my favorite sights B4 leaving US
We stayed in Saguaro National Park in Tucson for a couple of days. It was the coolest place!! I can't begin to tell you how human-like these amazing cacti are; they are SO huge and EVERYWHERE. I thought we'd only see a smattering of them here or there, but they were all over the place. Each one was unique! I wanted to introduce myself to all of them and take their pictures. Here is a seemingly "between the legs" shot of a couple of them. If you are ever in this area, you simply MUST meet these amazing creatures (they truly are more like beings than "mere" plants). Cool Cool Cool!
Introducing "Man of the Year" Alejandro Pabloff
January 23, 2009
Yesterday Alejandro, the owner of the RV camp we are staying at (La Jolla Beach Camp--I highly recommend staying here!), stopped by as he usually does to check on us to make sure everything is okay. He offered to show us around his property. He told us the story of how he purchased the land—72 acres for a mere $2000—back in 1960. It has since grown from a lovely beachfront plot and hillside across the road to a tiny village where many people from the United States have been coming for the last 40 years. I can see why. This is a very honorable 85 year old man whose entire family works the place. He is known to the area as a kindhearted man who looks after those in need. After showing us all his various ongoing projects, he offered to take us for some seafood just down the road at Sharky’s! Tony had tuna and I had camaron(shrimp)… mui bien! What a sweet man indeed.
Later in the week (yes, we've officially lost track of the days!) Alej was kind enough to show us his 20 acre farm up on the hillside. We picked lemons and huge grapefruits right off the trees. Then he shook another tree and all these delicous smelling fruits dropped off. They were guava and SO tasty. He packed us a box full of tasty fruit and AGAIN took us to lunch. Fish & chips were had by all. YUM YUM. Everyone we've met tells us how generous this man is and how much he and his family (six sons and many grandkids) have done for the area. Ensenada has honored him as "Man of the Year" twice! Deserving indeed. He feeds many in the area with his farm. He is a man who simply radiates. It has been a true pleasure to know him.
I only hope that I can manage so well at 85 years of age. You should have seen him climbing around his orchard. Keeping your hands in the earth will keep you vibrant no doubt.
I'll post pictures later as they're still on the camera. Well, that about brings ya'll up to date. We're off Monday to head further south on the Baja. Hopefully, you'll see more postings soon.
Hasta la vista!
Keep us in your thoughts!
Yesterday Alejandro, the owner of the RV camp we are staying at (La Jolla Beach Camp--I highly recommend staying here!), stopped by as he usually does to check on us to make sure everything is okay. He offered to show us around his property. He told us the story of how he purchased the land—72 acres for a mere $2000—back in 1960. It has since grown from a lovely beachfront plot and hillside across the road to a tiny village where many people from the United States have been coming for the last 40 years. I can see why. This is a very honorable 85 year old man whose entire family works the place. He is known to the area as a kindhearted man who looks after those in need. After showing us all his various ongoing projects, he offered to take us for some seafood just down the road at Sharky’s! Tony had tuna and I had camaron(shrimp)… mui bien! What a sweet man indeed.
Later in the week (yes, we've officially lost track of the days!) Alej was kind enough to show us his 20 acre farm up on the hillside. We picked lemons and huge grapefruits right off the trees. Then he shook another tree and all these delicous smelling fruits dropped off. They were guava and SO tasty. He packed us a box full of tasty fruit and AGAIN took us to lunch. Fish & chips were had by all. YUM YUM. Everyone we've met tells us how generous this man is and how much he and his family (six sons and many grandkids) have done for the area. Ensenada has honored him as "Man of the Year" twice! Deserving indeed. He feeds many in the area with his farm. He is a man who simply radiates. It has been a true pleasure to know him.
I only hope that I can manage so well at 85 years of age. You should have seen him climbing around his orchard. Keeping your hands in the earth will keep you vibrant no doubt.
I'll post pictures later as they're still on the camera. Well, that about brings ya'll up to date. We're off Monday to head further south on the Baja. Hopefully, you'll see more postings soon.
Hasta la vista!
Keep us in your thoughts!
A beach with natural hot springs
January 19th, 2008
It’s another beautiful morning at the beach. We’re staying ‘til the end of the month here at the La Jolla beach camp just outside Ensenada. Tony set up the solar panels yesterday afternoon so today we’re testing them out. While he tapped into the solar energy, I set a couple of items for the wind to engage. I brought two sets of chimes, some tiny little bells and some bamboo chimes that Tony reassembled after getting beaten up out at our place and its typical high wind zone! Here the beach breeze is gentle and refreshing and the chimes play ever so delicately!
We made our morning coffee and sat outside watching the waves come in and to our surprise we saw several dolphins playing just beyond the surf. We saw them briefly the other day, but this morning there were at least a half-dozen of them rising up. Then we saw something rise a up but there was no fin, so we grabbed the binoculars and low and behold it was a grey whale cresting just above the surface!!! How cool was that! We didn’t know they would be in this lovely little cove. We thought they were only further south in the lagoons of the southern Baja! What a treat! It seemed SO close to shore. We’ll keep a close eye out again tomorrow morning, and perhaps if we get brave enough, we’ll head out into the water to get a little closer to these amazing creatures of the sea. Swimming with dolphins and whales… you gotta love sabbatical.
Speaking of which, I just finished reading a great sci fi novel that will help with the chapter on alien sex. That Octavia Butler sure had one heck of an imagination! Great read called Lilith’s Brood. There’s two more in the series, so plenty more of the story to read… hurray!
Tony has taken the motorcycle off to venture into town for a little bit. It’s challenging to be in a place where you don’t speak the language. I’ve always admired immigrants who come to America with only a few bucks in their pocket and no knowledge of the land or the language. What amazing courage and sense of adventure. Of course for many it was not of choice but of necessity (or enslavement). What a tumultuous beginning to our country. And tomorrow, after three hundred years of slavery and less than a hundred years of freedom, our nation is about to inaugurate our first African-American president!!!! Even whale spotting doesn’t top that beautiful event. I am proud to be an American. A statement I was not prone to say very often. I held my head high the night of the election and when my friend Riham called all the way from Egypt I couldn’t have been more proud of my people! We cheered together! You go Obama!
Well, the beach calls me. Did I mention about the natural hot springs on the beach here??? Just in front of us—marked by a couple of big rocks—are some hot springs just below the surface. You dig a little bit and seriously hot water comes up. It mixes with the ocean water to cool it off just right! We sure found a great place to stop for a while. The man who owns it Alejandro is very sweet and makes sure we have everything we need. Across the street up the mountain a little bit he has some spots you can lease year round for only $750, yes, that price is for the entire YEAR, not week, not month! If we lived closer I would jump on that. If I were a bit older, I’d jump on that. But, there’s still more to do yet. But right now I’m off to enjoy the agua caliente!
It’s another beautiful morning at the beach. We’re staying ‘til the end of the month here at the La Jolla beach camp just outside Ensenada. Tony set up the solar panels yesterday afternoon so today we’re testing them out. While he tapped into the solar energy, I set a couple of items for the wind to engage. I brought two sets of chimes, some tiny little bells and some bamboo chimes that Tony reassembled after getting beaten up out at our place and its typical high wind zone! Here the beach breeze is gentle and refreshing and the chimes play ever so delicately!
We made our morning coffee and sat outside watching the waves come in and to our surprise we saw several dolphins playing just beyond the surf. We saw them briefly the other day, but this morning there were at least a half-dozen of them rising up. Then we saw something rise a up but there was no fin, so we grabbed the binoculars and low and behold it was a grey whale cresting just above the surface!!! How cool was that! We didn’t know they would be in this lovely little cove. We thought they were only further south in the lagoons of the southern Baja! What a treat! It seemed SO close to shore. We’ll keep a close eye out again tomorrow morning, and perhaps if we get brave enough, we’ll head out into the water to get a little closer to these amazing creatures of the sea. Swimming with dolphins and whales… you gotta love sabbatical.
Speaking of which, I just finished reading a great sci fi novel that will help with the chapter on alien sex. That Octavia Butler sure had one heck of an imagination! Great read called Lilith’s Brood. There’s two more in the series, so plenty more of the story to read… hurray!
Tony has taken the motorcycle off to venture into town for a little bit. It’s challenging to be in a place where you don’t speak the language. I’ve always admired immigrants who come to America with only a few bucks in their pocket and no knowledge of the land or the language. What amazing courage and sense of adventure. Of course for many it was not of choice but of necessity (or enslavement). What a tumultuous beginning to our country. And tomorrow, after three hundred years of slavery and less than a hundred years of freedom, our nation is about to inaugurate our first African-American president!!!! Even whale spotting doesn’t top that beautiful event. I am proud to be an American. A statement I was not prone to say very often. I held my head high the night of the election and when my friend Riham called all the way from Egypt I couldn’t have been more proud of my people! We cheered together! You go Obama!
Well, the beach calls me. Did I mention about the natural hot springs on the beach here??? Just in front of us—marked by a couple of big rocks—are some hot springs just below the surface. You dig a little bit and seriously hot water comes up. It mixes with the ocean water to cool it off just right! We sure found a great place to stop for a while. The man who owns it Alejandro is very sweet and makes sure we have everything we need. Across the street up the mountain a little bit he has some spots you can lease year round for only $750, yes, that price is for the entire YEAR, not week, not month! If we lived closer I would jump on that. If I were a bit older, I’d jump on that. But, there’s still more to do yet. But right now I’m off to enjoy the agua caliente!
Crossing the Border (NOT) in style (Jan 18th)
January 18th, 2009
Well, today was the big day. We finally crossed the border! What a nerve-wracking experience that was. I’m not sure which was more scary: the not knowing where we were going or the potholes that—not unlike black holes in the universe—ought to be named since these could definitely swallow you up and never let you be seen again.
You’d think we’d know where we were going, given the long wait to cross the border… wrong. We took the less popular crossing, so there literally was NO wait. So much for my “I’ll be prepared to navigate us once we cross” plan, but in my defense, I didn’t know we were taking an alternate route until we were in the nonexistent line. And by that point, our attention became immediately focused on the border guy—a kid actually—who knew no English (and we no real Spanish of course) who wanted to see the title for our motorcycle. We were prepared with ALMOST all of the paperwork required of us. But, after a bit of scrambling around, I found it and handed it over. I felt like so many non-English speakers are treated in the U.S., like “what are you doing here if you can’t speak the language?!” And we weren’t even across the damn border yet!! So, border kid asked if any of his co-workers spoke English—and fortunately one guy did. I found this rather odd having spent the last several days in the area south of San Diego (mile marker 3)right near the border where everyone, I mean everyone, was either speaking Spanish, or was clearly bi-lingual. How is it that the clerks at Wal-Mart all spoke both English and Spanish but the border guys nada?
Do I sound defensive? Just nervous actually. I felt helpless once we crossed and there were NO road signs, and the ones we could read were of little use because they were in Spanish (duh!). That wasn’t really the problem. The problem was we had no map. We had crossed where our travel books provided very little info, and we were definitely entering into a part of Tijuana that if my dad had been driving would have hollered to us kids “lock ‘em up!” Tony was beside himself and I could offer little comfort or guidance as to how to get us outa there!
So, we stumbled around from here to there and eventually saw a sign for I-5 and San Diego. It was REALLY tempting to say let’s go back! But, nope, we stuck to our “plan” and followed that sign so that when we got to where the most popular border crossing was (just off I-5) I could use the directions I was prepared to utilize earlier. Whew! We were now on our way out of the scary border town SO many had cautioned us against spending ANY time in whatsoever. I cannot begin to tell you how VERY, VERY grateful I am that the tires, and suspension, and the list is long…on our ol’ RV withstood the beating we gave it today. We stroked the dashboard and apologized to our Roz many times, thanking her for keeping us from being broken down. We also stroked the “buddha belly” of our new addition to the RV, “Lani-boy.”
In this lovely little beach town, Encinatas, just north of San Diego, we hung out for a day or two (days/time are definitely beginning to blur three weeks? into our travels). There we stopped into the local Thrift store where Tony picked up a steal of a deal on a rash guard/wet suit for surfing. Can’t wait to see my baby surf! While he was trying them on I stuck my nose in on this lovely gentleman’s consideration of a brown with floral print comforter. He had asked the elder woman behind the counter to help him unfold and estimate its size. Count me in! I meandered over and as they were debating whether or not is was a queen, I said, I think it’s a full. I mentioned that I have a full-sized bed and it looks about that size. I proceeded to say that it would probably fit a queen but that not much would hang over. Then, before I knew it, out it popped, “But who needs a hung over queen?!” The seemingly gay man (read stereotypically effeminate and just the kind of person I’m interesting in chatting with!)who was looking to purchase the item busted a gut and offered me the high five! The woman working the counter joined in the laughter and said wait ‘til I tell so and so. You gotta love human connections. Anyway, I do digress. So, once we left the Thrift store, we saw said man with comforter in tow just ahead of us in the alley. I told Tony the story and we all made introductions. We asked where some good places to eat were, and besides the Thai restaurant that perpetually calls our names, we opted for Kealani’s, a little Hawaiian spot. This is where we had dinner and picked up our little Hawaiian Hula man we nicknamed “Lani-boy” after the restaurant and Tony’s cousin. He wiggled all the way down the Mexican highways on the dashboard, playing his ukulele perched high above his buddha belly.
We are now just outside Ensanada, the town where we thought we could pick up our tourist visas, but learned that we were supposed to do that at the border now as well. We arrived at the migracion office about less than a half-hour before closing time to find this out. I had a suspicion that there may be difficulty since I found a paragraph in our more recently updated book that stated Ensanada was no longer the place to go for visas. Shit! Well, one and a half hours south of the border and NO WAY IN HELL were we turning around and reliving THAT experience anytime soon ( a lot like childbirth I imagine!), we went to the Migracion office just to get more dirty looks at our stupida Americana ways! He rushed our paperwork while sending Tony running down the street 3 blocks to try and get into the bank (which also closed at 2pm)to pay the fine for not having stopped at the border. He had no luck; however, the man was nice enough to give us our visas without paying the fine, warning us that we had better come back Monday with it paid. We promised we would and then high-tailed it out of there, only to sit in front of the now-closed office trying to figure out where to next. It’s Saturday evening and the bank is closed tomorrow, so, it looks like we’ll stay right around here for a couple of days to avoid getting on the Mexican government’s poop list! We drove just a smidge outside of town to our pick of parking spaces directly in front of the Pacific Ocean. As I sit here typing up this entry, I am blessed with the sound of the ocean’s endless waves coming ashore. Tony cooked us a lovely dinner outside over a fire as we watched the sun set and youth playing in the surf. A bit nippy for my middle aged body I believe… but, the plan is to head further down the Baja where the water is warmer and the whales are waiting to commune with us! It’s hard to keep moving given how stressful it can be at times. My guess is we’ll look to boondock somewhere not too far from this town (since we saw Internet access signs) and kick back and truly relax until the end of the month. We’ll see… meanwhile, it is time to snuggle up next to my honey and thank him again for doing so much to make this trip possible. I am a lucky woman indeed.
Well, today was the big day. We finally crossed the border! What a nerve-wracking experience that was. I’m not sure which was more scary: the not knowing where we were going or the potholes that—not unlike black holes in the universe—ought to be named since these could definitely swallow you up and never let you be seen again.
You’d think we’d know where we were going, given the long wait to cross the border… wrong. We took the less popular crossing, so there literally was NO wait. So much for my “I’ll be prepared to navigate us once we cross” plan, but in my defense, I didn’t know we were taking an alternate route until we were in the nonexistent line. And by that point, our attention became immediately focused on the border guy—a kid actually—who knew no English (and we no real Spanish of course) who wanted to see the title for our motorcycle. We were prepared with ALMOST all of the paperwork required of us. But, after a bit of scrambling around, I found it and handed it over. I felt like so many non-English speakers are treated in the U.S., like “what are you doing here if you can’t speak the language?!” And we weren’t even across the damn border yet!! So, border kid asked if any of his co-workers spoke English—and fortunately one guy did. I found this rather odd having spent the last several days in the area south of San Diego (mile marker 3)right near the border where everyone, I mean everyone, was either speaking Spanish, or was clearly bi-lingual. How is it that the clerks at Wal-Mart all spoke both English and Spanish but the border guys nada?
Do I sound defensive? Just nervous actually. I felt helpless once we crossed and there were NO road signs, and the ones we could read were of little use because they were in Spanish (duh!). That wasn’t really the problem. The problem was we had no map. We had crossed where our travel books provided very little info, and we were definitely entering into a part of Tijuana that if my dad had been driving would have hollered to us kids “lock ‘em up!” Tony was beside himself and I could offer little comfort or guidance as to how to get us outa there!
So, we stumbled around from here to there and eventually saw a sign for I-5 and San Diego. It was REALLY tempting to say let’s go back! But, nope, we stuck to our “plan” and followed that sign so that when we got to where the most popular border crossing was (just off I-5) I could use the directions I was prepared to utilize earlier. Whew! We were now on our way out of the scary border town SO many had cautioned us against spending ANY time in whatsoever. I cannot begin to tell you how VERY, VERY grateful I am that the tires, and suspension, and the list is long…on our ol’ RV withstood the beating we gave it today. We stroked the dashboard and apologized to our Roz many times, thanking her for keeping us from being broken down. We also stroked the “buddha belly” of our new addition to the RV, “Lani-boy.”
In this lovely little beach town, Encinatas, just north of San Diego, we hung out for a day or two (days/time are definitely beginning to blur three weeks? into our travels). There we stopped into the local Thrift store where Tony picked up a steal of a deal on a rash guard/wet suit for surfing. Can’t wait to see my baby surf! While he was trying them on I stuck my nose in on this lovely gentleman’s consideration of a brown with floral print comforter. He had asked the elder woman behind the counter to help him unfold and estimate its size. Count me in! I meandered over and as they were debating whether or not is was a queen, I said, I think it’s a full. I mentioned that I have a full-sized bed and it looks about that size. I proceeded to say that it would probably fit a queen but that not much would hang over. Then, before I knew it, out it popped, “But who needs a hung over queen?!” The seemingly gay man (read stereotypically effeminate and just the kind of person I’m interesting in chatting with!)who was looking to purchase the item busted a gut and offered me the high five! The woman working the counter joined in the laughter and said wait ‘til I tell so and so. You gotta love human connections. Anyway, I do digress. So, once we left the Thrift store, we saw said man with comforter in tow just ahead of us in the alley. I told Tony the story and we all made introductions. We asked where some good places to eat were, and besides the Thai restaurant that perpetually calls our names, we opted for Kealani’s, a little Hawaiian spot. This is where we had dinner and picked up our little Hawaiian Hula man we nicknamed “Lani-boy” after the restaurant and Tony’s cousin. He wiggled all the way down the Mexican highways on the dashboard, playing his ukulele perched high above his buddha belly.
We are now just outside Ensanada, the town where we thought we could pick up our tourist visas, but learned that we were supposed to do that at the border now as well. We arrived at the migracion office about less than a half-hour before closing time to find this out. I had a suspicion that there may be difficulty since I found a paragraph in our more recently updated book that stated Ensanada was no longer the place to go for visas. Shit! Well, one and a half hours south of the border and NO WAY IN HELL were we turning around and reliving THAT experience anytime soon ( a lot like childbirth I imagine!), we went to the Migracion office just to get more dirty looks at our stupida Americana ways! He rushed our paperwork while sending Tony running down the street 3 blocks to try and get into the bank (which also closed at 2pm)to pay the fine for not having stopped at the border. He had no luck; however, the man was nice enough to give us our visas without paying the fine, warning us that we had better come back Monday with it paid. We promised we would and then high-tailed it out of there, only to sit in front of the now-closed office trying to figure out where to next. It’s Saturday evening and the bank is closed tomorrow, so, it looks like we’ll stay right around here for a couple of days to avoid getting on the Mexican government’s poop list! We drove just a smidge outside of town to our pick of parking spaces directly in front of the Pacific Ocean. As I sit here typing up this entry, I am blessed with the sound of the ocean’s endless waves coming ashore. Tony cooked us a lovely dinner outside over a fire as we watched the sun set and youth playing in the surf. A bit nippy for my middle aged body I believe… but, the plan is to head further down the Baja where the water is warmer and the whales are waiting to commune with us! It’s hard to keep moving given how stressful it can be at times. My guess is we’ll look to boondock somewhere not too far from this town (since we saw Internet access signs) and kick back and truly relax until the end of the month. We’ll see… meanwhile, it is time to snuggle up next to my honey and thank him again for doing so much to make this trip possible. I am a lucky woman indeed.
Happy New Year from deep within Mother Earth
January 2, 2009
Hello again! We’re having a pretty exciting day today. Currently we are “parked” on the side of 375, the bypass around El Paso, Texas. The tire blew out just a few miles into town after being in the desert for one hundred and thirty-six miles. I’m not sure which I’m more in awe of at this point—the Carlsbad Caverns that we walked through this morning—or the fact that we made five phone calls at five pm on a Friday evening and fortunately found someone willing and able to bring us a tire because, yes, we had yet to purchase a spare (the rim on our spare was busted). I said a thank you to all those who prevented us from breaking down somewhere in the desolate desert, where there are no service stations whatsoever, not to mention absolutely no cell service either. Yes, we are calling this episode “luck.” Lots of luck! Or, put another way, lots of guardian angels looking after us!
The cave was amazing I have to say. It was truly a sight to see. We both just kept saying “damn this is a BIG cave!” It was beautiful, spectacular, truly a natural wonder. I remember seeing signs for Carlsbad Cavern when down at the Lake of the Ozarks. I always wondered exactly where this place was that I saw advertised so frequently. Well, now I know. It’s at the southern most end of New Mexico, just a hop, skip, and a jump before Texas.
It’s funny; Tony and I both were interested in driving quickly through—actually around—El Paso, Texas. If we could have skipped the state of Texas altogether, then that would have been just fine with us. Ironically, we find ourselves stuck her e for the moment. But, soon, “within one hour” the Firestone guy will deliver us a new tire, all for the affordable price of 142 dollars and some pocket change. A tow alone (phone number #3 that went unused) would have cost us that I would imagine. Yes, we are lucky indeed.
Hello again! We’re having a pretty exciting day today. Currently we are “parked” on the side of 375, the bypass around El Paso, Texas. The tire blew out just a few miles into town after being in the desert for one hundred and thirty-six miles. I’m not sure which I’m more in awe of at this point—the Carlsbad Caverns that we walked through this morning—or the fact that we made five phone calls at five pm on a Friday evening and fortunately found someone willing and able to bring us a tire because, yes, we had yet to purchase a spare (the rim on our spare was busted). I said a thank you to all those who prevented us from breaking down somewhere in the desolate desert, where there are no service stations whatsoever, not to mention absolutely no cell service either. Yes, we are calling this episode “luck.” Lots of luck! Or, put another way, lots of guardian angels looking after us!
The cave was amazing I have to say. It was truly a sight to see. We both just kept saying “damn this is a BIG cave!” It was beautiful, spectacular, truly a natural wonder. I remember seeing signs for Carlsbad Cavern when down at the Lake of the Ozarks. I always wondered exactly where this place was that I saw advertised so frequently. Well, now I know. It’s at the southern most end of New Mexico, just a hop, skip, and a jump before Texas.
It’s funny; Tony and I both were interested in driving quickly through—actually around—El Paso, Texas. If we could have skipped the state of Texas altogether, then that would have been just fine with us. Ironically, we find ourselves stuck her e for the moment. But, soon, “within one hour” the Firestone guy will deliver us a new tire, all for the affordable price of 142 dollars and some pocket change. A tow alone (phone number #3 that went unused) would have cost us that I would imagine. Yes, we are lucky indeed.
Yes, it actually rains in Tucson.
January 4, 2009
It’s raining in Tucson. It’s raining in the RV. A flat roof is a poor design indeed. It’s coming in through the opening where the air conditioner is mounted. Tony tilted the RV with a good slant so that it will help shed the water off to one side. The drip is significantly less, but the rain continues to fall, so, we’ll see.
There is much to learn with an ol’ RV; it comes as no surprise that a home on wheels can have a multitude of issues. Ironic that we opted to hit the road to have some time away from house construction only to have maintenance issues in our portable house instead. We’re still working the kinks out, but hopefully we’ll get it figured out without too many headaches.
Silver coating and caulking here we come—just as soon as the rain lets up. Looks like it’s supposed to rain some more tomorrow yet as well. Hopefully our slant will keep the indoor rain to a minimum until then. The man who works the desk at our Crazy Horse RV park here in Tucson commented, “It rarely rains here in Tucson.” Yeah, well, that’s alright. We needed to learn what all needs to be done to the RV before we enter Mexico. Better it should rain inside in Tucson than somewhere down on the Baja, where language and lack of facilities serve as barriers and added frustrations.
Just another day in paradise: learning, loving, and laughing together!
It’s raining in Tucson. It’s raining in the RV. A flat roof is a poor design indeed. It’s coming in through the opening where the air conditioner is mounted. Tony tilted the RV with a good slant so that it will help shed the water off to one side. The drip is significantly less, but the rain continues to fall, so, we’ll see.
There is much to learn with an ol’ RV; it comes as no surprise that a home on wheels can have a multitude of issues. Ironic that we opted to hit the road to have some time away from house construction only to have maintenance issues in our portable house instead. We’re still working the kinks out, but hopefully we’ll get it figured out without too many headaches.
Silver coating and caulking here we come—just as soon as the rain lets up. Looks like it’s supposed to rain some more tomorrow yet as well. Hopefully our slant will keep the indoor rain to a minimum until then. The man who works the desk at our Crazy Horse RV park here in Tucson commented, “It rarely rains here in Tucson.” Yeah, well, that’s alright. We needed to learn what all needs to be done to the RV before we enter Mexico. Better it should rain inside in Tucson than somewhere down on the Baja, where language and lack of facilities serve as barriers and added frustrations.
Just another day in paradise: learning, loving, and laughing together!
Earth to the Mother Ship?! Roswell, NM (Dec 29)
December 29, 2008
Day two on the road, soon there will be no counting, at least not until we lament the last days of our journey and the final countdown back to the wonderful world we left for wandering’s sake.
We arrived in Roswell, New Mexico this afternoon with warmer weather, calmer nerves, and fewer noises that shake us like turbulence in a plane. We are learning our RV slowly but surely and what all she’s capable of. We have yet to name this Toyota Dolphin of ours, though we know when the moment is right it will come to us, like the name Rosie for our pot bellied stove that warms us throughout the winter months in our cozy little straw bale home we’ve spent the last several years building.
It’s one of the reasons for wandering as we’ve worked so hard getting our place livable. It was time for a break for us both from building, and it was time for us also to delve deeper into our relationship now already on its 5th year. As we struggle to learn how to make a fridge work off of one of three different energy types, how to make the camper run off solar, and how to live in a 20 foot space together, we are also learning how to make our communicating through the tense moments less combative and more supportive, a task we have managed while building often with the help of an easel and an oversized notepad. When you don’t have the language skills to communicate what you are struggling to construct, we’ve found drawing out or individual ideas helps us visualize what the other is thinking.
I wanted to bring it on the trip, but I was informed a regular sized notepad will have to suffice. While I agree, I’ll miss the Pictionary form of communication we’ve relied on so frequently to weather our interlocutionary storms.
We have settled in for the night at our first RV campsite, situated next to a “bottomless lake” in Roswell where I’m convinced this houses alien anthropologists who are watching us take the planet to the brink of destruction. We must be quite a species to observe; how do they not intervene? Perhaps they are merely awaiting the moment to take over the planet once we’ve demonstrated beyond a doubt that we’re incapable of caring for it properly. Who knows? Regardless, we were greeted at our site by two great horned owls woo’ing back and forth to each other. It was amazing to see them just above us on the red rocks lit up by the setting sun. The sunset was spectacular in all its orange glory, especially as it laid its head to rest on the peaceful surface of the still water beside us. Off in the distance one mountain provided a shadow looming large in the sky. Hand in hand we walked along the edge, my fisher man watching with baited breath the tiny swells that would magically appear out of nowhere. While he dreams of fishing these waters come morning, I know I have already caught the love of my life and will be waking up next to him for the next 8 months in a row, something I haven’t been able to do in several years now.
I am happy. I am grateful for ALL that I have.
Day two on the road, soon there will be no counting, at least not until we lament the last days of our journey and the final countdown back to the wonderful world we left for wandering’s sake.
We arrived in Roswell, New Mexico this afternoon with warmer weather, calmer nerves, and fewer noises that shake us like turbulence in a plane. We are learning our RV slowly but surely and what all she’s capable of. We have yet to name this Toyota Dolphin of ours, though we know when the moment is right it will come to us, like the name Rosie for our pot bellied stove that warms us throughout the winter months in our cozy little straw bale home we’ve spent the last several years building.
It’s one of the reasons for wandering as we’ve worked so hard getting our place livable. It was time for a break for us both from building, and it was time for us also to delve deeper into our relationship now already on its 5th year. As we struggle to learn how to make a fridge work off of one of three different energy types, how to make the camper run off solar, and how to live in a 20 foot space together, we are also learning how to make our communicating through the tense moments less combative and more supportive, a task we have managed while building often with the help of an easel and an oversized notepad. When you don’t have the language skills to communicate what you are struggling to construct, we’ve found drawing out or individual ideas helps us visualize what the other is thinking.
I wanted to bring it on the trip, but I was informed a regular sized notepad will have to suffice. While I agree, I’ll miss the Pictionary form of communication we’ve relied on so frequently to weather our interlocutionary storms.
We have settled in for the night at our first RV campsite, situated next to a “bottomless lake” in Roswell where I’m convinced this houses alien anthropologists who are watching us take the planet to the brink of destruction. We must be quite a species to observe; how do they not intervene? Perhaps they are merely awaiting the moment to take over the planet once we’ve demonstrated beyond a doubt that we’re incapable of caring for it properly. Who knows? Regardless, we were greeted at our site by two great horned owls woo’ing back and forth to each other. It was amazing to see them just above us on the red rocks lit up by the setting sun. The sunset was spectacular in all its orange glory, especially as it laid its head to rest on the peaceful surface of the still water beside us. Off in the distance one mountain provided a shadow looming large in the sky. Hand in hand we walked along the edge, my fisher man watching with baited breath the tiny swells that would magically appear out of nowhere. While he dreams of fishing these waters come morning, I know I have already caught the love of my life and will be waking up next to him for the next 8 months in a row, something I haven’t been able to do in several years now.
I am happy. I am grateful for ALL that I have.
Our journey to and through Mexico, one flat tire at a time!
El Dorado, Spanish for Dolphin, is the nickname of our '86 Toyota Dolphin RV. So, we've named our blog El Dorado's travels. We have the obligatory hula dancer on the dash and have already begun collecting cool stickers to decorate the ol' gal.
We left Colorado the weekend after Christmas and headed due south for warmer weather. Our first stop was Roswell, New Mexico. We had to find out the scoop about Area 51 and the alien crash landing. We toured the UFO museum and research center and kept our eyes toward the sky for any other ETs.
Our favorite t-shirt we saw there had a crash of the space ship and one alien saying to the other, "I didn't say it was your fault... I SAID I was going to BLAME you!" Tony and I have been using that line regularly throughout the journey so far.
Okay, so I'm new to posting. I've been journaling for the past month while on the road and have some pictures as well to post to all who've been inquiring. So, let's see if I can figure this thing out. Should it not work, you know I'll be blaming Tony!
Hope all is well with our loved ones. Enjoy our postings. We head out Monday for southern Baja. When we find internet access again, we'll post some more. All prayers and positive thoughts are appreciated!!! Enjoy!
We left Colorado the weekend after Christmas and headed due south for warmer weather. Our first stop was Roswell, New Mexico. We had to find out the scoop about Area 51 and the alien crash landing. We toured the UFO museum and research center and kept our eyes toward the sky for any other ETs.
Our favorite t-shirt we saw there had a crash of the space ship and one alien saying to the other, "I didn't say it was your fault... I SAID I was going to BLAME you!" Tony and I have been using that line regularly throughout the journey so far.
Okay, so I'm new to posting. I've been journaling for the past month while on the road and have some pictures as well to post to all who've been inquiring. So, let's see if I can figure this thing out. Should it not work, you know I'll be blaming Tony!
Hope all is well with our loved ones. Enjoy our postings. We head out Monday for southern Baja. When we find internet access again, we'll post some more. All prayers and positive thoughts are appreciated!!! Enjoy!
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