The Baja Log Part Two, 2009

February 20, 2009
Baja Part II; The Sequel

VG Donuts

On my first morning back in Cardiff By The Sea Alicia introduced me to VG donuts, the best donuts in the world. The people who worked there were so happy that it was my first time in that we all became instant friends and during the last nine days or so every morning I would go at the crack of dawn and get a chocolate glazed donut, an old fashioned chocolate donut and a large coffee with plenty of room for cream and sugar and that is how I would start my day, feeling blissful as can be. I have no words for how wonderful VG donuts (the shop) is and how utterly fresh and delicious VG donuts (the pastry) are and how nice the people who work there are.
I am so in love with being in the Mothership this way. I wish I had some weed. Perfect time to relax. I just stepped out to throw away my dish scrubbies and the soup can and it is so cool and pleasant outside and so warm and cozy inside. Dinner was a can of chicken soup heated up and fresh, delicious bread (pan Blanca) from the panaderia. Perfectly fine for an on-the-road,in-van dinner. Last trip down I had four surfboards in the van. 2, 7-4’s, 1. 7-8 and a 9. And on the way down it was virtually impossible to use the van at all because there was no way to get to anything. But this time I have two only, the 9 and the Lopez 7-4, and it is easier to move them around and be functional, but ideally they’ll go on top. It’s a quarter to seven and I am already sleepy as can be. But considering I slept almost not at all last night and had today a fairly stressful day, doing final preps, eating nothing but sugar and caffeine, crossing the border and driving through Mexico. I am ready to crash. And so I will. All is well with God’s earth and all are at peace. Life is good in the Mothership. I am content and happy. And I am looking forward to getting in shape!

Night into Morning
I don't know where the nights go or why I don't sleep. When was the last night of sleep I got? Not last, or before that. Not tonight. The whirring of cars on the freeway sounds like waves. I could pull stakes and start driving to Baja now, in the middle of the night. Not a safe thing to do. And in the morning one more chocolate donut and coffee before the long run south. Deep south to warm water this time. Just me and my boards, my harmonium, my yoga mat, and my destiny. I should be asleep. There is no reason for me to be awake. I have not slept in nearly a week; or is it over a week. Eventually I will fall under the spell of sleep, at some point before the sun rises but what a far cry from Baja when I arose at 4:30 and slept soon after darkness fell. Now there is just the waiting for morning. The waiting for donuts and coffee and then the long journey will begin. Fill the tank, hit the border, change money, and drive. A car full of food, no need to stop for that. Fill the water bottles along the way. A three day drive to arrive at my destination. Three long days in Baja. From the cold to the warmth. Fish tacos, Mexican bakeries, and above all warm water. Three weeks and then a long drive back to the states and halfway across them to Texas. But for now, simply sleepless, anxious, hungry and craving my chocolate donuts and coffee. In five and half hours I can make that real. And not before.

Then what will I find? What do I love? Surfing, dancing, dj'ing, yoga, exercising, nature, backpacking. Do I love Baja? No. But Baja I can afford. And the water will be warm. And that is enough for now.

Back in Baja Baby

My first night back in Baja. I can’t deny this infatuation and love I feel for this place. I love the people, I love the place. I love that in only five hours I am in another world. After a sleepless night in Carlsbad I expected a 5 AM start. After goodbyes to Michael, and breakfast and final errands with Alicia I hit the border at 1 PM. An easy cruise through the wine country, bisecting with the ocean at Ensenada and then a fast, winding drive racing the night to see where I’d land when darkness descended. Which is here. Colonet. . At a Pemex station.
I made a brief stop at a panaderia in San Vicente and had a wonderful time with the senora there who took me around and showed everything that was fresh and hot out of the oven. I bought bread and treats. Just as I was leaving she showed me the homemade Tres Leche cake and of course I walked out with one and ate it while navigating the winding mountain roads out of town. This why I love Baja.

On my first surfing trip and solo adventure to Baja four years ago on the way down and back I slept almost every night at Pemex stations because they are safe and free. In those days of course I had the original Mothership, a Toyota Previa and even though she was as tricked out as a mini van cum surf mobile can be , she was nothing like the new Mothership.
I pulled in to this Pemex and asked the attendant if I could sleep in my van and here and he actually took around back and showed just where I could park, under a security light, in a quite lovely spot actually. And assured me I would be safe and that the Pemex is open “veintequatro, siete”, twenty four seven.
I was exhausted, nearly shaking from not having eaten much of anything today but a chocolate glazed donut and a large coffee, and some barely touched eggs and potatoes. Now I feel about as happy as anyone could feel here in my Mothership, so cozy and at rest, feeling safe and at home. In a while I’ll cook up something or other for dinner. This is Baja. This is Mexico. I love it.


Saturday 21 February, 09, 5:24 PM

My God the spirit is on me! What a great finale to a long day. No Pemex for me tonight. I drove 500 miles today. 500 Baja miles is a long 500 miles. I slept happily and peacefully at the Pemex, if slightly fitfully. Woke up early and waited until 5:30 and got on the road. Within five minutes I was pulled over for the first time ever in Mexico. By a Federale. I saw his lights come on but let him chase me a little while for fun and then pulled over. I walked up to him as he was getting out of his car and said, “What a beautiful morning” and shook his hand. I said. “I’m guilty, I know.” And asked what he was going to do. He said he was going to give me a ticket and it would cost about 80 bucks and I could pay it in the US or in TJ. I said “Can I just give you 20 dollars for your trouble and let’s forget the whole thing.” He agreed and in less than five minutes the entire transaction was over and I was rolling into the paling morning. At the Pemex in El Rosario I told a Mexican man what happened and he said I got off like a lark for only 20 USD. I felt so in love with Baja this morning (I always love it most in the morning). I made a serendipitous stop at a tortillaria in El Rosario and got fresh, hot tortillas and had a nice time talking to two women. Then drove all day, crossed the peninsula to Santa Rosalia and stopped in the French bakery and got a couple things. (It’s not French at all) In the bakery I realized that I was nauseous, dizzy and stupid with driving and that I had to stop. I pulled over at the first beach past Mulege and drove around it to this secluded spit of land where I am alone and the water is lapping at my feet and the mountains and islands are all around me. It’s lovely. Absolutely lovely. The sun has set, I am hungry, tired as can be and exhausted from driving. And I miss Brianna enormously here. And love her with my bare, naked soul. But that is life. Time to eat and then crash like a bag of rocks.
I love all the crazy little things about my life. For example, I love that I went to Von’s and found all these pop top cans of soup on sale really cheap and that in two minutes I can heat up a can of minestrone soup and have it with a fresh big fat roll of bread from the panaderia and call that dinner. I love my AAA map of Baja and that it gives me mileage between towns. I love that I slept alone last night for the first time in a long time and how nice it is to sleep alone. I love that I am alone now on this gorgeous beach. So different from the other side, and from Alejandro’s. Today when I drove past the turn off to Santa Rosaliita I can’t deny a feeling that it would have been so easy to pull in and go back to what was familiar. (not to mention my California grass is there) but I knew I had ‘been there, done that’ and that I had to go somewhere new. As I drove across the desert in the heat and into the meth town of Vizcaino I thought about maybe I should have stayed there and not gone on, but now, on this lovely beach, so different from the Pacific side, I am so relaxed and happy that I pushed on and that I am somewhere new. New!

Sunday, February 22, 2009, 6 PM, Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico

What a day. What a day. I am in the Mothership , in front of Pam’s house, listening to Sera Cahoone. Last night I arrived at that beautiful beach at Santispac and made friends with a couple from AK and had a nice evening with them and then a wonderful evening in the mothership with stars and lapping water, just heaven. Woke up before sunrise and watched it spread over the bay of Concepcion; beautiful, beautiful. Made a smoothie and on the road by six am. Drove long. Lots of memories of Brianna. Funny, from Alejandro’s where we spent a month or so, no memories really, no pain at all, but on the drive this morning, passing places that reminded me of her, lots of memories, lots of hurt, lots of missing. It was a long but fine day. Arrived in Todos Santos. Decided to try and find Noah’s mom and to check out La Pastora. Flagged a random woman down who coincidentally knew Pam and told me how to get here. Showed up and she was here and called Noah and they took me to a memorial barbecue for a local shaper surfer who just died and was much loved. I met a ton of local people and then was going to head to Pedrito, but by the time I got back to Pam’s house I was tired and it was about dark, so I crawled in the MS, decided to write a bit and then to just sleep here and go in the morning, since I need to get water etc and get settled in there. And so here I am. And very very glad I came down south and not back to alejandro’s.
Avamti!!!!!!

Landing on Both Feet

The second trip into Baja was magnificent. I can't explain the sheer, childlike excitement and joy I feel simply by being in Baja, in a new country. The first night I slept blissfully in the Mothership parked at a Pemex station where the attendant kindly took me and showed me just where to park and promised I'd be perfectly safe for the night. I hardly slept I was happy. I was up at 4 waiting for it to become light enough to drive.

At six AM I had my first encounter with the Federales ever in my years in Mexico. I saw his light come on just after I passed the bus as it slowed over the speed bumps in the center of town. I let him chase me a minute or two just for fun before I pulled over and then got out of the Mothership to meet him as he got out of his car. The encounter lasted a total of five minutes, began with a handshake and "What a beautiful morning," and ended with, "How about 200 pesos and let's forget about it," another handshake, and us both smiling and laughing as I walked away and drove into the sunrise.

I drove a hard 500 Baja miles that day and slept on a deserted beach on the Sea of Cortez to the sound of lapping waves, a million stars overhead and once again, with a feeling of such pure happiness and freedom that I have no words for it.

The third day I rolled in to the town of Todos Santos by surprise and remembered a friend of a friend told me to look up his mother there. I had a vague memory her name was Pam and she lived somewhere by something called La Esquina by a pink house. By sheer, absolute, gyroscopic luck, I drove down the street and saw a cafe called La Esquina, flagged a woman in an SUV and asked her if she knew someone named Pam. She gave me directions and I stumbled directly into Pam's yard to find Pam standing on the porch, five minutes after I arrived in town. Twenty minutes later I was at a barbecue with about 100 locals that turned out to be a memorial for a shaper and surfer named Tommy Lewis who was beloved in this community. A feast is the only word to begin to describe the event. By the end of the evening I had made so many new friends who lived in Todos Santos that I couldn't believe my good fortune and am now spending the night at Pam's house, a beautiful home on two acres of sub-tropical orchard.

And so my trip to Baja, part 2, begins. And the adventure never ends.

Avanti!

Whales and Waves

I arrived at La Pastora this morning, a beautiful subtropical beach, warm, inviting, refreshing, full of light. And also the heaviest break in southern Baja. There were ten or twenty whales spouting and even breaching just off the beach, as close as fifty feet offshore, all day. It was amazing. The waves were big and heavy and breaking on rocks and worst of all, the entry and exit point is in a deep trench where the waves come crashing and closing out, perfect for snapping boards and backs. I sat watching it all day long, from morning until afternoon, afraid to go out. Truly and simply scared. It was big, heavy and dangerous. But at the same time with a burning desire to ride the waves. All the surfers were experienced and friendly and all advised me to go to Cerritos or San Pedrito, but not here.

Finally, my burning desire to surf overcame my fear and I decided to go for it and put on my big boy pants. Unfortunately by then it was low tide and all the rocks were exposed and the waves breaking shallow. I waited for a break and hurled my board on top of a wave as it broke on the shore and paddled like mad to get outside before the next one caught me. And I did it. I got out easily and caught a wave almost immediately. As soon as I caught it, I heard myself say, "No f....in way!" And all I could think about was "Get out of here!" I rode it to shore and then almost got smashed as the closeouts came crashing down on me. I made it out and sat on the beach, shaking, heart pounding, nauseous, next to a woman who said, "My heart started racing; I didn't think you were going to make it out alive." "Thanks for the confidence." I told her. After thirty minutes of feeling nauseous and heart pounding this woman convinced me to go back out. Just as I finally got up and started to head back out, not knowing on God's grey earth why, she said, "Oh but then again, I don't surf." "Thanks again." I said, but by then I was already walking down to the crash zone. I paddled out again; it's amazing what fear will do for your paddling skills. Got outside, and... caught waves. Caught waves! There were only four of us out and I got waves, big waves. And once up and riding them they weren't nearly as bad as looking up at them as they come on. I was so paranoid about the rocky impact zone that I literally rode the last wave into the sand, jumped off my board on to the sand and grabbed my board and ran out of the impact zone in one second and it was all over. Amazing.

On the beach was a giant squid. I have never seen one. Someone wanted to eat it but a woman and I carried it back out into the ocean and let it go free. It was amazing. A guy I met gave me a solar shower to use, my first shower in four days and it was the best feeling imaginable, hot water! I have never felt so free, so good, so alive, so happy, so perfect. This is complete freedom. Living for free on the beach in subtropical Mexico, surfing in warm water, just being free, living on nothing. This is freedom; this is life! This is paradise on earth.

The Life of Adventure

I can't imagine not living a life of adventure. I can't imagine not feeling the complete thrill of happiness and wonder at driving up to an unknown beach at sunset and parking the Mothership and feeling that feeling of total freedom and happiness and peace. Of watching the night come on, hearing the gentle lapping of waves, feeling the breeze, smelling the air, watching millions of stars overhead. Sleeping peacefully and during the night opening my eyes and looking up at the constellations wheeling across the sky. Waking up to sunrise over the ocean and mountains, walking along the beach and doing yoga, making a smoothie and then just driving at the crack of dawn. Driving on and on into the unknown. Free, freedom, adventure, peace, contentment, joy, relaxation, wonder, gratitude, deeply thankful. Life.

February 24, 2009

Woke up at 4AM and did practices, then made chai and just at sunup, at 6AM did complete yoga session. Wonderful. This place is fantastic.

Contamination

This morning I went to fill my water bottles at the water purification plant at the north end of town. As they were about to fill them I mentioned they were closed last time I came and I had to drive to the purification plant in the next town to fill my bottles. They told me the water at that plant was contaminated and people were getting sick from it. They got out their water testing kit and sampled my water and sure enough it was contaminated. That would explain the constant diarrhea and intestinal pain since I arrived here. They said it's not serious, just go to a hospital and get medicine. That's serious enough.

That was enough. I had a feeling it was time to leave. I follow my feelings.

At nightfall, I made a beautiful Pemex station with a lovely cool breeze and friendly attendant who told me I'd be perfectly safe to camp here tonight. I'm making fresh basil tea for my stomach and I'll hit the road at dawn. My vision of driving through all night vanished with nightfall. Night driving in Baja is suicidal. Literally. Besides, I love sleeping in Pemex stations. It feels like Freedom.

Avanti! I'm coming home.

Night Driving
Rule Number One: Never drive at night in Baja.

I used to drive at night at Baja despite this rule, but now I never do. Except tonight.

The number one cause of death on the road at night is motorists hitting black cows. You can't see them. Today, I took a fruitless detour searching for waves that cost me two hours and when night fell I realized that if I didn't make up the lost two hours then I wouldn't make the border to the US by tomorrow night. Just after dusk two big Suburban-like vehicles with California plates came barreling past me with their high beams glaring, going 25 mph faster than me. I made a quick decision and decided to draft them. At least this way they'd hit the cow or 18 wheeler first and give me time to swerve. I followed them at 70 mph, dodging 18 wheelers out of nowhere (which for me is the scariest part of night driving).

About an hour into it, my neck, shoulders and eyes straining, we came around a bend and there sprawled on the side of the road was the reason you don't drive at night in Baja. There was an 18 wheeler, on its side and four cars scattered around. I don't know who hit who or if the 18 wheeler just flipped by itself, but it was fresh and living proof, once again, not to drive at night in Baja.

As soon as we came into Catavina I slid out of the convoy and found a place, under the stars and moon, amidst giant boulders and cactus, to camp. And stepping out into the moonlight I found out that unlike the southern tip of Baja, which is warm and balmy, even at night, the rest of the world is still cold. I am happy to be alive and happy to be in the warm Mothership eating hot soup and relaxing in this beautiful cold night and desert.

Homeward bound.


Farewell to Baja

Shivering in the cold under a grey, overcast sky at 5 AM I load the surfboards and head north for the last leg of the journey. After two and half months in Baja I am only 400 miles from home. The cactus and boulders under the pale of the moon are surreally beautiful before dawn. I am peacefully happy in the cold morning air.

My favorite was southern Baja. Warm days and cool nights; big waves and warm, clear water. Fresh, sweet air and sunshine. Camping for free on the beach. Living on fresh organic produce and fruit traded for massages to the girl from Indiana who would pick it for me out of the garden while I waited. I studied guitar with Mark, who had come to develop a new guitar teaching system, worked out on the beach with Jay, a semi-pro ball player who had a workout routine to share. And I taught yoga and surfed and played music. When you have a dream life conspires to help you realize it. I had dreams for Baja. They all came true.

My only sadness for Baja is the epidemic of meth that is bringing so much crime to even the rural places where in the past I only found good, simple people. It's not just organized crime, kidnappings, carjackings and getting in the way of drug wars near the border. Even deep Baja is now under the sway of the meth epidemic and the crime that comes with it.

But even so, Baja is a wild, rugged, place. A throwback to a simpler time. One road, cutting into a desolate, remote desert peninsula for over a thousand miles. And big, heaving, warm waves. I miss it already. Despite the crime, the disease, the desolation, I miss it already.

Avanti!

Baja Horror Stories

Since I've painted such a lovely picture of Baja to date it's only fair to present the other side of the coin. The following stories are first hand, accurate accounts directly from the friends they happened to.

1. My friend Kelly, her husband and two year old child took their Sprinter on a surf trip to Mainland Mexico as far as Michoacan for several months. They had no trouble along the coast. On the way back they went inland for a cultural tour. On the outskirts of Mexico City they were pulled over by the police and told they had to follow them to the station to pay their 'ticket'. They were led to an alley that ended in a junkyard where three armed men told them they had to pay a fine of $500 to a man behind a desk. Kelly and her family speak little Spanish but were polite and used a dictionary to try and communicate. She said the man behind the desk started sweating and shaking and she knew that something was wrong. At some point the three armed men left and the man at the desk told them to leave immediately. She thinks the men had planned to kill them but because of the baby they had changed their minds. She doesn't know if they were police or not.

2. Martin, my English friend, was sleeping in his Delica van here in Todos Santos on San Pedrito beach around 10 PM when the 'door ajar' beeper indicating one of his doors had opened awaked him. He opened his eyes and saw the driver's door slowly opening. When he looked around to see more closely he got a rifle butt in his face. Grabbing the machete he kept beside him he began hacking at the intruder who, instead of running away, continued to strike him in the face with the butt of the rifle. A second man held a flashlight shining in Martin's eyes to blind him but he got a look at the man with the rifle and saw red, bloodshot eyes and believed he was on meth and that's why he didn't run away even though Martin put up a fight. Martin had so much adrenalin pumping that he injured all the tendons in his shoulder from hacking so forcefully with the machete. Eventually the two ran and Martin chased them naked down the beach with his machete and his face covered in blood. Martin is a very gentle person by the way.

3. Mark, was camped at Los Cerritos beach, with his friend when a Mexican surfer attacked his friend, unprovoked. He's not sure why, but thinks the guy was on drugs and was being territorial over waves. Later the same guy threw a 20 pound rock on his friend's tent while he was sleeping in it. They left.

4. Here, four days ago, on this beach, my friend Paula had her wallet stolen out of her car while she was talking to friends not far away. The thief took her ATM cards, pesos and US dollars but left her credit cards and Canadian currency. (Adding insult to injury. Snap!) The next day a man was caught breaking into another car in the same place in broad daylight and was chased on a motorcycle by a 'gringo' but got away in his pickup truck. This same truck, (so I assume the same man) had been parking for two days before that right behind my Mothership in some bushes. I even saw him walking back to his truck. It never occurred to me his reason for being here was stealing.

Baja is a lovely place, but Mexico is a third world country and now the 'meth epidemic' is spreading in Baja like wild fire. It's an affordable, very addictive and easy to obtain drug. Exercise common sense and caution if you come to Baja and hope your past life karma is solid.