The Obligatory Christmas Post

¡Hola mi amigos y feliz navidad!

Many apologies for the extended delay in posting a little something, but Mexico has done nothing if not slowed me down this past week or so. Moreover, internet is somewhat sparse where I've been hanging my hat these days. Please allow me to catch you up a little!

By the time I left San Diego California on December 15, I was feeling good! I had managed to accomplish my main goal of visiting the General, and I was heading into Mexico right on schedule. I caught the trolley from the town center down to the border, all the while doing my best to absorb the last of the U.S. I would likely be seeing for a while.

To be sure, I had observed a tangible shift in language and culture as I made my way down the coast of the United States, but whatever gradual continuum had been progressing was sharply broken as I exited the trolley car and walked across one of the busiest borders in the world, into Tijuana. A drastically new world in so many ways, as I would come to learn over the next week. In those first few moments however, it was the immediate sensual differences that dominated my attention - the new sights, sounds and smells of street life.

I spent the morning wandering around Tijuana, awash with memories of India, as I practiced my fledgling Spanish on the various vendors and street folk. After a light lunch in a wide bazaar, I decided to move on down the Baja a little to find a place to stay in the nearby port city of Ensenada. Despite being one of the more touristy destinations in the whole of Baja (so close to the states, and open to international cruiseships almost daily!) this was an appropriate place to cut my teeth on Mexico, and I stayed a few nights in a local backpacker joint, enjoying the food and relaxed lifestyle, talking to locals, and trying to formulate some kind of itinerary with regard to making my way through the rest of Mexico.

Once upon a time it had been my plan to make it to Oaxaca, a beautiful old city, and cultural epicenter in the south of Mexico for Christmas time, so that I'd be primed to head into Central America with the new year. Suffice it to say, however, that Mexico has had other plans, and has done a good job of convincing me to extend my stay. There is simply far too much to see and too much fun to be had in this monstrous country. With the help of some lovely folks in Ensenada, I managed to formulate a slightly more realistic schedule, which will hopefully have me ready to make my way into Central America around the end of January. But I digress.

One significant development since I have crossed the border - and one which has led to much adventure, I can tell you! - has been my transition from a hostel-based traveller, to a beach-based traveller. I had heard in Ensenada that throughout most of Mexico, camping on the beach in designated locations is far cheaper than staying in a hostel or guesthouse, and moreover, that in all other, non-designated locations, it's free. This was music to my stingy ears, and so, only a few hours before leaving Ensenada, I managed to find myself a little shit-ass tent and sleeping bag which (after a few minutes of bargaining) I snapped-up for USD$60, along with some sturdy rope to fasten this new load to my pack. I got the worse of this deal, to be sure, but I was looking at $10/night in most hostels along the Baja, of which there were only a few anyway - and all full of giddy sun-burned travellers besides. So I decided to take to the sands, and haven't looked back!

There is far too much to tell, but I can say that life on the beach is far more interesting that life in the city. I have discovered a whole sub-culture of travellers out there on the surf, including but not limited to: families of big-rig-RV-driving "Howdy-Partner" Americans, scraggly ex-film-makers cum sufi-mystics from Montreal, a young surfing/mountain-biking French-Canadian couple from Whistler BC, and a gaggle of switch-hitting couples from San Francisco, plus a host of various other misfit foreigners of all ages, hailing from points all over the globe, albeit most from the U.S. and Canada. Add a healthy splash of Mexican tourists, mostly young well-educated men (i.e. Ph.D and medical students) or whole families piled into the backs of pick-up trucks, and you may begin to get a sense for the crowd through which I've been moving of late.

Needless to say, there has been no shortage of good company, and I have shared much laughter and song with them this past week or so, along our various little stretches of beach, sheltered by the handsome seas-side mountains of the Baja. Moreover, since entering this little community of beach-bums, I have found much success moving about by thumb. Here on the Baja there are only a handful of roads, and so if you are headed to yonder town on foot, there is always a pretty good stream of vehicles ready to stop.

In fact, it was one such ride, a few days ago now, which got me into my present situation! I had just been dropped some 15 miles south of Loreto (a little city on the Sea of Cortez, in the state of Baja California de Sur), at a little beach called Playa Juncalito, where I'd heard the camping was good. As I made my way from the road down to the water, I was approached by a rather large truck which slowed to a stop at my side. With a smile, I asked if there was room for one more down on the beach. A man with a broad white moustache replied from under the bill of his cap: "Well, yes, but you should probably eat first, would you like to come to a potluck?" If there is one thing life on the road has taught me, it's that this is not a question one says no to, and so off we went.

As we drove on, I came to learn that this man was none other than the "Commodore" of the local yacht club, and moreover that the potluck to which we were presently heading was to take place at this very same yacht club. Now of course I had absolutely no idea that there was any yacht club around here, (nor had I ever even been to a yacht club in my life, for that matter), and so was appropriately surprised and pleased to find myself, only a few minutes later, bumping elbows with all manner of sailors from all over the world, most of whom lived right here on the Baja for much of the year, but many others from away and just passing through. The food was abundant and various, and the beer and cocktails were cheap. Needless to say, it took some time for all this to sink in, thankfully time is all I had at that point, and so once it did, I happily made my way through the crowd, sharing my story with strangers of all ages, and enjoying the pleasant atmosphere, and spontaneity of it all.

To make a long story short, the gentle Commodore and his lovely wife were kind enough to put me up in their spare RV that night, and that is where I have stayed for some few days now, taking part in all manner of local events, ranging from participating in the daily CB Radio program, and helping out with various small tasks around the house, to overseeing the towing out of a beached whale, and helping mend and salvage a shipwreck!

I could write volumes about the hospitality and kindness of so many people here, especially my generous hosts with whom I have spent the most time, but at their request, and that of the community at large, I am to report only the following message about my stay:

So far I have had a terrible time here in Playa Juncalito. The food is awful, the dogs nasty and the people ornery and calous. There is a bandito behind every tree, and I never feel safe. Moreover, the weather is poor, and the streets and guesthouses are overrun with vermin. In short, if you're ever planning a trip to Baja Mexico, don't bother coming here, it's not worth it. Spread the word.

I want to close by letting you know that this may be my last message for a while, as tomorrow morning - Christmas Day - I am leaving on a five-day journey by sail, down the Bay Of Cortez with some kind folks I have met here who needed crew. With luck and good weather, we will be in La Paz for New Year's eve!

I send you all my warmest wishes for the holidays, and thank those of you from whom I have received lovely email messages recently! It is always nice to get a taste of home, and hear what you've been up to. (Also, please feel free to post comments/questions on here - they always brighten my day - and to kindly tell anyone who may not know about this blog that it exists.)

Lots of love from Loreto! ¡Adios!