We are in Mexico ! Or Baja Southern California ? The people and the prices make it difficult to discern.

The bike is still heavy and Art's arms are growing to compete with Governor Arnold's. The 110+ pounds of gear, water, and then, me, make for a struggle when the road surface comes and goes, dips and rolls. Baja roads are different than San Diego tarmac.

Lets' catch you up. After San Clemente , we learned of the 10,000 bicyclists riding from Rosarito to Ensenada on Saturday (9/24) so we decided drag our feet a bit and miss the melee. We spent the night a short distance south in Cardiff-by-the-Sea in a hiker/biker site at the state park. This was our first encounter with the huge homeless problem experienced in Southern California . There are 10,0000 homeless persons in San Diego each night per the Tribune and many of them stay in hiker/biker camp sites. To our surprise, we shared it with others who came after the closing hours of 10 pm. They were a noisy and belligerent lot, talking loudly on their cell phones (only in California would the homeless have cell phones?) and really frightened us a bit in the night. We moved our site for the next night and would probably not use a hiker/biker site again, although, it may have been just this particular campground that is experiencing this issue.

From Cardiff and a couple of lovely days in the sun we moved down the coast to Mission Bay in San Diego to stay in a resort campground for a mere $51 (discount to seniors). GULP! The pool and Jacuzzi were very near the dirt site with picnic table, barking dogs and loud families. The ride through La Jolla with its Rolls Royce's, Bentleys, and Porches was a juxtaposition of sleeping with the homeless the previous evenings. One wonders what America is coming to with the huge gap between rich and poor.

We rode around Mission Bay area, seeing the Friday company picnics catered with tents, Bar-B-Q's, beverages of all types, games all set on these lovely park grounds of rolling grass, sand beaches and sunny bay. This area is fairly large (about 15 miles around) encompassing Sea World, Hilton resorts, Marriott resorts. The bay has three islands housing resort or leisure activities. We followed a bike path all around the bay, easily looking into multi-million dollar homes, two feet off the bike path. Almost every beach in Southern California is public. This is so different than many areas of the country where beach or lake front is privately owned.

The ritzy-ness of Mission Bay wore off quickly and we left, moving closer to the Mexican border, our ultimate destination. We found a wonderful KOA in Chula Vista at only $44 per night. Pools were refreshing; the cook pavilion was a delight. Judee cooked up a storm with help from the chef, Art who grilled steaks on a provided B-B-Q. This campground had all of the amenities we had come to appreciate in Europe . It was worth every cent.

Our journey to the border began after an enormous breakfast cooked in that spectacular cook pavilion (on their stoves). We raced to the border (12 miles an hour) to confront how to get a bicycle across the border into Tiajuana. When we arrived, we immediately followed the signs onto the Expressway, Oops - no bicycles allowed! Where do we go from here? We turn around and ask a Mexican lady on the corner and she points the way. Then we follow the young men on bicycles through the fences, blockades, and across the border where we promptly hopped on our bike and rode past the custom station, only to have the taxi driver turn us around to the proper immigration office which is a one room office, totally indiscernible from the multitude of insurance storefronts. We had to pay $20 each to the Bancomer which is a one room bank. And off we go - into Mexico !

We managed to find our way through after negotiating the freeway (which we were not supposed to be on?) and then proceeded to thread our way through downtown Tiajuana, which is a tidy town for a border city. We spent no time here.

The traffic was polite and speedy. The road was a little worn and sometimes missing. The terrain was up - for 8 miles. Then we had the lovely down hill into Rosarito where we pigged out on incredibly huge Tortas, sandwiches with beef and lots of guacamole. We didn't linger. It was a 50 mile day and we wanted to get to our campground.

Oops. The highway the campground is located on is a toll road, no bikes allowed. So we turned ourselves about and found a hotel on the beach for the night. This is not a $50 a day trip, so far. But to conserve, we cooked dinner on the balcony overlooking the ocean. We had too much and watched the sunset. After all, this is retirement. Good night!

10-1 BAJA BUGGY - 200 RACE IN SAN VINCENTE

Yesterday was a turning point - we started early under wonderfully cloudy skies and scaled the 4K, 8% grade, when the tiger left Art's tank. We turned the beast (bike) around, flew back down the hill and re-set up our campsite. Several days of touristas and relativly little food, we both were pretty weak. Here's the turn: We took a bus back into Ensenada, and Fed Ex-ed 8 kilos (over 16#) of electronics, including the computer, rain gear and extras home. Today we rode 43 miles over 3 major climbs and crazy race traffic. We are currently cooking in front of a motel, so we don't have to ride the 3 miles into and back out of town for dinner! We watched a beautiful sunset creep up the mountains turning the rocks from light pink to rose all the while the local dog licked out feet hoping for a handout and the single channel TV blared next door.

on the road to Santo Tomas

Santo Tomas

on the road to Colonet

10-2

We have completed another day! 90 km - 58 miles and have ended up in a most delightful campground past San Quintin Bay: Cielito Lindo campground, motel, restaurant ++. A dog just crossed the dance floor as we finished a sumptuous meal. He made us think of the pack of dogs that crossed highway 1 today. Couldn't believe they get across unscathed in the middle of all this crazy Sunday afternoon traffic of buses, 18 wheelers, SUV's, and local cars sputtering diesel and kicking up dirt. The 18 wheelers are still polite; the local bus service, less so; and the big SUV's from California. a little ruder still! But on the whole, we are receiving thumbs up and smiles, as riders in the cars hang out of the windows to holler encouragment. Thank goodness - we need it! Our touristas are still causing us to flag. This morning we had a difficult time, but after a terrific lunch (the Mexican food is tasty and bountiful), we perked up until we hit about 80K and still couldn't find a campground. A son and his parents who had lived in Oregon for 9 years, returned and opened our lunch restaurant - a very nice establishment in the midst of a thriving pueblos. As we continue to settle into this new culture and environment, we wonder why someone would leave the states to live here. The answer: "Because I am Mexican".

on the road to San Quintin (agriculture)

Pasura (trash over the countryside

dusty trail

10 -3 RICHARD

Someone has befriended us. As we checked in, Richard assisted the camphost by recommending a site, explaining where everything was and how things worked. He suggested a morning walk out to Gypsy's for cafe and a breakfast burrito as a gentle way to start the morning. I queried the whereabouts of an Internet Care and Richard immediately offered his time in a computer jointly owned by several of the residents. We were inspired by Richard to eat at the restaurant on the cam grounds and to dance to the live music that night. Not only was Richard a wealth of information about our new location, but he also shared with us his colorful life and the fairly recent loss of his 9 year companion. She filled his life with joy and at 80 he is gathering his strength to move forward in life without her. He has sun scared skin, white hair flowing out from a baseball cap. He is an artist with shells and rock jewelry, a handyman and a humanitarian. This morning Richard drove us to Santa Maria in hopes Laura would do our laundry and gave us a tour of the local area and told us how the people live and work. San Quintin is a wealthy agricultural valley with work for everyone. The Arabs have invested heavily in developing modern agricultural techniques and facilities. They can harvest 3 crops of tomatoes a year along with other vegetables. On the way back into the camp, Richard pointed out his driving range: a platform painted brightly as the tee off area and distance markers out in the sand and scruff. He says he has about $150 into the construction materials and is still in the red . . . as with many of the things he does, he ends up giving it away to friends and strangers like us. He is passing his goodwill forward with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eye.

10-7  San Ignacio - Crow's Ballet. 

On the ridge above me, a flock of crows pirouetted, dove, barrel-rolled, swooped, over the high ridge, through the cactus, red boulders, in pairs, wing tip to wing tip, turning top to bottom,

they slid through the air up, down, right, left, cork screw back to the top.  This dance of 10-12 would come and go like a cloud of gnats.  This performance continued for minutes on end. 

This was our first stop that truly comforted and relaxed us - the Mexico

we've been looking for.  San Ignacio actually has a beautiful central plaza,

shaded by massive, old trees, anchored a one end by a 16th century mission

church, encircled by vendors selling soft drinks, candies, sandwiches, the

street lined by shops offering tourist trips, Internet, curious and goods

for the local 2,000 residents.  Concrete benches, mixed with wrought iron

huddle under the huge trees and harbor a mix of pedestrians and "watchers".

Wandering the streets we found some wonderful surprises: Casa Lerre', rooms,

books and gallery.  Entering through a green door off a dirt alley, one

falls into a lush garden traversed by a small aqueduct created by the

missionaries.  This refined space was recently purchased an equally refined

California mother who has created a wonderful guest house, show casing local

art, crafts, historical pictures, along with educational books in English

about Baja and its environment and history.  The owner, a photographer, has

restored many of the old photographs documenting the original owner of

1870's and their families.  For anyone coming here, she has reasonable rooms

for rent.

After a brief swim in the refreshing and spring-fed lagoon, we tidied our

tent and made for the Rice & Beans Bar for margaritas and fresh shrimp and

scallops!  Tomorrow we ride.

El Rosario

on the road to Catavina

hitch hiking

Catavina

Next page Baja California, page 2.