We have crossed the 28th parallel and have entered Mountain Time Zone. Even though the sun still sets at exactly the same time here as it did yesterday, it is now an hour forward. We are in Guerrero Negro, at the very northern end of Baja California Sur. Guerrero Negro is well known for its salt processing refineries and the lagoons just west where grey whales come down in the thousands to give birth and nurse young little whales into life. Although I will not go on any tours to see the whales out in the lagoon, I did get the chance to see a huge whale skeleton. Quite impressive. Other than these few things, there is not much in Guerrero Negro. There are many hotels and restaurants catering to this tourism, but it is a hard time for tourism, and much of the streets, shops, hotels, and cafes remain dusty and empty.
I was hoping to fix my bike pump in this town, which broke one frustrating morning on a desert road several days back. I have visited every mechanic and the one store that sells bikes in town, and no one seems to know how to fix it, or to want to help me fix it, even after explaining to them the dire circumstances I will be in if one of my innertubes pops or goes flat out in the desert. They simply tell me that its broken, to which I respond, thank you for telling me the obvious and I walk away confused as to why no one wants to help me. Luckily, Laurel has a pump, but I do not like to rely on other people, and seeing as how I eventually will leave her, I am quite pressed to try and find a solution to this problem. I will most likely end up leaving this town without a solution, and will try to find that solution in a bigger town with better bike stores...
Since the last post, we headed east and up. We climbed a couple thousand feet (between 2000 and 3000) and rolled up and down hills on a plateau in the Valle de Los Cirios, a nature preserve here in Baja. It was pure desert, but quite beautiful. There was every type of cactus there you could imagine, including one, the Cirio, which only grows in this place, even though scientists have tried to reproduce it in labs and greenhouses outside of this environment. It got cold at night, and one night howled with wind and some rain and kept me up most of the night. We would ride miles and miles without seeing any civilization, and when that finally came, it would be one store in the middle of nowhere - a rest stop for truckers to change a tire, grab some chips and soda - and move on. It was in these one store towns that we would fill up our water bottles and move on to find the next campsite. We finally came out of the valley yesterday and rode into Guerrero Negro after thirty miles of the flattest, plainest road I have ever ridden. This straight road cut a path from the desert back to the coast and had no scenery except for small shrubs, sand, and one electric pole after another, lining our way toward...
Besides the pump, another brutal loss was my camera. It took a fall one day four feet to the ground and refused to turn on since. I tried my best to fix it, but to no avail. I salvaged the batteries and the memory card, and threw the rest away in a trash bin in Rosario. I have been adament about having Laurel take pictures, and when we finish our time together, there has been some talk about her passing on the camera to me, which was in itself passed on to her by a friend. So for the time being, Im sorry to say there will be no more pictures for a little while.
I have been biking a lot, and although my body still feels fine, it is tired. We slept last night in a cheap motel room, and I loved every second I spent in the bed. Even though we were promised hot water, there was none. And I mean no water, not even cold, until this morning, which added to my disappointment of this meager village.
I look forward to moving on, and relaxing by the warm shores of the sea of cortez. We will most likely hang out the rest of the day, rest our bones, and camp somewhere just outside of town tonight, and then start moving again in the morning.
Until next time,
Chris
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Just the Beginning
Greetings from Rosario, Baja California, norte
Well, I have made it halfway down BC norte officially today. We have been averaging about 50 miles a day, which seems to be plenty. The road has been pretty good so far - not so bumpy, not so sandy, except for a couple sections where we had to walk our bikes across about 1km of sand. I would rather have backtracked and biked an extra 20 miles than do that. Lesson learned. Crossing the border was no problem. We crossed at around 8 in the am, and although we tried to find the free road to Rosarito, we ended up on the busy toll road. This put us in quite a predicament, and trying to cross to the other side of the road with cars flying by at 80 km/hr and a five foot ledge in the middle of the road was scary and comical at the same time. We got through there though, and after navigating through some pretty poor parts of Tijuana, found our way toward the coast. The stretch of road from Tijuana to Ensenada is what I remember of it from road trips down - it follows the coast, and there are little developments and big developments all along the way. Most of the big construction has been stopped for the past couple years, and the cement and steel frames of some huge resorts look the same they did several years before. Most of the access to the beach is restricted or private and unless you want to sneak under an old barbwire fence or pay some money, you don´t go to the beach. Our first night we spent in La Mision, 60 km down the coast. We stayed with a couch surfing friend who treated us like kings. He took us to a friends trailer on the coast who barbequed hamburgers with all the fixins´ and we sang old Mexican ballads into the early evening. After that we headed inland a bit on the toll road in a beautiful stretch of hills and plains covered with low lying green vegetation. The road took us back to the coast at Ensenada, and we traveled a bit further for our first night camping in Mexico. Unfortunately, dusk came before we could find a real good spot, and so we settled on a little piece of land just down an embankment from the main road. It was a little sketchy, and could be seen by the road if they were really looking, but no one bothered us and we woke up ok. Our third day took us again away from the coast and up some hills. We ran into a couple from Quebec who was returning on their way back from Panama. They started their trip down to Panama on the east coast a year ago. Yesterday was the worst day by far. Long stretches of flat road rolling by dusty farmlands with crowded roads. Also, our third rider, Jordan, decided to leave us so he could go a bit slower. So now its just Laurel and I. Laurel is proving to be quite a good mate though: She is a well experienced camper, a tough rider, her Spanish is pretty good, and she makes decent conversation at night. Although I would rather be sharing this journey with countless other friends or relatives, she is keeping me from what would surely be some pretty lonely feelings down here.
We made it just south of the farmland and were able to camp in a spot a bit inland from the coast. Today has been some pretty good riding - very few cars. The scenery gives me an impression of what southern california would have looked like before development. Lots of low lying shrub on marsh land. Lots of shore birds, rabbits, squirrels, etc. We have just started to head inland, and will spend the next several days at a higher elevation as move down in the middle of the peninusla, before again returning to the coast at Guerrero Negro. Spots for water seem less available on this stretch according to the map, but we should be fine. I have had no trouble filling my water bottles at little pure water filling stations inside semi large stores at the major truck stops.
The road, although shoulderless, is as I said in great condition. Most people give us space enough, and we get honked at quite a bit. Most honks our enouraging gestures from friendly truckers or travelers, and the occasional one is a pissed off driver urging us to bike in the gravel and sand. Dogs often awake and run after us as we pass by, growling, barking, and trying to bite our legs and bags. A couple dogs befriended us last night at the campsite. In the morning, we found that some of Laurel´s clothes had been dragged off and chewed up. I couldn´t find my sandals either, but after a bit of searching, I recovered both pair, seemingly untouched. The weather has been amazing. Partly cloudy, sunny, warm. It gets a little cold at night sometimes, but nothing too bad. The cloud cover for the most part has been amazing during the day. Today I climbed the steepest hill I ever have on my bike, and then got to ride down the steepest hill as well.
It is interesting for me to travel this way. It is much different than my time in Guatemala, where I spent four months in one spot. Traveling this much everyday, you don´t get the same interaction with people. I could be traveling anywhere really. Except for the occasional converation at a store, I am not interacting much with the locals. I guess it is more of a tour of the scenery, which has its own perks. Sometimes I feel like I could be anywhere in the world.
All in all, things are good. It is weird to be traveling further south everyday, further away from all that I know, with no welcoming party wherever I end up. My bike is still kicking strong, as am I, and I look forward to the new scenery every day.
Well, I have made it halfway down BC norte officially today. We have been averaging about 50 miles a day, which seems to be plenty. The road has been pretty good so far - not so bumpy, not so sandy, except for a couple sections where we had to walk our bikes across about 1km of sand. I would rather have backtracked and biked an extra 20 miles than do that. Lesson learned. Crossing the border was no problem. We crossed at around 8 in the am, and although we tried to find the free road to Rosarito, we ended up on the busy toll road. This put us in quite a predicament, and trying to cross to the other side of the road with cars flying by at 80 km/hr and a five foot ledge in the middle of the road was scary and comical at the same time. We got through there though, and after navigating through some pretty poor parts of Tijuana, found our way toward the coast. The stretch of road from Tijuana to Ensenada is what I remember of it from road trips down - it follows the coast, and there are little developments and big developments all along the way. Most of the big construction has been stopped for the past couple years, and the cement and steel frames of some huge resorts look the same they did several years before. Most of the access to the beach is restricted or private and unless you want to sneak under an old barbwire fence or pay some money, you don´t go to the beach. Our first night we spent in La Mision, 60 km down the coast. We stayed with a couch surfing friend who treated us like kings. He took us to a friends trailer on the coast who barbequed hamburgers with all the fixins´ and we sang old Mexican ballads into the early evening. After that we headed inland a bit on the toll road in a beautiful stretch of hills and plains covered with low lying green vegetation. The road took us back to the coast at Ensenada, and we traveled a bit further for our first night camping in Mexico. Unfortunately, dusk came before we could find a real good spot, and so we settled on a little piece of land just down an embankment from the main road. It was a little sketchy, and could be seen by the road if they were really looking, but no one bothered us and we woke up ok. Our third day took us again away from the coast and up some hills. We ran into a couple from Quebec who was returning on their way back from Panama. They started their trip down to Panama on the east coast a year ago. Yesterday was the worst day by far. Long stretches of flat road rolling by dusty farmlands with crowded roads. Also, our third rider, Jordan, decided to leave us so he could go a bit slower. So now its just Laurel and I. Laurel is proving to be quite a good mate though: She is a well experienced camper, a tough rider, her Spanish is pretty good, and she makes decent conversation at night. Although I would rather be sharing this journey with countless other friends or relatives, she is keeping me from what would surely be some pretty lonely feelings down here.
We made it just south of the farmland and were able to camp in a spot a bit inland from the coast. Today has been some pretty good riding - very few cars. The scenery gives me an impression of what southern california would have looked like before development. Lots of low lying shrub on marsh land. Lots of shore birds, rabbits, squirrels, etc. We have just started to head inland, and will spend the next several days at a higher elevation as move down in the middle of the peninusla, before again returning to the coast at Guerrero Negro. Spots for water seem less available on this stretch according to the map, but we should be fine. I have had no trouble filling my water bottles at little pure water filling stations inside semi large stores at the major truck stops.
The road, although shoulderless, is as I said in great condition. Most people give us space enough, and we get honked at quite a bit. Most honks our enouraging gestures from friendly truckers or travelers, and the occasional one is a pissed off driver urging us to bike in the gravel and sand. Dogs often awake and run after us as we pass by, growling, barking, and trying to bite our legs and bags. A couple dogs befriended us last night at the campsite. In the morning, we found that some of Laurel´s clothes had been dragged off and chewed up. I couldn´t find my sandals either, but after a bit of searching, I recovered both pair, seemingly untouched. The weather has been amazing. Partly cloudy, sunny, warm. It gets a little cold at night sometimes, but nothing too bad. The cloud cover for the most part has been amazing during the day. Today I climbed the steepest hill I ever have on my bike, and then got to ride down the steepest hill as well.
It is interesting for me to travel this way. It is much different than my time in Guatemala, where I spent four months in one spot. Traveling this much everyday, you don´t get the same interaction with people. I could be traveling anywhere really. Except for the occasional converation at a store, I am not interacting much with the locals. I guess it is more of a tour of the scenery, which has its own perks. Sometimes I feel like I could be anywhere in the world.
All in all, things are good. It is weird to be traveling further south everyday, further away from all that I know, with no welcoming party wherever I end up. My bike is still kicking strong, as am I, and I look forward to the new scenery every day.
Friday, January 29, 2010
I Just Can't Wait to Get On the Road Again
Partly cloudy, 65 F, Barely a breeze -
I sit on a comfy recliner in a friend's house in Pacific Beach, San Diego, finishing the coffee I got on my four block walk down to the ocean to gaze at the surf, soak up the morning sun, and play some frisbee with my brother this morning. After a 12 day bike ride down the PCH from San Francisco to San Diego, where we faced inclement weather (supposedly one of the worst set of storms the California coast had seen in two decades), and cold nights in and out of the tent, Leigh Ann (my girlfriend of nine months, dear friend, and hearty and well-tested traveling companion) and I finally arrived in San Diego last Sunday. The first leg of the trip was a bit trying. It tested my patience and Leigh Ann's tolerance and mental toughness. Although we were blessed with good weather up until Big Sur, our pocket of sunshine did not hold up the second week. As we carefully plotted our course from Gorda, on the southern edge of Big Sur, to Los Angeles, it was stressful trying to cover distance in between rain storms. The looming threat of rain was a constant thought in the back of our minds. Although we got thoroughly soaked at some points along the way, the sun always came out for short bursts of warmth and light, and the green hills and swampy farmlands never looked so magical, glistening with their raindrop jackets. We found hosts to take us in on three different nights during this leg. It was great to feel welcome in these towns and made me feel part of a community bigger than anything I had known. That these people would open up their hearts and their homes to two weary travelers on bicycles is something special. Thank you Richard, Terry, and Leslie. Even when we did not plan it, we would find kindness from people along the roads, in parking lots, along the cliffs of southern california.
A couple highlights along the way: an organic strawberry and kiwi farm just north of Santa Cruz where we were able to do some jam tasting, and where payment for coffee and other goods was on the honor system - put your money in the box, take what change you need, with no one to govern it. It was nice soaking up the sun in a red chair in front of the store, overlooking the PCH, a field of yellow wildflowers, and the ocean beyond. Our last two days of riding was in pure, unhindered sunshine - a nice welcome to so cal. A beautiful sunset, and even more glorious sunrise on top of the ridge at San Onofre St. Park, our last campsite.
Since arriving in SD, there has been a lot to take in: sight seeing, old friends, old coworkers, and some taking care of business (application to USD grad school, and fixing up the trusty steed for its next leg through Baja), but it seems as if things have finally slowed down, at least for the day, and at least enough for me to sit here in silence, reflecting on things accomplished and things to come. I am enjoying all the amenities of societal living (stoves, refrigerators, chairs, beds, shelter, computers, cars, friends) while I have them. I got two responses from people that have shown interest in riding with me as far as the tip of Baja. One response was from a 20 yr old guy from Manitoba, Canada, who started his trip in early September. His name is Jordan. We met the other day and he seems like he will make a good companion. He managed to plant enough trees for the Queen last spring to finance his trip south. The other response was from a girl, Laurel, who is 26 and from Oregon. She is a field biologist and works during the spring and summer and has the winters off. I will meet her in just a few short hours. I have secured two places to stay my first two nights in Mexico. One will be in La Mision, a small town in between the beaches of Rosarito and Ensenada, and the next will be in Ensenada. These hosts should make for a smooth transition to Baja. After Ensenada, we will be far enough away from the chaos and congestion of the border towns that I will feel much more comfortable camping out. I am excited to get to know my two new traveling companions and for the sights, experiences, and adventures that await south of the border. My legs and rump are primed, my gear is tested and restocked, my bike is cleaned and tuned, my health is great, my spirit is high. Plans to depart are set for Monday, Feb. 1. A big thanks to the family, friends, and strangers who have helped me make it this far.
I am ready and open for whatever awaits me...
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