x - All roads lead .......

Home!

Yes, we are home again after one incredible journey........ It's hard
to explain everything we have seen in a way that would do it justice.
Not even the photographs do that. Someone asked me where my favorite
place was, what my favorite thing was on this trip... Well,
everywhere, all of it...

The idea of going to Baja initially did not attract me at all. The
picture in my mind was of abject poverty mixed up with horribly
beautiful bodies, clad in skimpy bikinis, draped on umbrella festooned
beaches while ego inflated body built young men played beach ball
showing off their bronze tanned bodies and perfect white teeth. It
did not attract me at all. But Frank wanted to go - he had been
wanting to go for a long time. He swears he had a different picture
in mind! :) I have to say that the thought even scared me. Coming
from a poverty ridden country, I was not keen at all to go back into
one voluntarily. Gosh, that sounds snobbish, but its true. What is
also true is that unless our fears are faced, they stay there and even
grow and in these last few years, I have started facing mine squarely
besides, I looked at some photos on the internet and drooled. Oh boy
am I ever glad we did this one!

Everything about this trip was wonderful in some way or another.
Leaving the house in the early morning light, still yawning, shivering
from the cold and wondering if I left the coffee pot on again, is
quite a feeling.....The ice roads in Oklahoma, stopping off with
Joleen and Billy for a few days and then down south to the border were
all adventures in themselves. And the direct line south and into
another world....... It was comforting having Mike and Karen crossing
the border with us - they were the couple we met up with the night
before and just having a face we knew while trying to navigate the
border, its paperwork and the language barrier was a great help.

Almost immediately the poverty, living conditions and color everywhere
had me slack jawed with both horror and wonder and the camera
furiously clicking. The roads were another thing that got me all
wired up too much of the time, but they got us all the way there and
back too! The views along the toll road to our first night on the
gold flecked, hot springs beach was simply amazing. The color of the
houses and buildings set against the blue ocean and cloud speckled sky
actually got me silent as we spent our first day in Baja. Then on to
the sand dollar littered beach of Celito Lindo and the most wonderful
meal and our introduction to Margaritas - now a staple food on board
the motor home and at the house too.

The Sea of Cortez....... that name in itself is just beautiful,
bringing up mental pictures of the kind that got my feet itching to
walk in it...... and they did, again and again and each time was as
special, as beautiful and as awesome as the time before.. We were
first there at the Bahia de Los Angeles, then at Bahia Concepcion, our
Paradise at Santispac, Loreto and then at Los Barriles with its long
white beaches and crystal clear waters. Each time I laid eyes on that
water, I literally felt lighter, softer and caught myself humming and
smiling from ear to ear...... I just cannot help it! The sky actually
is a different color - just a tad more blue over the Sea of Cortez -
we could tell where the coast line was even as we were driving through
the desert filled with cactus. The sunrises were absolutely awesome -
the colors deep and rich and they grabbed me and held me long after
the sun was up in the sky. Yes, I saw all the sunrises in Baja!
That's quite an accomplishment for someone that normally does not
manage mornings too well at all........ But after the first one, it
was not hard to wake up to see and feel that wonder.. I particularly
loved when there was a boat in the sun's path on the water, or a
paddler or surfer. There is nothing quite like making the first set
of footprints in the sand and then standing on the waterline as that
sun rises, sending its path right to your feet, making even them
glimmer with its awesome gold. That quiet, the promise of a new day -
totally wonderful and there were times when I found myself a tad
tearful when I thought of the many people in my life while standing
there watching another day start. The sunsets came with almost a sigh
- a gentle one that nicely rounded off the day. I think I have a
lifetime or two of captured sunsets and sunrises on my computer.......
one each a day should get me through many years to come.

The Pacific coast was beautiful - I love the sound of the pounding
waves and the hope of finding some lost treasure or special shell. As
we scooted around Cabo San Lucas and north again, we headed over some
mountains and I just knew the ocean lurked just behind them, and I
found myself stretching up in my seat as far as I could to catch the
earliest glimpse I could. Cerrito Beach was down one awful road, but
had some beautiful waves, keen surfers and dark brown ragged rocks for
the waves to crash up against. Our last night at the Pacific coast
dealt us those glorious patterns in the sand and a good ole
sandblasting too!

The whales..... oh those whales. I think that was the highlight of
the trip - touching those whales and seeing that big gentle eye
looking up at us as it lazily floated right below the tiny little
boat..... That was awesome. They breached right next to us and
wallowed around and spoiled us with their contact. So incredibly
special.

The food was simply delicious everywhere we went. We ate at the local
restaurants near the campgrounds and each and every one was absolutely
wonderful. I think we ate more fish and other sea food in a month
than we have done in years. At times the restaurants were more
refined, with waiters in uniform and shiny black shoes and a trio to
serenade us during the meal.....other places were much more home grown
with kids doing homework at one table while mama cooked our meals in
the kitchen next door. Nowhere did we see a paper straw covering and
at times I quietly wiped my fork off on my t-shirt, but none of it
felt wrong - it all has such a wholesome feeling to it - a 'real'
feeling. Life is different in Mexico and a bit of dust on the table
is no big deal, nor are the flies that happily buzzed around. It was
strange, but none of this bugged us at all and we were never worried
about eating any of the food. The shops here had their meat all open
behind the counters, looking beautiful and natural and not all
prepacked and filled with chemicals to keep them looking good. At
Guerrero Negro we could see the food deliveries coming in the back
door of the hotel in buckets as they were caught and brought in to be
cooked.

The mountains and the desert, and the roads through them, are very
unforgiving and it makes one realize what a treasure common sense is.
There is no room for stupidity here, barely a margin for error. If
you get into trouble, its not going to be mild. Just a flat tire
would be a big issue on these roads, especially if it happened on one
of the many mountain roads. Coming around the mountain was really
interesting because no matter how careful you were, if someone coming
the other way was not - you were cheese - squished cheese! Or if the
'road munchers' had visited, you had to be extra careful. Well, it's
pretty much like that on all these roads. There is definitely a
feeling of self responsibility here. But we also knew that if
anything did go wrong that any number of people would have stopped to
help - its just like that here.

The miles and miles across the peninsula from side to side, were
filled with things to see.... from little "dung doglets' to humongeous
cactus that have been there for many a year and stretched their arms
out as if to take in as much sunshine as possible. The different
types of cactus plants were stunning but they all had a 'dont touch
me' attitude about them.... we did not try, but through the camera I
got a really good look at them.. Huge bolders, barren areas, craggy
mountains - there was not a moment that I was bored at all.

Its a fascinating place all in all....... The people are incredibly
friendly with "Hola" floating everywhere, greeting waves were free and
easily come by and kids still have that natural respect of yesteryear
in the USA and still play outside. At one place we stopped to ask for
directions and I saw a young boy with a handful of guavas - I nearly
levitated right out of my seat! After asking if thats what they were
and him giving me the Mexican name, he quietly and with a beautiful
smile, handed me the biggest one. I could have kissed him right there
and then as I sank my teeth into this awesome fruit. The stores are
filled with things, unwrapped soap, washboards, handpacked flour and
other goodies that had handwritten prices and smiley faces on them.
The fruit smelled like fruit and we could buy just 4 eggs if we
wanted, not having to take all 12 in the box. There were spices and
things that I had no idea what they were and sometimes even the smell
got my eyes watering. There was no point in buying any of this as we
had been told it would all be confiscated at the border. Next time we
know better!

We found everyone that we came into contact with, extremely friendly
and very happy to try to communicate with us, even if it did feel a
lot like an insane and often pointless game of charades. They were
all patient, laughing kindly at our efforts to learn and eager to
teach us. I was so sorry that I did not have a better understanding
of the language...... we missed so much because of that. The
excellent salespeople who visited us at almost every stop along the
way with an incredible assortment of beautiful goodies to sell, were
only too keen to pose of photos and wanted to know where we came from
and where we were going. We bought many lovely treasures from a good
many of them - pots, blankets, serapes, shells and other goodies that
all travelled safely back home with us.

Even the military stops were surprisingly easy and we had no problems
at all - well apart from when I got glowered at for asking about
taking a photo of them! I learn fast...... The guys that looked in
the rv were polite and friendly and also keen to communicate with a
great sense of humor too. Walking down the road and seeing a hummer
coming at us with a machine gun pointed in our general direction did
make for a slight hiccup in our steps the first time but they are just
doing their jobs and in no way, not once at all did we ever feel
threatened at all in any way.

Baja is dusty - its a fine dust that filters into everything but the
type that we quickly learned to live with. Anyone who has followed
out other travels knows that Frank and dust are not buddies at all,
but this time it was different - as a matter of fact, the motor home
got its first wash of the trip right before we stopped back at home!
The wind blew much of the time, sometimes blanketing the towns in dust
and everyone walked with something over their mouths. Grass is non
existant here, except for a small line of it down the main road of
Bahia Asuncion. Dust and sand was everywhere, in everything and its
going to take a really good cleaning to get it all out of the rv but
it all quickly became part of the wonder of Baja.

Somehow the color of the buildings, the clothing and the gorgeous
bouganvilla beat back the dustyness and this is what I will remember
most........the blue of that wonderful clear water, the sky, the color
everywhere, the long ribbon roads through the most beautiful
countryside and the people; the black and white sand beaches flecked
with gold with pelicans wafting by; the deep and rich colors of the
sunrises, the eateries all along the roads, those awesome whales, the
taste of fish tacos and the twinkle in the eyes of almost everyone we
met....... The tan will fade, the knick knacks we bought will become
normal, but the feelings of the sun on my skin on those long beach
walks, the water between my toes and the sound a a thousand hello's
will live through the many photos we took along the way.

It was with mixed feelings that we left Baja......... thrilled to have
had the opportunity to see and experience some of an incredible part
of Mexico, and very happy to be back in the USA where everything felt
a lot easier. This trip has made me even more grateful for everything
we have, for the opportunity as well as the easy life so abundant
here. It has also given me a much deeper understanding of why the
Mexicans keep coming here - I know that I would if I were them. The
poverty and conditions of living over there had me gobsmacked much of
the time. At first I took countless photos of homes that people here
in the States would not even let their dogs live in....and then I had
to stop. I found myself almost unable to keep seeing these conditions
without it affecting me. One lady said that she had seen more poverty
in Canada than here in Baja - she might be right, but I have never
driven so many miles and seen so much poverty stretching endlessly.
In other places I have always been able to drive through the poverty
ridden areas and into the 'better areas', but here - well, it just
does not work that way at all.......it seems utterly endless. And
driving through all the states on the way home and seeing all the
different shades of green, the trees budding, the shade, wide road and
the rich fancy buildings, shops and churches lining the roads, I
thought of the many that lack the choices, opportunity and ability to
have what is so taken for granted on this side of the border.

So, with a computer bulging with photos, happy smiles still firmly
pasted on our faces, golden tans and a very dusty motor home, we
headed back to Tennessee and arrived here after first dancing on the
beach, driving long hours on smooth roads, stopping off in campgrounds
that somehow shut the real world out - a gentle and relatively slow
return to life. The doglets were thrilled to get home and were quite
frantic to get in the front door and check that everything was still
here. Sophie bounded through the grass, barking at the fence, the
trees and each and every blade of grass...... Allie slowly walked
around the house and garden with disbelief and then sighed and went to
sleep.

This was truly a wonderful adventure, every single day of it. We
drove a little over 7000 miles and took 12 839 photos! We saw so many
totally awesome things and places and ate so many fantastic meals and
those margaritas! We met a bunch of beautiful people and deepened our
appreciation for our life and gave us a new understanding of the lives
of others. Now its time to sit and digest it all and, yes, re-live it
as I print the photos to hang up all over the walls of the shop to
keep reminding us as we move back into a more 'normal' daily life. I
will post the last of the photos in the next few days.....

It was really interesting driving today - as we came closer and closer
to Tennessee, I sat up straighter and as we came over that last hill
into Soddy Daisy, I laughed out loud because I was humming again! And
here I thought I only hummed at water......... this is good. I found
myself excited to see the grandkids again, my sister, mom and kids!
Steven and Laura just bought a house and Lisa and family looking for a
new place to live and Joleen should be home for another visit
soon..... the shop is already promising to be busy and the fruit trees
are blooming again and that grass is sooooo green on this side of the
fence. Life really is so incredibly good

Thanks for coming along with us, thanks for your comments and
encouragement - you all made it easy to keep on writing and sharing
all the miles and smiles.. I hope you enjoyed the ride.

So - till next time........
love and light - lots of it!
Annie and Frank and doglets

http://photobucket.com/BajaBaggs09