South of the Border
Trip Start
Nov 03, 2009
1
16
29
Trip End
Ongoing
Where I stayed
San Miguel, Baja California, Mexico
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Where to begin? The past week has been a complete rollercoaster. Had my last day of work, found out the girl I had been seeing for 7 months moved on to someone else (right in front of my eyes), and once again uprooted myself from everything. Although my life fell apart on me all in two days, the fact I was about to be traveling again kept me going…and most importantly, it kept my mind occupied.
Slightly depressed, sleeping on a couch, with a 4 a.m. wake-up call; it wasn't the best ways to start off…but at least Anna dropped us off at ILM just on time. It was a cold morning out, jacket and jeans weather…crisp too. I don’t know why but that type of weather has always instilled in me anticipation and excitement. Ha-ha unfortunately that excitement was sucked out when the US Air representative told me $200 for the board bag…
Why $100 per board? Used to be $100 per bag…someone is always trying to make their pockets a little fatter. Whatever though, can’t say no to him...right?
Flight to Charlotte was so quick I couldn’t even shut my eyes…just bumped my I-pod while Dylan watched the surf video "Scratching the Surface" on his I-phone. The lay-over in Charlotte was over before we knew it…next stop San Diego, my home away from home. Sad to say, but it had been 1 ½ years since my last visit and I had been dying to visit friends and score fun surf.
I was really amped Dylan was rolling out too…he had never been, and I felt like I was an adequate guide of the area. We knew the “first real swell of the season” wasn’t filling in until late that evening so we weren’t frothing right off the plane.
“You have standard reservation?” asked the Budget Rental transport driver. “Yeah,” we replied as we simultaneously looked at each other with a look that suggests, “Reservation, what reservation?” Whatever, we are two good-looking young men with money; we didn’t need a reservation (so we joked). Dylan handled the car situation quickly and in no time we were cruising the 5 North on our way to meet up with friends in Encinitas.
The weather was clear, warm, and no wind…like something you dream for in November. Felt like I was back again; the sights (Mormon cathedral) and signs, traffic, and the smells all seemed too familiar…almost like I had never left. Teddy, Elwang, and Hunter were waiting on us…and after checking swell models and a quick discussion, we made the decision to charge to Mexico.
Why not? Less-crowded, cheap, and right point breaks…yes please! On top of all that, it just felt right to go…put my personal problems as far away as possible in order to escape the mind-fuck of a break up. “Melt your worries in Mexico,” ha-ha could be a slogan for Mexican tourism or something.
While Teddy and Elwang went downtown to get a rental van, Dylan and I showered, packed, and cruised the coastline for a bit…checking different spots along the way. We were trying to cross the border into Mexico before sunset, but Teddy dropped off the radar for a while putting our arrival time in jeopardy.
Shit! About to pack it up here at La Fonda (4 per room on beach $70 a night; K58) and try to score…few side notes:
-all of us were amping; uncertain of how big it was going to be
-pulled in after dark, but it wasn’t sketchy. This place is secure
-balled out at restaurant…shots, Tecate, and whole fried fish with chips/salsa, salad, and black bean soup (all fresh). There was also the “American Idol” kid.
-slept on the floor tossing and turning with waves pounding outside
-woke up stiff, but charged to San Miguel
-sickest right point…crowded, but manageable…severe kelp beds…shitty rocks…within sight of Todos Santos
-weather…clear and sunny
-tuna fishing farms with “O” ring structures in various bays
-checked k38 and other multiple places and ate $1 street tacos with the best hot sauce ever! Head back to San Miguel was the final call
-even better with higher tide…glassy and reeling all the way down the point
-sea lions were everywhere and more people were out…Timmy Reyes and Josh Kerr
-Bubba bar guy
-Atalita’s and the corn tortilla jokes were always subjects worthy of a good laugh
-Elly sliced his foot, Teddy stepped on an urchin, and Hunter broke his board.
-Baja Malibu firing that day! Best in 5 years a buddy told me…
-Back to San Diego…
Still need to reflect further on this trip…spent another 7 days in San Diego bouncing around from place to place with Dylan. Met Haley and Carolyn in Carlsbad one day for a outdoor festival…stayed in a few gangster hotels (Marriott in Del Mar, Courtyard in Solana beach, Best Inn in la jolla)…surfed everywhere from Sunset Cliffs to Trestles, even Blacks…went to the zoo…raged in PB…I switched my ticket to come back 10 days early because the swell forecast was dropping off…proved to be a wise decision. We also drove over 700 miles within one city!
