6/8/2010
San Diego, California
We got up early, before the Las Vegas heat hit and sped down the highway straight to Loma Linda, California. When we arrived ], Jim was outside his apartment and showed us where we could park. After warm greetings we spent some time swimming in the hot tub and lounging around the apartment. We all went out to a nice dinner with Jim's old time friend. We headed out to Palm Springs to visit Shiela, Jim's friend, for the day. We had a great time picking lemons, going to the mexican market and eating some delicious food. On Sunday Jim took us down to San Diego, our new home!
We spent our first week at my great Uncle Jerry and Aunt Yoshi's house. We had a fantastic turkey dinner our first night, and I got to re-meet all of my extended family out here in San Diego.
Our first weekend in San Diego, we got invited to a Couch Surfing camping trip in El Salto, a small campground about 1 hour south of the border. Octavio (a couchsurfer) told us that he would pick us up on the other side of the border, at McDonalds. We jumped on the trolly, took it all the way to San Ysidro/Int'l Border, and crossed on foot. Back inf Mexico! It felt great, street tacos, loud "Banda" music, fantastic! We waited for Octavio at the McD's and then headed down with him to his house to wait for a friend. While we were staying at his house, we got to talk to his mom, who turned out to have a cake baking/ decorating hobbie on the competetive label. Laina and her hit it off immediately, rattling off in spanish different ideas they both have, and how they can make their cakes.
Eventually, we left and headed down to El Salto, a pretty drive down the northern Baja. With minimal directions, we finnaly made it, and arrived at the camping site with about 10 couchsurfers already there. Everyone greeted us warmly, and we all got comfortable and started sharing stories. As the sun started setting many more couchsurfers showed up, at one point, i believe we had 30 people around my "asado-style" fire, with a spot to drag out hot coals, so we could cook while continuing to keep a fire going. The party went late into the night, with multiple rounds of food cooked on the grill, and some really good conversation.
Morning brought a hot sun, and a fun group around the now cold fireplace. We somehow continued the vigor of the conversation last night, and once everyone was ready we headed into the canyon and the water fall. Hiking into the canyon was beautiful. the rock was black and smooth as polished stones. The hiking was ideal for the barefoot. There was so much to climb too, all the rocks were steep with many cracks and ledges for foot holds. When we finally got to the waterfall, you could climb down almost 150 feet on these rocks into it. Our big group was almost all barefoot, and we brought a drum. Some were singing, others playing drum beats, some climbing, others swimming, and that was how we spent the remainder of the morning. Once back in camp, everyone was hungry. We packed up, and then headed to a little town "La Mision" which was holding a festival that weekend. We walking in, watched some of the folkloric dances, and then to the food stand. Prices were great, as we expected ,and we got an assortment of delicious homemade mexican food.After this quick stop, we headed further south, to Ensenada, home of delicious "Mariscos" Seafood, in all different forms, and all delicious. We had such a great time, a big table for 18 or so people, we all ordered different things, and everyone shared. On the way back home, we made a quick stop in Tijuana, which turned out to be a really long stop.
After giving Carolina a call, she told us there was a big movie presentation in town that night and we should all go and see it. Once we figured out how to get to her house, and then making the necessary home calls, we went over to her place to change clothes and then we hit the road again to see the movie. When we were in the parking lot, it dawned on me, that I had no idea what the movie was about. Carolina said the movie was for the bicentennial 2010, 200 years of Mexican Independence. The Mexican government was funding a nation wide showing of a documentary/national pride movie, that weekend, and we all got to see it.
The movie starts 20,000 b.c., in tropical yucatan, showing all the nature flourishing, and so on. It is done in an interesting style, not quite cartoon, and not quite real footage. Eventually the time scale moves up to the different cultures of native mexicans, Toltecs, Mayans, and then to the Aztecs, where there is a model Tenochtitlan, and the huge pyramids, and sun stone. Then comes the huge bolt of lightning, and the date: 1519. The year Hernan Cortes first landed on the shore of Mexico. From there the screen became darker and grey, with many violent scenes, and louder music. After this, there was footage showing the formation of New Spain, and the different stages of growth. Then there was a lot about the rebellion against the Spanish, and in 1810, the independence of Mexico. Another interesting part was shortly after, where there was a silhouette of Mexico, with the states of California, New Mexico and Texas breaking off and the mexican flag falling to the ground. Then more footage of the beginings of the formation of Mexico, and the begining of music, art and culture. The winning of the world cup, protests in Mexico city, Frida Kahlo and more. Once these scenes ended, there was a very dramatic singing of "Mexico Lindo y Querido" by a very famous Ranchero singer, which brought many spectators to tears.
The next morning, we woke up and shared a delicious breakfast Carolina had made us (we couchsurfed with her and her family). We then headed back to the US, and waited in line at the border crossing for 2 1/2 hours!!
