son of a beach

Well, we’ve begun the process, and the biggest hurdle has been crossed; we have a bike (exact same bike as the stolen one) which should be in San Diego by the end of the week.  We hope.  We’re used to "Mexican time" and hope we don’t run into the same clock in California.  We’ve been doing incredible imitations of beach bums; lying about on the beach, playing in the water and sun, hunting for clams and scallops, lazing about like slugs (which is quite necessary since Ellen has decided the the time to rise is just before the sun). 

We’re thinking that Jamie and Sissy will head up to San Diego at the end of the week to pick up the bike and "Sally".  They’ll take a bus to Tijuana, a cab to the border and then they’re on their own to get to a hotel and/or bike shop.  The bike shop is in Coronado, so any public transportation advice would be appreciated. 

We’ve had scallops the last two days due solely to Jamie and Pike’s expertise in finding and digging them up.  Jamie is in seventh heaven with the hunt and the feasting.  IT doesn’t hurt that they’re doing it in perfect weather and with incredible scenery.  The tide is getting more and more extreme which seems to follow, as the moon is getting more and more full.  I’m not sure what day it is, but I do know what stage the moon is in and where the tides are.  Tomorrow we’ll head to Loreto to get money (can you believe we’ve already gone through $400???) and get online. 


This evening we headed into town (about a 40 minute drive and about 28 miles) to get water; when you’re boondocking, it is amazing what the currency becomes; in the desert and at a salt water sea, it is water.  :)  We must have managed to pick the absolute worst time for Ellen.  She fell asleep (as she usually does on the drive to town) and when she awoke, in town, she was an absolute mess.  Sobbing because her brother was swinging standing; sobbing because she GOT water, sobbing because her tummy hurt (then didn’t), sobbing because she thought the dog ate her banana PEEL; you get the picture. 

Driving home from Mulege, it was dark and for once I was in the passenger seat.  The sky gradually got darker and darker; the mountains blackened but the night air was mesmerizing.  It was a very hot day today; without the wind we would have fried, and the night was warm and bright.  The moon is almost full the sky is lighter than normal.  We drove down the highway (2 lane) watching for cows and horses (which like to use the road as a bed in the evening), listening to Ellen (who by now, had done a 180 from her previous sobbing) speculate on everything from lemons to peppers.  As we drove past all the beaches, the lights on the tops of the sailboat’s masts twinkled and shone on the calm cove water; they are the only lights as electricity doesn’t come this far down.

I think we’ve found the best spot in Baja (and, we might find, all of Mexico) here on Playa Requeson.  We’re becoming so accustomed to this place; we know and recognize people in town; we know which market has the best meat, where to get the best apples, where the cows are likely to be on the road at night and are recognized ourselves.