Storms and suprises

I'm very sorry about the delay in updating my blog but everything to do with the Internet seems to take forever. After the birthday break in Mulege we went to Loreto which we had been informed was lovely........ and it was but we had enjoyed a really pleasant ride and knew we were able to go much further. We rode on to Constitucion where we managed to get a room in a nice hotel recommended by lonely planet. Brian managed to purchase a top up card for the phone and we grabbed a chinese meal. The meal was presented to the table in double quick time and believe me, it came back in double quick time as well.

The following day we enjoyed yet another lovely ride. We had got everything right - no jackets, shirts to give protection from the sun. When we got to La Paz at 11am we went straight to the ferry port and obtained the permiso de importacion temporal de vehiculos needed to take the shed south on mainland Mexico.


Everything went really well. Back to La Paz, lunch and then the visitor's centre. I strongly recommend that anyone travelling in new countries and environments should make use of these services. The lady we spoke to found out what we needed , rang to find vacancies and recommended el Morow which gave us secure parking, wi fi and was within walking distance of the town and the beach. The clerk, Juan, recommended a day trip snorkeling and kayaking which we booked and which was worth every dollar.

Now, I'm going to describe the start of that day and anyone that knows Brian will be able to imagine these situations vividly. Up early to be collected at 8am. The taxi arrived and the driver spoke very little English...... we spoke very little Spanish. He didn't understand that we wanted to sit next to each other and put Brian in the back on his own whilst I sat next to an American called Richard and his friend, John sat in the front. It was a little atmospheric to say the least. When we arrived at the 'Fun Baja' office Brian prepared to settle the outstanding amount with the credit card as we had been advised by the hotel guy. We were informed that dollars were preferred and a 10% charge would be added for use of a card. A little discussion took place, she contacted the hotel and an agreement was reached. You can imagine how things were panning out by now especially when you are aware that Brian hadn't been snorkeling before and was quite unsure about it all. Next we were given flippers ans snorkel masks to try but no mention of buoyancy aids at this point. Brian informed me that he would not be snorkeling without this particular piece of equipment. It was very clear that he was actually quite nervous about the snorkeling and I was, by now, beginning to question whether we would actually be getting on the boat. Buoyancy aids were mandatory so off we went. We walked past lots of large, luxurious and powerful boats before coming to our much smaller boat.


A little disappointing. However, off we went. Joel, the co-ordinator who had been a traveler, was brilliant. Really enthused by our adventurous journey, supportive of both Brian and I when in the water and the whole day trip was truly amazing. We enjoyed the snorkeling so much that when we went to the quiet beach for lunch etc, we went out and did a bit more.



The company, the environment and everything provided - lunch, beer etc was fantastic and yet another lasting memory from the trip. La Paz is a brilliant place and I am so very glad that we stayed there for a few days.

When we left the hotel we had almost 5 hours to kill until the ferry boarding. Difficult because it was incredibly hot but we managed to find cafes and museums with air con and spent as long as we could in there. Baja ferries are very clean and the cabin was lovely. The food, however was absolutely terrible, the tie downs for the shed were totally ineffective and the crew not particularly helpful. That night we witnessed a spectacular thunderstorm over the ocean followed by exaggerated side to side rolling of the ferry. I think we both knew that this spelled trouble.At one point during the night we crossed the the tropic of cancer. In the morning following a 90 minute wait after docking we finally got down to the shed to discover a war wound on her tank where she had been over during the night.


Still, as ever, she didn't let us down, started first time and away we went into the mayhem of Mazatlan. It wasn't long before we left the city behind us, hit the rather expensive toll road and some lush green landscape with astonishing hills and mountains. This part of Mexico is truly beautiful and not what we were expecting.

We eventually found the Laguna in Santa Maria del Ora we had been recommended to us by a chap from Mexico who is part of the Horizons unlimited community. After some serious off roading round the Laguna only to find that the resort was charging $100 per night we made our way back and found a fabulous bungalow for $40. It was across from a great restaurant, had air con and hard standing for the shed. We watched another thunderstorm safe in the knowledge that the shed was ok.


The next morning we prepared to ride in the rain for the first time since riding in Canada. It was nice to ride in the cool. Reaching Guadalajara was a bit of a shock. This was a vast city, loads of traffic and no clear rules. We eventually got brought to a halt by quite a large police presence who directed us to the side of the road. What a lovely policeman.


He practiced his English on us and advised us of the speed limit around the city. He gave us a friendly warning and some advice before agreeing to have his photograph taken and sending us on our way to Marelia, a historic town with a spectacular cathedral and a warm and welcoming feel to it. As usual lady luck or fate was on our side. There is a big and dramatic firework display over the cathedral every Saturday. For some reason they held it on a Thursday night the day we arrived so we were able to experience this. It was really quite something. The streets were packed with people and vendors, traffic was diverted, classical music played loudly and there was a general feeling of joy and happiness. Fantastic. I love Mexico.

A birthday to remember

Just a quick blog to say thank you to everyone who sent me happy birthday wishes. Brian was put under a lot of pressure to 'give me a lovely birthday' It was certainly one to remember. Baking hot, windy, a red ant bite making two fingers on my left hand numb and then to top it all I fell off a kerb and twisted my ankle. Still................ look where I celebrated..................



Truly a birthday to remember.

There must be more to Mexico!

Here we are in Mexico - the Californian Baja. We left San Diego after a very fond farewell with Jim,



collected the bike insurance - no problem, then crossed the border which took all of about 10 minutes. I can remember looking at the very, VERY long queue of cars waiting to come from Mexico into USA and thinking 'thank goodness we aren't in that!' After a short distance and an even shorter discussion we agreed that this didn't feel right. No passport check, no removing the green visa pass, no vehicle permit, so we turned round and went back. There was a very long queue back into America, lots of street vendors and lots of very kind drivers advising us that we could go down the outside of the traffic and that we didn't need to queue. When we got to the border guard we explained our predicament. Now I'm sure that in Brian's blog he will try to attribute much of this cock up to me. If this is the case then let me assure you that I only sit at the back of the rider and as such am strongly and most totally led by him. We then had to head back up the freeway, off the first exit and back into Mexico. So you see, I've been to Mexico twice now.

Anyway, we declared ourselves, got the passport stamped (after paying a tiny amount of money) tried our best to get a vehicle permit but to no avail, and then continued on our way heading for Ensanada. The Garmen Zumo had a lot of difficulty keeping us on the right road due to new road construction and was driving us mad at one point because she was 're-calculating' over and over again. Thankfully there were good road signs to follow. However, when we got into Ensanada the Zumo took us right to the motel which was basic and very Mexican.


We had a nice afternoon walking back into town, finding a bank and getting something to eat. A couple of problems there - Brian's card didn't work and the food was cold though it should very clearly have been hot.

The next morning Brian found that he was unable to access his account on line. The first indication that there was a problem. Fortunately I had contacted my bank as we left USA and informed them that I was going to be using my card in Mexico. Oddly enough, even though I had contacted them before I left England and informed them of the trip the guy I spoke to (who supposedly had my details in front of him) had no idea of the trip. It seems that, even though Brian had informed his bank of the trip they have decided to lock him out of his card because they aren't sure why it is being used in Mexico. So you see, it doesn't really matter if you inform the 'institutions' prior to the event - they don't seem to record it!

We then had a lovely ride through to San Quentin and into El Rosario passing through a military check point on the way (machine guns and everything) We had to open one of the panniers there but no big deal. El Rosario was just a little way farther. A very lovely room and only £17 a night. A huge walk in shower! It was all very lovely and luxurious. However, the next problem rose it's head. We realised we didn't have very much cash, the gas station, restaurants and hotels don't take cards and the next town we were heading for only had one ATM . After much deliberation we decided to go back to San Quentin as there were three ATM's there. So, up early, away at 7.30 and back through the military checkpoint explaining that we needed to go to San Quentin for some cash.

After a little difficulty we finally found an ATM, got out lots of cash, called in at the garage to use the phone and to allow me to stuff the cash in a safe place! (a purse in case your mind is working overtime) We got on the bike and ............................. it wouldn't start. Off with all the gear, seat off, wires checked, lots of pondering and bewilderment then ............. Brian noticed the 'cut off' button had been depressed. The best of it was that he knew it was probably something really simple. As we got everything back together we noticed a lot of oil spray over the shed, Brian's left boot, and a little on my boot. Back through the check point (third time in 24 hours) and back to El Rosario. This time we stopped at the Motel next to the previous one. A great and helpful family business who were well into racing and off road motor bikes . They are the first checkpoint on the Baja 1000k off road rally. We got lots of advice from people and offers of help from the owner of the Motel and another guy who lent us his tool box. After a phone call to Dave who had fixed the shed in San Diego, Brian got the shed fixed - ship shape and dandy.


So here we are, sat enjoying a few cold beer and planning the next bit of the trip. Hopefully, we'll be seeing a little more of Mexico................... there had to be more than this one bit of road!

It wasn't easy... but worth the effort

It took us absolutely ages to get the shed out of the secure parking in the garage of the hotel in San Fran. It was so secure that the exit had been blocked by a car and nobody could find the keys! Of course Brian remained very patient (not). Once we were free we headed for Yosemite National Park riding in brilliant sunshine as soon as we left the city and the coast. In fact it soon became baking hot. We set up the tent on the first campground inside the park after purchasing an annual pass for all the National Parks in America (something Roy had recommended we did - a good call as it goes) After considering lighting a camp fire we decided not to bother as everyone in the campground appeared to have done this and as a result we were choking on the smoke that was lingering around. Gasping for breath we chose to retire to bed early.

The next morning we were up early, mostly due to the fact that it had been freezing cold that night and we didn't sleep that well. This was for the best as we then went into Yosemite valley and because we were early we missed most of the traffic and visitors which meant we could take in the views at our leisure.


The diversity of the scenery was spectacular from one end of the park to the other. Green and lush to rocky and mountainous. Because we got through it quickly we decided to press on - into and around the Nevada deserts.

I can't actually describe what this was like. The first taste of what was to come was when we pulled up to look at the map. I could see a spiral of air picking up the sand and grit and twirling it around up to about 15 feet. Then it seemed to disappear. The next minute we were being whipped around and the map nearly pulled from Brian's hand. We both had our helmets opened so we got battered with the materials flying round. Quickly as it came..... it went. We then continued and went from a popular tourist attraction with lots of traffic and people into a creepy and extremely windy place. The vast emptiness of the environment was screaming at you.


It was an experience I will never forget. The roads just seemed to go on and on in long straight lines in front of us.


We could see mountains and hoped to reach them and get a break from the strong and gusty winds but they continually seemed to move away from us. We were relieved to reach a place called Benton where we planned our next stop which wasn't too far away.

Tonopah used to be a thriving mining community but is now quite run down. We stayed in a hotel that has a casino downstairs. It was astonishing to see people sat at the same machine for hours, never moving, having drinks delivered and apparently oblivious to everything else around them chasing the dream of wealth and good fortune. I noticed some oil on Brian's right boot as we were stood in the elevator. He checked it out and it seems we have a bit of a problem with the shed. We finally heard from my daughter, Lucy who had just returned from holiday. My son was due back in a couple of days. Emails from family and friends are really important and we look forward to hearing what's going on back home so it was great catching up with her.

More and more desert the following day, going around area 51 looking out for aliens and finding some in the cafe we stopped in for a bite to eat.


We stopped in St George that night and actually had a couple of nights there as Brian was exhausted from fighting the winds and none stop desert riding. This was good because it gave me a chance to get my hair back to it's unnatural colour using some miracle from a box. I also managed to have an on line chat with my step son, Alex, which was rather lovely.

The next day we had a delayed start because the side stand switch packed in on the shed. I wasn't too concerned because I knew Brian would be able to fix it. He knows the shed inside out and he had it fixed in no time. We then headed for Zion National Park, using our annual pass to get in. We rode there and through the park in our t-shirts. It felt great. The park was beautiful with amazing shapes and colours and a narrow one mile tunnel.


On to Bryce National Park which was another astonishing formation like an alien planet in places.

We stopped at a Mount Carmel that night making the Grand Canyon a stones throw away the next day. The Canyon is astonishing and quite incomprehensible even when you're stood looking at it. I was surprised at the silence and total solitude of the place. I took lots of pictures but none of them will convey any of these to others. All they really do is remind us that we have been there and experienced it. Anyone that can should really put this on their list of 'things to do before I die'

I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the three National Parks we have done in the last couple of days. They were definitely 'awesome' After Denali Park I was little apprehensive about doing another park but these have renewed my enthusiasm. We were free to roam around using hop on, hop off buses which were provided free of charge to enable us to see various areas of the parks. They made me feel that these were indeed National Parks, accessible to the Nation and it's visitors.

San Fran tastic

It seems our ability to do long distances has been diminishing of late. We left the lovely hotel in Oregon and spent the next night in a run down little motel in Arizona beach. It was lovely finally being able to put on a swimsuit and sit in the glorious sunshine on the beach. Though we both thought the water looked lovely we quickly started squealing and running out of it when we discovered how cold the water was. We met a couple of guys when we went to the local fish and chip shop. They had been doing some serious off roading through the desert. Very impressive and serious adventure riders as well as really friendly guys. The following day we didn't travel very far from Arizona beach before finding a lovely campground next to a river. We had intended to go on the coast road but the thing was, we needed Internet access to try and book accommodation in San Francisco, and this site offered a beautiful view and Wi Fi so we stopped after only ** miles (too embarrassed to say how many but we weren't out of double figures)


It was nice sleeping in the tent again and both of us slept really well. In the morning, as we were leaving, there was a real hoo har going on. A black bear had come into the campground and ravaged the bins. It was scared off into some trees by some campers. However, we didn't hang around to 'get up close' and take photo's as others from the site were doing. Instead we decided to carry on down the coast road which turned out to be a single track, gravel road in places and no view to be seen because of the thick fog.


We then travelled down route 101, continuing through the red woods and 'Avenue of the Giants' and onto highway 1 - the up close coastal road.


The red woods were massive and the forests very dense. Yet again we were in the fog and many of the views blocked. On the brief occasions when you could see the coast there were some spectacular sights. Unfortunately, our ride up route 1 was spoiled by a particularly awful motor cycle rider, part of a pair, who thought he owned the road. The road was smooth and had brilliant bends and curves but these were clearly too difficult for the rider in front so it became quite frustrating for us especially as he wouldn't let us pass by. Brian pulled over tand stopped to give him time to get ahead and clear the road for us to enjoy. It was fantastic. To be honest it seems a long time since we took bends at that speed. Brian leaned the shed over and kept the speed up as if he was riding the Aprillia not a 2 ton tractor of the motor cycle world. We soon caught up with the two motor cycles who had caused us some problems but Brian cunningly got past (much to their surprise) and the journey to Fort Bragg was exceptionally good. I love this bike! I love route 1. The next day was San Francisco and riding over the Golden Gate Bridge. Beautiful blue skies and sunshine up until 'The bridge' then back to the fog so unfortunately I didn't get the full impact of how high the bridge was and the splendid views to be seen when you cross it. I've had a look at the postcards around the city for that. Our hotel is very old and quite run down but serves the purpose it was intended for. San Francisco is fantastic. The architecture is quite mind boggling at times. We took an open top bus ride through some of the neighborhood and a cable car ride down California street. We had a really interesting visit to a cartoon museum, and on one of our night out I nearly bought Brian a Dali painting but didn't quite have the £2k plus that they were asking for it. However, it was lovely sitting in the gallery being told all about it. The trip to Alcatraz was really good and the audio tour was brilliant.


It had recordings from some of the prisoners and told of failed escape attempts. It was lovely just wandering round the island and trying to imagine what it must have felt like to be imprisoned there and yet be able to see and hear the sights and sounds of the city ....... so near and yet so far. A constant reminder of what you were missing.


I've enjoyed real Clam chowder in a diner car and we had a scrumptious meal in China town. Last night we ate in an Irish bar. I had bangers and mash with HP sauce and I can't tell you how delicious it was - good, basic English food. Unfortunately I'm clearly not quite as young as I thought I was and have developed a bit of a problem with my knee from getting on and off the shed. It is much better now after a rest form the riding and wearing a great knee support. Not very sexy but it has definitely helped. So here we are getting ready to leave the big city. It's been quite and experience. I was really looking forward to getting here and have loved every minute of it this beautiful and cosmopolitan city.