Nov 18.08

In LaPaz, Baja now since Sunday nite... left San Diego Wednesday and had a great drive to El Rosario and finally things getting cheaper...my motel was $250pesos ($22US)...unfortunately found out today that I left my drivers license there...wonder whats next...havent been doing so well on the documentation thing...first lost my bank card and spare credit card in the desert crash, now my license is a dilemma, and I havent been able to find my expired passport which has my still active Visa for Brazil which is good for 5 years (thinking ahead abit)...guess I gotta be more present!

From El Rosario went across the desert back to the Gulf of California, so very beautiful in the desert and so many varied landscapes, spent the nite in Santa Rosalia, quiet little place where I ran into a German couple on an 18 year old BMW Dakar totally loaded, they were heaed to cath the ferry to Guyamas...almost went with them...maybe shoulda...likin that its gettin cheaper...my motel was $150 pesos ($12)

"Volcan Tres Virgines"










A very common road sign in Mexico is "Curva Peligrosa" meaning dangerous curve ahead...pay attention cause they mean it










Next day feeling real lazy and didnt get going till noon....hour later stopped at Mulege, very beautiful oasis..had lunch and then headed to Loreto...was abit worried it was too late already 2:30pm... a bit south of Mulege hit a nice beach with camping...my home for the nite and first swim in the Gulf...Camping $50 pesos ($4)












From Mulege it was south thru Loreto and wonderful road and beautiful drive, till the road headed inland away from the water and the longest straightest boringest stretch of road I have ever been on...200Km and maybe one turn...closer to LaPaz was better

Some amigos








Have had three good riding days and hanging a bit in Lapaz...will get a ferry tomorrow off the Baja for the mainland..probably Mazatland...glad for the rest and break in "adversity" ..my hotel Pesion Hotel Califonia $200pesos ($16) and security for the bike in the lobby...very accomodating!

While at the hotel met a wonderfully adventerous lass, Laura Zick from Moab on a sailing adventure, crewing her way "The Long Way Down"...her current passion is to manifest her own 27' sailboat to go round the world and she'll do it!..we made a gallant attepmt to get my bike on the boat fo the crossing from LaPaz to Mazatlan..would have been a great adventure, but alas, I'll be on tonights ferry instead...bummer

Nov 20 is Le Revoltion Day in Mexico celebrating the anniversary of the "Revolucion"...military didnt seem to have a prolem with it!

Nov 12.08 Update

Looks like a false start...unfortunately I'm back in San Diego for repairs after some advice (bad) to take a route south thru San Felipe...the "road from hell" was brutal...ran into some "offroaders" that nite who after a 12 hour ride said that stretch was the worst they'd been on that day...all were worried about cut tires etc on the sharp rocks... for me was 5 horas for 50 miles each day...blown shock reservoir after 20 miles...then next day within ten miles of the pavement had another crash at speed in the sand...my tank bag flew off in the crash and wasnt closed fully, whatever was nailed down blew away in the big wind including my bank card and spare credit card...my shoulder hit hard but seems OK, glad it was sand tho the bike and me just missed or own big rocks...bit of front end damage...got lots of off-road experience and more experience than I wanted this early on dealing with adversity... was hard standing on the pegs all day long for the last few days and not much fun riding a pogo stick in desert wind/sand storms, shear winds, etc....he Baja has had its way with me so far...aiming to be back on the road by Tue/Wed and make some miles...not much fun crashing in the middle of the desert all alone ...

In Puertocitos as the pavimento ended I hit 500 metros of freshly dumped sand about 12¨deep...I decided against it and turned around...the guy operating a roller saw my dilemma and said ¨Cmón, follow me¨and he flattened the sand somewhat, without thinking much (good thing) I followed him and made it thru..my highlight of the day and was bouyed with confidence that I could do anything after that (what a fool)...That night had a nice camping spot, stars and bonito sunrise next morning as I prepared to head down the unkowingly ominous Road from Hell (No.1)....

The Road from Hell (No.1)... doesnt´look so bad but very rough, sharp rocks, and washboard...at 10 mph it is a very long road

Back uprite again after my second crash...hadn´t seen a car for over two hours

Coco´s Corner, now about 10 miles from pavement, supposed to be the coldest beer in Mexico, unfortuanetly Coco wasnt around

Oct 31.08 Spent 5 days in LA getting more gear, new chain, sprockets and tires and repairing the bike. The crash at Mono Lake cracked my gas tank and had a major leak. They wanted $425 for a new part but JB weld fixed it better than new, good stuff that JB weld.

Met Thad Wolff in Seattle while getting new seat. He offered to help me out with a place to stay in LA and lots of help gettingready. Many thanks to Thad, Jody and Kelly for their warm hospitality, help with the bike and moral support...


and a funky spot to sleep in the bike trailer.

Leaving LA (finally)..in the rain?

Mon Nov 3.08
I finally set sail into Mexico Monday after many delays leaving San Diego and arriving at the Tijuana border crossing about 4pm...it took a while to get permits etc and I forgot it was now getting dark around 5 pm...by the time I got done it was dark and there I was again, doing what is strongly advised against..."do not drive at night in Mexico" and also driving in Tijuana at night is probably not a good idea either, however after all the delays in getting going I was committed to getting to Ensanada that day come hell or high water...took a wrong turn in Tijuana and went miles on the wrong highway...a great sole helped me get back on track and even drove to show me the way...have met some really great folks so far

Finally in Mexico

Oct 26.08 Update

Oct 26,08 Update

Its Sunday and I'm in Bishop,CA an hour south of Mono Lake on the East side of the Sierra Nevadas...left Vancouver on Monday in the sunshine but hit rain by Seattle...stayed the night at Salem then hit Albany,OR Tuesday and got suit, boots, etc...Tues PM headed for Boise, ID...got half way, driving at night thru mountain passes was not a good idea and was not fun, even fully layered with heated vest and grips I froze my ass off, winding roads, poor visibility...was needing to stop cause I needed gas and was getting mild hypo but couldnt find town with gas/motel, stopping every 20 min to warm up finally reached Mt. Vernon by 9PM then on to Boise next AM...spent two days in Boise getting luggage and gear...synchronistically ran into a guy named Seth from NY at the BMW shop, also on a F650GS, going from New York to live in Portland, he manages the band called Beduoin Sound Clash...he had his life strapped in a tuppercare container strapped on the back...we did a deal on my old BMW luggage which worked well for both of us...felt really good to help him out and it worked for me not to have to deal with shipping it back to Seattle....

left Boise Friday AM and got to Carson City...had great meal at a great Thai restaurant (more "Food as Medicine" inspiration/information on this later as I forgot my journal/notes in the motel room)...Sat AM had a nice chat with a very nice woman who owns a funky coffee shop...she told be about her adventure to Bali...I asked her out to dinner/dance..she said she was flatterred but said her boyfriend would have a problem with that...oh darn, dancing would be good...Sat PM decided to stay in the area and circumnavigate Lake Tahoe (gorgeous up there) and then headed back to Carson City for the night...same cheap motel $30 and more great Thai food...

Had an interesting day today...struggled with getting going, some fear and having second thoughts of what am I getting myself into, etc ...left Carson City 11AM and headed south down the east side of the Sierra Nevadas'.... two hours on I spied a gravel road from the vista lookout above Mono Lake and figured it was time to test my non-existant off road skills...was a little sketchy for sure but OK, then about a mile in, I hit some really deep sand... oops imagine that!... fucking sand in the desert!...went down pretty quick with the right pannier coming to rest on my lower leg...guess I did that one a bit wrong as the alum panniers are supposed to protect my leg...lucky it was soft sand, made it easier to get my leg out with no major damage, a little sore in the calf but other than a little rattled, bike and me no damage....good opportunity to test picking up the bike, etc...then in the motel parking lot here in Bishop I couldnt get the bike on the centre stand with all the extra gear weight and it went over again...building confidence of being able to get myself out of a jam tho and getting some practise of whats ahead I'm sure. ....Poor Bike..oucchhh!


Not making many miles each day and having a hard time just getting going early...guess I'm liking the safety/familiarity of the US as I get my rythym and more comfortable with the bike, gear, etc..I imagine its also the fear that when I cross into Mexico and on to Central
America its like setting sail on the open ocean in a ship I dont know very well and I see myself avoiding it a bit Feeling tired and resting up my swollen leg...we'll see what tomorrow brings...will probably hit LA tomorrow...need to get the bike serviced soon either LA or Sand Diego....thinking I need a few more days in the US ensuring I'm ready before heading into Mexico...also not confident that my offroad skills are up to this journey...perhaps I should hang out and take a course but the only one I know of is not until middle of Nov and I dont really want to wait that long... yikes leaving soon!

Back upright again and ready to go