Mike Humfreville - 11-20-2005 at 07:52 PM
Save Me, Baja
We crossed the border into the United States of America after a 2-month visit to our house in Bahia de Los Angeles. We took the Tecate turnoff just
north of Ensenada. We opted to avoid the constant confrontation of forced lane changes and people who know the route better than we do cutting in
front of others less knowledgeable. The kindness we had been living in the remote small-village environs of the Bay is certainly not located at the
Tijuana crossing. Tecate took us just a few moments; it can be much longer but it is more policed and structured. The smaller town folks are more
giving and considerate. Seems like that might just be true regardless of the part of the world we?re in.
We got home to Ventura, California. Michael and Kevin helped us unload. Hugs passed as freely as the duffels filled with soiled clothes. Our first
several nights were a little noisier and filled with less friendly sounds. In the bay we?re caressed daily and nightly with natural sounds of whales,
dolphin, sea birds, sea lions, and waves, small fragile sparkling tinkles in the night reflect off the distant stars and moon. Our moon.
While we live in Ventura in a relatively remote small orchard of avocado and lemon trees, our rented house is located between the 126 freeway and
another major thoroughfare connecting Valencia and the coast. The noise from traffic, particularly in the evenings and early morning hours, is too
much. I fall asleep dreaming of Bahia de Los Angeles.
We?re heading there soon. I have a list of supplies we need. Mary Ann has met a neighbor at our house on the Sea of Cortez who does the ancient art
fabric Locker Hooking. We set off to the local Wal-Mart to buy what she needs to perform this art. I was completely unprepared.
In Bahia the definition of a crowd is several people gathered somewhere. The Ventura Wal-Mart is huge and there must have been many thousands of
shoppers, all speaking different languages, pushing shopping carts filled to the brim and not watching where they were going and grabbing at more
STUFF! What has America taught us? I do not mean this disrespectfully as I am very much an American.
All my life I have spent money as a form of uplifting entertainment. Now, retired, I have to stop. But I?ve been thinking about it for some time.
It?s something I need to fix in myself. I really don?t think it?ll be too hard. It?s a matter of my understanding my own form of demented logic.
The bulging crowd continues on their quest for new stuff. We enter the checkout line, one of twenty, and it takes us 20 minutes. We only have
several purchases. The rush of humanity is incredible and overpowering. I can?t wait to get out of the building.
Cars in the parking lot are zooming around looking for open slots. People are everywhere. I?m overwhelmed once again. This is the society I grew up
in but it has grown. I long to be back in Bahia de Los Angeles or elsewhere in Baja, in Mexico, where I also grew up.
?Come save me, Baja.?
?I?m right there with you, Michael. I?m in your head," she said.
[Edited on 11-21-2005 by Mike Humfreville]
Osprey - 11-21-2005 at 07:42 AM
Mike,
There was probably a lot of Baja in my epiphany. One day on a "parking lot" kind of freeway experience on a trip to L.A. I began to zap almost all
the cars in front of me with my imaginary gun, in my mind they disappeared, I went on my imaginary way, unimpeded. I would miss every 3,000th car
because I needed what the driver might sell: groceries, music, health care for example. My little game was letting me know how scimpy my life needs
were, telling me to leave any big city behind, seek a simple village life. I did just that -- La Ribera, Baja California has everything I need and it
lacks all the stuff that was "in my way".
vandenberg - 11-21-2005 at 07:56 AM
Mike
That's why we live in Loreto. Small town ,very quite. When we "HAVE " to go to the States, my bloodpressure goes up 50 points when crossing the
border. Viva Baja !!!
rpleger - 11-21-2005 at 08:19 AM
Wow..........I had a similar Wal-Mart experiance my last time north and I understand completly.
It`s not a bad place, just to many people.
There are now three times more people in the world than when I was born.
Baja and Baja Sur have just the right amount and it's growing............
Oh well