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BAJACAT
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2902
Registered: 11-21-2005
Location: NATIONAL CITY, CA
Member Is Offline
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Don't have one I was born in MEXICO
But I can tell you guys my firts visit to the states.I was In front of a Burger king Menu, and when the ask me"what are you going to order I reply
QUE?.I did'nt understand a word that girl was saying. And still don't 
BAJA IS WHAT YOU WANTED TO BE, FUN,DANGEROUS,INCREDIBLE, REMOTE, EXOTIC..JUST GO AND HAVE FUN.....
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
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I was prompted to recall a few more mental snapshots in time. I really recall the different smells. As a child the smell of life was omnipresent.
They say that smells program your brain permanently and can't be forgotten. In other words, once you smell something you'll always remember that smell
shall it come by your way, even in 50 yrs.
So now when I happened along the Toll Road last year the bad smell triggered that "been there-done that" response in my mind. Yes it did smell bad
that day. I've no idea how many days a year Rosarito Beach area reeks, but that familiar smell etched into my brain decades ago briefly reared it's
ugly head
Listen up Mr. Trump!
On the other hand I had an epiphany 3 or so yrs ago. I was driving along Hwy 1 and the sweet smell of mesquite smoke wafted thru my vehicle. I
suddenly remembered that smell from the same area from 35 yrs earier. 
I was really into jewelry and fireworks in my late teens. TJ was a wonderful place to shop. Most store owners would bargain with Americans and many
touted about their skill in getting a great deal thru their method. It's true and stll is today. You CAN get a deal through bargaining many times. I
doubt the new Home Depots and others will subscribe to that .
Back when California was less flammable, we filled our shopping list in TJ. I was in heaven when the the store owner showed me his fireworks for sale
in the back. I went back north with cherrybombs and crackerballs. We eventually located other merchants who could help us out with other
firecrackers. I loved em even though they had a fair share of duds. They were all loud though and contained a goodly amount of flashpowder. They
kicked arse when they worked. Some mean M4000 or whatever with plastered ends. Giant oversized firecrackers baring dual fuses. Trianglular firecracers
you could fling like a frisbeee and those wonderful; little lady fingers who your friends dared you tolight and explode on the tip of your fingers.
What about the velvet art paintings that came about in the 60s. I remember as a boy looking into stores and seeing vibrant paintings of large
breasted women. I really enjoyed the lack of censorship.
When my parents eventually figured I was old enough let me go shop on my own. My bounty always included a few things I would bring back. A few packs
of "Horechit Cigarettes" remember...."Not a fart in a car load" , a couple fancy switchblades, a bullwhip or two and some fireworks.
Ah, the good ol' days. I have to admit tho, the Chinese fireworks are much more reliable.
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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On some of my early trips people would ask me to bring back fireworks for them. One time, couple days before a trip in my pickup to fish at Mulege my
boss gave me $100 to buy him fireworks. The next morning I gave it back to him. He was a nice guy and I didn't want to say no, didn't want to show
him disrespect so I said "Knowing how I am on these trips I would probably have spent your money, told you they confiscated the fireworks at the
border, charged me $200 dollars in fines. You would have had to pay me the other $200, so you'ld be out $300 with no fireworks."
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Crusoe
Senior Nomad
Posts: 731
Registered: 10-14-2006
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Never Ever Forget.......1956. Was a dumb 15yo surfer kid that got roped into an amazing three week surfing trip to T.J.,Ensenada and San Quintin,with
some older boys and friends of my older brothers who were 18 and 19 yo. Total of two vehicles and 7 very lusty lads. The trip changed me forever.
Miles and miles of unpopulated beaches, great waves, whales and fish and sea life every where!!! Amazing amount of birdlife and butterflys. California
Brown Pelicans flying everywhere in the sky. Almost free food and beer. Sleeping on the beaches at night time looking up at the stars. The big one is
the culture schock. Every Mexican is smiling from ear to ear and they were so poor!!! Riding horses on the beach at San Miguuel and Estero. The shacks
and shantys of T.J. and Ensenada. The little man with no legs who would push himself around Hussongs on a little creeper with is electric shock box
and we would give him a dime and hold two steel prods one in each hand and he would turn up the juice. The skin bars. The bull fights. All the
diversity of the street life on Revolcian Ave. Shops with all the loud blaring music would put me in a trance. A trance that effects me to this day,
now 51 years later. Bieng able to travel the Baja Penninsula and be with the kind Mexican people and see it from the different eyes of a smallboat
sailor, ocean kayaker and surfer and backpacker and explorer. There has been almost a trip every year, some for up to 8 months and some only one
month, and mostly I feel I am just still at the begining stage.There is so much more to see. Baja is to me the most beautiful place I have seen in
this world. I just hope we can protect all her natural beauty. They just are not making any more.
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akbear
Nomad
Posts: 203
Registered: 8-23-2003
Location: Buena Vista BCS
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It's all in here some where.
My first pair of cowboy booths in TJ for my 5th birthday in '53. Going to the panadera to buy shopping bags of rolls, sweets and treats. Walking
horses at Caliente when I was 11 & 12 for my summer job. The peanut man outside the Jockey entrance selling newspaper cones of peanuts. Big
strawberry sodas. Dog races & Jai Alai Games. I remember the hamburgers & the Red Caps that would place your bets for you. The Bar b Que. pork
at the Shanghai restaurant in Mexicali.
I allmost forgot the Bongo Drums.
Can't wait to add a lot more new Baja California memories !   
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jimgrms
Senior Nomad
Posts: 664
Registered: 9-30-2005
Location: oceanside ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: its always good
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1952 or so at 14 years went to san felipe with dad and uncle and cousin cousin and i each had 20'00 to spend dad and uncle went fishing me and
cousin went exploring, found 2 brothels one was a converted stables and another one was' and were run out of themby the only cop in sf so foung a
little bar on the hill by the where the lighthouse is ,where we partook of some quality mescall ended up kinka drunk and sick ,then we we wandering
around downtown where the cop found us agail and told us to go to our hotel and stay, when i backtalked him he knocked me down and locked me up
i the then s/f version af a slammer a converted box van w no wheels nor no any thing except locked doo spent about 9 hours in it , my dad could
have got me out sooner, but diddn't . that taught me respect for the law , especislly in s/f
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Halboo
Nomad
Posts: 193
Registered: 2-19-2006
Location: 33°26\'00.15\"N 117°37\'09.84W
Member Is Offline
Mood: Bohemian
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Hughes Aircraft brought my folks to Cali a couple years before I was born in '57 and we went to TJ, Ensenada and Rosarito pretty often when I was
growing up.
I was one of those little blond headed kids the mamacitas love to dote over and I am pretty sure there is a picture of me on a painted burro in
mom's photo pile.
Bullfights, fishing, shopping, the usual tourista stuff.
I have a really strong memory from when I was about 4 or 5 of a man in Tijuana who had no arms seated on a folded blanket on the sidewalk, weaving a
basket with his feet.
In the 70' s when I was a swab I had an apartment in Imperial Beach for a couple years and spent every free minute in Baja surfing, wenching and
eating lobster.....
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Martyman
Super Nomad
Posts: 1904
Registered: 9-10-2004
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Around 1965 my family used to camp at half way house. Catching cabezone off the cliffs. Buying skyrockets, cherry bombs, Huaraches with the tire
treads and maybe even a switchblade. I was only 10 so no skin bars. We used to go to the Jai Alai in TJ too. Very interesting and fed my love of
Mexico.
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
Registered: 9-27-2006
Member Is Offline
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This is my earliest.............
My parents and I went for a weekend trip to Ensenada. My Dad brought along a bachelor friend of his that he knew in the Navy stationed at North
Island. I believe he was a Lt. Com. This was around 1956 and I was 8 years old.
I don't remember much of the trip except for when we were ready to come home my Dad's friend was missing. So we went on a tour of Ensenada looking
for my Dad's friend Bill. Well after what seemed like a very long time from my then 8 year old memory we found him.....................sleeping in a
booth at Chuey's Bar.
If there was more to the story I never found out.
That was a source of laughs for many years to come in our family.
Jeez I love Mexico.
Ken
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
Member Is Offline
Mood: Peacefull
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Tijuana 1949
Tijuana was always on the visiting list for family visitors from South Dakota. We lived in San Diego. And as always there was the photo on the
burro to take home. This is my Mother, aunt Lucille and Me (Poncho age 4 ) in 1949. These trips were always great adventure.... and if we were
lucky we would go all the way to Ensanada where Dad would buy a huge bucket of shrimp for five dollars ! Those beer batter shrimp frys back home are
great memories . Of course, years later it was the fifty cent house specials at the Hotel Nelson that drew me for many a weekend of drunken
stupidity  Good Times ! CaboRon
[Edited on 7-13-2007 by CaboRon]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65303
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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GREAT PHOTO RON!!!
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
Member Is Offline
Mood: Peacefull
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
GREAT PHOTO RON!!! |
You can thank my 92 year old mother for saving these old photos...... thank god for moms !!! CaboRon
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