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Paulina
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Skipjack and Wiles,
We'd all better hurry, that night time view is not going to be the same for much longer. The houses are going up, and once the electricity is on 24
hrs, I think our night vision of the islands and the town as we knew it will be altered. We can still sit there though, listening to that wonderful
music and remember old times when the lights in town would go off at 10 pm and you could count the ocassional light/campfire out to La Gringa.
Traditions before the lights went out? find your flash light and t.p.
This has been a great thread.
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Skipjack Joe
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Paulina
Traditions before the lights went out? find your flash light and t.p.
P<*)))>< |
What's a t.p.? Or should I ask?
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Paulina
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Toilet paper. With a flash light and a roll of toilet paper over the handle end you could rule your evening!
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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bajaboolie
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Wiles
Roll call just to make sure all people and pets are aboard, head for the border.
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Good idea! One time we drove down when I was a kid, we stopped for a bathroom break in the middle of nowhere. We got back in the car and drove for
half an hour before we realized our little dog wasn't with us!! We were panicked driving back, but she was just standing there waiting for us. That
didn't happen twice.
Bajaboolie
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Martyman
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We usually ball & jack it to our intented location but we try to stop for a night at Cielito Lindo for 30wt crab and a few shots on the beach. We
also will try to hit Ensenada on the way back for a party night. Were hangin out in Hussongs waiting for the ranchero band with the blind accordion
player. They are the best!! I try to get a seafood coctel along the way.
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Skipjack Joe
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One game we often play is counting crosses. The driver gets his half of the road and the passenger gets the other. A church cemetery counts as 3.
I'm guessing that Mexicans believe that a cross must be placed right where the person has perished in order for him/her to be able to enter the
kingdom of heaven.
Over the years there has been quite an accumulation of roadside crosses. This summer we saw far fewer along the highway. Perhaps the government
decided that they were just too gruesome to look at or perhaps they just don't want travelers to be constantly reminded of the dangers of that road.
Anyway, it seemed to me that there has been an attempt at creating little monuments along the way that stood for several crosses in a section of the
highway - sort of a symbolic cross. I wonder if baja residents feel that this accomplishes their religious desires.
These were my thoughts as the miles passed by ...
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Paulina
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Igor,
We used to play the counting cross game too, until they got too numerous to count. I once thought about making a coffee table book of all the unique
monuments we've seen. What a rough job that would have been, having to drive all over baja taking photos for my book!
We used to count dead cows like Wiles did, but after one particular gruesome horse my daughter was over that tradition too.
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Skipjack Joe
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Paulina,
Have you seen a reduction of crosses or is that my imagination?
Do you share my thoughts about why they put up those crosses?
We have migrant workers here in HMB and I would see a cross appear now and then but Caltrans takes them down very quickly. So this must be fairly
important to the Mexicans.
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Paulina
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That is a good question, maybe calls for it's own thread? I don't know if there's a reduction to the crosses, or if we've just become acclimated to
them?
I remember a trip with my parents to San Feliepe in the 60s in which my mom made my dad pull the camper/bike trailer over almost every time she saw
one so she could take a photo. One in particular was bright blue, I don't know why I remember that one, but she was quite impressed, my dad was quite
over it, and it is still stuck in my mind.
I have seen places were the crosses were removed due to construction, power lines etc, only to be relocated further back from the road. With the
highway paved better than ever, we tend to drive faster and not take the time to smell the creosote bush or notice the road side memorials like we
used to. Maybe that could be it?
To answer your questions, I don't know if they are falling in numbers. I also don't know the meaning, or why they are put up. Is it religious,
Catholic? Is it cultural?
I remember living in L.A. and a newspaper article in the Times regarding this topic. Some were against it, including my ex-husband. His arguement was
that if the Hispanics were allowed to follow their cultural traditions in death, then maybe he should be allowed to follow his, being burned upon his
death and sent afloat upon the L.A. river...I can't say that I'm not for that happening to him now....I just don't want to be held guilty for his
early demise.
Back to topic, I do know that the monuments are getting more and more personalized and I like that. Hector comes to mind. I've seen another big rig
besides Hector recently, but didn't yell at Dern to pull over like my mom used to harangue my dad. Maybe I should have learned from that....
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Skipjack Joe
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Paulina
I've seen another big rig besides Hector recently, but didn't yell at Dern to pull over like my mom used to harangue my dad. Maybe I should have
learned from that....
P<*)))>< |
Yes I think you should have because ...
well behaved women rarely make history
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Boshvideo
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Mood: chill
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those crosses
| Quote: | Originally posted by Paulina
I once thought about making a coffee table book of all the unique monuments we've seen. What a rough job that would have been, having to drive all
over baja taking photos for my book!
Interesting... I was thinking of making a video of that very subject. I'd love to get some real life stories behind some of those crosses. Where would
you start?
[Edited on 10-1-2007 by Boshvideo] |
It\'s easier to get forgiveness then permission.
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Paulina
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Boshvideo,
I think it should be started with a new thread.. ja ja ja!
P<0)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Boshvideo
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Thanks, Sorry......
It\'s easier to get forgiveness then permission.
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Location: Sunset Beach
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Mood: Just dancing through life
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Earlier I said Buffett always works &
here is what I mean...for some reason his song 'Mr. Paperman (Kinja rules is another title)always reminds me of Baja...perhaps it is the
water......here are the lyrics
Mista paper, senator pullman he just call.
He ask how come ya don need no watah
Norman
Don’t need water!
Lorna
Well, you let the barge go by
He comin’ to talk to you
Norman
Who is senator pullman anyway?
Why do I have to signal the barge?
Iris
Welcome to the caribbean, put on a shirt at least.
The big enchilada is on his way
Senator pullman
Mr. norman paperman, I presume?
Joinin’ us in kinja for de tourist boom?
Norman
Norman paperman at your service.
Meeting the kingpin, I’m slightly nervous
Pullman
Mr. paperman, I here to be your friend
But there’s just certain rules here we can not bend
Paperman how about the water? my cistern’s flat.
Pullman
Why sure, I come to take care of dat
Chorus
But you gotta play by kinja rules
Forget about da tings you learned in school
We use a different box of tools
And you gotta play by kinja rules
Pullman
Now dis alien ain’t bonded for no gondolier
He’s bonded for gardener-dat why he here
De chief of immigration a power in dis town
Chief find out-your hotel close down
Paperman
Hereafter gardening’s all he’ll do I didn’t know, I swear to you
Pullman
Doan’ hoross yourself, it’s okay mister
De chief of immigration-she’s my sister
Chorus
But you gotta play by kinja rules
Forget about that civics course you learned in school
We ain’t city folks, but we ain’t fools
And you gotta play by kinja rules
Pullman
Stop!
Paperman
How about my water?
Pullman
Hold you hosses I come to dat
Look at da chambermaid, she mighty fat
And if dat alien have her baby here
Dat baby an american, free and clear
De secretary of interior, he gonna rave
And dat baby on your record
From da cradle to da grave
Your responsibility-i doan mean maybe
Da bottom line sir, dat your baby
Chorus
You gotta play by kinja rules
Forget about da tings you learned in school
We use a simple box of tools
And you gotta play by kinja rules
Paperman
I’ll send her away-but this club’s bone dry
Pullman
No problem, lots of watah you can buy
Paperman
Buy water, senator?
That’s your advice?
Pullman
Chief of public works give you a special price
Paperman
Chief of public works
Who’s he-your brother?
Pullman
Ha ha, not bad she’s lorna’s mother
Chorus
So you gotta play by kinja rules
Forget about da tings you learned in school
We use a different box of tools
And you gotta play by kinja rules
Paperman
Senator, I thank you.
Now one thing’s clear
I’ve got to hire a kinjan gondolier
Pullman
Now dat a problem-
Paperman
What’s the reason
Pullman
No unemployment-it’s high season
Can’t hire no kinjan to wear dis hat
Paperman
And I can’t use an alien?
Pullman
Don’t ask dat
Paperman
You’ve been a great help, sir-you’ve got my vote
Just tell me-who’s going to row that boat?
Pullman
You gotta play by kinja rules
Forget about da tings you learned in school
Just take it easy, play it cool
But be sure to
Paperman joins pullman
Play by kinja rules
Extra chorus
You gotta play by kinja rules
Forget about that civics course you learned in school
God watches out for drunks and fools
But forget the ten commandments here
Kinja rules
Kinja rules
Kinja rules
Kinja rules
Pullman
Norman paperman, I feel you soon adjust to kinja, haha
Mr Paperman is based on an ad man from New York who opts out of the rat race,,,after a heart attack...and heads south.
For me it works so well. Even old guys can listen to the words and apply them.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Paulina
Ultra Nomad
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So Igor,
Where is that parking spot?
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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wiltonh
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Traveling traditions are always fun to think about. When I was a kid we would leave Washington State and travel to Mexico or Baja every other year
over Christmas. We had a number of things we did to pass the time.
1. We competed to see who could find all the letters of the alphabet in order, on signs and license plates we saw along the way.
2. We would buy a box of tangerines with the easy to peel skins. The goal was to peel one completely so that the skin came off in one piece. You
might have to eat a bunch before you got one to peel right but that was okay.
3. We counted the number of dead dogs and compared that with the number of dead horses and cows to see who was the loser this trip.
4. Someone was tasked to check the gas pump to see that it was set to zero before we filled with gas. That same person was given a cheap calculator
which they carried while they looked at the numbers. It always amazed me how well the gas attendant could do exchange rate conversions in their head.
Later we switched to just paying in Pesos.
5. We would always spend a little time thinking about the current exchange rate so that when you looked at a price you could do some level of
conversion in your head. If I remember correctly our first trip was in the early 60s and the exchange rate was about 8 pesos to a dollar.
6. At that time no one in our family spoke Spanish so my mother decided that we needed to be able to count in Spanish. We spent a bunch of time with
all the kids counting together until everyone could do it from memory. Once this was complete, one of the adults would say give me a 9 in Spanish.
The first kid to come up with the answer was the winner.
7. When car stereos got cassettes in them, we loaded up with a big box of cassettes and listened to music.
Now for some current traditions:
1. Preparation for a trip starts much earlier in the year. We installed a CD player in the dash that plays MP3s. We then made a bunch of MP3 music
CDs that take about 10 hours to play each one.
2. Music was great but ebooks were even better. We would borrow sets from people and that made the miles go by fast.
3. Sometimes we would get a lecture course on CD and listen to that. The issue here is everyone has to be interested in the subject or it does not
work well.
4. There is a place about half way between the border and Ensenada where the toll road gets next to the beach. It has a pull out and parking on both
sides of the road. We often pull out there and buy a plastic glass full of fruit covered with chili powder. If you have never tried this and like
any type of hot food, give it a try.
5. About 2 or 3 years ago we came across an incredible free resource on the internet and traveling has never been the same since.
http://www.librivox.org
On this site there is a catalog. In it you will find book titles that you can download for free. ( These are legal downloads ). As of today there
are over 1300 books that are complete. The books are all older than about 1923 so they are now in the public domain. Readers from all over the world
read these books into their computers and then publish the results. Some readers are better than others but we have come to enjoy just about all of
them. You can get about 3 standard length books on one CD. This means you can have a library with you and it takes up very little room.
There is one issue which just about got us in big trouble. We were engrossed in a Mark Twain book and just about ran out of gas. This was in the
states so were able to pull off at the next exit. If it had been in Baja we would have been stuck along the road somewhere.
I have probably downloaded 50 or 60 books from this site and have listened to more than half of them. They really make the miles fly by.
That is enough for now. Wilton
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Sallysouth
Super Nomad
Posts: 1835
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Capo Beach
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Mood: missing Baja...
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Back to traveling with animals, In the early 80's we had a big black cat named Stokley (after Stokley Carmicheal) and he would travel with us from
norther n Cal (snow country) to Baja each year.We had a sweet little Airstream, all
re-done by my dear ol Dad, and the toilet was in the very rear .This big ol hairy cat would wrap himself around that toilet seat and when we stopped
for lunch in the middle of the desert or wherever, he would just jump out and go for a walk.So we make our sammies, a margi, and set up our chairs .We
traveled with my parents back then and it had become a ritual, stopping at Catavina and Coyote.Well, this big ol Cat learned how to come to a whiste
and a call, never "here kitty kitty"! He knew his name and knew it was time to quit chasing lizards and jump back in the Airstream!! I think he was
kind of a "catdog".He also taught himself how to use the toilet, no help whatsoever!Never learned how to flush tho...And that is one of my stories of
Drive down traditions
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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