I've been on a mission hunting down the ever elusive do-nar-row. It's been a few months of straight no fun and on the run. Haven't had time or desire to take a trip to check on Libby (my floating girl friend). Seeing as the Mexican's where getting restless for some slip payment. I took the plunge and headed south. I've never been a big fan of the TJ area as a matter of fact I straight up don't like it. But in the last 6 months or so there has been a rash of murders hijackings and kidnappings. It's gnarly. All the way to Ensenada is the corridor of thieves murderers and corruption.
As I was crossing the boarder I noticed there was no surfboards, no ATVs, no GRINGOS.
It was Friday night there is a good swell running and the weather is perfect. Whats up?
As always I put my foot into it to get out of TJ. I jumped on the free road in Rosarito. Not a gringo in sight. It was a ghost town. Back in the good oly days people would wave and smile. Nah, there was that East LA gangsta look all over the place, I wouldn't say I was paranoid it just didn't feel good. Funny how the cops seemed to be the most intimidating. So I kept on going no beer stop no burrito no nada. kept my self and money on the road. I stopped at K-58 and it was the same. A bitchin swell running glassy Big and clean surf. But not one surfer camped there. I have never seen it empty unless it's totally crappy weather. Not one camper nor tent NADA.
HUmmm ? I kept on heading down to Salina. and low and behold my boat was still floating !!! Thank god !! however one of the local fishing birds had called it home and turned her into a barg! ther was poop all over she looked like I hadn't been down in years. And my new buddy was still sitting on the mast head. Waaaaaaaap !!!! I nailed it with my jib halyard right on the asssloa.
Ha take that ya poopin machine. I had to do that every half hour cause it kept comin back to relive it's self. waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap , waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!!! waaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!!! finally It got the idea. I hope.
The next day was a fun filled scraping and scrubbing bird gruud. I got Libs all looking ready for the ball again. I will have to take the canvas off and give it another cleaning . Bird shiiit realy sticks. After a few scrubbing hours, The offiicina opened and I was ready to pay my dept to the marina. Well I'll be, they raised the rent, go figure, why not? Why does it seem like every time I head south now I'm getting ripped off?
Now I have a decision to make, pay 320 2 hours a way or 225 half hour away with stores and fun sailing? Well thats not a hard one is it? If it wasnt Saturday I would have just sailed straight up to San Diego. But being Saturday I know I would have had to lay another 60.00 on the port Captain in Ensenada to check out. Weird how he's still just sitting there on Saturday but you have to throw him more bucks when there is no crowd. That's the way it works, always has and always will. It's a shame. I paid up till March 30 only cause I have work this week for a nice chunk of change then I'm bringing a boat up from La Paz to San Flippy. Then some more work in Mammoth. Aaaaand I need to talk to a friend in Diego so I have some where to float there before I head up. I don't want to be stuck at the cop dock with nowhere to go. Been there done that.
My thoughts ? Well with all the bad things going on in Northern Baja and the press keeping gringos informed in the situations. It's going to be a long time before we as gringos will be dumping much money back into the Baja community. And that starts the spiral, Less money for the honest, witch turns them desperate, less tourist for the cops and bad guys witch means the chance of getting ripped off is higher. I'd say untill they get a hold of the crime and corruption the Northern Baja area is going to get worst before it gets better. It realy is a shame I love heading down and I've enjoyed having my boat there. But I, A lone poor guy in a beat up ole Jeep
feel like prey. So screw that I'll head father south and keep Lbby in the states for a bit. I mean there is another boat in La Paz why have two boats in Mexico anyway. I've never realy liked Northern Baja to much anyway but now it's just not worth it.
