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Saturday, 29th of September, 2001 - Santa Rosalia, Baja California - M xico
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Hola amigos y amigas!
I cannot believe how fast time flies by; a few weeks have passed since my
last entry from Ojai. I will try to relate everything that had happened in
the meantime as best as I can.
After the horrible tragedy that struck our nation on September 11th, I,
along with everyone else, had a very difficult time coping with the reality.
My heart cried for the victims and their families. It cried for the
shattered dreams of a peaceful future. I spent the memorable day glued to
the TV screen not believing my own eyes. "Is this some horrible joke?" I
asked repetitively, "It can't be true!" In the meantime I was trying to call
New York, where my father lives. I did not succeed until late evening hours.
When I finally got him on the phone I was very relieved to find out that he
was all right.
In face of the drama my plans became very insignificant. After the initial
shock wore off I gradually picked up what was left of my carefully arranged
schedule. I met with Mel Moore from the Kawasaki Headquarters near LA. Mel
went out of his way to help with press interviews. I did succeed in talking
to several editors, such as Motorcyclist and American Rider. Mel also
arranged for filming by Speed Vision. Well, I hope my performance was
acceptable... I was very nervous and very tired. It took most of the day to
shoot the footage; a day or riding in a full gear in the blazing Californian
sun. Kawasaki also did some minor work on the bike, such as an oil change,
new tires, and general checkup. Thank you guys, I appreciate it. Special
thanks to Mel, who tried very hard to make my stay in LA as productive as
possible.
In the meantime I managed to visit friends, Iwona and Peter Szymanski. Last
year they took six months to travel all over Central America and Mexico.
They have shared a lot of secrets with me... thanks a lot Iwona and Peter! I
am sure I will benefit greatly from your suggestions.
Finally leaving LA behind I headed toward the border. I was eager to cross
into Baja, freeing myself of all the stressful business matters. But destiny
had other plans for me. Following a suggestion of Toby Lampson, after
arriving in San Diego I called Elden Carl, the unofficial "guru of the KLR".
Elden and his wonderful wife Paulene Read invited me to stay with them. I
gratefully accepted, since the hour was already late. Little did I know of
Elden s plans for my bike. I wanted to leave the next morning! Well, it took
2 full days to go over the entire bike, 2 days of hard work on Elden's part,
and serious learning on my part. Among other things he worked on the valves,
and thought me how to perfectly adjust the chain tension. In the meantime he
entertained me with some wonderful stories about his and Pauline s trips to
Baja. Elden insists that Pauline rides the bike, even though she is a
passenger. According to him riding two up on a dirt bike requires great
skills from both riders. I agree, especially in the light of the fact that
Pauline is over 70 years old. Great job Pauline! I would love to ride with
both of you some time in the future.
Having everything straightened up, I finally left for Baja on Friday, the
21st of September. Elden accompanied me to San Vincente, where he met with
the director of Bethesda Teaching Ministry, Bill Lawrence. Bill and his wife
Kay ran an orphanage and a special education school on their Rancho Santa
Marta. Their operation started 21 years ago and exists solely on donation.
They permanently house about 50 special education children, and have another
80 coming during the week. The children sleep in very clean dormitories, 8
to 10 to one, each taken care of by a set of house parents. The school
employs several teachers, one of which I had an opportunity to meet. If you
would consider helping the orphanage in any kind of a way, it would be
greatly appreciated. They have a California office at:
P.O. Box 20028
El Cajon
Ca 92121
Tel. 619 2581358
www.ranchosantamarta.org
malito: santamarta@...
After saying good-bye to Elden and the children I headed south, toward the
Great Unknown. I was happy to be on the road again, but, somehow, I did not
feel all the anticipated excitement. It was my second time in Baja. Passing
through all the familiar places I could not help but think about my husband
with whom I visited here 3 years ago.
I suddenly realized how much I missed him...
It did not take long for the magic of Baja to take over my mind. As the
Central Desert unfolded ahead of me, the blues gradually disappeared.
Suddenly a though struck me: "I am in Mexico, alone, it is true!", as if I
did not know that already... Yes, it was no longer a dream... huge Cardon
cacti all around me, the unmistakable odor of the food stands, limping,
stray dogs barking from around every corner, children waving, truck drivers
honking, women glazing seductively over their shoulders.... Viva Mexico,
here I am! In the midst of my ecstasy I realized that the temperature has
reached 110 F! Wow! This is not going to be as easy as I though! A few days
have passed since that time, and I am still not used to the heat. Before
leaving on this journey I swore to always ride in full gear, that is
protective jacket and pants. I am just about to break that promise... The
extreme heat combined with the hot air blown on my lower legs from under the
engine created a private hell for me. It feels like riding inside a giant
oven. I tried to ride with my feet on the highway bars, or with the heels of
my boots hooked up on the passengers foot pegs. It helps a bit, but it does
not do a thing for my upper body. Even my favorite activity, photography,
had to be put on hold. I simply can not bring myself to stop to take
pictures... too hot for such foolishness! Do not worry though, I have taken
enough pictures in the early morning hours to show you how truly beautiful
Baja is.
Shortly after reaching Catavina, I turned east toward Bahia de los Angeles,
where I wanted to spend a day or two relaxing on the beach. Approaching the
town I was almost sorry for my decision... the reading on the thermometer
reached 118F! But a very refreshing breeze coming from the impossibly blue
waters of the Sea of Cortez quickly dried off my sweaty forehead. After a
short stop for a cold drink, I headed for Camp Gecko, a grouping of few
beach houses about 6 kilometers from town. There I was able to rent a
wonderful thatched roof house on the beach for $20 a day. The place has no
electricity, but the owner, a local doctor, runs a generator once a day and
thus is able to filter water and make ice. However, the houses have showers
and a small kitchen with a propane stove and propane run fridge.
I spent 3 wonderful days relaxing in the shaded hammock on "my own" porch,
swimming with the dolphins, and chasing the pelicans. The birds did not want
to cooperate for the photo sessions!
Refreshed and full of energy I left Bahia de los Angeles on 29th of
September. While fueling at the local station I learned about the hurricane
sweeping over the Central Mexico and southern Baja. Ooops! Change of plans!
La Paz and Cabo San Lucas, my next destinations, where flooded by heavy
rainfalls. Not being particularly fond of riding in 100 mph winds, I decided
to cut short my visit to Baja and take a ferry from Santa Rosalia to
Guayamas, instead of La Paz - Mazatlan as originally planned. Lucky me,
arriving in Santa Rosalia I learned that the ferry is scheduled to leave the
same evening. I also learned that due to the hurricane all ferried from La
Paz are temporarily suspended.
To my surprise the ticket for the bike and me was about twice as much as I
have expected. It cost me over $130 US to ship to the mainland, Mexico! What
a waste, I thought; I could have taken another route instead. Having no
other choice I went to the bank and exchanged a proper amount of US$ to
pesos. By the way, the current exchange rate is about 9.33 pesos to 1 US$.
Thus, my visit to Baja cut short, I was due to board a ferry around 9PM for
a long and arduous trip across the Sea of Cortez. I was sorry to leave so
soon, but I felt I made a right decision. As it turned out later, I was
right.
While waiting to boarding I thought about how expensive Baja has gotten
within last few years. I was spending a lot more money than my budget was
allowing for. Sadly, I observed on many occasions how local people take
advantage of unsuspecting tourists charging an arm and a leg for services
worth half the price. Too bad, since this gorgeous land has so much to
offer, most of which is slowly being spoiled by greediness.
Sincerely Yours ...
Mariola Cichon - The Wind Flower
//From Globeriders: - Here she is, back on The Road !!! - READ ALL REPORTS
describing her extraordinary, epic, history making JOURNEY at
WWW.RIDEOFTHEHEART.COM. Enjoy one of the best picture collection ever
presented on the web. Support Ride Of The Heart - make a donation or
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With all regards - webmaster@...//
, I also could finally eat for next to nothing. What a
change from Baja prices. This was what I have expected, tacos for 5 pesos,
instead of 20!
When still on the road to Mazatlan, I passed through several small towns and
villages. Since in Mexico toll highways are very expensive (equivalent to
about 5$US for 50 miles) I usually try to find my way around to get on the
free road. These roads run through the hearts of small establishments, many
of which are extremely poor. Huts weaved from sticks and mud shelter skinny
children. Dirty children take care of sick looking cows. Limping dogs bark
at the cows, miserable mules, and donkeys. Everyone tries to sell something
to everyone else. As an affect, there are dozens of food and juice stands of
different quality. Some of them relatively clean, some horribly dirty. Those
who do not sell, pass the time sitting in the shade while observing the
traffic. Roma and I usually create quite a stir, especially when stopping at
such place for a drink or other need. I do not mind all this commotion at
all; these warm-hearted people do not mean any harm - they simply are
surprised by such a big bike, and by what is totally beyond their
comprehension: a woman traveling on it... without a husband! Such is the
true life in Mexico, away from the glitter of tourism and expensive places.
Such is the Mexico I came to see and experience... I truly appreciate the
opportunity.
Since another storm is cooking on the coast south of me, instead of
following Rt 15 I will turn inland toward Guadalajara, Morelia, Tuluca, and
Oxaca. In a few days, if everything goes as planned, I should cross the
border with Guatemala!
Talk to You soon ...
Mariola Cichon - The Wind Flower
//From Globeriders: - Here she is, back on The Road !!! - READ ALL REPORTS
describing her extraordinary, epic, history making JOURNEY at