SON CHRIS NEEDED TO HEAD FOR THE STATES BY CAR. HE HAD ARRANGED FOR A FRIEND TO ACCOMPANY HIM, BUT SOMEWHERE IN THE METAMORPHOSIS FROM PLAN TO ACTION THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN. I DON'T DRIVE NORTH ALONE ANYMORE, UNLESS I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO, AND AM NOT THRILLED ABOUT THE IDEA OF HIM DOING IT EITHER. TOOK A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE, CALLED IN SOME FAVORS FROM EMPLOYEES AND FRIENDS, AND FIGURED OUT HOW TO HELP HIM, AND MYSELF. BEEN HOT DOWN HERE, TOO HOT, AND HUMID, FOR ME. MAKES IT HARD TO DEVELOP ANY FORWARD INERTIA, FINE FOR FISHING BUT NOT FOR WORKING. VIOLA, I'LL DRIVE NORTH WITH CHRIS AND GET MY ASS BACK TO LA PAZ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SHAZAMM, VOLARIS HAS ADDED A SECOND FLIGHT AT 6PM AND IT GOES ON SUNDAYS. SO WE DECIDED TO DRIVE UP SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY, BLOW BY THE TJ AIRPORT AND DROP OFF THE BALLAST (ME) AND CHRIS CAN CROSS THE BORDER. THIS WOULD GIVE HIM COMPANY AND DRIVING ASSISTANCE, GIVE ME A CHANCE TO BRIEFLY SURFACE IN LESS TROPICAL CLIMES,GRAB A HUGE GULP OF COOLER DRYER AIR, AND GET BACK IN PLENTY OF TIME TO CONTINUE THE CAMPAIGN. IT WAS A GOOD PLAN, OFF THE WALL ENOUGH TO ATTRACT MY ATTENTION, BUT DRIVEN BY THE DESIRE TO HELP, FRANTIC ENOUGH TO SEEM FUN, BUT WITH ENOUGH ROOM IN THE SCHEDULE TO ACTUALLY WORK. FLAKY BUT PRACTICAL, RIGHT UP MY ALLEY. WE LEFT ABOUT 3PM ON SATURDAY, AND PULLED INTO SAN IGNACIO ABOUT 10:30. ON PAST TRIPS I HAVEN'T HAD GOOD LUCK WITH HOTELS IN S.I., EITHER TOO EXPENSIVE OR EQUIPPED WITH THINGS THAT CRAWL OVER ME WHEN I'M TRYING TO SLEEP. SAW A NEW PLACE AND DECIDED TO GIVE IT A TRY. GOOD HOTEL, LOUSY NEIGHBORS. FOUR TATTOOED GUYS FROM CALIFORNIA DECIDED THAT SITTIN' ON THE FRONT STOOP THAT JOINED MY ROOM AND THEIRS AND TALKIN' UNTIL 3 WHILE DRINKING MASS QUANTITIES OF BEER WAS A GOOD IDEA. THEIR CONVERSATION GOT LOUDER, AND STUPIDER, AND MY ATTEMPTS TO REMIND THEM THAT "SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP" FELL ON INCAPACITATED EARS. AT 4AM WE WERE GONE. I TOOK MY TURN SLEEPING AND THEN CHRIS HIS, AND WE WERE IN ENSENADA, STOPPED AT A PLACE WITH THE BEST TACOS AND TORTAS THAT I'VE HAD IN MANY A LUNA. I REALLY ENJOYED SPENDING THE TIME WITH CHRIS, CHECKING OUT THE INTERESTING FLORA (CHRIS INTRODUCED ME TO "BLUE PALMS") AND FAUNA THAT OWN THE BAJA. I HAD A GREAT TIME, TATTOOS ASIDE. AT THE TJ AIRPORT I WAS DETAINED BY SECURITY AS THEY THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS I WAS ONE DAVID TIMOTHY JONES, 32 YEARS OLD AND BLACK, FROM TENNESSEE, BUT THAT WAS STRAIGHTENED OUT IN 1/2 HOUR. THEY WERE VERY NICE, AND REMINDED ME THAT THE SYSTEM THAT THEY WERE USING, AND THE FACT THAT THEY WERE USING IT AT ALL WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE SUPPORTING "YOUR COUNTRYS'" EFFORTS TO MAKE THE PLANET SAFE. THE VOLARIS GUYS WERE GREAT, AS USUAL, THE GUY SITTING IN FRONT OF ME COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THAT HIS SEAT WOULD HAVE RECLINED JUST FINE, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR MY KNEES WHICH HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO BE. AFTER SLAMMIN' BACK A FEW TIMES WE WORKED IT OUT, BUT I DO NOT EXPECT A CHRISTMAS CARD. GIVEN A CHOICE OF DRIVING OR FLYING, LET ME DRIVE, MUCH MORE CIVILIZED, NOT MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE, AND IT'S ALL A MATTER OF WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME. I HAVE EXPRESSED THIS SENTIMENT IN THE PAST, AND FURTHER EXPERIENCE JUST DRIVES IT HOME. I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE NEXT EXPRESS IS LEAVIN', MAYBE WE'LL HAVE A SEAT OR TWO FOR YOU, I PROMISE NOT TO RECLINE.
DAVID
