DAY 21 OF THE AROUND-THE-BLOCK MOTORCYCLE RIDE-JULY 21, 2008

July 21, 2008 - Monday - Day 21
USA/MEXICO/CANADA
DOUBLE CROSS COUNTRY
& THE TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY
  -- OR BUST - SUMMER 2008
Miles Today - 0    - Total Miles - 4741
(-staying at Charles Grey's place in Ensenada, Mexico   -)

- YET ANOTHER DAY IN WHAT SEEMS TO BE CLOSE TO PARADISE -

   Charles invited me to stay another day. Today he and Carol were having a big party with over 100 guests invited. (The main reason for the party was to celebrate the signing of the 14th amendment to the US Constitution - which states that the issue of equality amongst people should be a federal issue instead of a states issue.) There was to be a mariachi band playing the rhythmic and characteristic Mexican tunes.  Charles also said that Tuesday would be a better day for him and Carol to ride with me back to the border. I considered it for a bit, and then I thought I'd just be a fool to leave…. But I DID get a friendly reminder email from my teacher friend Karen Penn back home.
   She wrote:  I just finished looking at A LOT of pictures of your friend from the class of '59 and his friends, Mexico, Mexican trinkets and tee shirts, people's lovely homes, and you say you're staying another day so that you can go to their party. Now, Joel, do you remember that you're on a journey to go around 3 continents?? Do you remember you're supposed to be on the road?? I'm beginning to think you're liking this Mexican lifestyle a tad too much. Hmmmm? So, let's move on up the coast, shall we?
   Yeah. Well…  I kept signing off emails to friends the last couple of days with, "Things going well. But yes, I think I might just take Charles' offer to be his pool boy and live here for the rest of my life…"
***
  The day began a bit earlier than the last few days. I was up and out for a bike ride and run by about 8am. My run took me to the beach I had visited last evening, and I enjoyed seeing it in the morning time. I ran up and down by the waves almost reaching the end of one crescent shoreline of the beautiful cove.

  I noted an advertising sign that read,  "PAMELA'S HACIENDA - FISHING, HOUSING, TRAILERS, RVS, QUIENCEANERAS (like a sweet sixteen party) WEDDINGS" … When back to the house I showed the picture of the sign I had taken to Charles and asked why there were no "BAR MITZVAHS" there???  But the main reason I took the picture was that it seemed an odd juxtaposition to have "FISHING" and "WEDDINGS" as a featured draw at the same place.
  Charles made some superb pancakes for me using the soy milk we had bought the other day. They were garnished with juicy blueberries.  Then I gathered every bit of clothing I had, and while wrapped in a giant beach towel that Carol supplied, I began my laundry. While the clothes were swishing and then tumbling I worked on the journal notes for the last number of days. I finally got them and the cropped images off to their cyberspace destinations.
   Charles and Carol spent a good bit of the morning preparing for the party.
   The party was to begin around one, and Charles was pacing a bit about the beer not being there yet. Nor had the big umbrellas that were expected arrived yet.  But all came shortly, as did the guests.
  Many folks I had met over the last couple of days were there - and many others.
   New friend David Lewis was there with his great smile and sense of humor… I got a picture of him from across the courtyard munching full face into a hamburger. Then I came over and showed it to him, laughed, and said, "Here's my best picture of the day." While we were standing there I tried being helpful. I brushed away a fly that was dive bombing around his burger. He gave me another little friendly vegetarian poke as he looked at me, told me to stop brushing the fly away because, "Fresh meat is okay…."
  It was a good picture of him munching, and it was much better than the one of his wife Betsy who produced what must have been a life-long practiced effort to produce the most contorted face she could muster.  It WAS uhh… late in the party.
  I chatted with Marilyn, the sparkly-eyed lady who I'd met at Bahama Mama's.  Marilyn likes to talk. And her energy can be spotted behind every word. She invited me to the tango dance lessons that she was attending later in the day. I demurred.
  Roger is a motorcycle enthusiast who owns a Harley Fat Boy - we discussed bikes a little.  He said he had just returned from a trip with a bunch of friends up to the Four Corners (where four states meet) area. It was a blast.  I asked if they had done the put-yourself-into-each-state-at-once thing. And he said he had.
  An interesting woman new to the area, Maryse, and I chatted a lot. She wanted to see the Nomad and so we went to the garage - and she even helped me clean it a bit. (Finally I remembered to clean my helmet's face shield!) She's a French lady from Quebec.  She'll be running a b&b somewhere nearby here in a few months. She seemed to enjoy sitting on the bike, but she was disappointed I wouldn't give her a ride on the motorcycle.
  I enjoyed my chat with DL Street. He's a cousin of ex-Mayor Street of Philadelphia. He was retired down here. DL was sitting back in a corner smoking a huge cigar. He's from the West Philly area and we chatted about some places in common we knew.
  Perky Trisha, of the fabulous mountain top home, was there with husband Jay. Jay's leg from the century tree stab wound was healing nicely although his foot was still swelled.
  Many folks were interested in my trip, and I had my map handy to show them where I had been and where I was going.
  I would often go and check email in the main house, and was all caught up again by the end of the day. I also took a few breaks from the party to organize and pack gear.
   As the fiesta was dying down, I got to meet the folks Maryse were staying with at their place about four houses down the dusty road from Charles'.  Irka, a friendly great-smiled lady, had a visiting friend, a fellow there who was a charismatic Frenchman who owned a French restaurant in Texas.  He had a great enveloping friendly smile and was cooking chili peppers on the open flame of the gas oven en route to a meal of chili rellenos. I had never seen anything like that before. We swapped some stories of folks each of us had known. I told him about Jacques Reynard who I had met bicycling in the midst of the Appalachians in the '80's.  I was on my Philly-to-Dallas 2000-mile bicycle ride down the length of the mountain range. Hale and fit in his late 70's, Jacque was credit card bicycle touring (without pack) from motel to motel on the Skyline Drive. I sure admired that guy, his leanness and fitness, for his wherewithal and his enthusiasm.
  Back at Charles and Carol's at about 8ish I had a yen for some popcorn… so we popped some.
  After some on-line time, and figuring out where I'd be going tomorrow and how I'd get there, I headed to the casita. There I typed out these notes and considered all the great times, new experiences, and wonderful folks met over the last days. I'm itching to get back on the road, but it will be hard to leave.
  There is no way to properly thank Charles and Carol.  They provided me with a life experience unparalleled. They allowed me to share in their lives in a way that was meaningful, educational, and memorable. They provided an entertaining and friendly respite from a long and sometimes difficult journey. When I'd try to thank Charles at times during the last couple days he would say that it 'was an honor' to have me here. But the real truth is  it was an honor and an amazing gesture for them to have me here.
  There is no way to properly thank them.  But I get the sense, and it is a feeling that I think rings true with them, too, that no thanks is necessary…..  and that makes the emotion in the memories, and the emotion that will be truly felt in the leaving tomorrow morning…. all the more powerful and all the more real.
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