Adiós Mexico

Thursday we arrived at Hermisillo for the 4100 District Conference before catching up with some of our friends in the conference bar that evening.

Friday we spent much of the day preparing for our presentation before heading to the Govenor's Ball that evening.

Saturday morning we completed the presentation (in Spanish) and it was well recieved by everyone we spoke to. That afternoon we headed off to a Hacienda where we had a BBQ whilst there was local music and dance.

The last four weeks had been non stop and as we had not had a free weekend the district managed to arrange for us to leave for San Diego slightly early, so Saturday evening we jumped on a plane and headed back to Tijuana.

At Tijuana we were met by Luis, Fernando and Marie before Luis and Fernando took us over the border. Not too long a queue, only about an hour and 15 minutes.

So that was our Mexico experince! A wonderful time had by all. We've eaten too much, drunk too much, been spoilt rotten and come away with many new friends. This really has been the experience of a life time and one we will never forget.

Adios Mexico, until we return?............

A Cultural Couple Of Days

Monday we had started with a tour of one of the Del Fuerte vegtable packaging plants. This plant produced canned vegtables for the Mexican and US markets.

From there it was off to an university for indiginous tribes, before we headed off to Navojoa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navojoa), a two half hour drive away and over another border into the state of Sonora.

We arrived there to meet our new hosts at the local Tecate brewery. After an excellent lunch there we were given a guided tour of the plant before heading off to a local colonial town, Alamos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81lamos).

From there it was straight to the local Rotary Club. It was a busy afternoon as we were only staying for one night in the town. The club night was excellent, they had organised a local band from the university to come and play typical central and southern american music. Along with the BBQ with the tequilia and tecate it was a great, if somewhat late, night.

The club house was excellent. It was on the side of a nursery that the local club support. It caters for 143 children aged from 40 weeks to 4 years. It was very impressive and the next project is to include CCTV that will be linked securely to the internet so parents can keep an eye on their kids whilst at work!

Tuesday, it was up and at it. After breakfast we were transported to our next hosts in Obregon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciudad_Obreg%C3%B3n). Here they had planned an easy afternoon for us. We went to see the city centre and a local market before trying the Indio beer.

That evening was one of our presentations to one of the two Rotary Clubs in the city.

Wednesday we started with a guided tour of the local university, ITSON. This is an impressive public university and we were taken around both campus in the city and the university art gallery. Lunch was then at a resturant that specialised in sun dried steak - very good.

After time at our homes for a breif siesta we then had guided tour of a local art gallery in the city. The locals are very proud of the gallery. It is on the site of an historic building and they have managed to preserve one of the walls of the old building and an original tree, both of which are around 60 years old.

The evening was another presentation, this time at a nice seafood resturant. After this Ricardo and Leo took us to a local pool club. The pool tables were all outside (it was 25 degrees celcius again during the day). Having learnt the Mexican Pool rules (which differ to ours in a number of ways, including placing pocketed balls back on the table if you commit a foul), I'm pleased to announce that England 'A' beat Mexico 'A', who beat England 'B'. A great night and we were finally thrown out at 01:30hrs.

Z

Friday we started with a boat trip to the island of Espíritu Santo. Having had an hour on a spectacular beach (all to ourselves), we headed back.

It was then a short flight to Los Mochis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Mochis). This was a hop over the Sea of Cortez and to the mainland and a new state, Sinaloa. Then it was to our new hosts before dinner and a good nights sleep.

Los Mochis is very different to our last few days. It is far greener and much of the local business is based around agriculture.

Saturday started with a visit to the town's botanical garden and from there it was on to the regional newspaper based in the town, El Debate. Here we discovered our arrival the previous day was already page 11 news, complete with photograph. We were given the guided tour whilst Roxana the resident paparazi made sure she had plenty of photographs of our visit to fill page 8 the following day!

From there it was to a local vegtable packaging plant before lunch at a marine club.

After lunch, another boat trip (good job nobody gets sea sick! This time there were no stunning beaches or any whales. We had to make do with a friendly group of dolphins playing with us as we headed back in (we really are roughing it out here!!!). The wildlife watching here in Mexico is amazing and something I think most of us hadnt appreciated before our trip.

Saturday night the team hit the town to celebrate Victoria's birthday.

Sunday started with a visit to El Fuerte, a 400 year old town around an hours drive from Los Mochis. If you haven't heard of the town then you have probably still heard of one of it's residents who was born there, a certain Senor Zorro.

Then it was lunch before we headed back to our hosts in Los Mochis.

Whale, I'll Be Damned!

Wednesday morning, after a breakfast meeting, we all jumped in Vern's VW van and made like surf bums towards La Paz.

It was a two hour drive which got us there before lunch. Having met our new hosts we then headed off the the beach. Not the fantastc beach in La Paz, but an even better one a few minutes drive from the town.

Again, white sands and blue/green waters with pelicans diving for fish in the shallows. What could be better? OK a beer and a fish taco or two; so we headed across to another local beach and sat in the resturant on the beach.

Having gone for a swim before lunch we were then treated to fresh seafood (alll except Victoria, who unfortunately is allergic to it). Kerrie found the clams a little too fresh for her liking (she preferred that they didn't try and escape before you ate them). A pleasant afternoon was had by all.

After a couple of hours with our hosts it was off out for a party arranged in our honour with local rotarians before a few hours sleep.

Reveille was early on Thursday. Having met up in town at 07:00hrs we all jumped on a minibus belonging to the Secretary of State for Tourism and headed north east to the pacific coast. After a three hour journey we arrived still slightly bleary eyed, but soon woke up as our small boat flew across the habour and out towards sea.

Within a few minutes we had spotted what we had come to see, grey wales. Seeing the wales in Cabos was impressive but seeing them now only feet from the boat was amazing, getting covered in water as they breathed out through their blow hole. Such large, gentle creatures and several of them. For a while we followed a mother with her youngster before moving on to other whales in the bay.

After a couple of hours on the water, and after our helm skillfully avoided a freak wave that threatened to capsize us, it was unfortunately time head back. We had a look at the mangrove trees on the banks on the way back in and saw plenty of other wildlife including pelicans and storks.

Then it was off to the resturant for a lobster, shrimp and fish supper. The day was courtesy of the Sec. State Tourism and we were then presented with a gift of a beautiful book, with stunning photographs from Baja California Sur.

Another chance to catch up with some sleep on the way back home again before an evening meeting where we were to give our presentation to one of the local Rotary Clubs.

Beach Tastic

We've had a busy, varied few days.

Friday was another vocational day followed by a quiet evening with our hosts.

Saturday we hopped over the border to Fashion Valley in San Diego, USA for a little retail therapy.

Sunday was breakfast with our hosts before we headed to Tijuana Airport and the two hour flight to Las Cabos and then a short drive to Cabos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabo_San_Lucas). This was a one night only stop and we were all with one host, 'Lucky' at her home (complete with pool, roof top sun terrace....... it's a tough life). That evening was a BBQ where we met several local rotarians, including a couple of runners. When Rob volunteered to go running with them at 06:00hrs the following morning the rest of us decided it was a good idea to also get up and see the sunset from the beach (I think we may have been under the influence of a Tequila or two!).

So, bright and early the next morning we were on Two Dolphin Beach, wondering if it was such a good idea after all. Well, it was. The sun rise was spectacular, looking out over the Sea of Cortez and made even more so when we saw a school of whales passing close to the beach. First you saw a jet of water blown into the air, then the backs of the whales and on a couple of cases the tails were then clear of the water as they dived again - a fantastic sight.
After breakfast at Lucky's we then headed into Cabos for a boat trip out to where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific. Having had a guided tour from Antonio, Captain Richard took us and Marciela out to have a closer look at the whales. This was so different to the previous few days in Tijuana; it was hard to believe we were still in the same country.

After lunch we were picked up and transported to Los Barriles, a couple of hours drive away, here we met Alan and the rest of his club. The club is formed of (mainly retired) US residents who have retired to this corner of Mexico. We joined them for a pizza and a couple of beers before turning in for the night.

Tuesday morning we all went for breakfast before Rao headed of with Alan to see several of the local Rotary projects. The rest of the team went over to Steve's and then headed out to Fishermans Point on ATVs.

What a ride! Absolutely stunning scenery that the photographs just don't do justice to. We had a brilliant time and stopped on the way back to swim in the Sea of Cortez. The beaches were very secluded with white sands with clear green waters.

Having spent the day out on the trail we returned to Steve's house for a beer before heading back to Alan's and then out for a meal.

It was a very relaxing day and we've seen a very different side of Mexico. Very scenic but not touristy. Excelente!

Tomorrow - La Paz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Paz%2C_Baja_California_Sur)

Off To See Auntie Jean

Wednesday started with breakfast at the Mexicali TV station 'Canal 66'. Having eaten we discovered that there is no such thing as a free breakfast and we had to earn it. Five short interviews later and having loaded the luggage onto a pickup truck, it was time to say goodbye to Mexicali and head back up 'The Road To Certain Death'.

At the top the two cars went different ways. The girls took the express route (with Master and his family) and the boys (with Tecate and Prof) took the free road. This was a far slower road, partly due to the narrow, less direct road and partly due to Tecate's culinery tour. Firstly it was Steamed Taco's in La Rumorosa (a local speciality) followed by the most fantastic cake shop in Tecate which put to shame any french patisserie I have ever been to. (Maybe I should explain the three Tecates. Tecate is firstly and foremostly a town. But it then has a brewery named after the town. The brewery then has a local rotarian nicknamed after it, due to his passion for their product).

The free road reminded us of Wales; narrow, hilly and twisty and it was raining and foggy!!

We arrived back in Tijuana just in time for lunch. After lunch it was off to our hosts before an evening presentation to one of the local Rotary Clubs.

Tijuana (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tijuana) is a very busy city with up to 3 million inhabitants (double the official figure), many of whom are migrants hoping to cross into the USA. There has been security problems with drug gangs in the past but things are improving slowly. That said you still have to be concious about your personal safety and security and more than one host had a different (less conspicious) car that they used of an evening.

Thursday morning we met back up again for a guided tour of the Tijuana Historical Society. Tijuana is a young city having grown from a town with a population of only 11,000 in 1928. We were shown around by Gilberto, a spritely 80 something year old who had lived in Tijuana since the age of five and was a font of knowledge, including that the name Tijuana is from Tia Juana (which translates as Auntie Jean).

From there it was lunch with another club presentation and the afternoon visiting another cultural centre in the old Town Hall building. We also passed Cesar's Hotel which is the birthplace of the Cesar Salad (who said this blog wasn't educational!).

Thursday evening the team finished off by improving their international appreciation (along with their hosts). Firstly it was Sangria in a wine bar, followed by local beers in a Catina, finishing off with Guiness in an Irish Bar. Salud!

Dodging Earthquakes

Monday was another vocational day and we finished it off with a little shopping in a local mall. If you were dropped blindfolded in the centre of Mexicali you could be forgiven (probably) for thinking it was the USA (Not America, as we often say; it has been pointed out that Mexico is part of america, the large country to the north is the USA). Not the whole of the city is like that, but there are obvious similarities (if you ignore the hour long queue to the USA border).

Tuesday we were off to San Luis, in Sonora (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luis_R%C3%ADo_Colorado) . This involved crossing the state line (no passports required!) and meant a +1 hour time change.

When we arrived the weather was great. 23 degrees celcius in February! There is a local story that when one of the inhabitants was sent to hell, he returned that night for his blanket!

After being welcomed by the mayor and presented with another certificate we were given a guided tour of the town. Having started at an impressive govenment run social centre in a deprived area, it was on to the Police Station, the Volunteer Fire Station (where three of them had just returned from dealing with a serious road traffic collision on their patch, 130km away!)

We had lunch at the Rotary clubhouse during which there was a minor earth tremor, which caused the light fittings to shake slighly.

After lunch we finished the tour with a visit to the local (very small) university where spoke to a group of students.

It was then back to Mexicali, where we discovered that our evening programme had been cancelled. The minor tremor we had felt earlier had been a 4.7 scale quake in Mexicali - and we missed it! There had, however, been further quakes and aftershocks so for safety reasons our evening meeting had been cancelled. We did experience a few small (3.0 and below) aftershocks but nothing large, much to Rob & Robin's disapointment and Rao, Kerrie & Victoria's delight.