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.

The Road To Certain Death

Sunday morning we were up early, bright and breezy (well some of us were). Having had breakfast with our host we departed for Mexicali (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexicali). I have only just found out that this leg of the trip was in doubt a few days previous, as Mexicali had been at the centre of several large earthquakes earlier in the week.

As we drove away from Tecate, the scenery changed considerably and about an hour into the journey our driver stopped the mini bus. Here he explained (through Rob, our resident interpreter) that the next section of road was very dangerous. He assured us however that he would drive nice and slowly. Rob helpfully included that the locals referred to this as The Road To Certain Death (a fact that even the local's didn't know!).

The problem is that the road is a very twisty mountain pass that drops 1400 metres. With the strong winds it has been known for cars to leave the road and drop hundreds of feet down the side of the mountain. We started counting the number of roadside shrines, but gave up when we got to over 100. We estimated that there were over 200 along the road, that were easily visible from the minibus; many others were not. When there is an accident where a vehicle leaves the road, most are not recovered as it is too difficult, so theside of the mountain is littered with vehicles.

After safely descending the mountain we were then on a long straight road to Mexicali. This was on the edge of a dried out salt lagoon which is 6 metres below sea level. Mexicali has a slight water problem and this is not helped by the USA restricting the Colarado River, which runs nearby. Or should; the river bed is totally dry.

Anyway, we continued into the city to meet our hosts at a traditional Mexicali resurant. Chinese! After a pleasant meal we were given a guided tour of the town by minibus, which had been borrowed from a local school.

Whilst out we saw many of the cultural sights. The city is only 103 years old but the locals are proud of the heritage they have. We also saw three young boys (aged 10-12) play fighting at a junction, putting on a show for passing cars to try and earn some money. Their athleticism was very impressive but equally it was saddening to see young children having to try and earn money.

That evening we went out on the town to Cafe Slowdown. Here we met the owner and his wife and whilst chatting discovered they also have two resturants, one in Liverpool and one in Manchester! It's a small world.

It Takes Four

A little late, but we have been without the internet for a couple of days.

Friday we left Ensenada and headed for Tecate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuauht%C3%A9moc_Moctezuma_Brewery#Tecate) oops, wrong link; I meant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecate).

We stopped for breakfast in at a very pleasant resturant in Valle de Guadaluppe. This is a big wine producing area in Baja California so we then headed off to Chateau Camou for a little further education and social enrichment.

We were met in Tecate by local Rotarians, including the owner of a local large factory. He owned the ranch that we were all to stay at the next few nights, but I won't go into any further details about him or his company as there has already been one attempt to kidnap a member of his family for ransom!

For the next two nights the whole team were guests at the ranch. Although it had only been a few days since we had all been staying together, it was nice to have a chance to catch up again.

This is our home at the ranch. The main building (the owner's holiday home) is not in the photo.

Saturday was a tour of Tecate for us. We started with a community medical centre followed by a visit to one of the smaller fire stations. This was a bit of an eye opener as most of the equipment was USA cast offs. The tender was a 1982 truck from the USA, but it ran well as we found out when the fire crew took us on a tour. This consisted of us hanging onto the back of the truck as they drove us around the area with lights and two tones going!!!

After that it was of to Tecate brewery and a compulsory free sample.

During the afternoon we returned to the ranch for a BBQ. Various other guests appeared, including a member of governement with his 21 armed Police guards (who seemed a little worried when we all huddled around him for a photograph!)

We finished the night with a GSE team party. One of the group (I shall not mention Victoria's name - Ooops, another typing mistake) discovered that there is no truth in the old saying One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

No; it takes four!

Caption Competition

All Play and No Work Makes Jorge a Dull Boy!

This morning we met the Ensenada Mayor, in his chambers, where he welcomed us on behalf of the Government.

Then it was off for our vocational days, an experience we all found very interesting. With four different visits, we have not got time to mention it all here (and we have to have something to talk about upon our return!)

The last few days in Ensenada have been a fantastic experience. We have seen so much and met so many genuine, wonderful people, who now call us their friends; and all this despite only knowing each other 3 days.

I don´t think any of us realised quite what an experience this would be. We have been hosted and guided by many important people, museum directors, government officials; it has been a very humbling experience.

We are less than a week into this trip and already we find ourselves amazed at what The Rotary Foundation, through Rotary International has developed with the Group Study Exchange programme. In our opinion, their aim to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace is being achieved, in a small but significant way.

Alcoholics `R` Us

The last two days have been a bit of a blur. Honestly, that is due to the pace of the programme, although the alcohol may have contributed a poco!

On Tuesday morning we moved from Tijuana to Ensenada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensenada) . We travelled along the scenic coast road, stopping at Mirador, a fantastic viewpoint. We then ate dinner at Haliotis, the oldest sea food resturant in Ensenada. Here we met our hosts, local Rotarians with whom we are living , until we move again on Friday.

A walking tour of part of the sea front and town followed, finishing at `La Catina Hussongs` (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussong) the oldest Bar in the town, where we were introduced to the Margarita (or two; or three).

Today we had breakfast at the oldest resturant in town, El Rey Sol. A spectacular resturant built by a french family, very much is a french style. Here were were hosted by a former mayor of the town whilst recieving presentations on the towns economy and tourist industy.

From here we had a guided tour of Center Riviera of Ensenada. This is a based at a former Casino built in the 1930s and popular with american`s during the prohibition. We were guided by the Centre Director, who explained that the Margarita was invented in the bar there; so we had to try another one!

From there we visited `La Bufadora` or the blow hole, one of only two in the world. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bufadora - By the way, how did we manage before Wikipedia???)

From there it was to El Estero a extremely pleasant, large, ocean front complex where we dined as guests of the family owners, Snr Bonifaz Jnr. More tequila! (and a trip around their cultural museum, guided by Snr Bonifaz Snr)

Wine next. Several varieties at a local Winery. Very pleasant.

This evening, our presentation to the four Ensenada Rotary Clubs. It was well received and washed down with even more wine.

Time for bed; we might have sobered up by the morning!

(Apologies for the lack of photos, but the Mexican IT systems do not appear to want you to see us having such a good time).

Jetlag Rules OK

So much for a relaxing day; but how can you sit around when there is so much to see and such charming hosts to look after you?

We started the morning with a 08:00 swim . The pool is outdoors (and heated) but the weather here today has been fine, warm and dry (unlike the US east coast which is experiencing a deep freeze). It has been very pleasant without being too hot; more like a summer's day than February.

A late breakfast consisted of Rob giving the team a guided tour of 50% of the (rather vast) menu. Evidently he is saving the other 50% for tomorrow!

Luis then collected us from the hotel and took us to Playes de Tijuana or 'The Corner of Mexico'. This was the northern most beech on the Pacific coast and where the US border fence continues out into the sea.

Then it was back to a local gated community and a very pleasant garden for a BBQ. Here we were joined by several local Rotarians, including the local District Govenor. We were then introduced to more fantastic food and our first (but I'm sure not our last) Tequila.

After the BBQ we walked round the corner to Carlos's home. This is the last (or first, depending upon your direction of travel) house in Mexico. His garden fence is kindly maintained for him by US Border Control!
On the way back Luis took us into downtown Tijuana and a typical mexican bar that he knows well. He also demonstrated how to park a large american SUV into a space that was only six inches longer than the car!
Then it was back to the hotel for an early night and hopefully tomorrow we will all feel refreshed and a littlr more awake!

One Day, Two Flights, Three Countries and No Lost Baggage!

Well, we've arrived. 26 hours after we started travelling and we are settling in to the Grand Hotel Tijuana ( http://www.grandhoteltij.com.mx/english/index.html ).

Flight from Heathrow to Washington was uneventful apart from the last half hour, which was rather turbulent. We were well looked after by Andrea, the purser (who managed to get a couple of us upgraded to Economy Premium)

After a slow check in through US Imigration, we just had time to recheck the baggage and grab a diet coke before boarding the next flight to San Diego. Not such a comfortable flight, but we all managed to sleep for much of it.

We were met at San Diego airport by Luis and some of his Rotary colleagues, who whisked us over the border into Mexico. We weren't even stopped for a Customs or Immigration check. However, we did see the two mile queues to get back into the USA!

It's currently 23:30hrs local time and we are off to bed. First photos tomorrow (hopefully).

What Is Group Study Exchange?

The Group Study Exchange (GSE) program of The Rotary Foundation is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 and in the early years of their professional lives. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. For four weeks, team members experience the host country's institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

In 2007/2008 teams from the West Midlands, in the United Kingdom, and Baja California & Sonora, in Mexico, will be visiting each others home areas.

The UK team fly out to Mexico on Sunday.