The Baja Bachelor

The big question was asked. 

She said yes.

And soon after, a bachelor party was born...

Arriving back stateside from the Big Island of Hawaii, my two best friends, Tommy and Tyler left no more than a day before asking who, what, where the bachelor party was going to be. Thailand? Bali? Europe? No, no. Much simpler than that. Much easier, more mellow and relaxing. 

Mexico. 

Good old-fashioned Mexico, where the beer is cheap, the waves are good and the food while good, will kick your butt harder than the tequila shots the night before.  

Say no more. Knowing Tommy and Tyler since birth meant knowing exactly what to do from there. And so it began...

Driving down the Baja coast, with teasing glimpses of sun poking through the waning marine layer, three cars full of anxious men caravanned towards our home for the next four days. The temptation to stop in familiar towns from past adventures and excursions was overruled by our eagerness to see our playground on the beach that awaited us. Finally, somewhere between Puerto Nuevo and Campo Lopez, we pulled off the highway. This exit had but a few establishments. A local liquor store that also served as a market, a motel that looked like it was out of a Tarantino movie, and of course the local watering hole that had a different intoxicated, unconscious hombre slumped over a wooden bench each day as we passed. It was perfect. 

Passing the "town", we went no more than a mile before pulling up to a guarded gate where we were greeted by "community staff". These men confirmed our credentials and let us through.

Things then changed quite drastically.  - Think Wizard of Oz when Dorthy is brought into Technicolor for the first time. It was as if we were in a beach community in Malibu. The custom mansions that were all at least three stories tall with infinity pools, private beach access and elaborate cars in the driveway. This was clearly a get away that was a class above mine and I couldn't be more excited. 

We pulled up to the very last house on the farthest corner of the community right on the beach. The owner met us out front, shook our hands and began the tour with his wide eyed, opened mouth audience. We were like kids in a candy store. Trampoline, Ping pong tables, arcade games, spa and pool overlooking the ocean, massage chair and so much more. This guy clearly knew exactly what he was doing and knew exactly who he was doing it for. After losing half the group to bidet toilets and walk in closets, the owner said farewell and no sooner did the door shut behind him did we crack fresh cerveza's and toast with tequila to my last days as a bachelor. 

Now the rest of that night, and really most of the nights in Mexico were kind of a blur. Specific details and descriptive verbiage was lost with the brain cells washed away with the ice-cold beers that kept us all howling at the moon all night. Do know however that each of those nights were nothing but fun. Pure uninhibited fun. 10 guys running around a giant beach property without a care in the world. Cell phones didn't work, internet was limited and we loved every bit of it. Well, almost every bit of it that is. The mornings were a bit rough to say the least. Nothing a greasy breakfast burrito and a Michelada couldn’t fix though!

With the weather conditions being ideal, and the surf only getting bigger and better, we finally were able to wrap our heads around paddling out for a surf. After a few optimistic looks at where we should paddle out, the boys and I suited up and headed for the waves. Now I think mother nature was toying with us this fine day because it no joke took thirty minutes of non-stop paddling to be able to make it outside of the break. It was brutal, especially after the night before, but nothing sobers you up like brisk water crashing down on your head and a good sweat after paddling.

Catching our breath beyond the break, we were able to look back at the coastline and see the monstrous homes along the beach. The group of guys all out in the backyard staring in disbelief that we actually made it out past the break, all looked like little ants roaming about. The pelican, one of the best surfers on the ocean were taking advantage of the waves that day. It was calming to see how effortlessly they soared just inches off of the water to catch the wind that came off of the waves that would shoot them down the break. Some of them would dramatically come straight up into the air thirty or forty feet, only to plummet straight down, crashing into the water to catch their prey.

It’s moments like these that make the world slow down for just a little bit.  Just enough to make life seem a bit more simple and easy. Just enough to make you forget about your troubles and leave you with a smile on your face.

And that I was. I was grinning ear to ear that entire surf session because even though the paddle out kicked my butt, I caught some really great waves and had an amazing time with my buddies out there in the big blue ocean. We were even lucky enough to capture some of the surf session with my buddy Tyler’s drone that was able to catch aerial footage of us surfing.

After catching as many waves as my arms would allow, I managed to catch one last one back in to the beach to give my noodle arms a rest. I was met on shore by an ice-cold beer and a high five and shortly after that, we started the beach games. We had horse shoes and beach volleyball and while you were waiting for those games, we had the entire beach to ourselves to throw the Frisbee.

We had music playing, coolers filled to the brim and not a cloud or person in sight. It. Was. Perfect. My love for the beach and for the ocean is pretty high and so this day had me in pure bliss, especially since I had not surfed since I had move from San Francisco to Las Vegas a year and a half prior. With our bodies sun kissed pink, and our coolers nearly empty, it was time to head back up to the house for some sustenance before the sun met the horizon.

Now I’m not entirely sure, but I’m pretty confident we had tri-tip that night… Or maybe it was ribs? Either way it was delicious because Tyler cooked it and you can’t go wrong with him manning the BBQ. Tommy’s blended margaritas were the culprit for my memory loss that night, but boy were they delicious. Another night of howling at the moon, getting pushed in the pool, accidently stepping in the bonfire, and nearly blowing up the house with some Mexican fireworks were just a few of the highlights from night two. But again, it was kind of blurry, so who really knows..

 

Sunday morning was slow moving to say the least. Some were found sleeping in bathtubs, some in closets and lawn chairs while some we didn’t even see until after noon. The night took a toll on us all and there weren’t enough electrolytes in the world to hydrate our depleted brains. Luckily we had remembered a local fish market nearby that served some great Micheladas and had some amazing local eats that would get us back on track, so we all piled in the vehicles and headed North towards Las Gaviotas.

Paying a few pesos for parking in a giant dirt lot, we all shuffled into the outdoor fish market right on the beach and kid you not were THE only white people there. We all stood out like sore thumbs and we knew it, but didn’t care one bit. Mainly because we were hungover and just hungry and thirsty, but also because we had been here before and knew the vendors loved it when gringos came through so they could make a few extra bucks. Now I know what you’re thinking and yes the smell of fish didn’t go over so well with all of us, but as soon as we got to our Michelada spot, we all sat down and had one or two or three and began coming back to life.

This fish market is a scene to say the least. There are all sorts of vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Panchos, blankets, mini guitars, baby pigs, bracelets, sombreros, hammocks, candied crickets, knock off sunglasses… like I said, a scene. But, the perfect spot to people watch, enjoy the beach and get some truly authentic Mexican food and Micheladas. Between the music, the beer, the food and the weather being a cool 80 degrees with a nice breeze, this day was a dream come true (minus the morning hangovers of course).

So, how do you know it’s time to leave a Mexican fish market on the beach? Simply when the tide comes in and starts to wash away the things you’re trying to sell. It all happened quite quickly. Almost like someone had a tv remote and pushed the fast forward button. Things got packed up, thrown in trucks or wheeled off the beach so quickly, you would have never expected there was hundreds of people, vendors, chickens, and a whole lot of dead sea creatures there fifteen minutes before. With that subtle hint, our group of gringos shuffled back to the cars and had a nice coastal drive back to our bachelor pad.

Arriving back at the house, we were met by the owner and a local hired cook that were there to prepare an authentic chicken mole for us. This was quite the nice surprise as all of us were exhausted from the activities of the weekend and didn’t feel like doing anything but sitting back and watching pelican soar across the horizon, heading home for the night. With the sun setting, we all sat down at this giant dinner table and had the best chicken mole of my life. Definitely a meal I will never forget as we all chowed down on this delicious food, saying nothing other than the inaudible grunts and groans of delight from the meal. With our bellies full, we finished off the night with what was left of the booze sitting by the pool, telling stories, laughing about the memories made in those crazy three days in Mexico.

The Final Day to Our Baja Stay

Day 4:

Waking up bright and early the next morning, we saw the potential for some waves and we all suited up and went out surfing just off of the dusty, barren point at Cuatros Casas. It was just the four of us, and we had a great time riding waves over the crystal clear water. It was great, you could stand up on a wave and see the fish, lobster and other sea life scattering about below you as you glided right over the top of them. Sitting out in the water waiting for waves was beautifully mesmerizing as I'd watch the back and forth swaying of the long, dark green sea grass. Despite wanting to stay out all day in this desert paradise, we decided that we would cut this surf session short and move on so that we could get an evening surf in further up the coast.

Packing up camp, we figured we would start slowly heading back towards the border since we were a good five hours south of it. We remembered one really beautiful spot though that we wanted to stay at that was very secluded. It took a bit of off roading to get there, but it was definitely worth it as the waves were the best we had seen yet and we had them all to ourselves! We got a solid two and half hour surf session in with some great waves before we finally called it and began preparing for the night.
Aaron and I were put on Yucca gathering duty to burn in the fire, while Justin and Matt began to prepare dinner. The Yuccas are very spiky and if you aren't careful they will actually make you go numb where they prick you. Of course I got pricked a couple of times on my knees and hands and sure enough lost feeling for about ten minutes. It was worth it though because Yucca plants are amazing to watch burn. When they are dead and dried up, they ignite like fire balls!

Being that it was our last night in Mexico, we decided to go all out and have the biggest fire we possibly could burn and eat all the lobster, fish and burritos we could handle. We also had plenty of cervezas as well that ended up leading us to jumping over the fire, going for a midnight swim and howling at the moon. We really went all out on our last night and had a ton of fun celebrating the adventure we were on.

The next morning the drive back to the border was pretty uneventful. We chatted with federal guards and ate a bunch of poopy mexican food while waiting three hours to cross the border. All part of the experience though and all part of the fun.

This short adventure was amazing to say the least, but has left me wanting more. Not a day goes by that I don't think about heading back out to the furthest places in the world with a backpack, a notebook and the desire to explore the lands that aren't seen by most. Those days will come again. I know it.

Thanksgiving Lobster

Day 3:

Being abruptly woken up by mariachi music being blasted from a Nissan Sentra with its headlights flashing towards our camp was how we started our thanksgiving here in Baja today. Confused, a bit scared but more so annoyed, we all stayed put, not wanting to instigate a potentially dangerous situation. Thirty minutes later the mariachi alarm clock departed just as the sun was rising over the hills. Groggy and unsure of who, what, why that all just happen, we checked the surf, made breakfast and began packing up to move onto better waves. Just before we left though, the Sentra came back, music blaring. Unsure what was about to happen, we watched a small Mexican man get out of the car with trumpets still blaring from his sound system. With a guilty look on his face he sauntered over to us and began to apologize for playing his loud music, which was still playing, and still loud. He explained that he couldn't help it though and how sometimes when he gets really drunk and does a lot of cocain, he likes to play mariachi music as loud as his car allows and flash his lights at the ocean. Fair enough, but we asked him what the occasion was and where the party was at. He thought about it for a second and then smiled and pointed at himself, saying that he was the party. Laughing, we said adios to the delinquent and headed down the coast in search for the perfect wave. 

Driving two more hours down the 1 we finally hit the town of Colonet, where we turned in on a dirt road and headed towards the pacific. If you didn't already know, it's actually a law that as soon as you hit a dirt road in Baja, you have to crack a cold frosty beer to help you navigate your way to good waves. So cold ones in hand, winding along a perfectly blue ocean, sun shimmering off the water, we drove through the coastal desert, passing nothing but yucca plants and the occasional dried up, brittle cactus. The nothingness was surprisingly beautiful as we curved inland only to come up over a ridge with multiple points ahead of us with tons of potential. The swell was supposed to be at its smallest today and it showed. Each point was breaking, but the tide was high and the size was just a bit too small for the waves to work. 

Just as we were about to give up on it, some gringos road by on dirt bikes and told us that if anything was working it would probably be a spot called Cuatros Casas about 15km north. Optimistic, we thanked the riders and headed on to Cuatros Casas in hopes of surf. Arriving in no time, excited to check the surf, we pulled into the beautiful little community on the point. As we were judging the waves, which were still a bit small, we began discussing what we wanted to do. An American guy that had seen us deliberating, walked over and greeted us. He explained how this was an amazing surf break and with the right swell it could be the best wave you had ever ridden. Now the question was if that swell was going to hit. What sold us though was his invite to his Turkey dinner that night with him and his family, which we were glad he did because after setting up camp, Matt and I had an awesome longboard session and Aaron and Justin ended up catching a bunch of lobster and fish. 

Stoked on our decision we got Baja cleaned up and headed over to Trace and his family's place whom ended up being the gringos we saw on the dirt bikes! Having an amazing turkey dinner, we hung out by the campfire, burning dried up Yucca plants and playing the guitar and talking about Baja, which Trace had been coming to for the past thirty years.

Day2:

Waking up before sunrise, stoked to surf, we suited up and paddled out. As dawn began to break, we could see the sun crest the local mountains not too far away. The waves were really fun again but with a rapidly rising tide, the surf sesh was cut a bit short. I stayed out in the water anyways though, pumped on any wave I could get now that I was that one guy with a Baja wave all to myself. Finally coming in, Justin was headed back out, but with a spear gun in hand instead of a surfboard this time. Justin speared three fish that we saved for lunch while the rest of us made breakfast burritos.

After breakfast, we headed out in search for the next wave to ride. Racing down dirt roads, through the vast barren Baja desert, we couldn't wait to see what was around each new point. Following the coast through small village after village and contemplating multiple surf breaks, we finally decided on Punta Cabra. Our first look deemed it to be about chest high, but getting in the water, the sets started to build and soon

we had waves crashing on us that were nearly two feet over head. We weren't the only ones out there, but Punta Cabra supplied multiple peaks to choose from and each of us had our own wave to ourselves.

Surfing for hours until our bodies were sore and our faces were burnt, we all headed in, entirely exhausted. We decided to head back to Punta San Ysidro for a late lunch of ceviche which consisted of fresh fish caught that morning by Justin, avocado, local lime and cilantro. The rest of the afternoon we hung out and enjoyed the beauty of Baja around us, until Justin and Aaron decided to head back out for another spear.

    

Coming back with seven good sized fish, we filleted and cooked them up making fresh fish tacos with some homemade local tortillas that we picked up in a local village. A few beers later, the events of the day set in quickly as the warmth of the fire and the fullness of our bellies nearly lulled us to sleep. 

Baja

Day 1:

After a quick flight from San Francisco, I met up with my good buddies, Aaron Lanes, Justin Lewis, Matt Skenazi in San Diego. We had been planning this trip for months, however it has seemed like a lifetime as this has been a trip I have wanted to do since I first began surfing in San Diego as a young college student at PLNU. Something about being in a foreign country, searching for waves has always been more attractive to me than most anything else, and I was definitely due for an adventure as it has been nearly a year since my last mission to Guam. 

Before we crossed the border, we all decided to get a surf in at a break in San Diego, because we knew that we had a long day of travel ahead of us sitting in a car. It was just after sunrise and the water was much warmer than what I was used to way up North in San Francisco. The waves were small, but I didn't care because I was with my buddies, the sun was out and the optimism and excitement on this new adventure was high. 

Surfing for about an hour and a half, we all seemed to catch our last waves at the same time and headed for the trucks. We had two trucks, not because we had too much stuff, but because having two trucks was a solid plan in case anything happened while we were in Mexico. Heading down the I-5 our caravan neared the border. Not familiar with protocol, Justin and I crossed with ease and got right through, however Aaron and Matt got stopped. There was no stopping for us as we were herded and honked along like cattle. We were separated as soon as we crossed. 

Without cell service, we had no means to get in contact and no shoulder to pull off onto and wait. We had no choice but to move on until we were out of Tijuana. Not too frazzled by the situation, we eventually came to a spot in the road where we could pull off and still have a view of HWY 1. After about ten minutes or so, we spotted them, hopped back in the truck and with lights flashing and horns honking, we were sinked up again, ready to continue our adventure. 

We continued down the 1 seeing tons of surf breaks with one person, sometimes no one  at all at each break that we would pass, making us more and more eager to get in this Mexican water and surf our brains out. With the sun lazily hanging in the sky, we drove down past Ensenada to a small down called San Ysidro. We were the only gringos there and as we slowly drove through town, boony dogs barked at us, small children waved and people seemed to just stare as if we were a sideshow circus pulling into town with our surfboards strapped to the tops of our vehicles and our ear to ear grins beaming back at them. We stopped briefly to get minimal necessary supplies (beer) and then headed about five minutes out of town along a dirt road to catch a sunset surf session at a break just off of a point there called Punta San Ysidro. The surf was surprisingly fun as the tide began to dramatically drop and suddenly build to head high waves. After a beautiful sunset, we paddled in after dark and set up camp, cooked up some burritos, and then drank a few Mexican beers before retiring for the night, excited to see what tomorrow would bring us.