There is something so magical about where I am right now, in the heart of the Mexican countryside. Tropical jungle, with vegetation, so green and vibrant, it stimulates the senses to a point of disbelief. From the crystal clear waters and desert of Southern Baja where we have made our home for the past couple of weeks, there couldn’t be more of a contrast to our current location.
Since making a home by the ocean near Todos Santos, Baja, the main focus of the trip for me has been on improving my surfing. Trying to adapt to a much shorter board has its many challenges. Paddle power and upper body strength to get into the wave with less volume underneath you can be frustrating, however being able to duck dive has saved me from consuming much energy that is usually wasted on turtle rolling.
Fresh vegetables and fruit were all readily available from little shacks at the side of the road, we would cook these over an open fire with rice and occasionally fish whenever we were lucky enough to catch one.
Having so much time in between surfing, it was great just to relax and be creative. We made a Christmas tree from driftwood and seashells and spent the festive evenings with some legendary locals. New Years Eve was particularly eccentric as we attended a sunset viewing of local surf footage accompanied by live electric guitar.
One of the great things about having the base camp in Baja was being able to get grounded with a daily routine after all the movement of being on the road. This consisted of oil pulling, (rinsing out your mouth with coconut oil to eliminate toxins), Pranayam (breathing exercises) and Asanas (physical stretching) which all made for an invigorating way to start each day before paddling out into the line up.
As we wake and sleep with the sun, we didn’t stay conscious to see in 2017, but we did rise the next day to a beautiful glassy four foot New Year’s swell.
After spending ten days in total relaxation it was with a heavy heart that we had to part with Baja to continue our journey south. On arrival at the ferry port in La Paz, we were turned away due to not having the correct paperwork to import our truck (The Chief) over to mainland Mexico. We needed a visa known as an FMM, which we now refer to as ‘FM’! After a couple of days in various offices trying to organise this document, reality dawned upon us, we were going to have to drive the whole way around into mainland Mexico, adding 2000 extra miles onto our journey. Our initial cockiness about sailing through the border at Tijuana was short lived.
Arriving in Tijuana AGAIN, we all went through the processes necessary to obtain the paper work and officially import our vehicle. Finally leaving the crazy city, we said our goodbyes to our driving buddies and caned it into mainland Mexico desperate to make up for lost time and lost waves.
As we travelled south, stopping at various beaches, the desert turned into a jungle and the surf started to deliver. We treated ourselves to a five dollar hut overlooking a long lasting left, peeling off a river mouth, while giant turtles popped their heads over the waves to scope the scene.
The sense of well being returned more and more with every left I caught. It seems that the Pacific coast so far has been mostly right handers, so for me (being goofy) this was a real treat.
It is going to be difficult to leave this wonderful country, however, we still have another four to drive through until we reach Costa Rica, where we will be attending an event called Envision from 23-26th February which explores yoga, permaculture, music and has a surf break within the grounds of the festival..
For tickets and more information about the Envision Festival, hit up the website www.envisionfestival.com
