Morning Surf Sesh

Showers that Cleanse

Recently, I've had a couple of those cleansing showers. The ones that cause the water to turn brown from all the dust, dirt, or whatever. They require cleaning under the fingernails, and smell-checking your armpit until you've scrubbed it enough. You may have to shampoo twice to remove the salt crust from sweat or the ocean.

I love these showers.

Often, these showers follow camping trips, like the Baja Surf Trip two weekends back (previous post). That shower washed off three surf sessions, ~20 hours of driving, and two nights on the ground. I washed off sweated out alcohol and spilled hot sauce. There was a bunch of dogs at Cuatros Casas, all of whom were gross, and some of whom I petted. All of that came off in that shower, two Mondays ago.

Gorgeous and Glassy

Two Tuesdays ago, I went to sea with class to deploy my lab's Del Mar Mooring. Thankfully, the post-cruise shower only had to wash off sweat and grease; everything is clean when we put it in the water. Mooring recoveries, conversely, pick up all those same instruments after they've been fouled by all the biology in the ocean (e.g. algae, barnacles, mussels, etc.); I remain pungent from all the bio-scraping until I make it home, and take that shower.

Look at all that smelly biology on a previous mooring.
Photo Courtesy of James Broesch

My most recent cleansing shower was late Saturday night, following a day trip to an orphanage in Tijuana with Jeff. We went down with his family and Church Group to install a kitchen, fix door frames, lay gas line, and paint. We arrived earlier than the rest, allowing us to lay down a second coat on the soon-to-be installed kitchen cabinets, and even sneak away for our street tacos (news flash: Taqueria La Gloria makes their own corn tortillas!!). Upon returning, we were given the gas line job with two others. This was my first experience with anything plumbing related, but with Jeff's guidance we were able to finish.

Jeff surveying the line, Martin works at the orphanage

The shower that followed removed sweat from the Baja sun, as well as the grease, dust, and dirt the job required. It's weird to be able to wash off and return home so easily. While the line we set led to a water heater, the orphanage has no such luxury as the comfortable apartment I have made for myself. 

On Sunday, I woke up late, biked some errands, and read at the beach.

Somethings Interesting:
--Sunday was also Election day for Mexico. Exit polls show a return of the Institutional Revolutionary Party after a 12 year hiatus.

--Following Zanzibar, it took me 2 full days to get home, stopping in Tanzania overnight, and again in London. The shower that followed washed off the recent sleeping on airport benches, the bender with Spike on the way home, and the pit toilet on mainland Tanzania. 

--For info on the Del Mar Mooring, see my lab's website...
http://mooring.ucsd.edu/
Projects-->Del Mar

Ray holding it down.

Deploying the Camera

Hey Matt!

Lots of waiting.

The mooring is away.

Locals on a mission

Taqueria La Gloria

Wrangling Baja: A Chronology

Saturday, 16-June-2012

1012: Cross the San Ysidro Border into Baja, traveled south through Tijuana and Rosarito.

1204: Arrive K58, a surf community with camping and restaurants. Enjoyed lunch with a view.

1233: Paddle out into head-high, beach break tumblers. Very relaxed session, sun comes out halfway through. Smooth sets every 3-6 minutes, nobody to share them with but ourselves.

1437: Pack Wrangler back together, continue south along inland route through Ensenada. Naps were had.

Jeff without pants.

1812: Purchase beer, tequila, hot sauce, tacos.

1817: Turn off main road towards coast. First foray into offroading. Wrangler's new tires work great.

1840: Arrive at Cuatros Casas, surveyed campsite overlooking point break. Paddle into right-hand, machine-gun, waist to chest peelers.

Nick snags a peeler.

1958: Sunset ends session, starts campfire, and opens beers.

Sunday, 17-June-2012

0718: I wake up early.

0805: Jeff and Nick wake up. Discuss plans.

0856: Paddle into smaller peelers. Washes off smoke, grit, etc. from camping.

1002: Pack Wrangler back together, continue off road along bluff. No intention of returning.

1031: Come across giant shipwreck, road gets rougher.

Jeff surveys the wreckage.

1122: Meet back with main road. Tacos during Eurocup game, Spanish Announcer.

1148: Return North. The going was hot and clear.

1535: Make it through Ensenada, take coast road. 

1545: El Mirador provides gorgeous views of coastline, commercial fisheries, Isla Todos Santos. 

1618: Margaritas and burittos at K58. The surf is inconsistent and blown out. 

1720: El Compadre is purchased.

1824: Campsite is set, fire is made, Vlad is carved, El Compadre is opened.

The waves were small.

Monday 18-June-2012 

0810: I wake up, discover that someone took a dump in the middle of our campsite overnight.

0840: Nick and Jeff wake up. We are spoiled with waves here in La Jolla, and decide that the broken up mush we have before us isn't worth it; we pack up and leave.

0930: Arrive for breakfast in Rosarito, helps breakup El Compadre's headache.

1012: Nick snags shotgun for the trip to the border.

The road home.

1102: Decide to travel inland to Mesa del Otay border crossing. This will be our undoing.

1125: Begin waiting in line for border; USA lies about a quarter mile away from us. 

1538: Cross the border, 4+ hours later. Return home.

Jeffrey Campana

Transition to offroading.

Post-sesh euphoria.

Solving the world's problems.

Whale Skeleton 

Shralping

I feel sorry for the dog who lives there.

Tacos y futbol

Coast road mirador.

Mid-morning stretch

Desayuno de los dios

I can think of nothing less appetizing or more dangerous than  border line clamatos.