You will get a rack with a skinny mattress in a crowded dorm in some condition of disrepair. It is never pretty or easy in these places. When you need to sleep after a hard day on the pavement, you will put up with almost anything. There is no heat or air conditioning. You will meet the strangest people on earth. They all have a story to tell.
The International Hostel at Ocean Beach is about the weirdest with barbeque on the weekend.... the Pacific Beach Hostel is equally distressing. The Hooters next door brightened up many a travelers dreams.
The International Hostel at Ocean Beach is about the weirdest with barbeque on the weekend.... the Pacific Beach Hostel is equally distressing. The Hooters next door brightened up many a travelers dreams.
The International is run by a short man with a police whistle that he uses to make announcements about the trivialities of hostel life. They feed you breakfast consisting of pancakes and reconstituted eggs and coffee. Lots of coffee to keep them moving... otherwise these kids would stay in their bunks all day smoking dope and drinking booze.
After you get over the original shock, things settle into a routine. Fighting for shower time is the first order of the day. You must be early to get a stall before the hot water runs out. You had better be quick or the other hosteliers will make you very unhappy.
After you get over the original shock, things settle into a routine. Fighting for shower time is the first order of the day. You must be early to get a stall before the hot water runs out. You had better be quick or the other hosteliers will make you very unhappy.
This is a surfer's life. Tragic, but very resilient young ocean men are at this Hostel. Only interesting to a very few swimmers who can cut the mustard at Ocean Beach
I did meet some great world surfers from France, Germany and Japan. When you see these guys shredding it up close and personal, you get humbled.
There is a hostel near the Presbyterian Church and the Library near Ocean Beach. Reservations are a must. It has everything close by. A small shopping center is across the street.
It is very easy to get kicked out of these places and be blacklisted forever. You really have to search but once you find it you'll consider it home. The nicest of the nice in San Diego. I forget the name but it is connected with the downtown hostel that is huge, near the gaslight district.
There are plenty of hostels in Mexico on the Baja. You drive past St Tomas a few miles and you will see another road T-ing into the main road. This dirt road will take you to a very small town called Ejido Erendira with just a couple of food stores with many flies, a motel and a youth hostel run independently on the hill further down the beach road. Drive up the hill and park next to the tower with the whale painting on its side.
Walking out on the pier is a full days adventure. On flood tide, you will see the guys threading the pilings. This is the only free fishing pier I know of on the West Coast. The restaurant on the pier is worth a stop for lunch.... especially the fish burgers. The sea air stimulates your appetite like nothing else
There are many resident pelicans who will eat anything thrown their way. These birds are photogenic and will pose for a picture.
Then it is back to the hostel or shopping. You can sit and drink coffee all day until you float out the door. The big show starts when the cops start cleaning out the homeless encampments. Best to walk away and hide your eyes. I heard about many close calls with the cops.
I helped a French surfer get his public drinking ticket thrown out of court. If the cop does not show up in court to testify.... the judge has no choice but to dismiss the case. I knew it was best to go on the day the cop won't be there way before the trial date. Life in the hostile element is about survival. You learn or perish.
There is no day room for reading that novel you brought all the way from Europe. You are pushed out to go to the beach. In winter it can be bleak and cold. If you are into exploring, go to Dog Beach or Cat Rocks near the channel where thousands of cats have been abandoned. They breed like crazy. Some old folks come by and pour cat food from a fifty pound sack. Living the life of animal caregiver is the fate of many retirees.
It is simply a great way to just forget about things for awhile. Its a simple life style. I lived that way for many months going between these places but I knew it would end. Suddenly, I left town to drive down the coast of the Pacific continuing my own personal adventure looking for surf in the place called Nowhere Soon.
I was hanging out in Tijuana to benefits and cheap rent. Food is cheap and plentiful. I have a clear view of the Southern sky on the hillside of Libertad. I will have a front row seat for 'the big bright flash in the sky' should that happen in my lifetime. Retirement has its drawbacks too. I was working on getting supremely healthy so I can live without pain until the very end is one of my goals.
I was hanging out in Tijuana to benefits and cheap rent. Food is cheap and plentiful. I have a clear view of the Southern sky on the hillside of Libertad. I will have a front row seat for 'the big bright flash in the sky' should that happen in my lifetime. Retirement has its drawbacks too. I was working on getting supremely healthy so I can live without pain until the very end is one of my goals.
I do a lot of walking here in TJ. This keeps me healthy, trudging up and down the hill for supplies. When life hands you lemons...you know the rest. Forget having a car here unless you have a storage place. They will break in and steal what they can. They once peeled the registration sticker from my license plate then broke the window with a rock. There are so many buses and vans to take you anywhere you want to go.
These are school buses that have been converted to commercial by the enterprising. You will see them all over Central America all decked out with mirrors and paintings. Always crowded and interesting like everything in TJ. You take your life in your hand. There is no one to come to your rescue.
The people are the entertainment. The culture is extraordinary. I don't think there is a full blooded Mexican with roots to Spain anymore. They are all Mestizos or mixed, having inbred with the Indian population. You can actually see traces of Aztec ancestry in many of the older faces in the crowds. Men with the big snozzola. The younger ones have taken to the American culture look of a US citizen.
You must be careful when you go shopping, I go armed with a pig sticker. Just for personal defense and I usually wear sneakers. I can still outrun most people. Better that way. I clearly let them know that they will be hurt if they jump me. Pepper spray is the legal weapon to carry. I never reached that point but I've heard stories....scary stories.
If you are thinking you can call a cop then that's OK, too. Just feigning a phone call is sometimes enough of a deterrent. It takes time for them to locate you. They come fully armed and love to fight with these cholos. Once those problems are over and done with, then you can enjoy Mexico to its fullest. 20 pesos to the dollar makes you instantly wealthy. Even 20 USD turns into 400 pesos enough to buy food for a week or a small flask of Tequila if that's what you came for. Just remember everyone watches...especially the thieves...
Just yesterday, I saw them pull over a taxi driven by some youth. They handcuffed him to the little service police vehicle. They searched his taxi. The tow truck came to impound it. Such is the life of the drug dealers here. Always looking for the big money that never seems to manifest.
You must be careful when you go shopping, I go armed with a pig sticker. Just for personal defense and I usually wear sneakers. I can still outrun most people. Better that way. I clearly let them know that they will be hurt if they jump me. Pepper spray is the legal weapon to carry. I never reached that point but I've heard stories....scary stories.
If you are thinking you can call a cop then that's OK, too. Just feigning a phone call is sometimes enough of a deterrent. It takes time for them to locate you. They come fully armed and love to fight with these cholos. Once those problems are over and done with, then you can enjoy Mexico to its fullest. 20 pesos to the dollar makes you instantly wealthy. Even 20 USD turns into 400 pesos enough to buy food for a week or a small flask of Tequila if that's what you came for. Just remember everyone watches...especially the thieves...
Just yesterday, I saw them pull over a taxi driven by some youth. They handcuffed him to the little service police vehicle. They searched his taxi. The tow truck came to impound it. Such is the life of the drug dealers here. Always looking for the big money that never seems to manifest.
One year, I stayed in a hostel in Ensenada. The advertised poster showed a man with a toe tag. Such is the dark humor of Mexico. The tree lined streets are worth seeing. You would never suspect it turns into a crazy scene at night.
I sat next to a young lady on the bus who was fingering a pepper spray vial. I said do you really need that? She said this is Mexico anything and everything happens to everyone. Best to be prepared. Only $20 on Amazon website.
There is a hostel near the Presbyterian Church and the Library near Ocean Beach. Reservations are a must. It has everything close by. A small shopping center is across the street.
It is very easy to get kicked out of these places and be blacklisted forever. You really have to search but once you find it you'll consider it home. The nicest of the nice in San Diego. I forget the name but it is connected with the downtown hostel that is huge, near the gaslight district.
There are plenty of hostels in Mexico on the Baja. You drive past St Tomas a few miles and you will see another road T-ing into the main road. This dirt road will take you to a very small town called Ejido Erendira with just a couple of food stores with many flies, a motel and a youth hostel run independently on the hill further down the beach road. Drive up the hill and park next to the tower with the whale painting on its side.
You are now at Coyote Cals. You will find this place to be friendly enough. The beach is rocky and the waters are cold. There is an abalone nursery close by to visit and buy seafood. There are families who will take you in at their table for dinner. Just ask where. They want to learn English so develop your teaching skills.
If you fish, then this is the place for you. If catch the Greyhound bus you will need to hike at least 5 miles. You might get picked up. You might not. Not much traffic goes by. There is a small police station you will pass. Stop in and say hi and register. They love to know who is visiting their little town of Elido Erendira. A very safe community for the most part.
There is a small motel that caters to the workers of the fields of spinach and bell peppers. You could stay there but like all Mexican motels the rooms are dirty and the sheets are stained. There are flies everywhere. There is no escape from the filth so get used to being dirty.
There is a small motel that caters to the workers of the fields of spinach and bell peppers. You could stay there but like all Mexican motels the rooms are dirty and the sheets are stained. There are flies everywhere. There is no escape from the filth so get used to being dirty.
There is only one shower at Coyote Cals. It takes a long time to get tepid water even for a quick shower. The prices are not very inviting at minimum $20 a night and you need to fix your own pancakes in the morning. There is no comfort in Mexico. That is, unless you are very wealthy.
Much further down the road is La Paz. It too, has a great Mexican hostel right smack dab in the center of the commercial district. It has been there for many years. Same story.
Much further down the road is La Paz. It too, has a great Mexican hostel right smack dab in the center of the commercial district. It has been there for many years. Same story.
You get a rack for a few days to recover but you finally run out of time and the welcome mat is taken up.. It is always full. Be prepared to let them know when you plan to be there. Websites are the best way.
My choice was to catch the truck ferry going to Matzatlan for 200 USD. This voyage is overnight. Be prepared to starve or bring your own food. By driving down Baja, I cut out the hot desert drive. The Sonoran problems of being suspected of drug smuggling since passing through the state of Sinaloa is suicide unless you are very sneaky.
Your car needs a visa just like you so be prepared to pay and pay. The wanderlust is hard to kill in some people. It is all Baja Beautiful but don't stop driving for any reason. You will soon be beset with problems you never imagined that can't solved without help. Just the way it it is. It has never changed as long as I've been here.
You will find kindness at every turn in the road.
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