Delayed in California Wild Fires: (stage 3)
I cycled the back roads
past San Bernardino and Moreno Valley, before visiting with family in Hemet,
enjoying home cooked meals and a soft bed. A bit farther down the beaten path,
I met up with my “old” work buddy Jim, at Warner Springs, where he was working
on his glider license. We decided to go camping for a few days before I crossed
the border at Tecate. We went south on route 79 to Paso Picacho Campground,
where his sister and her husband were working as volunteers for the California
State Park Trail Maintenance. It was a peaceful couple of days, until the Santa
Ana winds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_winds) picked up.
The night before it was so
quiet, the animals could be heard drinking from a nearby pond. As the winds
started, it was like the freight train sound in the desert all over again. Only
this time it was not only dust, but also falling branches from surrounding
trees. Luckily, none of them hit the tent and the following day, we were asked
by the Rangers to leave the area, because of nearby wild fires. Route 79 to the
north was already closed, there was no more power and the cell phone
communication was interrupted also by then. The border crossing at Tecate and
the roads leading to it were closed as well. I loaded the bike onto Jim’s truck
and headed out of that area, south to Interstate 8 and towards San Diego, where
I stayed with Jim for a few days. I didn’t want to cross into Mexico at
Tijuana, because of safety reason, but more so, I wanted to tour the Tecate
Beer Brewery.
After a couple of days,
Jim dropped me off east of the fire in Boulevard, 25m from the crossing, where
I camped a few more days until the roads and border opened up again. The
campground was only 3 miles from the border as the crow flies, and I could ride
the bike as close as about 200 yards, to the wooden fence that acts as a
border. It looks pretty easy to jump the fence, which I guess is why the border
patrol is driving up and down 24/7.
After 1 week of road and
border closer, I was finally able to cross into Mexico and it felt good to be
back on the move again. Riding past the wildfire areas, I could smell burnt ash
still in the air.
There is no passport
control going into Mexico; it is each person’s own responsibility to go to the
custom office to obtain a tourist visa. I checked into the Okakopa Hotel (0
stars) only a block from the border and walked to the brewery.
The Tecate brewery
produces Tecate, Dos Equis, Bohemia, Sol, Carta Blanca and Indio. For bottling
they are using German Krones, AG machines, which run at 1600/minute. I can only
say it is rather impressive to watch those bottles flying by, just amazing. And
if watching the machines run doesn’t make your head spin, the sampling will. .
. .
Until next time...
Tony Bike
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