Died and Gone to Heaven

On our stomachs we lie in the 88 degree water of the Sea of Cortez. “Felix,” I say sitting up. “I think we died in that storm.” I hear a pop and watch Felix pour the amber liquid into a frosted mug. “Salud,” he toasts in Spanish. Our glasses clink together, “We’ve earned it, amigo.” We slowly sip, attempting to savor, but it’s of no use. The beer is too refreshing. The last week too hot. Our mugs are soon empty.

I stand and walk through the powdery white sand and into the restaurant. A gentle breeze passes through the open windows cooling my wet skin. A television covered in stickers, like the rest of the bar, broadcasts Two and a Half Men. “Dos mas cervesas, por favor.” A green parrot on the man’s shoulder whistles in reply. He hands me two more bottles of Dos Equis and new frosted mugs. I reenter the bathwater, as my dad called it, and watch the blue sky transition to orange, red, and violet.

October 9, 2014March 4, 2016 by Ryan "Kodak" Brown Categories: Bike Touring, Canada to Panama, TravelTags: Baja Mexico, featured, Mexico 7 Comments

Surviving the Desert

3,000 miles to date!!!!

3,000 Miles!!!!!!

Oh yea! Time to celebrate. Maybe we should get out of the desert first….

On Friday September 26, 2014 Felix and I began the most perilous portion of our journey South: A 400km stretch of empty desert. We carried food enough for nearly a week and four days of water. On Tuesday September 30, 2014 we arrived in the town of Guerrero Negro, safe but worse for wear. My front hub is failing. My right knee hurts. And Felix became ill on day one. His symptoms: diarrhea and nausea. The desert is no place to be sick…

October 3, 2014March 4, 2016 by Ryan "Kodak" Brown Categories: Bike Touring, Canada to Panama, TravelTags: Baja Mexico, Mexico 6 Comments

Life Lessons Learned in Mexico

Carlos guides us to the fire hall where we will spend the night.

“Tu estas muy rapido!” I greet the hombre racing along the dirt road paralleling the paved one. He shouts back, speaking as fast as he rides. Felix and I understand two words: Quince, 15, and dormier, to sleep. Quince kilometers pass at break-neck speed and we arrive at a fire hall. It is our fifth day in Mexico and our third night in a row staying with locals. Life in Baja Mexico is good, muy bueno. It’s also quite the learning experience.

These five days in Mexico have taught us valuable lessons. The hard way. We learned the first lesson less than an hour into this country. I call it, “Shortcut for adventure.” The police kicked us off the toll road. A woman directed us to a restaurant. Her husband appeared with maps bypassing the toll road, but it required backtracking. We checked our own maps deciding on a shortcut. The shortcut took us well off the main road, through the heart of Tijuana and it’s crumbling houses and sandy, rocky roads. It added hours to our ride. Shortcuts are often quite the adventure. Just don’t expect them to be shorter.

October 2, 2014March 4, 2016 by Ryan "Kodak" Brown Categories: Bike Touring, Canada to Panama, TravelTags: Baja Mexico, Friends, Lessons, Mexico 5 Comments