Sunday, August 27, 2006

--- happy birthday ---
happy birthday to NINA, sorry it's a little late xxx

--- hope and ----
wellies and WIGS and warm coats and bindis and bangles and BRIGHT shiney happy things, all ziplocked and lying in wait. Lizzie and marg are about to motor - SF to Reno to Black Rock DESERT. [yes bla bla got sunblock and 'plenty water, plenty water']
If you are good you might get a postcard from the hippie edge. Live LIGHT, travel light, be the light.

--- if we come back ---
we'll be around san fran on 4 September

Friday, August 25, 2006

--- sf ... again ... ---
so i'm here. Hate to BORE you, but it's SAN FRAN Again. I did miraculously wake up at 6am on Monday morning in Ocean Beach, San Diego and manage to drag myself and my backpack out and to the GREYHOUND bus. [it is wronger than it sounds]

The devil of a sun was BLINDING and made for a sweating ride up California. I endured just. Arrived in good time to marvel at the BAY BRIDGE and get FREE PESTO SUPPER at the hostel. [ooo we love this business of free suppers three nights a week. Yep, you unbelievers. TEX MEXT on Wednesday, a refried bean and taco, guac, tomato stylely. Another beauty are the BAGEL breakfasts. ]

I did get a fabulous OLD DUCK called Florence sat next to me [despite the many open seats available]. She leaned and nudged and was a great, energetic conversationalist. We endured a thorough IMMIGRATION control inspection, and shot the breeze until LONG BEACH.

Anyway. i'm generally buying bits for the IMPENDING Burning Man desert thing and hoping.

Also

Had a too good trip to the CREMATORIUM where the caretaker part of the furniture geyser says [balancing on his ladder plank station] : it's for the living. I like to call these spaces not 'niches'. Don't like that word. I call them 'apartments. And you see the bigger ones? I call them condos.'

---- coming soon to a screen by me... ---

So tomorrow Lizzie arrives from london on Friday afternoon. We talk a lot of nonsense all weekend and then leave for the BM on Monday in the wee hours. \\overandout

Saturday, August 19, 2006

karuna leann and marg


karuna leann and marg
Originally uploaded by youmook.

view of the house from the garden


view of the house from the garden
Originally uploaded by youmook.
This is Leann's home, where we stayed in Cabo San Lucas
--- the Ocean Beach routine ---
This week i have been getting down with the OB way of doing very little.
- get up early, get coffee, stroll to the beach, SWIM and then SIT and watch the SEA
- eat breakfast and stroll back to the beach, SIT and then SWIM and watch the SURFING
- hide from the midday sun and then meander back, maybe get a SMOOTHIE or find someone to PLAY BATS or just SIT, SWIM, SNOOZE, READ....LOITER
- get BEER and decant into paper cups and sit out front on the hostel steps watching the people traffic go up and down to the beach
ETC

--- some adventures ---
decided the other day that I could stretch myself a little, and decided to go to a DIFFERENT BEACH. Walked all the way to Mission beach with its rollercoaster and LONG BOARDWALK. Went down that dodging cyclists and skaters and bladers and dogs to Pacific beach
//diversion//
which is regarded by Ocean Beach folk as pretentious. OB folk are beautiful chilled loitering boozing getting high folk - days years flights times wash by, the guy on the wall is still playing the same three cords on his guitar, around the corner the punk is still asking for 'treasure' and the scabby nosed fella is dragging his feet and wanting a fag, a dollar, whatever. Bibi the spindly legged camp black guy waves his black magic books and saunters down the road and the dude with the iguana shows up every afternoon to throw the big lizard into the sea and chat to gals in bikinis who are frightened and curious and cute.

//so anyway//

I got BLISTERS and sore feet doing that Pacific Beach walk, so I decided to HANG ABOUT in OB a few more days before trying anything like that again.
Finally got it together and WALKED the other direction to find the FORT ROSENCRANZ CEMETERY which has ridiculously good views across the water to San Diego Downtown and Coronado island [which has another beach that I might get to but most likely won't be bothered with, in lieu of loitering].
It's a military cemetery, so lots of white domino rows separated by clipped green grass.

- took a too tasty bottle of PINOT NOIR to a little cove near SUNSET CLIFFS last night and watched ANOTHER SUNET [been doing a lot of them - and a few nights back finally saw the GREEN FLASH - a wee blip right when the sun disappears - so quick you have to blink and think a while]

--- room mates ---
I have been in a MIXED DORM for the last few days. The one Aussie bird gets in late one night and bless her couldn't make it to the bathroom so did a VERY SPECIAL rendition of ralf in the basin. Then last night I get in late and discover the aussie replacements - one of which is WET SNORING at a good volume - so I go over and tiptoe up [he's on the top bunk], poke him and say 'ROLL OVER DUDE!'
Which he does, and it works, but it's accompanied by fek off... mumble mumble... fek off'

--- where are your photos? ---
I can't bloody find a willing machine - uploading from CD or camera is near impossible. Have tried charming one of the Germans who sit on the porch of the hostel searching for flats on craiglist to loan me their laptop but no joy.


--- when are you going back to san francisco? ---
Dunno - yesterday, day before, tomorrow, whenever. Think i'll be getting a Greyhound on Sunday and drive through the night. If I'm not out of here BY MONDAY please send someone to drag/airlift me away as the force here is strong.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

--- prepare for mexico ---
We were in Baja California Sur, Mexico for nearly a week
staying in Cabo San Lucas
which is at the bottom point - see map

We met Leann at the Central Camionera in TIJUANA [a hole that you should not step into] - waiting for the 105 Eagle bus to fly [slow drive] us into La Paz, an almighty 22 hour journey ahead. She was on her way home, to Cabo San Lucas, where she'd lived for 22 years, her property only getting electricity for the first time in the last 2 years.

Somewhere along the way, zigzagging down the peninsular, weaving in and out of little bus stops, taco shops, military checkpoints, she convinces us that the beaches are sweeter, the water sparkles brighter, the lights stay on longer in Cabo
so we don't stay at the deep still blue bay of La Paz, but hop on the next bus with her.

--- downtown ---
We end up spending two nights in a hotel downtown [tequila bars, souvenir shops, tacky, taco, touristic blazing pit of nightclubs and taxis and staggering drunk americans on vacation, rich mariner folk with red noses and large tabs, mexican men hooting kissing hollering, perhaps a little like a brit holiday resort in spain but worse]

--- la cassa grande ---
We stay the rest of the time in Leann's home up on the hill overlooking both the Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean from it's rooftop swing. Her fabulous mum, Barbara and partner Maciek live there too. The look after us MORE than we can ever thank them for.
- The DESERT gravel floor has cactus, small trees, and rocks and recycled colourful art. Small decorations pepper the branches, wind chimes, sea shells, fossils, a pink metal cage, shards of this and that.
- Hoollas a strung from a totem pole.
- Little red birds with bright mohawks sit on the fence singing, geckos hang around, little flies called BOBOS that you don't see til they're on their way up your nose swing by to say hello
- we sleep in the first floor front room - encase with black insect mesh windows - it RAINED all through the night once - pounding on the TIN ROOF above my head. most uncommon, as apparently it only rains an inch a year
- 3 cats, 7 dogs, a chorus of wagging and barking every time we pull up to the gate

--- surfing, hoola, beach ---
Get a bus up the coast to beautiful costa azul where Leann is massing the SURFERS competing for the Mexican nationals
Do a lot of HOOLLA on the beaches with giant handmade hoops that also decorate Leann's garden. Maciek, her polish partner makes them. [pics will follow at some point]
Sip CERVEZA with lime as the sun sets, and watch the jack russel [queen of the 7 dog family at the house ] go boogie board surfing with Leann

--- cemetery ---
went for a stroll at sundown in the all colourful cemetery, full of little mausoleum houses - one with a SLIDING DOOR!, all piled high with plastic flowers and photos and crosses and trinkets.
loved that

--- dancing...and falling ---
haven't got time for the special story about a big drunk mexican who danced tripped stomped and fell on me and mullered my knee...

Monday, August 14, 2006

--- status check ---
Got back to SAN DIEGO yesterday lunch time after another SPECIAL 26 hour bus ride. Going to the beach, maybe venture up the coast to La Jolla so tales from mexico will appear in good time. great things like puppies eating my flipflops and aloe treament on cold burn... wow

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

--- cooking in cabo ---
having a crazy time in cabo san lucas staying at the lovely leann's home - we met on the 26 hour bus journey down the baja
it's been beers tequilas dancing and laffing and shrimp tacos and beer tomato and lime juice hair of the dog
got to dash to beach
plan is still LA flight to san fran 17 aug

VEELS GELUK MRS WARTSKI!!