Hola amigos--I know it has been a few days. I have not had Internet access until now since entering Mexico. I´m also typing on a Spanish keyboard, so please excuse any typos. Adding to the confusion, I found this computer in a bar near our campground, and I must keep drinking for as long as I use it.

We entered Mexico on Sunday after getting a full orientation from our wagonmasters, Phil and Sue. The trailers all exited the Chula Vista KOA in a row, calling out our numbers on the CB as we exited. These are all good people, and we really enjoyed getting to know them at our pizza party on Saturday night before taking off on Sunday in the early hours. Grandma and I used some of our downtime to go shopping (Wal-Mart) and to get her hair done. She continues to use the terms ¨beauty shop¨ and ¨beauty operator¨ in place of salon and hairdresser, despite my admonitions. (Beer no. 2) The salon was run by a very overworked Asian women who had several streak jobs, pedicures, manicures, and eyebrow waxings going on at once, and Grandma had a hard time getting her hair taken care of for a reasonable price, despite bringing in her own color (a fact she has reminded me of many times). When it was done, the "beauty operator" wanted $80, which Grandma found completely unreasonable, so she handed her $25 and left. We may have outstanding warrants for our arrest in California.

After crossing into Tijuana we immediately took a wrong turn, following the RV in front of us right into a sketchy neighborhood. It was a bad first step. I was the only one brave or stupid enough to get out of my rig and ask directions, and my limited Spanish was enough to get us back on the right road. I was the hero for the day and was toasted later at our drivers' meeting. I feared because of my inexperience I would be a complete disaster and a real pain for all of the experienced RVers. I have been a disaster as far as pulling a trailer goes (no wrecks yet!). But because only one other person speaks any Spanish I have a much sought-after skill.

We stopped for lunch across from a roadside stand, which I was warned to avoid. Sarah and I wandered across the highway, smelled the food, I was starving and couldn´t resist. We ordered the only item on the menu, coctel de almejas, or clam cocktail, which was filled with smoked clams, tomatoes, onions and cilantro in a hot broth. It was delicious. Three days later, I´m still not sick. That was my first indiscretion as far as the food and water restrictions doled out by our wagonmasters. There are more to follow.

We pulled into Vicente Guerrero, our first stop, sometime after 4 p.m. and enjoyed a nice dinner at the restaurant on the campground. We were seated with Ailsa and Ken, a couple who has been married for 65 years. They are so cute. Nothing much else to report from that stop, except that the beach was farther away than I thought and Sarah had to deal with only one dip into the ocean (at a rest stop earlier in the day). (Beer no. 3)

We were on the road very early for Bahia de Los Angeles, where we were promised much closer beach access and lots of fish. Both turned out to be true. We were a block from the beach, close to a fisherman´s dock, and had a stocked mercado close by. After fully settling in on the first night, we met fast friends Bob and Mary Lou from Ontario, who have since become our travelmates. We are among enormous motorhomes, and Bob and Mary Lou and our bunch are the only ones in trailers. They have something called a Prowler, which is very nice and comfortable and longer than our trailer. Bob is very organized and has given me good advice on dealing with a number of issues. When we were about out of gas (gas stations are too rare down here), and later propane (also rare), Bob took the lead on getting us some help.

The day after our arrival, it was my assigned task to acquire lobsters (or langostas) from the local fisherman, which we had heard could come for a very low price but were illegal to fish off Baja. It required some delicate negotiation, which I was incapable of, and I came away empty. But I did meet a bunch of fisherman from the U.S. with a place in BLA who told us to come over and get some fish. Bob and I drove over and they gave us a few cabrilla (white fish) no charge, which was our dinner. Mary Lou grilled them and they were delicious. Grandma and I brought some strawberries we found, unbelievably big, and made shortcake. We all later came to know Smitty, Herman, John Patrick, Nick, George and the other fisher guys who holiday in Baja, fish and drink (mostly drink). They have a sweet place with a chef´s kitchen, and I´d love to go back and spend a few days.

On Tuesday Smitty hooked us up with a local fisherman to go out sea fishing. Bob and Mary Lou, Grandma and I got up at the crack of dawn and headed on a very small boat called Isabel with the local fisher god´s son Juan, and he took us through several off-shore islands to fish. The fish were biting in the early hours but slackened off. We were out for four hours. We landed 30 keepers, which amounted to 14 lbs. filleted, of ling cod and sea bass. We also caught a few scorpion fish, bright red and spiny, which are dangerous to touch but allegedly good eating. We threw several back to the pelican named Roberto that followed us throughout, and he gulped them in one swallow. All except the scorpion fish, which he was smart enough to avoid.

We spent two nights and three days in Bahia de Los Angeles and drove south today to San Ignacico, where we are tonight. We crossed into the state of Baja Sur or south Baja and went through an extensive search. Our oranges were confiscated but that was about it, except for a spraying of pesticide to the undercarriages of the truck and trailer which has left us very stinky inside. Tonight we are in a nice camp here with a good restaurant nearby, where we enjoyed dinner. And now I am in the bar, starting Beer No. 4, and needing to go to bed. I didn´t know we would change time zones, but we did today and lost an hour.

I will report more and post pictures from our fishing trip as soon as I can. Tomorrow we visit a local mission and then we are on the beach dry-camping for the next four days, so don´t expect much until next week. I miss you all. Bill.