We hitch up the Jeep and head out to the gate after a quiet night at Celito Lindo. Reaching the end of the driveway, we are met by a Toyota truck, two young folks from Santa Cruz and their surfboards. They say: "You are going no where....there is a road block." Hum.
First we think, oh, road construction. Then they tell us that the Pemex (gas station) is closed, no gas. The stores are closed, the banks, and the ATMs. Something about a farm worker strike.
We turn off the engine, and put the satellite dish back up. We see nothing on "news" posts, but on Facebook the story becomes more clear. The site Talk Baja is hosted by a gringo who happens to live right in San Quintin...the area where the strike is centered...and..the area where we happen to be.
There is not just one road block...there are 11. And they are road blocks set up with tires and tree trunks and....fire. Ok then. Slowly we became aware that we were truly were not, not...going anywhere. The word came in from the strikers that it would be 2 - 3 days at least. The only highway in Baja, Mex. #1 was closed. Totally closed to all traffic.
By noon we decide to go back to our lonely spot in the RV section. The kids in the truck get a room, as did some other tourists coming through from Korea! At least the restaurant would have business tonight!
Then we get an email from some of our Coyote Beach buddies. They had read my FB posts on our location, and wanted us to know they were together on a beach 5km south of us. We decide waiting is more fun with friends!
First we make a dash to the Pemex (3km down a dirt road) as we hear they are momentarily open. We like to keep our tank above the 1/2 mark...and neglected to do this when we arrived yesterday. (lesson) We find diesel, fill up and the gas station guy confirms, yes, roadblocks...but lots of them and do not go north...it's dangerous.
Ok then. It's south we go...down to El Pabellion...and friends.
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| Wagons circled |
Here we find five other rigs from our winter beach and join the circle. By now it's happy hour...so...
out come the chairs, the tables, the snacks....and the day improves significantly! Plus, Pedro is here and he is fluent in Spanish. This is a good thing.
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| Pedro and Janet |
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| Happy Hour |
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| Life is good! |
We are here for two nights and two days...while we hear stories of the road from the rig that made it through from the north ....and about how far the folks got that tried to leave in the morning...and know the best thing to do is be patient and wait. The scene is one of pending civil unrest and high passion.
The farm workers make 100p a day ($6.84) They are asking for 300p a day....around $20. They want health care. (they are Mexican...but from the mainland) They want human rights issues addressed....sexual assualt on females working in the fields is common. It's all understandable. (what we an understand) But the word is that things may get violent...and we know we don't want to be in the middle of it.
So, for now...we wait. We share water, food, pesos...sunshine, walks, campfire music.....friendship.
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| Kathy and Dori |
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| Ukulele Steve |
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| Pedro on the flute |
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| Janet and Sparky |
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| Crab claws from local fisherman....$5.50 a kilo! (2 1/2 pounds) |
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| Norm and Jerri |
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| Check out the chairs.....ready for a nap? |
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