July 4 morning and it couldn’t start much bigger with the Hermosa Iron Man .By 1030am I decide to slip out for a surf , more as a reason to freshen up than actually catching any decent waves . The beach is already pretty crowded with families setting up for the traditional day at the beach celebration for 4th of July . After an hour I head back to the house , still a little vagued out from the previous weeks travels to Vegas and Big Sur . On arrival Emma asks me if I felt the earth quake . ” What earth quake ? You serious ” “Yehhhhaa , there’s a pretty big earth quake that just struck , the whole house shook . Leroy got scared and sat on my lap .” “Fuck , I’m spewing , I missed it ! I’ve been here 2 years and have never experienced it and Al, Ash and Tim have been here 2 minutes and they’ve already tasted an earth quake “,I cry . ” “Babe , it was scary ,it’s not like you missed something good .” “Fuck , hows that work ? I’m out surfing shit waves and you guys get to experience a shake . ” Ahh well there’s always next time . The unnerving bit about this event was that just 2 days prior Al, Ash ,Tim and myself had stopped right at the epicentre of this earth quake in the Mojave Desert to take photos of a Joshua tree . You can’t get too caught up with fate but the trend of just missing major shakes would continue .

I often visit my mate Don. Don ( name change ) is the resident life guard on …well one of the towers near our house …. I Don’t want to get him in trouble , although every thing he tells me is fair and reasonable . I have intended to blog about him but I’ve been embarrassed to get his photo and tell him my intentions . It’s stupid , I know he’d be more than happy to let me do it , although as a public servant some things would need to be pared back . We talk about a lot of stuff but the advice he gave me about a possible earth quake made me laugh . “You got your earth quake kit ? ” , he asks . “Yeah mate , got one of those for each of us , my wife Emma made them up .” This is another Californian necessity that you never would’ve thought of if you live in Melbourne . An earthquake kit ?!! Its compulsory at the start of each school year that your child brings in their earth quake supply kit, how weird is that ? “What have you got in it ?”,he asks . “Ahh fucked if I know mate , Emma got that sorted .”, I know he’s looking and pausing and then translating back to himself what I just said . ” You need a weeks supply of water , plenty of canned food , vitamins , a 1st aid kit and you need to be holding .”, he replies . I laugh ” I’m guessing you mean a gun mate ?” “Fuck yeah , you’re gonna need it when shit goes down , there’ll be mobs running the streets pillaging and taking what they need , you gotta be prepared . ” Fuck mate , I’m hoping I’ll be outta here before that shit goes down .” He looks at me with a twinkle in his eye and a hint of a smile . ” The next ones due Troy , it’ll happen any time .” It’d be 3 months later that that old Donny boys prediction becomes a near miss .

1 day later (July 5) ………. We are in a cool little bar in Ensenada ,Mexico on the side walk chowing down on $3 fish tacos whilst dropping a bucket of Dos Equis down . We just witnessed the quickest knockout in UFC history when Masvidal knocked out Askren with an earth shattering knee , it wasn’t the only sudden impact at the time . We had been chatting away to a Californian couple about all sorts of shit , including the recent earth quake , when a little flash of green popped up on my phone . I look down and see it’s a message from Emma . A second larger quake had just hit at around 830 at night ( I’m vague on the time , we’d been travelling and drinking for 10 days straight ) . I relay the news to the couple . They quickly get on the phone to check on relatives and her teenage kids who are home alone . It turned out this one registered 7.1 at its epicentre , 10 times stronger according to seismologists than the one the day before in the same region as the 6.4 magnitude of the previous day in the Mojave desert . This one had Emma and Leroy pretty shaken up ( pardon the pun , but it’s apt ) , fortunately the Mojave is 230 miles ( 370 kilometres ) from LA and any real damage was isolated to towns in the region …… Once again , I was not home to experience it ……….. Tell me it doesn’t run in 3s , I’ve missed 2 ……… do I really need to get a gun for the next one ?

There’s bodies everywhere, on their haunches , hands on hips , laughing , in pain,on their knees and then there are those that are throwing up . Hundreds of mostly guys and some girls in their board shorts , speedos and bikinis on a coolish grey morning , July 4 . The Iron Man A 30 year+ tradition at the Northern end of Hermosa Beach is an event like no other . There’s a cult like status to this legendary 1 mile run, 1 mile paddle and 6 can scull that has to be seen to be believed .

Lindsay told me about this contest 6 months ago , I had it in the back pocket but I honestly wasn’t that drawn to it . I’ll check it out if I can be bothered . It just happens so that Ash,Al and Tim are here from Australia and we’re all pretty stuffed after our Vegas / Monterey / Big Sur adventure . It’s only when I get out on our front patio and hear the distant sounds of music ,cans clattering and the occasional crowd roar that I realise what’s happening …. “Fuck Ash ,we’ve gotta get down there and have a look ,it sounds pretty big “, I declare . Tim is hardly up and Al’s still groggy …… it’s 830 on the morning of July 4 .

“Fuckn hell ! It’s happening down there “. “Sure is Troy”, Ash replies . As we get closer it becomes apparent , this is no get together of mates and neighbours for some bragging rites over a local challenge , this is a bona fide under ground event with a host , live band and what must’ve been up to 500 competitors . By the time we turn up the last of the competitors are in and are working on drinking their 6 pack of beer as quickly as they can . This is a riot , a total celebration and something that you could believe can happen here . The cops are positioned 100m back , the life guards are on watch , families are wandering past , runners , swimmers , surfers , everyone goes about their normal morning ….and there are those like Ash and me who are mesmerised by what’s going on ………..”How goods this mate !” “It’s fucken unreal Troy”, Ash replies . Ash has the phone out and starts recording , I’m doing the same , so are others . I quickly let Emma know that shes gotta get down here , same for Al and Tim . The Iron Man has actually been going for 42 years and has a documentary ‘ Run Paddle Chug ‘ dedicated to its story ( check it out ) . I’m fortunate enough to live on 28 th Street which looks directly down below to lifeguard tower 28 , right next to the finish line of the ‘Iron Man’

Eventually things start to loosen up and It’s not long before a circle is formed and some quasi dodge ball , drunken rugby style bull run erupts . One guy goes down holding his jaw , he gets up with missing teeth .Haha ….Love it . It’s messy , but it’s all in good fun and it something that I admired about the police here ………. they stayed back and let everyone let their hair down and hey there were drunk bodies , the odd vomit , plenty of revelry but no malice .. even Leroy watched for a minute …… ” Ok , mate we’ve seen enough ,”I declare only after Emma’s insistence ………………. “Oh well , it’s started boys …. we’re here for July 4 ” Surely you can’t beat this Check out these 2 band shots that Tim Allen took ….. it sums it up beautifully ……..l can’t wait for next year………and to any Aussie friends …. it’s worth seeing

Pacific Coast Highway tracks along the west coast of the United States , in fact it’s just half a mile up the road from our place . If you were to drive along it where we live you’d hardly be impressed , it’s just another busy highway squeezing through the heavy development that is LA . We are in Monterey , closer to 8 hours north in a beautiful old fishing town that is more of a tourist destination these days . It’s here that we head south on the Pacific Coast hwy , drifting by the iconic Pebble Beach golf course . We don’t have time to detour and drive around it , but what is noticeable is that this little knob of land isn’t large , it’s very green , densely treed and private . You would have no idea that a world class golf course that hosts major tournaments could actually happen down there .

Big Sur , this is what Tim really wants to show us and we are thankful that he does . Starting at the beautiful town of Carmel and ending some 70 miles south near San Simeon is an epic upscale coastline of large cliffs , waterfalls , rocky coves and amazing bridges that are a photographers dream . It’s not just the rugged coastline that is appealing here , it’s also the small hamlets tucked into heavily wooded low spots . It’s in these little towns you’d swear you’re in the Dandenongs , or the Blue Mountains or in Yosemite . These cool little spots with colourful timber buildings , accomodation in log cabins , arts and crafts for sale in quaint little stores and cafes offering tasty treats home made and baked on the premises offer a complete escape from the real world . When it comes down to it’s the coast that really is captivating . This stretch has a direct comparison to The Great Ocean Road ( West Coast of Melbourne , Aus ) . I’ve heard them compared against each other in the past but my obvious bias to my hometown would always dismiss the Pacific Coast in Northern California , now that I’ve done both I’m not so sure . I must admit I came away thinking the Californian version was prettier , although I had forgotten The Twelve Apostles and it’s raw beauty . In the end I can’t split them and I feel lucky to travel two of the great coastal roads in the world , especially when you go with Aussie mates and have a common experience .

Bixby Bridge , what a structure , straight out of a post card Awesome . Big Sur …….. been there .

“Ahh , yeah just the tum tums and the egg sandwich . ” The woman looks me up and down . Yeah I know an egg sandwich with stomach settling tablets . I look over at the boys with their coffees and pastries , Mother fuckas . With an 8 hour drive ahead and coming off a night sitting on the throne I don’t like my chances of keeping a coffee in my gut . There’ll be very few toilets on this drive . I’ve brought a roll of toilet paper as backup .

Vegas to Monterey , that’s what we’re doing . There is some vivid desolate country between Vegas and LA , with Tim driving we get a good look at this arid but oddly beautiful area . It’s an almost alien landscape dotted with the odd roadhouse and some bizarre airport or plane storage place in the middle of nowhere. It’s scattered with all sorts of passenger jets from different carriers , weird . We are travelling slightly north through the Mojave Desert , just bypassing Area 51 , the famous no go zone owing to the private military base hidden out here . The Mojave Desert is where we stop for Tim to take a few photos . He’s after the Joshua tree and we’ve found a beauty standing all by herself Its extra hot , no surprise there . The Joshua tree is a unique beautiful tree , an almost ornamental feature that is scattered throughout the area . It’s not long before we get creative There will be shots of nude men that will surface sometime down the track , for now I’ll spare you . For the passing traffic some 200m off , yeah it’s fair to say that there was a bit of tackle hiding out in the scrub . On walking back we all became very itchy as a result of stomping on small plants that dispersed small spikey hairs that all of a sudden had the legs and umm yeah , as we were nude the nuts did itch , just a bit . Fate plays its hand …… In 48 hours time the Mojave Desert will be the epicentre of 2 earth quakes that would rock California .

Eventually I get those egg sandwiches down, 8 hours later we hit Monterey . It’s only the last 30 minutes that we see trees and green vegetation , passing absolutely enormous vineyards , ugly oil fields and mile upon mile of scrubby inhospitable terrain . Just before we hit the coast you could’ve sworn we were in Australia , with gum trees on either side of the road , opening up into a large bay and a small fishing town , with green lawns , beach paths , space and just clean and quiet and serene and a place and an area that needs more than the few hours we’ve got here .It felt a little like Apollo Bay . This is a beautiful stretch of coast a world away from the crush of LA . 2 hours south of San Francisco and only an hour south of Santa Cruz is Monterey We eat out at the local pier which has restaurants on either side as it struts out into the bay .Each restaurant tries to lure you in by giving you samples of their clam chowder , by the time we get to the end of the pier I’ve had 5 samples . Margaritas for happy hour gets us in. Tomorrow we leave for Big Sur , tonight I’m back on the toilet ….. egg sandwiches , clam chowder and margaritas straight back out in liquid form

I’m starfished , looking up at the ceiling fan. WTF happened ? I had the weirdest dream of vomiting seaweed into the toilet , Nah , can’t be .

We’ve been invited to a block party , a tradition that’s been going on for a few years . Leroy’s buddy Nate’s dad Billy has invited us . After 2 weeks of galavanting across the West Coast , constantly drinking , sleeping poorly and having a great time with Aussie mates I’m in need of some down time , but not just yet . We’ve got another social weekend to navigate . Sometimes you just know that it’s gonna be big ……. and when the uber drops us off ( only 2ks from home , but far enough when you’ve got a an armful of grog ) I’m taken aback by what lays before us.

Holy shit , this isn’t an Australian version of a street party , this is an American version , and it’s fucken serious . This is the stuff that I appreciate about this place . To have an event like this in our home town of Mornington in a private street would surely get shut down by police or at the very least we’d have multiple visits and a warning to end it early . Over here there’s a better balance with police tolerance to public drinking and general minor things that as an adult we deserve extra leeway .

The Block Party of all block party’s . It was pumping , a dead end street filled with a couple of hundred people . There was a mechanical shark with kids on its back being thrown off into a large blow up house, a DJ pumping out the beats , a taco stall with staff cooking up Mexican treats , a bar with a dude mixing up an assortment of drinks and a tournament schedule where everyone signed up for cornhole . Geezus , here we go Howie control yourself …. I didn’t . It wasn’t long before I ditched the beer and hit the mixed drinks . Sailor Jerry’s , margaritas , vodka and tonics you name it I was on it . …… I don’t remember getting home .

Fuck , what happened . I’m vagued out thinking about some of the weirdest dreams , spread eagled on the bed . Emma’s not here . I eventually get down to the lounge room where Emma greets me ..”How ya going drunkard “. “Ahhhh, not bad “, I reply sheepishly . “You were a nuisance last night . You wouldn’t leave , you held up the uber . Do you remember Megan slapping your face ( only playfully ) and what about when you chucked up in the toilet , I had to sleep in Leroy’s room ?” Ohh , dear . It wasn’t a dream , I was throwing up seaweed whilst driving the porcelain steering wheel or that’s what it looked like . Fuck it ,I’m giving up alcohol , at least until next weekend . That’s what I call a block party

I’ve been in LA for over 2 years and I have had no desire to see this place , when Tim suggested we check it out on our little tourist run I wasn’t so keen . It wasn’t that I thought it wouldn’t be an eye opener , because I knew it would , but it felt perverse to entertain oneself by watching those that are less fortunate. As Tim is a budding photographer and a guy who does have a genuine interest in people it was something he wanted to capture and once entertaining the idea we knew this would be an experience that is good for us …..We’ll see just how lucky we are.

There’s plenty of homeless here , way too many . As an Australian it’s a shock when you first come here and witness it . Tourist hotspots Hollywood and Santa Monica aren’t spared for homeless ,Venice beach is a hotspot , people pushing trolleys , sleeping on footpaths and camping along stretches of Lincoln Blvd ( think Fitzroy street ) . I live in ‘the bubble ‘ , a term we SouthBayers use to describe Manhattan Beach , Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach ,but even here with it’s white , wealthy and educated locale there are a few regular homeless that share the beach paths . As an outsider looking in I think this is one of America’s great shames , it doesn’t look after its disadvantaged .

Skid Row was a term once used in the 1800s to describe the transportation of logs by skidding them down the road . It started in Seattle and became identified with lowly mill workers and the lesser likes . Skid Row in LA wasn’t what I pictured . It wasn’t one street with tents and people lining the footpaths , it was bigger and more spread , stretching into adjoining streets . I was shocked at its size , it’s actually a 4 mile square block ( 6to 7 km) .We cruised slowly down 3rd street , at least I think it was , this area is an ugly stretch of Urban decay , a truly horrible piece of streetscape that exists in a modern city like LA , but it’s here I check myself and correct that statement . LA isn’t as modern as you think , it isn’t pretty and it has only a few buildings of architectural interest , gentrification may come but it needs to come quicker . That aside it is totally perplexing that a shanty town of tents , blankets , debris ,with a group of desperately disadvantaged and broken soles can exist in such a busy populated area , all on the public watch is an absolute disgrace .

When Tim motions that he’d like to stop here as he’d found the shot he wants , I pull the car over with reluctance. Ash , Al , Tim and myself get out and survey the scene , it truly looks post apocalyptic. You could imagine this site in some futuristic post world war scenario . To have a business here would be suicidal as no ones coming to buy . On closer inspection these premises are more warehouse and roller door fronted buildings. You look down the street past the desperate and you’re a stones throwaway from the fashion district and major high rises , your practically in their shadow .It’s a little like West and North Melbourne back in the 80s but without the tents and vagrants , of course these areas have been gentrified and are now sought after , not here . Within a minute we see a woman squatting , pants off doing her thing on the side of the road , others lay under blankets on the pathway or in tents , some just frying in the sun . I take a couple of photos , but I’m embarrassed . These people don’t deserve to be captured like this but here I am with my phone out . We are out of the car for only 3 or 4 minutes but it felt uncomfortable ,with bystanders watching us and that sense that it would only be a matter of time before we are confronted . We weren’t ….and this was just our paranoia……no one gives a fuck and if they did it would probably been someone asking for a few coins .

The pictures above and below don’t show the injustice that this place truly represents , with the naked eye it looked barren , ugly and then there’s the smell of urine and garbage that comes with a place that doesn’t have toilets . Think about it … no toilets

We cruise out , driving through South LA . This is another eye opener . I now have a better perspective of what all the South LA talk and culture is all about . It isn’t pretty . You’d hate to walk these streets after dark , I’d be dead set shitting myself . It’s just the state of the area here and the lack of effort to keep the streets clean of debris , to mowing nature strips , planting shrubs and flowers on traffic islands . There’s no love here , no pride in the area , no money invested in making this area welcoming . No , it’s clear …. don’t stop here .

Skid Row , I’m glad I went . It was confronting your worst fears . This could be you , you never know what misfortune could be ahead . There’s been a lot of press and a lot of money thrown about this problem . They’ve got to fix it . As a country it’s like looking in the mirror and seeing something you don’t like about yourself . As an Aussie I just think that “how lucky are we “. We never want to get like this

You get flashbacks , moments that connect to scenes you’ve seen before ……remember the shrimp in ‘The Hangover ‘and the ensuing illness ….yeah that sticks in my mind .

This was the 2nd time I’ve been to Las Vegas and I still think it’s a must visit to any Aussie that visits the US . This time I walked away not quite as enamoured with the shiny jewel of the desert . The place is an eye opener , an intoxicating mix of neon lights, shiny buildings , life size replicas and tacky cheap fakes . You hit this place with 3 Aussie mates with high expectations and they were met early with the most outrageous pool party at the MGM Grand with Calvin Harris DJing and a crowd you’d expect in Ibiza , but still this joint lives up to its other moniker … Lost Wages . We stayed at New York New York , like all these Hotels you are lured into eating and gambling within their confines , as an array of restaurants and shops surround the gaming area you could conceivably stay within your hotel and do everything you intended to do in Vegas . That’s the trap . We start that way and quickly realise that average food ,cheesy waiters vying for a maximum tip and $14 for a Heineken isn’t gonna cut it , or is withdrawing money from their ATMs with an added $8 tax added , plus sitting on a poker machine expecting free alcohol when the waitress appears no more than once an hour and then returns 20 minutes later with your beverage expecting a tip , by that time you’ve well and truly burned your cash as the machines that require only cheap bets are always sat on . That aside , there are ways around it , like getting out on the strip and drinking from the outside bars or buying alcohol from CVS ( pharmacy ) at a fraction of the cost and just drinking on the street whilst people watching . Yep ,drinking in the street is perfectly accepted . I sound like an alcoholic but it’s what you do in Vegas , you get loose .

We decide to get dinner before getting a taxi to Fremont street . We hit Bubba Gumps … yes I know ,dirty old Bubbas , but it’s an American institution and the boys just wanted to say that they went . I had the shrimp poboy , when it comes out I see these tiny crumbed shrimps the size of my fingernail in a roll ….. my mind immediately flicks back to ‘The Hangover ‘ , this is the stuff they got sick on … surely not Howie ,this is only a movie .

Fremont Street …. it was awesome at night , crazy busy , shoulder to shoulder people and totally buzzing . The overhead flying fox with hundreds queuing up was an option but not on the wait time. The Heart Attack Grill, no.

The band ‘Sugar Ray ‘ played on one corner and another just down the street . This joint was rocking .That night it all felt good , I lay in bed and slowly sunk away until Tim informed me that our toilet was blocked . Almost on cue I feel an odd twist deep in my gut ….hmmm . Within minutes the Tom toms are playing a game of volleyball in my bowels . Fuck , I think somethings wrong , it’s nearly midnight and I’m concerned I might throw up or even shit myself , and I don’t want to ring to get someone up to unblock a shit filled toilet . It’ll be ok , I think ….. no , I’m dressed , riding the lift 22 floors down to the lobby , in the restroom and riding that bowl like a jockey on a thoroughbred . I’ve got diarrhoea , over the next 90 minutes I visit the two public restrooms into the wee hours , completely emptying out . Eventually I’m in bed by 2am ,scared to fart , all in readiness for an 8 hour drive to Monterey , you beauty ., looks like I’m on a diet . The moral of this story , The Hangover is a true guide to Vegas , don’t eat the shrimp .

We got in easy , now let’s get out …..easy ? The Tijuana to SanDiego entry back into the US was pretty much the last obstacle in our Mexico adventure . We got into Tijuana by 830am Monday morning ,rounding a long left hand bend that pointed us towards the border crossing …..and then we saw it , cars , shitloads of cars ,4 lanes wide snaking around a corner with no sign of a border gate . ” Hay it’s alright boys , I think the border entry point is just over that dip .” We look over at a young girl in a car next to us and intend to ask her if she has done this before ,but on closer inspection we notice she’s distraught and crying .Oh oh . Ok ,no big deal we’ll get there soon enough ,maybe . The next clue that this is not so easy is the appearance of women , men ,kids and baby’s walking between the lanes asking for money . Then there’s the sellers of drinks , chips ,candy , tacos , toys ,kids juggling and just about everything else . Shiyat !! They must know something . Tim jumps out of the car to wander down to take photos , I buy a coke and donate a dollar to a begging woman with a young baby on her shoulder . Tim comes back and declares ..” We’re here for hours boys , thousands of cars snake all the way down the hill and I can’t even see the border .” Fuck ! And I just sculled that coke , I’ll end up needing that bottle to relieve myself. I have never seen a moving market place weave between the traffic of a major road before and what baffles me more is why have I not seen this on some reality tv show or documentary ? Why is this event not common knowledge ? Eventually Tim comes up with a devious plan . We are to push 4 lanes to our right onto the emergency shoulder and then barge down the hill and push back in . I am to fake that I am sick . Geezus … here we go , We stop traffic from crawling forward and get out wide , shoot past traffic and then push in , the dude in his pickup truck is pissed . The boys plead their apology ,pointing to me as I fake illness with my head down resting on the open window of the back seat. We’ve saved at least half an hour and can now see the gates some 400m away . We also see the most bizarre sight yet …. a group of shanty shops selling clothing ,pottery ,kites ,toys , tacos ,juices ,margaritas and even make shift toilets attached to the side of a concrete wall that adjoins an overpass .We are all laughing …. is this real ? We buy 3 burritos , I pay 75 cents to use a toilet and a Tim is approached by a guy selling Australian shepherd puppies …true . Even Uber eats arrives through a side passage on a motorbike to pick up food from the vendors here …..and all on the side of a road . 2 and a bit hours later we get through with ease …… that was an experience ..Mexico to USA .

When Ash suggested a couple of days in Baja I barely knew what he was talking about . If you look at the map of Mexico you’ll notice a long Peninsula hangs off the bottom of California , that’s Baja . It’s actually a huge stretch of land that extends 1600 km from Tijuana to Cabos San Lucas . Ahhh , we’re not driving that but Ensenada at just over 90 minutes across the border which is 3 hours from my joint is doable .

You don’t hear much about Baja or Ensenada but most people I’ve spoken to here have been there or know someone who has . Still , information wasn’t abundant , and it seemed to indicate that this was a relatively new tourist destination with a young wine region sprouting up but with a cowboy past and a sketchy reputation for safety …. perfect . Off we go .

We are told to not carry too much cash in case the federales or poliizia pull us over and decide that taxes are required , but still to have enough so as to keep them happy . As we approach the border crossing the nerves and excitement increase . Here we go boys we are about to cross one of the busiest border crossings in the world . Passports are ready , bladders are full and here comes the gates ….. but wait , where is the queues of cars you always saw in those border reality shows ? We cruise past the 1st gate and nothing , a Mexican border guard barely raises his eyes to nod , we roll around the corner and there it is …. a sign saying we are in Tijuana .

Tim roars “Yeeeahhhhh!! Boys we are in Mexico without even being stopped , we just went straight through !!! ” laughing his head off . We are all stunned ….. is that it ? Ash complains he doesn’t get México stamped on his passport . In minutes we are bursting through clean well made roads that skirt the border fence , with old rundown buildings and shacks scattered on the nearby hills . Within 90 minutes we get to Ensenada . As a keen surfer I am taken aback at the quality of waves along this coast , and just how empty they were . I’m amazed there’s only the odd guy out , but it it also reveals how tricky it must be to get down here to surf and feel secure …hmmmm .

Ensenada …..1st impression was it wasn’t pretty , sitting on a container port , with an industrial feel to it , feeding into that 3rd world dusty dry streetscape , but it got better . Well ……. it didn’t but my expectations of some sort of subtropical paradise quickly subsided to the reality of “Hey Howie , you’re in Mexico mate , this is real and that’s why your here “. Our hotel the Corona Del mar was basic but reasonable .

The main drag of town was better than I’d thought it was gonna be . A selection of nice coffee houses , and I mean nice when you compare them to So Cal , cool little Mexican eateries , beer houses and a ton of tourist stalls meant that walking this strip each night would always be entertaining . The locals pushed there wares but were never rude and always had a sense of humour . Yes there was plenty of crap fakes but still there was stuff worth buying for just $10 , sunglasses and shirts being better than I expected . The real highlight was the street food …… excellent and ridiculously cheap .3 tacos , an empanada and a bottle of coke could be bought for $6 to $8 with tip included and each time I shook my head at the quality of the food ….. best Mexican I’ve tasted . Breakfast, lunch and dinner we feasted on the corner stalls without hardly taking a dent out of our wallet . Fish tacos ….. now I understand the love that is associated with this little treat , tortas and empanadas too . Beer was cheap , haircuts for $10 in cool little barber shops and then there was the pharmacies . I’d never heard of the burgeoning prescription or prescriptionless drug market here . “Uppers , downers and allrounders ” were on sale at every corner .Viagra , amoxicillin, penicillin , Xanax and a host of drugs that you’d need a doctor to prescribe were readily available over the counter and for a fraction of the cost.I picked up sixty 50 milligram tablets of amoxicillin for future ear and throat infections for $8 . The town has a seedy side with massage and prostitution also a productive selling point . Even with the intention of going down this path you’d have to have your wits about you . I’m sure there’d be plenty who might just get rolled in their endeavour to see a lady of the night , you wouldn’t be arguing too much down here , you might not get home , but don’t worry this is just far away enough so as to keep the kids oblivious to the ‘other side ‘.

There’s things to see : La Bufadore , a blow hole 40 minutes around the coast that has been swallowed up with the Mexican tourism machine . Let’s be blunt , it’s been totally bastardised, but we still loved the whole scene . Almost anything and everything was for sale . Did I say there was a natural attraction down here ? Wineries too , this was interesting and something that I’d come back to with friends .

Ensenada is a grimy , fascinating tourist location . Cruise ships arrive regularly, which may explain the presence of armed soldiers cruising the streets , it seemed too heavy handed and it invited Anglo insecurity to creep in . We were the minority but by no means we were treated like it , ok we probably had to pay Gringo prices on some things but the locals were always helpful . There was a small trap that next time as an Australian you’d prepare for ; cash and in particular US dollars were needed , but with previous advice of not carrying too much caught the guys out . When withdrawing cash from the ATMs the boys were stung with a US$32 fee to grab their cash in US dollars …. ouch !!

Would I go back ? I’d love to but this time We’ll be better prepared and I’d really hit those wineries , cause that was a buzz and I love getting buzzed .

When Frank said that it was worth checking out the Baja ( pronounced Baha ) wine region I thought he was talking Northern California. No , he meant Mexico , and not flying but driving through Tijuana ( the murder capital of the world , not joking ) and then another two hours on to a city called Ensenada . The picture above says enough ,but this is Ensenada .Lawlessness is monitored , big time ! Still , there’s a thriving and embryonic wine region here that is meant to attract families , adventurers and wine connoisseurs;shit I hope these guys keep it safe . Eventually we hit the roads to check it it out .

With Captain TA at the wheel we navigated out through barren , crusty old hills that belonged to an old Clint Eastwood style jalopy Western . With a military presence at the start of the wine route , you are reminded that this place could get pretty remote . Out the back blocks of no where ,small dusty tracks and then larger driveways appeared . It sorted of reminded one of Palm Springs with its rocky outcropped hills and mountain ranges with dry , super dry scrubby terrain littered with bouldered ravines , and in there comes the source of our need , vines . All in the middle of nowhere … in Mexico , who could believe it ? Who could’ve foreseen that 40 years before we were all kids living in a housing commission estate ( projects) without the slightest clue that we’d be tasting wine in a far flung valley in a Mexican hillside , but here we are .Fake Cuban cigar and all , why not ?

The place above , El Cielo Valle De Guadeloupe was a high end establishment that asked $22 US for just 3 very small tastings , it’s fair to say we skipped that and just bought a bottle . The place was packed with well dressed Hispanics who were obviously very wealthy for this part of the world . It was a shock to see a grand place like this well off the beaten track . We were probably the worst dressed there …. no matter , we made ourselves at home .Next , we back tracked to a much more relaxed joint , tucked into the foot of the hills with a beautiful outlook over the valley below , unfortunately I’ve forgotten its name , but check these pictures out below We followed it with another place that had an amazing building as its centre piece We tasted the wines but weren’t impressed, instead settling for a beautiful cold pale ale and coffee that bettered the best I’ve tasted in the US and is comparable to Australian coffee , that was a shock . We all looked at each other and asked how that can be possible ? In fact Ensenada has a lot of coffee houses with a few that pleasantly surprised…… I’m still not sure why the US drink such horrible coffee when just over the border in poor old Mexico they have got it pretty right …. yeah I know , I can’t leave that alone . Today we went on a wine tour , self driven , in the Baja of Mexico , 4 uncouth Aussie blokes …….. we had a ball .