Terrible nites sleep, the room was soooo noisy. The trucks run by on the high way and hit their air brakes right in the center of town. It was cool checking in though, one of the guy´s had on a FOX shirt. Well I asked if I could park my bike inside, up two steps and a curb. They said sure and all go ready to push the bike in. Nope! I hit the curb, and bounced up the steps, stopped just in side the door with out knocking over the domino’s table. The kid figured I was Ricky Carmichael or Bubba Stewart!

I was reading my tour book last night, and it is toll road from Los Moochis to the border, it will be over $100 in tolls. So I was looking at the ferry schedule, I could cross over to Baja for the same amount of money. Plus I could sleep on the ship and save the nite in a hotel. Done deal, I was heading to the ferry. On the way, a banana truck had crashed and held up traffic. Of course I passed every one and got up to the front and there was another motorcycle, so I pulled up next to him and struck up a conversation.

His name was Gary, he had ridden his Suzuki 650 from Memphis Tenn. He was going to Los Moochis and was going to ride up to Copper Canyon from the bottom. None of the maps show a road but he felt confidant he could make it. I related our trip, and the story’s we had heard. So like a good dirt bike guy, he changed his plans, and headed to Baja with me! I have a new traveling companion! It is much more fun with some one to talk to and share the experience with, I think it is a bunch safer too.

We had to ride about 300 miles, which was no big problem and got to the ferry terminal in plenty of time. A really nice guy who spoke good English got us in the right line and help us buy our tickets. Of course we bought the cheapest tickets available, figuring we would have to sleep in a chair or on the floor covered with beer and throw up. It is a Mexican boat any how.

Well while we were in line to board the surprisingly nice boat, we ran into the nice guy again. His name was Ricardo and his partners name was Miguel, they had been to Guadalajara to buy building supplies for a hotel Ricardo was building in LaPaz. Out of no where he said that he had reserved a cabin and there were two extra beds if we wanted to join them. Gary said he thought I was going to jump in the truck at the offer, and of course we said YES!

After our dinner which was included in our ticket price we went to the cabin and it was just perfect. Clean sheets and 4 bunk beds and a private bath. Since it was after midnight we all fell asleep easily and it was one of the best nights sleep I´ve had in two weeks. What a great deal, thank you Ricardo!

The ship was nice. Brand new in 02 it held a whole parking lot full of semi trucks and cars. Four levels and we got to park by the exit ramp, this meant we were the first one´s off! It could have not worked out better for us. We were at the LaPaz dock just after sunrise and got through the military check point easily and headed down town for some breakfast. Lapaz is a very nice and clean city. But the best news is, I bought a map! Yep, walked into a store, walked up to a lady and said the word MAPA, and she took me to the isle of maps and I bought another map book, just like the one I had! You can not imagine how much easier it is to navigate with a map…… I´m happy again.

Of course the first thing I did was get lost. I didn´t look at the map close enough, or my eyes are getting worse and I missed the fact that the lines did not connect….. Oh well, I never said I was mart! It worked out thought, we found a short cut gravel road and rode over a nice mountain pass with the ocean in the back ground.

Baja is way more beautiful than I ever imagined. Some how I thought it was barren and gray with a mountain ruining down the middle of it, wrong! There are many more plants here than on the main land, lot´s of cactus, lot´s of green, it is very nice. We did the beach front road from LaPaz to Cabo san Lucas. We stopped at a little beach and since Gary brought his snorkel gear he did a quick tour of the reef while I washed my clothes on the beach.

The water was spectacular, turquoise green and dark blue. Black stones covered the beach. It is another perfect place. Then, disaster. I got a flat tire! I was going about 50 down a sandy gravel road when it practically blew out. The tube actually ripped in pieces. I have never seen that happen in such a short order.

I had given Chuck my extra tube and had to put in a front tube in the rear tire. No big deal, just one of those things. Gary seemed impressed. Start to finish, 27 minutes, that includes finding a concrete block to put the bike on, a stick to hold it up and unpacking and repacking all the tools and stuff. Tire changing is my best skill.

We went to the Yamaha shop in Cabo and bought a new tube for a spare. From the sounds of it Chuck should have bought a spare tube too! He is on the main land some where, I can´t fully understand his e´mail, but he had another flat. I´ll post his letters next so the next few paragraphs are by Chuck Sun.

I would never choose to have a flat exactly half way between Telic and Mazatlan for a new adventure..but now that is over I have some new photos and friends…Mango Presidnta of 100 acres hooked me up with some creative tire dudes and they literly recreated a tube from what was left including a new valve stem that was tore off! Drove to 2 towns trying to find an 18inch but no luck as thursday apparently is a day off for most retailers…Drove a combin tractor today and visited the Mango orchards…I think I may have worked out a deal for a semi load of Mango{s to Las Vegas when they mature in Aug.! Hey how about mango juice a blender and vodka? I want one now! Presidenta has drove me around introducing me to his influential buddies…his doctor brother etc….Great help..Now he is going to drive me back to the bike …. and I hope to find a LaPlaya close to Mazatlan before dark. No word from Charlie, but I imagine he is catching some waves close to Mazatlan…Later CLS

Next transmission….
Before the Presdenta and I took off for a tour of his Mango crop the tire guy pulled out this sticky rubber strip..but the stem was grafted from another tube somehow….Road side Comidor lady was just sweet and in a heartbeat she had a wrench from a truck driver to yank my wheel off! She then immedietly hooked me up´with a small family in a truck for a lift into town to a bridgestone dealer…where old boy grabbed the wheel and broke the bead on the machine and peeled the tire off in a flash when chunks of rubber fell out? It was the rubber strap that had apparently got damaged in previous flat and finally let go generating Caliente which caused the stem to come unglued in a perfect round circle from the tube….but I did ride2km on flat creating a couple of pinches . It held air into Maz last night..got in at 10pm Nocturnal rider here, Like a moth to the flame…or a maggot to the city lights! I feel safe coming into a city late…everyone is milling around, dining..safety in crowds. Leaving PV took a nap on a cool beach with great consistent waves…Woke up to..Hey dude is that your 950? James as it turned out has a KLX…and after an early retirement towed his aerostream around the Yukitan and now lives in PV forever lured by the Hispanic life style…However his early retirement is now being sustained by a recent job he ssecured at Century 21…Of course he wants a 9fiddy!

Next transmission…..

I wish I said i was racing this BITD look alike with trophy trucks and over 40 bike entries. I rode the first section of the course that runs a narrow road right next to the breakers out of Maz! I found the race headquarters and tried a freebee but got a room in main Maz accross from beach for 28!

Paul, what do think about a story for TR about this event? I{v upped the res on the dig and have been talking to federation bosses and promotor on details. Race begins at 8am for bikes and 10 for trucks and I{ll be their! A posting on the site could be good for the locals here so they see their pics!

Riders meeting at 8…See ya….Chuck the reporter Sun

Okay, Charlie back with you, That is every thing we know about Chuck. Well I do know some other stuff, but I´m not telling!

Gary and I rode up the west coast of Baja about 50 miles and got a camp site. We will try to go surfing tomorrow morning before moving further north. We rode some gravel today, but it was so terribly wash boarded, it was little fun. Besides my sub frame is broken again, not where Mr. Bitch had fixed it, but another place. Well it is horribly over weighted…

I´m sure I´m forgetting a thousand details but I´m in a hurry, this internet place closes in a few minutes so I gotta go.

Talk to you soon and thanks to all. Write when you can.

Charlie