Days 22-32

Been a long time since the last update, here's a quick run down since our last post.

We got POUNDED with hail on our way out of Idaho (leaving Yellowstone from the west we went through Montana and then Idaho). I still can't get over how far you can see out here. That storm was like helplessly watching an inevitable impending doom. What a rush.

Our destination was the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. We went through Nevada to get there and gambled a little more, making a little more gas money. The flats themselves were windy and wet from some previous storms. SO MUCH SALT! It was pretty cool to see, and we were told time and time again not to leave the hard pack because the deep salt mud would eat our vehicle and it's a $650 dollar tow to get back to the hard pack. I didn't break any land speed records.

Our next stop was Las Vegas again, this time to meet one of Erica's old friends, Kwan Jin Nim and Christine.
We happened across a little gem on our way down there: Cathedral Gorge in Nevada. It looked kind of like Bryce Canyon's little brother, but with NONE of the tourists and no regulations. Also, there were the COOLEST canyons, I mean stereotypical like 30-foot vertical walls 12 inches apart! And there were even caves and off-shoot canyons. I was like a kid in a playground. The fact that there were no other people around gave us the impression like we were the discoverers of this place, exploring it for the  first time. I had twice as much fun there as in Bryce. I hope it stays crowd-free forever.
That night we splurged on some pork chops that we grilled over western cedar and sagebrush coals, a delicacy that I will not soon forget. It had that deep, rich flavor that makes time stop for a moment. We also took some much-needed showers. What a treat.

Still further south, we finally got some buffalo jerky! We had been looking for it for a long time, so it was a big deal. The girl who sold it to us was a local of 4 generations and told us many stories of Area 51 and all of the above-ground nuclear testing that poisoned so many people in her town. Crazy shit.

When we did finally make it to Vegas, we were given a warm welcome by Kwan Jin Nim and his wonderful wife, Christine. He had a pretty unique perspective of Erica's childhood and it was fun to watch them relive some of the old stories.

Next stop was Death Valley. I thought it was hot in Vegas until we finally made it to this hellish place. It was a cool morning on the valley floor, at 105 degrees Fahrenheit. There was not a single plant on some rocky stretches, and it looked like a volcano had buried the life here recently. I was dying in the heat and got a headache pretty quickly. At 280 feet below sea level, it is the lowest point in North America. I don't think I'll be returning in the summer ever again.

Camp Mozumdar, one of our churches oldest properties in the area was recommended to us to stop by, so we did. What a polar opposite experience from Death Valley! It was 65 degrees, breezy, and dry with lots of vegetation. Pastor Juan Morales, the current keeper of this place, is one of the kindest souls I have met. He even looks like Jesus. He rolled out the red carpet for us, with a wonderful breakfast of fresh fruit, sausage, and eggs rancheros. Then he gave us a grand tour of the property. We saw the "Pillars of God" and the Temple, both done with remarkable architecture. And the view, my God was it gorgeous! I hope that place can continue to thrive as a place of renewal, and I know it is in good hands.

Next we saw the Pasadena House, another church property in the area. If you haven't been there, I would recommend it to you. We swam in the pool and enjoyed the large rooms. I felt like a Columbian drug lord whenever I stepped out onto the terra-cotta-tiled balcony to survey the property and nearby LA. Very cool.

Josh Thompson picked us up on our first night in LA and showed us around Pasadena where he grew up. It had been at least 7 years since either one of us had seen him. He graciously took us out to Umami Burger, a gourmet burger joint that truly goes above and beyond in there incredible cuisine. Then he took us to the Pie Hole, where we tried Mexican Chocolate, Earl Grey, and my personal favorite, Maple Custard pie. Delicious.

The very next day, we met up with Hatchi, one of Erica's friends. It was so great to see her and eat at Umami Burger again. Too bad we didn't have more time to hang out.

The next day we went south and visited an exotic fruit nursery in Vista. We were given free samples of some weird fruit that I have NEVER heard of, such as Jujubes (Erica's favorite), sapotes, natal plum, organ pipe cactus fruit, ice cream bean, and curry leaf. I want all of them! It was great to try something I didn't even know existed.

Afterwards we went to Oceanside and met up with some family that I never met before; my dad's cousin Annette and her daughter, Gigi. They had dinner ready for us when we got there. We listened to long-lost stories about my grandfather and granduncle for hours, and I was amazed at what I didn't know. It was great to get to know them. They put us up for the night in far greater luxury than we have been used to, and the next morning made us breakfast before we all went to Laguna Beach together. Laguna Beach was my first time this trip jumping into the Pacific Ocean (shout out to Richard Abendroth, that one's for you!). The waves were F-ing HUGE! It was a "red flag" day and the lifeguards weren't letting anyone go out past the breakers without fins. Well, I didn't know that. Right into the breakers I went, getting pushed and pulled by the undertoe, but I did finally make it past some real monsters out to open ocean. I floated around for a while and enjoyed the clear, clear blue before turning back. I talked to some real stereotypical surfer dudes who told me to try to body surf some of the waves. "Just charge it, bruh!" is what he said, giving me the hang-loose sign. I looked at another normal-sized wave turn hard surf into powder, with a deep thunderclap on impact. "Yeah, fuck that." I waited for a lull in the waves and swam my ass off to shore, using the waves to counteract the powerful undertoe. I was out of breath on shore and I saw the lifeguard whistling someone else in. Glad I got the opportunity.

We had to leave my folk at that time, to be able to make our dinner appointment back in LA with Josh Thompson and his wife, Jeanie. We were looking forward to meeting her. They took us out to a FANTASTIC Thai restaurant in Hollywood (I think). Anyway, the food was to die for. The most unique dish (I can't pronounce the actual name) was fried chicken served with water bugs. Incredible.
We went out for coffee at the Coffee Bean afterwards, which was a treat for us not being from the area. Then we all went to the observatory and saw the Hollywood sign in the hills, right before taking in the best view of LA that I've ever seen. They let us stay at their place, where we had great conversation into the night. We will miss them and hope to see them again soon.

The next day Erica and I went to see Rodeo drive. Not much to say there. Everything feels very fake and exclusive. But we had to see it, just because it's iconic. Not a place I think I'll ever return to.

We said goodbye to LA at that point and jumped onto Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, or "the PCH" as it's called here. Incidentally, it seems that everyone in California calls highways "The 10" or "The 156" or "The" whatever. What's up with that?
Route 1 was jaw-droppingly beautiful. The cliffs kept getting taller and taller, the road more and more twisted and curved. Spectacular rock bluffs rising from the endless ocean with turquoise waves batting at their base and gigantic tidal pools ringed with red, green and brown ice plants were just some of the sights that we stopped for many a time to take in.
There were also huge eucalyptus trees and redwoods in established groves along the roadside.

We (I) got a ton of fruit from people's front yards in Santa Barbara. We now have too much of every citrus fruit grown in that town.
We stopped at Pismo Beach, where you can drive your car out onto the beach. It felt like driving in deep snow. SO FUN!

 We stopped at Garrapatta Beach in Big Sur, where I got into the much colder Pacific Ocean and almost drowned in the icy waves. We found a place where the cliffs jutted out into the surf and the only way to get to the other side was to time the surf in between waves so as not to get smashed. On the other side we found an entire beach without a single person on it, and a massive tidal pool, all to ourselves. I even discovered some caves in the bluffs that the waves would fill at high tide. I went in as far as I could go at low tide.

 Finally, we arrived in San Francisco, where we met up with Dave Dufour. It had been 10 years since I had been there (and lived there for 6 months) and Erica had never been there. Dave took us out to a local taqueria where I once again had THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN THIS COUNTRY! No place does it like San Fran. I had a half tongue, half tripe burrito, Erica had the grilled steak. The free sides did not disappoint. 4 kinds of salsa and prepared spicy vegetables galore. Love it.

Of course, we had to swing by Ashby House in Berkeley, where I lived for six months on STF and met some of the closest friends that I have. I wanted to show Erica that place, as it is special to me. I took a lemon from the tree that is still growing next door, like it used to, and she took a great picture of the house.

 Erica and I then went to Marin Point, where you can see the Golden Gate bridge from afar. There are some pretty cool cliffs there, too, which I climbed down to the shore. I met some seals down there who were very curious about me. They swam around my rock, as if they wanted me to get off, constantly looking at me with intense interest. The water around me came in and out and created giant, swirling eddies instead of coming in waves, as I was on the bay side of the peninsula. A few times the tidal gurgling almost rose to the point of sweeping my off the rock, which was freaky. But what a hell of a place. Worth the risk.

Now we are on our way through Napa Valley to sample some of the lesser known gourmet olive oils that are produced in small quantities here. We'll try harder to keep you posted in the future!

-Karl