The Last Hill Before Home: Life of Baja

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Life of Baja

Here we go ladies and gentlemen....Baja! There is about 1,480 kilometers between La Paz and TJ. I really dont know what to expect out of Baja so lets have at it!

This was a cool little town along the gulf of California. I believe I took this photo in a small town called Maurate.

This is soooo typical. In mainland Mexico I usually get up, pack, stretch and then hit the road for about 20 kilometers or so then I get breakfast. Here in Baja its a completly different story. Because the towns are few and far between I have to make sure to get food before I take off on the road. If I dont its very possibl;e that I would have about 50 kilometers before I hit any town or cafe or resturant. This picture is typical because Im usually studing my map with my coffee before I get my food. Ill miss mornings like these.

Check out the mountains in the background. Absolutly beautiful. The past two days I rode through those exact mountains. The views were spectacular. Unfortunantly some punk ass stole my camera on the boat from mazatlan to La Paz soooooo I dont have any of those pics.

Another set of mountains along the route. Baja California sur is breathtaking!

priceless!

I constantly find myself throwing up my arm or arms in this part of the world...the scenery is that amazing!

When your alone out here you have to do the little things to keep you sane. When I take a breather along the road I like to park Ceasar on onw side of the rode while I chill out on the other side. I usually grab an apple or snack or whatever. The funny thing about this is that when cars come drving up they usually see the bike laying next to the road without anyone around. The look of absolute confusion on their faces is perfect comedy reliefe for those long and lonely days.

Couldnt miss this photo opp....

Everyday the color of the mountains change. Today grey mountains with the road winding up, up and up!

It really doesnt get better than this.

Poser!

If you got a second check out the map of Baja. Its not just a road that goes straight north. The road zig zags from East to West. The land changes, the scenery changes. I had no idea what to expect when I got to Baja. Truthfully all I though was that I was getting closer to home. Baja has been an amazing ride. Ive been to 40 countries and I have to say that Baja is probably one of the most beautiful places Ive been to.

This day was actually painful. I passed around 6 or 7 different beaches with water that looked like this. I really dont know how long its going to take me to get through Baja so I decided not to stop because if I did I dont know when Ill leave.

Peace, Power and Pedal

Aaron

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Plan USA

¨Plan is a global partnership of caring people founded in 1937 to bring hope and help to the world’s poorest children.

Plan began as a child sponsorship organization. Today, we are one of the oldest and largest organizations of our kind—our grassroots, self-help programs assist more than 10 million children and their families in poor communities around the world.

We are proudly private, not for profit, and respectful of local religions and cultures—we have no agenda other than helping kids. Plan USA is one of more than 60 national organizations bearing the renowned Plan logo. ¨

Right about the time that I was identifying non profit organizations to work with I received an email from my cousin Joshua. Josh, a meteorologist for the United States Air Force who is living in Germany and currently stationed in Iraq, mentioned that he was now sponsoring a child through Plan USA. He said that it was a small step but a small step in the right direction. He also mentioned that Plan USA was backed by the Better Business Bureau, a point that we both respect. Through various research of my own I found that Plan USA is a prominent NGO and has a great marks from InterAction and the Charities Review Council. Most importantly I found that Plan USA´s mission of ¨striving to achieve lasting improvement in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries¨ linked exactly to my own mission for this fundraising event. Needless to say, it was a great fit.

The Inspiration

¨You must be the change you want to see in the world¨

- Mahatma Gandhi

I love to travel.

I have been lucky enough to throw on a backpack and visit 5 continents. I have been fortunate enough to see some amazing sights. It´s hard not to be inspired when your standing under the rotunda at the Taj Mahal or approaching the Pyramids of Egypt or wandering through the waterfalls at Iguazu in Argentina. These have all been inspiring times.

I also cherish the fact that I have met people from all over the world and been able to learn and share in the differences in cultures. You can learn so much when you share a spicy vietnamese sandwich with a local in Hoi An, when you take a stroll with a friend in a park in Santiago de Chile or gather with pilgrims over a pitcher of sangria at Santiago de Compostella in Spain. I´ve learned a lot and I´m incredibly grateful for all the opportunities.

With all the ups there´s also the downs. Theres another side you see when travelling. This side isn´t shared as much and it can also be quite difficult to talk about. Many countries, especially in the developing worlds, face many problems. HIV/AIDS, pollution, over population, lack of clean drinking water, dangerous living conditions and of course people living under $1 a day are just a few of the issues to mention.

I have wandered through the ghetto´s of Bangkok, I played stick games with the kids in the slums of Mumbai and seen the horrible living conditions of the street beggars in La Paz. While these encounters were only brief they still had a profound affect on me. Somehow, I draw inspiration from these encounters and connections. In so many situations these people who seemed to have nothing, were still smiling, still playing and still trying with all their means to get by. If only I had that much courage!

It was culture shock and it hurt.

I feel that now is the time to give back.

I encourage you to leave comments on this blog. Every word of positivity will help me along my journey. I encourage you to pass the message forward. Together we can help make a change for the kids that need it most. Finally, I encourage you to donate. There´s an icon on the top right hand corner of this blog that will direct you to a third party site that facilitates the donations. Its totally secure and safe. I appreciate all the love and positivity that I´m already recieving, of course this is not possible without people who want to help make a difference.

I don´t think that I´ll necessarily change the world, after all I´m just a 28 year old guy from San Francisco. But, I do want to give back. I do want to help. I have the opportunity so why not use it to help the children in the world who don´t have the same chances.

Now is the time to ¨be the change¨.

The Goal

In riding my bike from Panama City to San Francisco, I am initiating a grassroots fundraising effort to help raise money to feed starving children in Central and South America. All proceeds will go to PLAN USA. My goal is to raise a minimum of 15,000 dollars. In doing so I also hope to bring the plight and struggle of these children into the concious of the public, as well as their profound sense of life, courage, hope and faith. Their undeniable love for life, and ability to continue to dream.

Donate today http://www.firstgiving.com/lasthillbeforehome

I Believe

When taking on a mission like this it´s important to create a set of ideals, principles or beliefs. The task at hand is by no means going to be easy. These 7 beliefs are truly the fundamentals that will help me along my journey.

I Believe...

- In Plan USA. Plan´s clearly defined mission of ¨striving to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries¨, is possible with the support from us if we are willing to make a difference today.

- In grassroots charitable efforts. Dedicated individual leaders and community outreach groups are fighting the growing problems of poverty.

- In the power of communication and information. Plan´s key programs of ¨growing up healthy, learning, habitat, livelihood and building relationships¨, are possible by making a donation and passing the message forward.

- Riding a bike from Panama City to San Francisco will raise awareness to the fight against poverty.

- In outdoor adventure travel. Riding is one of the positive and healthy activities that plants confidence into any individual.

- In the power of synergy. A group with a common mission driven by creativity and passion can accomplish any set of goals.

- A dream, a bike and a regular guy from San Francisco can help make a change in the lives of children whom need it most.

The Last Hill Before Home

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Life of Baja

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