Quiero butt massage

I'll get to that in a moment...

I'm sitting by the pool at the Todos Santos Inn, soaking up a few last rays of sun before driving two hours to the airport. One lesson for future travels: he farther from the airport you are, the more peaceful the place (generally speaking). 2 hours seems about right.

Yesterday was my last day surfing, and I intended to make the most of it. Instead of 3.5 foot swells the previous day, yesterday's swells were 2-3 feet, which made surfing a bit easier. I went out with Luis, my instructor for 2 of the 3 surfing days, and caught a good amount of waves. After a full 60-minute lesson, I felt satisfied with my progress. I talked to Mario after the lesson and he said I'm ready to go down to a 6-8 foot board (I had been riding 10-foot boards this week), and can go out on my own back in Cali. He said it would take about 2 years of practicing 1-2 times a week before I'd be able to use one of the shorter boards that the pros use. Unrealistic for me, but I feel really good about the start I've gotten off to. More importantly, I like surfing. The act is pure, and it's something I can get better at. Game on.

After the lesson, I decided to get a massage on the beach. The last time I got a massage was 10 years ago, so why the hell not - 40 bucks for an hour isn't bad at all. The masseuse was a Mexican woman in her 40's. I didn't know what to expect - especially the butt massage. After she finished with the shoulders, or the lower back, it whatever, she kept coming back to the butt. Perhaps this is standard for massage therapy. I took it in stride (why complain??), but every time she went for it, a quote from Jermaine in Flight of the Conchords went through my head: "hm, well this is an interesting situation." Don't know why I find that so amusing, but I do.

I returned to the hotel (but not before stopping at a bookstore to get a smoothie, mexican cookbook, postcards, a documentary of baja sur, and a book analyzing Mexican culture/psyche), then drive 60 minutes across the peninsula to La Paz. I must admit, I was compelled to go slightly because there is a great Mexican restaurant in Birmingham called La Paz that has ridiculous salsa. Strange the way the mind works. Armed with some podcasts, I drove across the desolate terrain to La Paz.

It was a quick, and unremarkable trip. The water off La Paz is the turquoise blue that you see in promotional photos. I drove past the city (which is a normal, local city of about 250,000 people) to Pichilingue, quiet little beach, but turned right around because I wanted to get back. Check - La Paz is off the list.

Back at the hotel I read a bit, had dinner with a retiree couple from Waynesville, NC, then finished my book.

So that's it. I packed a lot into these past three days, but not too much. I'm coming back to the US after learning to surf (sort of), finishing a book, getting some sun and sleep, meeting some good people (locals and expats) and eating very well. Not bad. Will I come back? I'm not sure. For a quick vacation, this place is great. So, yes - I probably will. I know the ropes now and could do it very easily.

One thing that the couple I had dinner with asked me was "do you always travel alone?". I had to think about that one. The past few big trips I've taken (Mexico, brazil, Colombia, southeast Asia, spain and Italy) have been a mixture, but I admit to the need to "just go" sometimes... To rejuvenate but more importantly to explore on my own. When I travel solo, I'm not alone (reference: all the people I've met through traveling, which always happens - and is in fact very easy when you're a solo traveler). But the freedom traveling alone accords me is something that I need from time to time. Not always - definitely not always. But sometimes. WHY I need to do this is probably not a question for this blog, but I've come to terms with the fact that it's an undeniable part of who I am, and that I should be mindful of this.

Now that I've had my kicks, I'm glad to be coming back home.