Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Getting back into USA.

After my horrendous journey to get to Rosarito beach I was keen to find a better option for getting back to LA. From LA I was to fly to San Francisco for a few days. The staff at the hotel put me onto a guy, Isaias, who did tours and charters. He could drive me straight to LAX, no stops, no changeovers and super safe. It would be twice the price of what I payed for my journey from hell, but worth every cent I thought. But in the meantime I sleuthed around the festival guests for someone traveling to LA. There were one or two heading that way but on the day before I'd planned, so I would lose a night accom and have to organize another. Besides, I felt like I really needed a day to unwind. So I stuck with the isaias plan.
I meet isaias as planned, he has his 18 year old son with him. Theres a change of plans as he has an appointment to keep that afternoon. They are going to drop me at the borderline, where another driver would take me to LAX and then he is going to take his son shopping at san diego before his appointment. As we drive he carefully explains how this will all happen. How as a passenger I will have to get out of the car and cross the border on foot. There's something quite intrepid about that don't you think? He explained buses or chartered services such as his go through a special lane that usually moves quicker but that the search they do on the vehicle is pretty extensive and can sometimes take 1/2 an hour. Once the driver gets to his checkpoint I am to get out of the car and cross the border and then i am to wait for the driver on the other side.
We get to our special queue, and we have been sitting there for 25 minutes and haven't even moved. My driver does not speak English. I am starting to get a little worried. And just as I'm starting to get worried the drivers phone rings. It is isaias, he says he's been watching from his queue and is about to go through himself and he's seen that we haven't moved and he is worried for me too. He says change of plans. He will now take me to LAX himself, he has canceled the appointment he had that meant he couldn't take me all the way to LAX as originally discussed. He says get out of the car now and wait for him on the other side, he will be 5 or 10 minutes. I do as I'm told.
It's when I'm standing there all on my own I start to feel quite vulnerable, and suspicious. Oh dear, what if this is a rort? He has my payment after all. Oh dear. I try calling the number he gave me so we could keep in touch Nothing, some unidentifiable beep. I try again - nothing. I try a third time and Just as I do I feel a hand on my arm. It is isaias. This way he says, leading me to his car, ever the gentleman. I breathe a huge sigh of relief and jump in the car with this charming polite man and his son.
I always keep an eye out for my customers he says. I like to take care of them... What sort of music do you like? He tunes his radio to a station he thinks will suit. We head to LA, a road trip with a good looking Mexican - and as conversation would disclose; single. what more could I ask for?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

1 comment:

  1. YOu are so game...but as a single woman traveling around on your own , you have to make choices and go with your instinct. I am so proud of you and looking forward to reading more of your adventures!! See you soon :)

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