inglorious wanderer

He teaches kids fresh off from south of the US-Mexican border who have settled in Escondido. He is probably one of the few bilingual teachers in the school district. He talks about his students' progress, progress any state standardized tests have no way of measuring.  Mr B, second from left is the counterpart of my Arizona sisterhood who teaches young first generation Canadians in Richmond, BC. He also reminds me of Julie and her students in Ajo, Arizona.  Thelma's students are first generation Canadians borne from Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong while some of Julie's students cross everyday the the US-Mexican border that separate Native Americans of the Akimel O'otham tribe from their fellow river people from Sonoyta, a town of the Northern Sonora region of Mexico to attend school. That familiar seal that could empower every child for the future. Blessed are the teachers! Teachers are more than heroes and Christians! I marvel at the passing scenery ...

I sit across an older gentleman on the blue line of the SDMTS as I start this blog. I am also looking at the big Mexican flags waving in unison. Hasta la vista, baby! I felt like I was promising a favorite trail to return. For nostalgia. For sentiments I could not identify. Melancholia! I tried not to browse long at the faces of fellow riders. A young woman in her 20's or 30's does her mascara. She is the second woman I saw who did her make-up while riding the train today. I caught a well- dressed gentleman staring at my direction. He could pass for an Italian. He seems to be more than just a fellow rider, fellow participant-observer too. I could pass for a Mexican woman myself.

The preserve  was tagged as San Diego's best kept secret by Stephen, the event host. Accross the road is the El Capitan Open Space Preserve where the El Cajon Mountain Peak is accessed. I crashed the the hike knowing that there would be no shows, meaning some members of the San Diego by Foot who have signed up for the hike would not show up at all.   The preserve  consists of oak groves, meadows and interestingly formed boulders overlooking the San Vicente Reservoir. Not many hikers wander into the this well marked area. Everyone seems to be racing to El Cajon Peak where I have graduated myself as a slug hiker, a super slow Mofo!   What I like most about the preserve is its being part of the trans country trail (TCT) system. From Anza Borrego in the East and to the Penasquitos Lagoon in the west.     Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but pictures. If I could I wish I could have taken Stephen's email address as well. He is a cu...

  The foot bridge built by the then Governator impressed me. From the freeway, it looked like a hanging bridge and I imagined it to be wooden.  It was a  morning after  being with  Ayyedis Varkhenjaab. What a way to forget about Das Varkhenjaab! I was not the slug mofo hiker this time. I did not even bother to ask the names of the fellows I was hiking with. I hike to blog.   I did not see the imposing trail duck or cairn that Jerry Schad included on his write up on Bernardo Mountain. I might as well make mine elsewhere.    Badass at the Bernardo Mountain Summit!

  Isabel refered to the place as Tecatito. Tecatito which is the little town of Tecate north of the U.S. Mexico border has a bigger twin also called Tecate in Mexico. Tecatito has about 100 residents for its population while Tecate which is separated by a fence constantly monitored by U.S border patrol has a population of 100, 000.  I signed up for the hike because of my fascination with Native Americans. I consider Mexicans as Native Americans. More of Native Americans from the lowlands. They tilled the land and were more of agricultural workers until manufacturing industries took over their farm lands. Displaced and unable to find livelihood, the only option was to migrate South. There is no way they could migrate to the north. There are the fence and the border patrol. There was nothing written about finding the Sacred Mountain Ranch at  Tecate Peak.  Perhaps, behind this boulder marker is the story  of the Kuuchamaa, the Kumeya...

    I never heard about tide pools before. Or perhaps I was not really a beach person and I did not care. I was joining a beach meetup hike for the first time and I clammed up as usual. I was never the hiker who could just strike an animated tete-a-tete with anyone.  I wish I could just pose anyone a question without this person I am talking to  having to bend down  lower so he or she could get his or her closer to my lips and understand what I could be saying. I wanted so much to ask Elana how far Monlight Beach is to Swami Beach. But  I did not want to sound like I am referring to a female dog.  I am sure I would be able to find the famed Tiki head carved from a dead tree trunk myself. The Tiki is  supposed to be at Swami Beach. That was Elana, Elise, Kate and myself bending over to examine the rocks where clams, mussels and other marine life clung. Elana, the former camp director and lead for the hike wa...

 Hike to Morena Butte, Campo, California.   Xing took this photo of me during a Meetup hike to Morena Butte.