I somehow ended up talking about the hedonic treadmill with a friend last night. Shortly after that I ended up reading Pursuing Happiness from Heifer’s World Ark:
Now one of the top linked stories online is this Newsweek article, Why Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness:
Happiness is a good thing to dwell on every once and a while.
I have to admit, I was skeptical the first time I read SurferMags story, “I’ll Never Go to Baja Again” aka Carjacked in Baja. Three surfers losing everything in Baja to a group of professional and heavily armed carjacker-thieves sounded like the truth was a bit stretched. Bribes are not unheard of, but this was a whole different ball game.
Unfortunately it seems it was all too real. The UT reports:
Losing your car or your wallet is one thing, but there was also one report of sexual assault during the robbery. All of the victims did not report the crime in Mexico, as they were fearful of the local police force. The general distrust of Baja cops is certainly not helped by the continuing reports of corruption. Just this week I had a coworker tell me about her brush with the TJ police over the weekend. The extortion left her shaken, and unwilling to go to Baja again (she usually goes several times a month). Baja needs to crack down on this fast, or their tourist industry will die.
The UT gives some info on reporting an assault:
– While in Mexico, flag down a police officer or dial 066 on a local phone.
– People visiting Baja California can receive help by calling the office of the region’s secretary of tourism. The hotline is 078.
– Once back in the United States, people still can report crimes that occurred in Mexico by contacting the U.S. Consulate’s office in Tijuana, which channels complaints to the appropriate Mexican agency and assists U.S. citizens with follow-up investigations. E-mail consulartijuan@state.gov.
– The San Diego Police Department, which takes courtesy reports and forwards them to the consulate’s office. Call (619) 531-2000.
Photos of Diving and snorkeling near Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island, California
Continued from Two Harbors, Catalina Island
We arrived at Two Harbors in the morning, and got in the water as quickly as possible. As part of the package for our trip to Two Harbors, there were a number of kayaks available for free use. Anna and I took the opportunity to use them to get to snorkeling spots in the marine sanctuary near the UC research station. The area has a great kelp bed, and a lot of sea life. We had a lot of fun snorkeling around the kelp and spotting fish and rays. Great visibility in the morning, probably around 50 feet.
Some of the most fun snorkeling was when the harbor seals came out to play. In the shallow water of the kelp forest there were three that would come to visit. Two were a bit skittish, and would only nibble and sniff when they didn’t think you were watching them. But the most curious one eventually started to be more and more bold, hugging my legs, and examining Anna’s hands. It was a lot of fun to see them blow bubbles and corkscrew around you. It wasn’t quite as bold in deeper water, but if you swam about 10 feet away when it was hunting on the bottom, it would follow you and your tasty fins to the surface, before swimming away. I’m assuming they are wary on the surface in deeper water because of the local shark population.
That evening I did a night dive with some people from the dive group. The kick out was amazing, the bioluminescence was so intense you didn’t need a light to see other divers under water. Everyone glowed teal and green. The group was too big for wandering around the kelp, and some of the divers didn’t seem to be that comfortable with the kelp, especially in the dark. Splitting up and moving into the less dense waters eventually happened, and we managed to see some life out on the sand then – shovelnose, rays, halibut, and some horn sharks.
The next day’s dives started at Ship Rock. This was a great site with huge numbers of fish. It is also a great mixed environment, rocks and kelp forest from 0-60 feet, then mixed plants, corals, and fans from 60-100 feet, with a sandy bottom. The kelp was amazing to dive through, some of them in the 50-60 foot range. We saw a seal hunting, but he didn’t stop to play. Lots of sea cucumbers, but I couldn’t find any eels. Great dive, and the visibility was fantastic, 40-60 feet.
The next dive was near the shore and a boy scout camp, deserted for the fall. It has a great kelp forest just off the shore with lots of fans and corals. The visibility on this dive was a bit churned up from divers, but still a lot of sea life to spot. Shallow depth made for a nice, long dive. Sunday morning we got in one last snorkel session with the seals before packing up for the 2 PM ferry. I hope to come out here again soon, the diving and snorkeling was amazing.
Photos of Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island, California
Anna and I took a three day weekend to head out to Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island. I have been meaning to get out there for a long time, but when a cheap trip came up by way of a local dive group, it was too good to pass up. I’m glad we went, it was well worth it.
Two Harbors is a quiet place, at least this time of year. The village is really just a collection of houses, a camp ground, a historic hotel, general store, bar, and a dive shop. We stayed in cabins that are used for staff housing in the summer, so I’d guess it can be packed in peak season. For a fall weekend, it seemed like the perfect size and temperament for us.
We had a great time kayaking, hiking, snorkeling, and (just me) diving (more on snorkeling & diving in a future post). One of Anna’s goals was to see a buffalo, sorry, bison on the island. Leftovers from a movie in the 20’s the herd is now over 200 strong, and a major tourist draw. They are also a burden on the slow growing native grasses and shrubs of the island, and the subject of a lot of controversy.
We assumed we would need to do some serious hiking to find the bison herd in the hills. However, after kayaking we wandered into the center of town to see a bison standing on one of the only patches of grass, in center of town. He was munching on lush green grass, and getting hosed off by the sprinklers. The lakes are dry, and the herd has been having a tough time finding water. So when someone left the gate open, this guy decided to visit town.
A few people were standing too close to him, and the bison was staring them down. One of the dive shop workers told them about a guy that got too close to a herd the day before, and now has a new hole in his ass. They backed up, and the bison went back to munching.
He was there for a good half hour, we came back to town just as he was stepping off the grass patch, and making his way through town to the road. Stray cats and people slunk back into the nearest doorway as he slowly walked between the palm trees across the sand without incident.
More to come on scuba & snorkeling in a future post. Update, post is here: Diving and snorkeling near Two Harbors, Catalina Island
My first morning in New Orleans I rolled into ACME company for a oyster po boy for breakfast. Oysters for breakfast sound a little odd? They are surprisingly good fried with toast, and family tradition for the morning of Christmas eve. I figured the po boy was a pretty good substitute.
Though ACME suffers from attention thieving (huge) TVs, I still managed to carry on a conversation at the bar. There seems to be a lot of people wanting to unleash vigilante justice on the arsons in California. The first thing people say when they find out I’m from San Diego is explain what they think should be done to the arsons, usually involving a can of gas.
I spent my first day visiting my haunts from before the hurricane. Found my favorite café, served by a steam punk looking fellow with one sideburn. I sat in the sun and eavesdropped on the random conversations. “Do you want a certain praline? Some people like to pick. Like lobster.” The eccentricity I love still seems to be here.
Thick whiskers of staples and paper turned to plaster coat the utility poles of well used neighborhoods, and the sidewalks are well used. Other parts seemed to be in good condition, but lifeless. Some streets seemed to almost entirely be for sale or rent as condos, and completely shuttered.
A particularly harsh lapsang tea slowly grows on me as hobos discuss the regionalism of carbonated beverage names (pop, soda, and coke). Two others sit down with a roast chicken and start tearing into it. “Now that’s a pretty bird”. They offer to share the chicken with strangers, and a couple take them up on it. Pidgins pick at the bones of their discarded distant cousin as I enjoy the street musicians.
New Orleans seems to live for contradictions. One of the most local bars I’ve been to is a across the street from Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville. Sazerac, étouffée, and raw oysters share menus with margaritas, hot wings, and assorted suburban refugee entrees. Just when you think the town has been Disney-fied, something unique and authentic pushes that thought from your mind. I hope the Crescent City continues to rebuild, while keeping a hold on its roots.
