Thanksgiving BeachFest

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It’s interesting to see what would take a busload of different people from all over the globe to come together to spend 4 days with strangers. So what did it take? Thanksgiving out in the middle of nowhere? A road trip on Gus the Baja Beach Bus? Or was it the novelty of just doing something different? Whatever the case, whatever the reason the Thanksgiving BeachFest was a virtual United Nations on wheels with each person on a different trip, from another country, with a different background, diverse experiences and all coming from cultures so colorful it would make Gus’s paint job look pale in comparison.

This Trek included individuals from Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Philippines, Canada, the Middle East, India and Mexico. With a groundswell of enthusiasm backpacks seemed to converge on Gus the Baja Beach Bus all at once. There had never been so many backpacks at one place, at one time ever.

Gus eased south of the border after loading up to the mellow beat of tires hitting the cement on an early morning road. There was laughter, much talk, as people discussed their travels with new-found friends, exchanged experiences, shared thoughts and impressions or gazed out in introspective silence to watch the little towns go by.

People seemed to easily jell when they have things in common. It really doesn't matter where you come from. And what all these strangers had in common was a universal love of travel, a burning interest to see new places, experience new things and meet new people. And if it happened in a 30 foot red school bus that ran on vegetable oil then, wasn’t that all just part of the never-ending adventure and the thrill of the unexpected?

By mid morning we had stopped for some tacos and to stock up on groceries at the local town. It was also another opportunity to meet some of the locals. They were intrigued by the sight of all these different people getting off of one bus in their town. It probably was the strangest sight they ever saw. All these different-looking people getting off a school bus that smelled like a Chinese Restaurant on wheels. They waved, asked questions and stared and kids helped us push loaded carts of supplies back to Gus.

With much more fanfare than we were accustomed to for a short stop we waved our goodbyes and pointed Gus further east to the beaches of the Sea of Cortez. The dirt track leading to the beach seemed to appear out of nowhere as we watched the setting sun slide beneath the mountains on the other side of the coast. This was it- the dirt track to take us out in the middle of nowhere. Was it true that no one had been down this dirt track since the last time we were here? Apparently yes, and the stretch of beach when we came down to it, was deserted as we had hoped.

We all helped to set up camp, unload Gus, made a huge campfire and helped with making some soup. And as we sat down by the fire, someone took out his ukelele and strummed to the crackle of the flames. Others passed around Gus’ instruments each taking turns and suddenly very spontaneously we had a jam fest out under the stars.

Maybe it’s not so hard after all for mere strangers to come together and get along so well. Maybe all we need is just to do something different—and a little help from an old school bus named Gus.


http://www.bajatrek.com



“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” - Aldous Huxley

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