About Us
The Pack Family Journal is a place where we gather text and images of our lives, adventures and travels. This is a very personal site, written openly and honestly. Enjoy.
Okay, maybe not go. Not completely anyways. I know there is a time and a place, and an application that works. We have dear friends Pancho and Sal of the RioSamaya Band and Sal makes her accordion speak beautiful melodies over Pancho's warm Spanish guitar tones. It works and it's beautiful. But sometimes, they do not go together well...in long durations. Rachel and I have lived in Baja for more than a decade now, and during that time we have been involved in music, seeked it out in many cases. We even attended the Mariachi Festival in Rosarito and became big fans, and even produced our own Latino Music Fest and love almost all of it. We even started understanding some of the differences and styles.
We have also learned in that time, that Mexicans know how to party. Oh yah, and they do it naturally; a couple of family members or friends get together, add some food and cervesa and the party is started. Grandparents to kids and everyone in between, and the parties can go until 6AM. I wish my family did that when I was a kid. I must say finally after all this time...there is one I really don't like. Makes me picture evil clowns and nerds and without pointing fingers or ears, it sounds like Barnum Bailey and contains tuba and accordion. I really don't know the exact style, because some styles I do like also contain these instruments. That's just me. My musical tastes have always been left of center anyways. So what do I know, I also dislike rap, edm, and any heavy metal band with a singer that sounds like they are expelling a hairball, or any song without a guitar solo. Although, those dudes on the accordions can shred. I'm just saying.
From John (Sixx) - After living 20% of my life in Baja, I have only had a handful of friends make their way south of the border. Most have been either scared by the media in the US or their bound by the societal grind of the US, in any case few have ventured. My lifelong and dear late friend David Cybulski and wife Karin, their family and friends, Glen Rhoades and his son Kyle, Shannon Smith and now friends from my troubled teens times Johnny Sarena and Tracy Griffin. Of course we'll be throwing a party!
Everyday Rachel and I go for a walk. Last week a bee keeper moved onto the hill just off the road of where we walk. Today we were attacked and a bunch of bees chased us a distance. I was stung 3 times, twice on the forehead and once on the calf, and Rachel
was stung inside the nostal. Her nose is red and my forehead throbbing, but we actually increased our workout by running, so it wasn't all bad.
At Campo 7 in Punta banda Baja - July, 15 2016
For the most part, Rachel and I are vegetarians, 90% of the time. But on occasion, we become what some say is a flexitarian. Usually, when there is a sushi bar or some really good seafood, or possible at Thanksgiving, we might share turkey with the family, but other than that..vegheads all the way.
However today we flexed big time and had some incredible, yellowtail tuna machaca made with carrots, green olives, onions, peppers and spices, and topped with cabbage, cilantro, tomatoes.
On May 12 of 2012, John and Rachel Pack embarked on the journey of their lives. The Baja Walk 2012 was a great adventure that you never would expected. The rugged terrain, the harsh weather, the unexpected hardships – they contributed to an outcome neither of them could have ever anticipated. The most astonishing occurrence was related to John’s health. Even though he had always been an avid hiker, he was caught by surprise when the injuries made by the car accident he had in his 20s came back to him. This was caused by his heavy 80 lbs. backpack which was later on replaced with a cart.
