You may recall that we left off last week just after the resort's 'Welcome Cheese & Wine Social' and the somewhat unconvincing list of local 'attractions' - a word which I use loosely. As I also explained, the area is currently experiencing an unusually long heatwave and so it is has almost been as hot as it is at home. Never mind, we thought. A nice dip in the pool is what we need. It had been advised at said Welcome meeting the day before that the pool was located at the nearby 'Country Club' and golf course just 5 minutes (drive) up the road, so we set off eagerly with swimsuits and towels. When we pulled up in the deserted car park, next to the derelict tennis court overrun with weeds, we were convinced we were in the wrong place, until we noticed the small sign on the front of the shabby and dilapidated wooden building before us, which read 'Horse Thief Golf & Country Club'. After much hysterical laughter, we got out to investigate. There was a small bar at one end and an even smaller shed at the other labeled 'Pro shop' **snort**. We continued out to the back in search of the pool having considerably lowered our expectations at this point. To be fair, the pool itself, whilst small, didn't look too bad and was at least clean, but the iron railings complete with padlocked gate surrounding it and the 5 grubby plastic sunbeds enclosed therein did nothing to improve its appeal. Needless to say, we decided there and then that we would survive without the pool this week and left as quickly as we could. The whole time we were there we never saw another soul. Not a guest, a golfer **more snorting** or even an employee - very weird, although can't say I'm surprised. Never mind, the wine tasting trip was in a few hours - that would cheer us up.
In actual fact, the wine tasting actually turned out to be best activity of the week (no surprise there though eh?). The Souza Family Vineyard was a little under 20 minutes away from where we were staying and we arrived around noon. Bob Souza and his wife Pattie were our hosts, together with a lovely lady called Susan. We asked her how she came to be running wine tastings and she told us that she was due to retire soon from her job of the last 20+ years as a California Air Traffic Controller (!) and as she had recently lost her husband **sniff** had been looking for something to do where she could get out and meet people. She also told us that she had met Bob some 15 years earlier when they had both qualified as pilots! What an interesting lady - I could have happily sat drinking wine and chatting to her all afternoon.
We tried 8 different wines in total, accompanied by a lovely platter of cheese, charcuterie, bread, grapes and Apple to soak it all up, plus some poppy seed cake to try with the dessert wines. (Ethan just had a Pepsi with his ... it's a tough life being a kid). One of my favorites (although to be fair there wasn't one I didn't like) was a delicious chocolate infused red which Susan then added a little port to which unbelievably make it taste just like chocolate cake ... amazing! We also got chatting to another couple of older guys who were also staying at our resort. They introduced themselves as Ed and Ted (LOL) and explained that their wives were waiting in the car as they were going on somewhere else and they were just supposed to be popping in for a quick taste. Ed was a real character and clearly partial to a glass of red ... or two, whilst Ted confessed that he wasn't really a big drinker and that he daren't get up off the stool he was sitting on as he already felt a little 'woozy'. Needless to say after a couple more glasses they looked like they were quite happily settled for the afternoon until Ted's wife appeared at the door with a face like thunder and after a pointed glare in their direction they both scuttled off sharpish. LOL. We managed to come away with a few bottles to take home, although Mr B managed to carry on with his own little tasting once we got back!
The next day, fresh on the back of the successful wine tasting trip, we decided to take a ride out to two of the more unusual places that Karina, the resort manager, had mentioned in her overview of the area. The first was what she described as the 'Monastery in the mountains'. Oh that sounds interesting, I thought (naively as it turned out). After trekking to the top of a mountain up hairpin bends and steep drop offs, we finally arrived at the sign at the bottom of a steep dirt track. ... The Norbertine Sisters of the Bethlehem Priory of St Joseph. Oh. Nuns (which personally I have always found to be really creepy). Well, we're here now, might as well have a look. We carried on up the track expecting to see at least some kind of religious looking building. To be honest, I think I had imagined some brilliant white monastical building, shining high on a hilltop against a bright blue sky (compete with chanting monks and a donkey or two). Instead, there was what looked to me like a large bungalow with two dogs dozing outside, a few weeds in pots and a section at the end labeled 'Gift Shop' .... there's a surprise.
Gingerly, we opened the door to take a peek inside, to find a series of wooden pews where several people were seated before what looked like a serving hatch in the wall. I was just imagining a series of nuns on the other side frying chips and battering fish, when a 6ft nun wafted up behind us nearly giving me a heart attack (wearing if I may say the most unattractive black glasses and a habit at least two sizes too big. A waft of blusher wouldn't have gone amiss either. Did she not look in the mirror before she came to work for goodness sake? Oh yeah ...) She muttered that they were just about to start lunchtime prayers but we were welcome to look in the gift shop for a few minutes if we were quick **fixes with creepy glare**. We politely ducked in and out of as quickly as we could (taking cover behind a rather large Mexican man in case she was thinking of throwing any more evils in my direction) before making a mad dash back to the car. There were some other buildings tucked behind the 'bungalow' which we didn't get to see so maybe they were more convent-like (or maybe not) but definitely not what we expected!
Next stop, the Mountain Spirit Centre, which is described as "a Buddhist monastery and spiritual retreat ..." Ha! Yeah right. If the last recommendation was anything to go by I am not holding my breath. After another trek out to the middle of nowhere, we followed the directions to a secluded canyon and up a remote dirt track for a further two miles (where Ethan was convinced we were going to break down and with no phone signal, either be reduced to chalky skeletons after days of aimless wandering with no food or water, or killed by some wild axe murderer LOL). As we rounded the final bend at the top of the track though we were all stunned by what we found. There, in the midst of a dusty dry canyon with buzzards circling above, that wouldn't have looked amiss in some John Wayne Western, stood a Buddha Temple on the top of a rocky outcrop
and another large 'Meditation Hall' which apparently also serves as a dormitory for the two full time monks who live there. They came out to wave, wearing the traditional orange robes, shouted a cheery "hello" as we got out of the car, before going back inside and closing the door. Random.
Once again, not another soul to be seen as we crossed the little bridge to the temple and marvelled at all the brightly painted images decorating the wooden structure. We found a small door on the side and a sign which said "Please remove your shoes on entering" so figured it must be ok to go in and take a peek, as there was nobody to ask, and were astounded by how even more beautiful it was inside. I definitely wasn't expecting that! It is apparently used for Sunday services which the public is invited to attend. Amazing.
The HUGE 'Peace bell' is housed in an equally beautiful hand painted structure featuring children from around the world in traditional costumes, holding hands, encircling the bottom of the bell.
The word Peace is translated into hundreds of languages and at the top the words "Living Together in Peace and Harmony" - very fitting for the current climate I thought and as you were invited to toll the bell, we thought it was definitely worth a go. If you are ever passing through Tehachapi (because nobody in their right mind would actually stay here ... note to self) I would definitely recommend checking it out.
The next day we planned a visit another of Karina's Top Tips - the Tehachapi Loop (clearly we still hasn't learned our lesson). This, we were assured, is one of the 'great engineering feats of the nineteenth century' **yawn** that allowed the Southern Pacific Railroad to bring trains through the Central Valley of California (500 ft above sea level) to the Los Angeles area and one that you must see on a visit to Tehachapi. In summary it's just a giant loop of train track going round a mountain as far as I can tell (I got bored and dozed off after that) but if you are train nerd ... I mean enthusiast ... it's a big deal apparently. "It's really cool to watch the trains go round the mountain" enthused Karina ... Seriously? We do have trains in England love, trust me it's not that special .... "and they run every 15 minutes all day so you won't have to wait long to see one" ... Reeeealllly ....
Off we trotted with the information sheet and map, the directions for which you will not be surprised to hear were rubbish, and after reading it both right way up and upside down, driving to the top of the mountain and then back down again, we finally worked out where the vantage point we were supposed to stop at was at.
"Right..." said Mr B, instructions in hand. "It says, park at the side of the road and walk up dirt track to vantage point at top of hill ..."
Ethan and I looked at each other sceptically but knew there was no point arguing so trudged up the dusty track ... it was at this point that I realised flip flops were probably not the best footwear I could have chosen ... in the searing mid day heat to the outlook at the top of the hill. We looked down on a train track circling a hill and then disappearing into a tunnel. Woooo ... riveting. Quite frankly I have seen more exciting track building on Ethan's old Thomas set **yawns whilst now also sweating profusely**.
"Well we must have been driving up and down for at least 15 minutes, so there should be one along any minute now" Mr B enthused.
We waited. We waited some more. 30 minutes passed. Still no train.
"Shall we go?" Ethan offered hopefully
"Surely there must be one coming soon. Karina said they were definitely every 15 minutes ..."
Did she now. I also recall her saying the Monastery was marvellous and the 'Country Club' did a nice dinner, oh and look, there goes a flying pig ...
"Well, let's just wait another 10 minutes" said Mr B, ever the optimist.
We waited. We waited again. Still no train.
Ethan then looked over at the hill in the middle . "Is that a cross in top of that hill?"
"Yes, it looks like it"
"He probably died waiting for the bloody train. I bet it arrived 5 minutes after he snuffed it!" LOL
After another 15 minutes of waiting, 45 in total, (both Ethan and I now sheltering under the shade of the only tree whilst my feet had now turned oompah lumpah orange) we decided to give up and walked back to the road. Ethan and I gave each other a knowing look as we got back in the car muttering in unison ...
"15 minutes ... my arse!"
Remind me to poke Karina in the eye when I see her.
There is so much more yet to share. Come back next week to hear about the final part of our Tehachapi tale ...!
TTFN
Bev x
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