Strata of pink and dark blue making up the
twilight in El Centro.
(Photo by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
EL CENTRO--There's a silence in the desert.
It's not just because there aren't as many people living there.
During my stay in El Centro for the Holtville Wrestling Tournament January 29, I quickly appreciated this different ambience, this different set of acoustics than what I'm accustomed to in urbanized San Diego.
Contributing to it is the visual effect of the lack of mountains--you can see forever in the desert. Things just look and feel different.
Now, I'm talking about the pleasant temperature during the winter. I kept telling people, "I'm not used to being here when it's not 115 degrees." Which isn't true. I have driven through the area to attend baseball Spring Training many of the 23 years I've lived in San Diego. That's in similar desert, only four hours further east. Low 70's the first week of March.
At night, I was catching a beautiful twilight in El Centro. To the west, I clicked some shots of the strata of alternating streaks of bright pink and dark. With no barriers like the hills scattered throughout San Diego's mesas, you can almost literally see forever.
I think of Juan Sanchez, assistant coach for La Jolla High, former head coach, saying the tournament is a "getaway" he enjoys each year. He has attended the Holtville Wrestling Tournament each of his years as a Viking wrestler from 1995 to 1999, and each of his years coaching Viking wrestlers as head coach from 2002 to 2006 and his other years assisting.
Looking at the twilight, I get what he means.
It reminds me of my year living in Santa Barbara, way back in the 70's, as sports editor of a tiny weekday paper, Goleta Today. I was impressed how everyone in Santa Barbara said they loved living there. It's a beautiful place. Expensive. But beautiful.
Everyone I talk to at this tournament says the same thing: They love being here.
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