“And what if Sir Walter Raleigh had returned from the Americas with the chilli pepper and marijuana instead of the potato and tobacco? Elizabeth Ist would have been a happier Queen and our world today would be a very different one” surmised the underground film-maker from New York at breakfast the morning after the Blues Brothers reunion Chateau Marmont event. Jean-Marc rather liked this director, not so much for his films and certainly not for his right wing sympathies, but mostly for his passion about food. Their endless discussions about garlic had left a lasting impression and, in the aftermath of the previous evening, the conversation at breakfast was centred around the benefits of the chilli pepper.

Jean-Marc had made Creme Budwig for breakfast, a concoction of fromage blanc, fruit, linseed oil, honey, nuts and cereals which he had discovered earlier that year while on a visit to Geneva. Not only was it delicious but this stuff was so full of goodness that it instantly cured a hangover and set you up for a full days work ahead.

Charles Kloch emerged from the bungalow, he looked very dishevelled, in fact he had probably slept in the bath. “I told you that St. Vincent Very Strong Rum was evil stuff” said Jean-Marc.

Kloch joined the now passionate conversation about chilli peppers, “let’s go to Mexico for lunch, I’m going to show you the best chilli sauce in the world” he exclaimed.

....and off they went: Wendy the Australian rock singer (the Japanese TV guy was nowhere to be seen), a pretty Hispanic girl who claimed to be the ex-girlfriend (“ex” since the previous evening) of the Belushi Fan Club President, some Polish actor called Wojciech who nobody knew, Jean-Marc and Charles Kloch.

The film director from New York politely declined the lunch invitation “Oh my Gaad Jean-Marc, I mean I like you man, but you live in a country run by a communist spy and now you wanna go to the Third World for lunch, you’re crazy man....”

Kloch had a 1963 black Cadillac which he had purchased from an undertaker, it was huge and there was plenty of room for everyone, they cruised comfortably down the freeway at 50 mph, Jean-Marc was driving because the others had decided that it was wise to smoke all the grass and make sure all traces of other drugs were eliminated from the car before crossing the border into Mexico.

Just North of San Diego, Kloch starts shouting “quick, turn off the interstate here, I need to pick up my passport, my place is just near here”. He directs them down the road by the Ocean and they pull up in front of a small workshop. “Two minutes...wait here”, Kloch jumps out the car, everyone else seems to be asleep.

Jean-Marc gets out of the car and peers into the shop where Kloch is rummaging through a filing cabinet. The place is full of sophisticated hi-tech equipment, two fax machines, a word processor, many large IBM typewriters, TV monitors and various video recorders. “Interesting business” he thought, “doesn’t look much like the office of a guy running a paper business”.

Kloch runs out and locks the door, he was carrying a brown envelope that looked as if it contained a large wad of dollar bills, in any case it certainly did not contain a passport. “Let’s go” he said, “they’re expecting us”.