Edition 35 - April 2010

www.mexicolivingguide.com – No. 35 April / abril 2010

■ Crossing the Sea of Cortez p.23

■ Water IS Worth More Than Gold! p.14

■ Your Cell Phone May

Not Work After April 10 p.15

■ Seller Beware . . .

Prepare Your Wallet for the Shock! p.35

Mariachis: The Tempo of Mexico p.22

Mariachis: The Tempo of Mexico p.22

2 April 2010 – Mexico Living’s BAjA cALiforniA CALL US 1-877-LUVMEX1

New Coastal Hwy

2D

8

Bahia Asuncion

Bahia Tortugas

Bahia de Sebastian Vizcaino

Bahia Rosario

Bahia Blanco

Bahia Maria

Bahia Santa Rosalillita

Bahia de Los Angeles

Bahia San Luis Gonzaga

Bahia Colonet

BahiaTodos Santos

Bahia las Palmas

Bahia Muertos

Bahia la Ventana

Bahia de la Paz

Bahia Santa MariaBahia Magdalena

Bahia San Nicolas

Bahia San Basilio

Bahia de Concepcion

Bahia Santa Ines

Bahia San Rafael

TijuanaTecate

Yuma

Hermosillo

Santa Ana

Nogales

Carborca

San Quintin

El Rosario

Guerrero Negro

SonoytaLukeville, AZ

La Paz

Loreto

Santa Rosalia

Gulfo de Santa Clara

Mulegé

El Coyote

San Ignacio

Todos Santos

San Jose del CaboCabo San Lucas

LA BOCANA

PUNTA ABREOJOS

PUNTA PRIETA

PUNTA FALSAPUNTA

EUGENIA

Lighthouse

BAHIA TORTUGAS

Santa Rita

CIUDADCONSTITUCION

Ciudad Insurgentes

Rosarito Beach

Ensenada

Puerto de Santo Domingo

Bahia Almejas

Puerto Penasco(Rocky Point)

Guaymas

Tucson, AZ

San Carlos

GD

GD

GD

Colonia Vicente Guerrero

GD

ColonetGD

GD

GD

Villa Jesus Maria

G

BAHIA ASUNCION

GGD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GDLa Purisma

G

Baja California Sur

Baja California

SonoraG

ULF O

F CALIFO

RNIA

(Sea of Cortez)

Bahiade Ballenas

Bahia San Hipolito

Bahiade Ballenas

San Felipe

MexicaliLos Algodones

Puertecitos

Valle de Guadalupe

La Bufadora

Santo Tomas

Maneadero

SAN PEDRO MARTIRNATIONAL PARK

National Astronomic Observatory

CONSTITUTION OF 1857NATIONAL PARK

Cataviña

Punta Prieta

Santa Rosalillita

Los Barriles

Pescadero

SIERRA DE LA LAGUNANATIONAL PARK

Vizciano

Isla del Carmen

Isla Danzante

Isla Monserrat

Isla Santa Catalina

Isla Santa Cruz

Isla San Jose

Isla San Francisco

Isla Espiritu Santo

Isla Cerralvo

Isla Santa Margarita

Isla San Marcos

Isla Tortuga

Isla Angel de la Guarda

Isla Tiburon

Isla San EstebanIsla San Lorenzo

Isla MiramarIsla Lobos

Isla EncantadaIsla San Luis

PACIFIC OCEAN

PACIFIC OCEAN

LEGEND:1 - Page of city map & directory

GD - Pemex Gas and/or Diesel

- International Airport

- Highway Sign

9

9

8

10

8

7

7

6

6

6

San Vicente

La Mision

Punta Estrella

Laguna Percebu

Ojes Negros

Heroes de la Independencia

Valle la Trinidad

Calamajue

Rosarito

LagunaOjo

de Liebre

San Juanico

San Javier

PuertoSan Carlos

53 miles

29 M

18 M

23 M

35 M

get gas if southbound

get gas if northbound

77 M

64 M

Bahia LA turnoff

40 M33 M

91 M

46 M

46 M

86 M

12 M

80 M

133 M

70 M

49 M

19 M

48 M

Chapala

BAJA NORTE

Mexico Living’s BAjA cALiforniA – April 2010 www.mexicolivingguide.com 3CALL US 1-877-LUVMEX1

New Coastal Hwy

2D

8

Bahia Asuncion

Bahia Tortugas

Bahia de Sebastian Vizcaino

Bahia Rosario

Bahia Blanco

Bahia Maria

Bahia Santa Rosalillita

Bahia de Los Angeles

Bahia San Luis Gonzaga

Bahia Colonet

BahiaTodos Santos

Bahia las Palmas

Bahia Muertos

Bahia la Ventana

Bahia de la Paz

Bahia Santa MariaBahia Magdalena

Bahia San Nicolas

Bahia San Basilio

Bahia de Concepcion

Bahia Santa Ines

Bahia San Rafael

TijuanaTecate

Yuma

Hermosillo

Santa Ana

Nogales

Carborca

San Quintin

El Rosario

Guerrero Negro

SonoytaLukeville, AZ

La Paz

Loreto

Santa Rosalia

Gulfo de Santa Clara

Mulegé

El Coyote

San Ignacio

Todos Santos

San Jose del CaboCabo San Lucas

LA BOCANA

PUNTA ABREOJOS

PUNTA PRIETA

PUNTA FALSAPUNTA

EUGENIA

Lighthouse

BAHIA TORTUGAS

Santa Rita

CIUDADCONSTITUCION

Ciudad Insurgentes

Rosarito Beach

Ensenada

Puerto de Santo Domingo

Bahia Almejas

Puerto Penasco(Rocky Point)

Guaymas

Tucson, AZ

San Carlos

GD

GD

GD

Colonia Vicente Guerrero

GD

ColonetGD

GD

GD

Villa Jesus Maria

G

BAHIA ASUNCION

GGD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GD

GDLa Purisma

G

Baja California Sur

Baja California

SonoraG

ULF O

F CALIFO

RNIA

(Sea of Cortez)

Bahiade Ballenas

Bahia San Hipolito

Bahiade Ballenas

San Felipe

MexicaliLos Algodones

Puertecitos

Valle de Guadalupe

La Bufadora

Santo Tomas

Maneadero

SAN PEDRO MARTIRNATIONAL PARK

National Astronomic Observatory

CONSTITUTION OF 1857NATIONAL PARK

Cataviña

Punta Prieta

Santa Rosalillita

Los Barriles

Pescadero

SIERRA DE LA LAGUNANATIONAL PARK

Vizciano

Isla del Carmen

Isla Danzante

Isla Monserrat

Isla Santa Catalina

Isla Santa Cruz

Isla San Jose

Isla San Francisco

Isla Espiritu Santo

Isla Cerralvo

Isla Santa Margarita

Isla San Marcos

Isla Tortuga

Isla Angel de la Guarda

Isla Tiburon

Isla San EstebanIsla San Lorenzo

Isla MiramarIsla Lobos

Isla EncantadaIsla San Luis

PACIFIC OCEAN

PACIFIC OCEAN

LEGEND:1 - Page of city map & directory

GD - Pemex Gas and/or Diesel

- International Airport

- Highway Sign

9

9

8

10

8

7

7

6

6

6

San Vicente

La Mision

Punta Estrella

Laguna Percebu

Ojes Negros

Heroes de la Independencia

Valle la Trinidad

Calamajue

Rosarito

LagunaOjo

de Liebre

San Juanico

San Javier

PuertoSan Carlos

53 miles

29 M

18 M

23 M

35 M

get gas if southbound

get gas if northbound

77 M

64 M

Bahia LA turnoff

40 M33 M

91 M

46 M

46 M

86 M

12 M

80 M

133 M

70 M

49 M

19 M

48 M

Chapala

BAJA SUR


WElCOME TO BAJADIALING

INSTRUCTIONS Mexico city: (011) 52-55, plus the 8-digit telephone number.

guadalajara: (011) 52-33, plus the 8-digit telephone number.

Tijuana: (011) 52-664, plus the 7-digit telephone number.

UsA to Mx cell Phone: 011+52+1+Area code+(Tel #)

UsA to Mx Landline: 011+52+Area code+(Tel #)

Mx to UsA: 001+Area code+(Tel #)

Mx Landline to Mx cell Phone: 045 or 044+Area code+(Tel #)

Mx cell Phone to Mx Landline: Area code+(Tel #)

DIALING 800 NUMBER:

Some charges may apply when call 800 numbers internationally, please check with the telephone carrier.

800 DiALing to the UsA from Mx (dial 001+)

To Dial UsA 800 ................... dial 880

To Dial UsA 866 ................... dial 883

To Dial UsA 877 ................... dial 882

To Dial UsA 888 ................... dial 881

IMPORTANT NUMBERS:

emergency dial 132 free from any phone and Mexican cell phone carriers

red cross .................................. 066

Police Dept. ............................... 060

fire dept. .................................... 068

electricity (emergency and non-emergency) ............................... 071

Legal Assistance ........................ 061

Tourist Assistance ...................... 078

Tourism Department ................... 078

secretary of Tourism - Bc

Arturo Martínez esquer (facilitation and Tourist Assistance sub Direction) [email protected]

secretary of Tourism - Bcs ....612-24-0100

El Caballo Blanco

613-116-5374www.bajacaballobooks.com

Loreto BCS Mexico

The Mexican states of Baja california and Baja california sur make up Baja california as covered by our guide. The region features an enormous diversity of landscapes like no place on earth—a land of quiet, colorful deserts, endless beaches, majestic mountains, forests, unexplained rock formations, brilliant clear skies, an average temperature of 75 degrees fahrenheit and some of the most welcoming people in the world.

Baja california is the destination of choice for retirees, investors, entrepreneurs, travelers and vacationers alike. The U.s. state Department says that more Americans retire in Mexico than any other place on the globe; 51 percent of all U.s. retirees who live outside of the U.s. live in Mexico.

Mexico is economical; the dollar goes further here than it does in europe, canada and the most popular destinations of Asia. The people of Mexico are accustomed to Americans and vice versa. Mexico welcomes American retirees and tourists and is increasingly prepared to offer the foods, goods and services that Americans like and expect.

Whether you’re looking to retire, invest, vacation or operate a business, Baja california is the place.

We hope our guide helps you to enjoy

Baja California to the fullest. Explore!

visitmexico.com

WHAT DO I NEED?PASSPORT. on june 1, 2009, the U.s. government

implemented the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTi. The new rules require most U.s. citizens entering the United states at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland security. Additional infor-mation can be found at: http://travel.state.gov/passport. WHAT CAN I BRING INTO MEXICO?

As you approach the border, there are generally multiple lanes labeled “nothing to Declare - nada que Declarar” and “Declaration Lane - carril de Declaración.”

Nothing to Declare Lane This lane is used when you are bringing, as a tour-

ist (fMT) $75 or less. Your personal luggage and other merchandise up to the allowed exemption - Us$75 per person. The amount is cumulative per number of people in the vehicle. for example two people would have a $150 exemption. You must have receipts and invoices to qualify for the exemption.

Personal Items Allowed:new or used such as clothes, shoes and toiletries in •quantities that would be considered not for resale.Two photographic or video cameras and charger.•Two cellular phones or walkie-talkies. •Laptop, notebook, etc. •Two sports equipment items. •Portable radio recorder and/or player, speakers and •accessories.five laser discs, 10 DvDs, 30 cDs or cassette tapes. •five storage devices or memory cards.Books and magazines in quantities that would be •considered not for resale.five toys, video game console and video games.•Medicine for personal use, one blood pressure instrument, •one glucose testing device. in the case of psychotropic drugs, make sure you bring the prescription. note: Be careful not to bring a large quantity of your prescription medication.one set of binoculars, one telescope.•Two cartons of cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200 grams of •tobacco if you are of age (if bringing more than allowed, you must declare it and pay duties).Up to three liters of liquor and six liters of wine (if bringing •more than allowed, you must declare it and pay duties).strollers and baby walkers.•Two musical instruments and accessories.•Tent and equipment for camping.•crutches, canes, walkers and wheelchairs for personal •use.Tool sets including hand drills, wire cutters, wrenches, •screwdrivers, cables, etc.Bedding sets including one sheet set, one towel set, a •set of table linens.Two dogs or cats and pet items.•Up to $10,000 in U.s. currency or equivalent in other •currencies, foreign or national checks, and/or other monetary instruments.

Declaration Lane ($75–$1,000)if you are bringing more than Us$75 worth of mer-

chandise per person, but not more than Us$1,000, you may declare it by driving into the customs facility through the declaration lane (carril de declaración). There you will be able to fill out the proper documents and pay any duty. Duty can be between 15 percent and 25 percent of the value of the merchandise.

IMPORTANT NOTES:guns are illegal in Mexico. Do not attempt to cross the •border with a gun and/or ammunition. You will be put in jail even if you were not aware of the Mexican law.if you have more than $10,000 in U.s. currency or •equivalent, or other monetary instruments, you must declare this with Mexican customs, otherwise it is a crime.You must declare if you are bringing any animals, •agricultural products or medicines for other than personal use.Amounts over Us$1,000 require the use of a Mexican •customs broker.

WHAT CAN I TAKE HOME?You can take home Us$800 of duty-free merchandise

per person, per month, including one liter of alcohol. Mexican arts and crafts, including handcrafted furniture, are duty-free and do not count toward the $800 limit.

TOURIST VISA and VEHICLE PERMITTourists staying 72 hours or less within “the border

zone” do not need a visa. Those traveling beyond the bor-der zone or entering Mexico by air must pay a fee to obtain a tourist card, also known as an fMT, available from Mexi-can consulates, Mexican border crossing points, Mexican tourism offices, airports within the border zone and most airlines serving Mexico. The fee is generally included in the price of a plane ticket for travelers arriving by air. Please note that travelers not in possession of their fMT card at the point of exit from Mexico may face a fine from Mexican immigration.

A vehicle permit is noT required to travel the Baja Pen-insula; however, you must obtain a vehicle permit if you travel to Mexico’s mainland. MILITARY CHECKPOINTS

There are military checkpoints along the way to all the northwest border cities. These checkpoints serve the same purpose as the california and Arizona highway in-spection stops you’ll encounter on the return north. The soldiers will be carrying weapons, but there is nothing to be concerned about, the soldiers are looking for drugs and guns. You’ll find them to be polite and friendly. They may ask to look inside your or rv. checkpoints on both sides of the border were established based on an agreement between the United states and Mexico to fight the war on drugs.

15%OFFHomeownersInsurance

Mail - YETMAIL [email protected]

Call or e-mail TODAY!

DRIVER LICENSE INSURANCE

686-577-2464 • FAX 686-577-2916

Home Builders inSan Felipe

www.SanFelipeHomeBuilder.com

ProvidingQuality, Integrity and

Professionalism since 2005San Felipe (686) 577-3176 San Diego (619) 920-2292


Publisher/Editor john Pack [email protected]

Publisher rachel Pack [email protected]

Published by john Benjamin Pack

Mexico Living is a guide committed to promoting northwest Mexico to the limits of our abilities and to provide a valuable resource to visitors and residents, while showing that northwest Mexico is a great place not only to visit and play, but also to live and work—a place to call home.

U.s. Toll-free: (800) 395-9019 ex.3san Diego, cA: (619) 550-2730san felipe, Bc: (686) 230-9933

Mexico city, Df: (558) 421-4027Website: www.mexicolivingguide.comemail: [email protected] LIVING

Guide to Pacific Baja & The Sea of Cortez

Editor Brenda judy, [email protected] Regional Sales ManagerLisa shannon, [email protected]

Regional Sales Associates – Baja California NorteBill Maine, Associate Publisher, [email protected] Miron, Marketing Associate, [email protected]

Regional Sales Associates – Baja California Surrachel Pack, Publisher, [email protected]

Distributionregional, carlos Duránsan felipe, Bill Maine, san felipe

Production Layout, carolyn sheltraw, [email protected]

Mexico Mailing Address Mexico Living / Yet Mail, etc.Ave. Mar de cortez #1049, san felipe, Bc 21850

USA Mailing AddressPo Box 9019, PMB#460, calexico, cA 92232

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. All contributors and advertisers assume responsibility and liability for the accuracy of their statements and claims. All readers assume responsibility for actions or decisions they might make as a result of reading this publication. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising.

As we all know, living in Baja is definitely the good life! But . . . How did you get here? How did you discover Baja and the secrets of the good life? And, how has moving to

Baja improved your life? Was it an accident? Were you

just on vacation and all of sudden you said, “Wait a minute . . . i could have the best of both worlds here!” or, did someone tell you about Baja? Were you reading Mexico Living and decided to check it out for yourself?

seriously . . . i’m extremely curious. i’ve heard many stories from MAnY people. some ended up here as a result of a vacation. others were looking for a way to stretch their dollar while, at the same time, having the availability of luxurious amenities. And others just wanted to get away from the “fast-paced” life in the United states, canada, Australia, etc. so, what brought you to Baja and how has the move improved your life?

Moving a considerable dis-tance from one state to another is traumatic and stressful enough; but, crossing the border can be even scarier. each and every month, we tell you how great Baja is, and how you can have pretty much anything that you want . . . all you have to do is take the plunge and cross the border. However, we’re just like a parent teaching a child . . . no matter what we say, it takes proof—tes-timonials from “real” people that have taken the “leap of faith” and found out that they made the best (or one of the best) decisions of their life.

share your story on how dif-ficult the move was (or wasn’t). Let others know how much their quality of life can be improved; how they can communicate with family and friends; tell us about

your trials and tribulations on figuring out the phone ser-vice; just tell us anything you’d like that will help fellow gringos enjoy this paradise and/or make the decision to

take the plunge and cross the border themselves.

We’d like to hear your story—how you came to make the deci-sion to move to Baja—the steps you took, the hurdles you over-came, how it improved your life, helped you achieve a goal or learn something that matters in life.

email your story (and photo-graphs) to [email protected] today and share it with the world.

P.S. As always, I’m interested in hearing from you, what you think of Mexico Living and any ideas or comments you may have to improve YOUR GUIDE TO THE GOOD LIFE. So, send your suggestions and comments to [email protected].

Tell Me YOUR Story EDITOR’S

ANGLE

877-lUVMEX1Your one-stop Baja 411 resource for finding business people, products and services in your area.

Baja Report is a weekly Mexico Living newsletter featuring articles, news and community updates from readers like you. if you have something to report, simply send it to [email protected]. reports can be events, road trips, road conditions, free classified ads, community updates, news or anything Baja. find it online www.bajareport.com.

We’d like to hear your story—how you came to make the decision to move to Baja—the steps you took, the hurdles you overcame, how it improved your life, helped you achieve a goal or learn something that matters in life.

p. 6–11 City

DireCtory

p. 14–17 NewS

p. 20–21 people & VoiCeS

p. 23 ACtiVity GuiDe

p. 22 FeAture

p. 18–19 CAleNDAr

p. 27–29 CooKiNG &

DiNiNG

p. 24–26 BuSiNeSS &

MoNey

p. 30 loDGiNG

p. 32–33 FiShiNG

p. 31 heAlth &

BeAuty

p. 35–38 hoMe &

reAl eStAte

p. 34 Art

p. 39 ClASSiFieDS


{WElCOME TO BAJA}

MUNICIPAL/MUNICIPALAirport “Abelardo L rodriguez international Airport” .................................... 664-607-8200 immigration ................................................. 661-612-7262

DININGAmerican Food La Bamba ............................................. 661-100-2560

LODGINGRV Park/Parque de RV Popotla RV Park (See ad on page 30) .........661-612-1501

BUSINESS DIRECTORY A-ZDENTIST

consultorio Dental ........................................ 661-612-4204

DOG GROOMERSD’ Groomer Dog Grooming (See ad on page 18) .. 661-100-6218

ELEVATORS/ELEVADORES Baja Lifts to To The To (See ad on page 36) .. 661-614-1434

FINANCING/FINANCIAMIENTO Baja Lending Company (See ad on page 37) ...686-576-0653

MAILING SERVICES

Click On (See ad on page 12) ....................661-614-0513

MEDICAL/MéDICOBaja Medix ................................................... 661-612-5850

REAL ESTATE SERVICESBaja closing & escrow services ................... 760-494-7053

SATELLITE TV INSTALLATIONcisco-sat ..................................................... 661-616-0779

STORAGE SERVICESBaja Public storage ...................................... 619-616-0779

UTILITIES/EMPRESAS DE SERVICIOS PúBLICOScfe ................................. 612-143 0064 or 612-142 0237 TeLMex ...................................................... 612-142 0001 cALigAs ...................................................... 612-142 0122

Playas de rosarito, or rosarito Beach as it is referred to in english, is a city in the Mexican state of Baja california. it is located between the Pacific ocean and the coastal foothills, just 20 minutes south of the U.s. border in Tijuana and is a popular destination for tourists, snowbirds and expatriates from the United states.

With 20 miles of white, sandy beaches with endless activities, rosarito offers a large variety of places to stay and things to do, including incredible shopping in the Artisan shops with some of Mexico’s finest leather goods, furniture, wrought iron, pottery, marble and traditional Mexican crafts.

You’ll find a culinary paradise of international cuisine from traditional Mexican, sensational seafood and delicious steaks to American, chinese, french and italian specialties. Be sure to visit the well-known lobster village, Puerto nuevo, just 15 minutes south of rosarito—a tourist and culinary destination. Whether staying for vacation or life, you will enjoy Playas de rosarito.

ATM/GETTING CASHBanamex, Bancomer and Bital have 24-hour

ATMs that accept most U.s. bank cards all along the Tijuana–rosarito–ensenada corridor. only pesos are dispensed; you can get dollars from an HsBc ATM. Your account in the U.s. is charged that day’s rate of exchange. A service fee will also be deducted from your account.

Welcome to Baja – City Maps & Business Directory

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CAlIFORNIA

BAJA CALIFORNIA

ENSENADA, BAJA CAlIFORNIAenergy. ensenada is easy to navigate with all numbered streets running north and south, and celebrity-named streets running east and west.

ensenada has the accommodations to meet any level of comfort or amenities. Prices can range depending on the time of year from $30 to $250 plus. The best hotels are located to the north and south of town, along the beach, and are not within walking distance from downtown shopping and attractions; but taxi and shuttles are available in most locations.

ensenada is the third-largest city in the state of Baja california. About 70 miles south of the san Diego/Tijuana border, located in the Bahía de Todos santos—an inlet of the Pacific ocean—ensenada is an important commercial and fishing port as well as a cruise ship stop. The city is backed by small mountain ranges, and due to its location on the Pacific ocean and Mediterranean latitude, the weather tends to be mild year round.

Most of the shopping is at sea level, making it a great city for getting around on your own

DININGMexican Magana’s ..................................................... 646-155-0586Steak & Seafood El Rey Sol (See ad on page 30) ..................646-178-1601

LODGINGHotel Posada El Rel Sol (See ad on page 30) ........646-178-1601

BUSINESS DIRECTORY A-ZAEROPUERTO/AIRPORT

Aeropuerto ...................................................646-273-1984

ART GALLERY garery Art & stuff .........................................646-175-8859

ARTIST Alfonso Arambulua ........................................646-149-3866

DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT/MANEJO DE FRACCIONAMIENTOS

Baja Mar Country Club (See ad on page 30) ..1-800-434-2252

FINANCING/FINANCIAMIENTO Baja Lending Company (See ad on page 36) ...686-576-0653

FISHINGDann Manz (See ad on page 32)

HEALTH SPA La fonda .......................................................646-155-0394

JEWELRYBaja Pearls Jewelry (See ad on page 34) ....646-178-8734

MEDICAL SERVICES/SERVICIOS MéDICOS isssTe ........................................................646-176-2230 iMss ...........................................................646-120-7771 centro de salud ............................................646-152-1371

MUSIC/MUSICA Pharmacy regia & House of Music ...............646-174-0557

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Psn Mexico Professional services ................646-178-8280Legal/immigration Assist fM3/fM2/fMT import documentation www.psnmexico.com

POLICE/POLICÍA Policia Ministerial ..........................................646-176-3636 Policia federal caminos ............................... 646-683-8040 Policia federal Preventiva .............................646-176-2579 Prefectura naval ......................................... 469-0376/2948

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION/EL TRANSPORTE PúBLICO Terminal de Buses .........................................646-224-1041

REAL ESTATE AGENTS/AGENTES DE BIENES RAÍCES nicolas santos (rosarito) ..............................619-917-5695

REAL ESTATE SERVICES Baja closing & escrow services ....................760-494-7053

RENTALSPOPOTLA RV VILLAGE (See ad on page30) .. 661-612-1501

UTILITIES/EMPRESAS DE SERVICIOS PúBLICOS cfe ..................................612-143 0064 or 612-142 0237 TeLMex ....................................................... 612-142 0001 cALigAs ....................................................... 612-142 0122

WINERYBaja Wine Tours (See ad on page 23) vinos fuentes Winery ...................................646-171-7070

{WElCOME TO BAJA}


fandangos ................................................... 686-477-0060 The Green Door Bar (Los Algodones) (See ad on page 29) ..............................658-517-7347Los Arcos - Happy Jackass (See ad on page 28) ..............................686-577-2585

BEAUTY SALONS/SALONES DE BELLEZA

Lilly Ana’s Day spot ..................................... 686-577-6253Hair By nancy ............................................. .686-113-3682

BUILDING MATERIALS/MATERIALES DE CONTRUCCIÓNMaderas de San Felipe (See ad on page 26) ... 686-577-1515

CATERING The sweet spot ............................................ 686-209-6369

CHOCOLATE/CHOCOLATE Baja Chocolate Lovers (See ad on page 27) ..686-576-0348

CHURCHMission San Felipe (See ad on page 4) ......686-577-0877

CITY SERVICES/SERVICIOS DE LA CIUDAD District Attorney’s ........................................ 686-577-1110Mayors office .............................................. 686-577-1021

COMPUTER SERVICES

csi–computer & satellite installation (See ad on page 35) ................................ 686-577-2928

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT/MANEJO DE CONSTRUCCIÓN Sweitzer Construction Management (See ad on page 36) ..................................686-577-0195Perez Construction (See ad on page 36) .....686-576-0650

COUNSELING-THERAPY/CONSULTA TERAPéUTICA inner connection .......................................... 686-172-8851

DELISunDance Deli (See ad on page 29) ...........686-576-0369

DENTIST/DENTISTA california Dental spa ......................................686-577-0708consultorio Dental Y de ortodoncia ................686-577-6212

DEVELOPMENTS/FRACCIONAMIENTOS el Dorado ranch .......................................... 686-577-0015oasis de cortez ........................................... 760-208-1700 Playa de Oro (See ad on page 36) ..............686-576-0223Playa del Paraiso ................................ 888-647-5292 x 704san rafael ................................................... 686-576-0223

DOCTORS/DOCTORES

Dr. victor Abasolo ............ 686-577-1706 or 686-573-0174

ENTERTAINMENT/ENTRETENIMIENTO name That Tune - Denny flannigan ............... 686-576-1683The singout sisters & chuey (Karaoke) ........ 686-576-0047

EVENT SERVICES/SERVICIOS ACONTECIMIENTO Produciones Baja ......................................... 686-576-1683

FINANCING/FINANCIAMIENTO Baja Lending Company (See ad on page 26 & 36) .. ......................686-576-0653

FILM DEVELOPMENT/IMPRESION DE FOTOSFotografia Alvarez (See ad on page 23) ......686-577-1144

FISHING

Pablo's sport fishing (english spoken) ......... 686-117-6974Azteca Sport Fishing and Tours (See ad on page 32) ................................686-577-0741

FURNITURE/MUEBLERÍA Baja Nueva (See ad on page 18 & 34) ........686-187-7795

GIFTBajaglitz....................................................... 686-175-5420

GOLF/GOLFLas caras de Mexico .................................... 686-576-0517

GRAPHIC DESIGN/DISEñO GRáFICOgreetscape .................................................. 686-188-2393

HATS/SOMBREROSBand It (See ad on page 31) ....................... 686-123-5147

HOME BUILDERS/CONTRATISTAS oscar Parra .................................................. 686-120-6506Perez construction ....................................... 686-236-4927San Felipe Home Builders (See ad on page 34 & 40) ........................686-577-3176

HOME IMPROVEMENTSsan felipe Home improvement ..................... 686-222-4507

IMPORT SERVICES/SE RVICIOS DE IMPORTACIÓNSan Felipe Moving & Storage (See ad on page 26) ...............................686-576-0432

INSURANCEAlani’s Mexican Insurance (See ad on page 4) ..686-577-2464

INTERIOR DESIGN/DISEñO INTERIOR Baja Nueva (See ad on page 18 & 34) ........686-211-4676

san felipe interior Design ............................. 686-577-3176

JEWELRYBaja Treasures (See ad on page 34) ...........686-122-2668

LANDSCAPING/JARDINERÍA Versoleil (See ad on page 34) ..................... 686-576-0664

MASSAGE/MASAJE Casey’s Place (Massage) (See ad on page 34) ..686-577-1431

MEAT MARKETS/CARNECERIAS MERCADOSZsamaniegos carnecerias (Z Market) ............ 686-577-1676

MEDICAL SERVICES/SERVICIOS MéDICOS Ambulance................................................... 686-577-0500Health center .............................................. 686-577-1521red cross .................................................... 686-577-1544Dr. victor Abasolo ............ 686-577-1706 or 686-573-0174

MOVING SERVICESSan Felipe Moving & Storage (See ad on page 26) ................................686-576-0432

OPTOMETRISTS/OPTHAMOLOGISTSCalifornia Optical (See ad on page 31) .......686-577-0708Maxivisionoptical = opticaMaxivision .......... 686-577-0320

PHARMACY/FARMACIABotica “sagrado corazon” ....................................686-577-1294 Santa Fe Pharmacy (See ad on page 4) ......686-576-0546

POLICE/POLICÍA federal Preventive Police ............................. 686-577-1045Police ......................................................... 686-577-1134

POSTAL SERVICES/SERVICIOS POSTALESYet Mail (See ad on page 12) .......................... 686-577-1255SunRunner Mail Center (See ad on page 12) .. 686-147-6752

PRINTERS/IMPRESORAS

Papeleria Copicentro (See ad on page 23) .686-577-1402The Print supplier ......................................... 686-230-9933

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT/MANEJO DE PROPIEDADES

custom vacation Homes .............................. 928-277-6863928-277-7559 & visit www.sanfelipevacations.com redwagon Property services ....................... 686-576-0081

PUBLICATIONS/PUBLICACIONESGringo Gazette (See ad on page 28) ........... 686-111-3692Mexico Living Magazine ............................... 686-577-1377

REAL ESTATE AGENTS/AGENTES DE BIENES RAÍCES Bill Maine ..................................................... 686-231-4921 jim Moore .......................................Mx cell 686-184-9237

REAL ESTATE/BIENES RAÍCESBaja 24/7 construction & real estate (See ad on page 35) ................................ 686-577-6196

REAL ESTATE SERVICES/SERVICIOS DE BIENES RAÍCESBaja closing & escrow services ................... 686-576-0653

RECREATION/RECREACIÓNAerodynamic - Ultralight flights .................... 686-116-2933

SATELLITE TELEVISION & INTERNET/ TELEVISION SATELITALES Y INTERNET

csi - computer & satellite installation........... 686-577-2928

SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS/ ORGANIZACIONES DE SERVICIO

club Las Amigas .......................................... 686-202-0455San Felipe Lions Club (See ad on page 28) ....686-212-3599San Felipe Rotary (See ad on page 12 & 20) ..686-576-0112

SOLARBC Solar Cooking (See ad on page 29) .......686-106-9693

SPECIALTY STORESSea of Cortez Salt (See ad on page 29) ......686-209-0074

STORAGE/ALMACéNSan Felipe Moving & Storage (See ad on page 35)..686-576-0432

TATTOOING/TATUAJESBaja ink spot Tattoo & Body Piercing ............ 686-577-0746

TRANSPORTATION/TRANSPORTACIÓNAirport ......................................................... 686-577-1368Taxi service ................................................. 686-577-1293Bus station ................................................. 686-577-1516

UTILITIES/EMPRESAS DE SERVICIOS PúBLICOS electric (cfe) ................... 686-577-1060 or 686-577-5602 estrella Azul (Water Dispensery) ................... 686-577-1314Propane gas ................................................ 686-577-2373state com. of services Public ...................... 686-556-1383Telnor Phone co ........................................... 686-577-1000Water company ........................................... 686-577-1022

VETERINARY/VETERINARIOZAPP Animal center ..................................... 686-111-1143

WASTE MANAGEMENT/MANEJO DE DESHECHOSan Felipe Disposal (See ad on page 31) ...686-121-1004

SAN FElIPE, BAJA CAlIFORNIAfoot tides, exposing a kilometer or more of ocean floor—one of the largest tidal bores in the world. And directly behind san felipe is sierra san Pedro Martír, the tallest mountains in Baja.

The desert terrain is vast and offers incredible trails and exploration for ATvs, dirt bikes and off-road vehicles. just south of san felipe are extensive sand dunes ideal for buggies and rails.

The valley of the giants, the natural reserve of the thousand-year-old cardon cactus, has become

a major attraction. in addition, san felipe offers great bargain shopping for souvenirs, arts and much more.

san felipe is a small fishing village, situated on the sea of cortez, 118 miles south of the U.s. border, which was historically dependent upon fishing; however, today tourism and real estate provide the economic base. even as it grows into the next century with four-lane highways, it will remain a small fishing village in its heart and soul.

Today, san felipe is maturing into a sophisticated resort community with resorts, luxury condos, fine restaurants, sport fishing and world-class off-road adventures.

The beaches extend north and south with over 50 miles of shoreline to explore, including 23-

MUNICIPAL/MUNICIPALcivil Protection Unit ...................................... 686-577-1433chamber of commerce ................................ 686-577-1104fire Dept/Ambulance .................................... 686-577-1182federal Preventive Police .............................. 686-577-1045immigration office ........................................ 686-577-1083Port captain ................................................. 686-577-1577state judicial Police ..................................... 686-577-1203Tourism Department ..................................... 686-577-1155

DININGAmerican Los Arcos .................................................... 686-577-2585 Baja jimmys ................................................ 686-139-7373Blowin’ Smoke BBQ (See ad on page 27) ....686-576-0710 road runner cafe .........................................686-227-7668 The Beach Bar & grill. ...................................686-577-3144Burgers chilis & Burgers ........................................... 686-577-6196Mexican The Beach Bar and grill. ............................... 686-577-3144 rosita restaurant ........................................ 686-577-1903Pizza Fatboy’s (See ad on page 28) .....................686-577-4092 Los Arcos - Happy Jackass (See ad on page 28) ...............................686-577-2585 rabbit Pizza Delivery .................................... 686-577-0987 sand rail Pizza ............................................ 686-576-0441Steak & Seafood Baja Mar & Taco Factory (See ad on page 27) .. 686-577-2648 Los Arcos .................................................... 686-577-2585 Fine Dining The Sweet Spot (See ad on page 28) ..........686-209-6369 2-Highway 5 KM 183, san felipe, Bc Pavilion Restaurant (See ad on page 28). ...686-577-0022juanitos (el colorado) .................................. 686-133-6500

LODGINGRV Park/Parque de RV club de Pesca .............................................. 686-577-1180Kiki's RV Park on the Beach (See ad on page 30) ...............................686-577-2021Rentals

casey’s Place .............................................. 686-577-1431 rancho del sol ............................................. 686-231-4921 redwagon Property services ....................... 686-576-0081 sandollar condotels ..................................... 686-123-7688su casa elegante ......................................... 686-577-0745Motels/HotelsLa Hacienda de la Langosta roja (See ad on page 30) ............................... 686-577-0483olympia Motel (Los Algodones) .................... 658-517-7347

BUSINESS DIRECTORY (A-Z)

ACCOUNTING/CONTABILIDAD CPE&A Accounting (See ad on page 26) ........686-577-0836

ALTERATIONS/SASTREsan felipe seamstress (vickie silva) ............ 686-175-5420

ARCHITECT/ARQUITECTO rosa Lina ramos Lazcano ........................... 686-184-6172

ARTIST/ARTISTAAndrena joyce ...............e-mail: [email protected] Waters ............................................... 686-115-0526

ADULT CARE/ATENCION DE ADULTOSsan felipe Adult Living facility ...................... 686-576-0661

AUTO RENTALCA Baja Rent-A-Car (See ad on page 25) ...619-470-7368

BAKERY/PANADERÍAPanaderia especial ....................................... 686-577-1902

BANK/BANCOBBvA Bancomer ........................................... 686-577-2224 silvia elizabeth Urbea, Preferred customer’s Unit ext. 13

BANDS/BANDASAgave Blues ................................................. 686-184-9237

BARS/CLUBSThe Beach Bar and grill ................................ 686-577-3144

{WElCOME TO BAJA}{WElCOME TO BAJA}


Mulegé is situated at the mouth of the río SantaRosalía(26°53´17˝N111°58´53˝W),inthe state of Baja california sur, 38 miles south of santa rosalia, at the mouth of Bahía de concepción. in 2005, the reported population was 3,317.

nestled between two hills in a lush tropic palm oasis divided by a shaded river that runs towards an estuary that flows to the sea, Mulegé is rich in history with lots of great sites to see, including the Misión santa rosalía de Mulegé, founded in 1705; the old state penitentiary, finished in 1907; and the sierra de guadalupe cave paintings.

outdoor activities abound, from mountain biking, scuba diving and kayaking to deep

MUlEGé, BAJA CAlIFORNIA SUR

Bcs Photo

BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

sea fishing. The cold northern current and the warm southern current come together to create an environment great for catching some of the 100 different species of fish in the Mulegé waters.

By land, Mulegé is 650 miles south of the san Diego/Tijuana border crossing on Mexican Highway 1, and in 2010, via Highway 5 through san felipe.

By Air, Mulegé is served by three airstrips: Hotel serenidad Airstrip (el gallito), the Mulegé Municipal and Punta san Pedro. regional flights are available at the Palo verde Airport, and international flights are available at the Loreto Airport.

MUNICIPAL/MUNICIPALHealth center / issste ................................... 615-153-0298judicial Police .............................................. 615-153-0049Mexican red cross .........................615-153-0280 / 30110 Municipal Delegation ...................................615-15-3-0049 state Tourism ............................................... 615-124-0199 Taxi service ................................................. 615-153-0420Traffic Department ....................................... 615-153-0049

LODGINGRV oasis rio Baja ..............................................615-153-0425 villa Maria isabel rv Park ..............................615-153-0246Hotel Hotel serenidad .............................................615-153-0530 Mulegé Hotel .................................................615-153-0090

San Ignacio

MUNICIPAL/MUNICIPALfire Department ........................................... 613-135-1566immigration ................................................. 613-135-1266

DININGBreakfast cafe sagitario ...............................................613-135-0718 Mexican1697 ............................................................ 613-135-2538SeafoodAugie’s Bar & Bait shop ............................... 613-135-1224

LODGINGRV Park/Parque de RV rivera del Mar .............................................. 613-135-0718MotelMotel el Dorado ....................................686-613-135-1500 HotelHotel coco cabana .......................................613-135-1729 La Damiana inn .............................................613-135-0356 Las cabanas de Loreto ..................................613-135-1105 Tripui Hotel ....................................................613-133-0818Rentals coco-cabanas.............................................. 613-135-1729 el Tiburon casitas ................................ Us (805) 748-4566 Hamman’s vacaciones ................................. 613-135-0791rentals Loreto .............................................. 613-135-2505stay in Loreto............................................... 613-135-0791Loreto Islas (see ad on page 27)

Holland America Cruise Ship 2010 ScheduleApril 29 • 8 a.m. – 5 p.m

When in need of an ambulance, please call the Police number first (they will dispatch the call) and then the Fire Department number. Police number is 135-0035 or 135-0036. By following this procedure, you can be assured of being assisted.

lORETO, BAJA CAlIFORNIA SURLoreto, founded in 1697 by jesuit

missionaries, was the first spanish settlement on the east coast of the Baja california peninsula. Loreto, situated on the sea of cortez, 26º00’46” n 111º20’36” W, served as the capital of the province of Las californias from its founding until the capital was moved to Monterey on february 3, 1777.

The 2005 census reported a population of 10,283. Today Loreto is a tourist resort, catering mostly to U.s. travelers, with daily flights from california arriving at Loreto international Airport. Many of the American

tourists enjoy fishing in “pangas” for “dorado” (Mahi-mahi or Dolphin fish). Local restaurants will even prepare the daily catch of the tourists. Loreto has an excellent museum alongside the historic, but still active, parish. The spanish fathers found a steady spring of fresh water on this site.

Loreto’s climate is hot and humid, with abundant sunshine (desert with some rainfalls in summer). The medium temperature is 76 degrees fahrenheit. The temperatures are hot from june through october. These summer days have highs around 93 degrees fahrenheit and high humidity.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY (A-Z)AIRPORT

Loreto international Airport ........................... 613-135-0565

BANKS / BANCOBancomer .................................................... 613-135-0739

BOOKSTORESEl Cadallo Blanco (See ad on page 4) ......... 613-116-5374

BUSLoreto Bus Terminal ..................................... 613-135-0767

DELIDalí, gourmet store .......................................613-135-2477 stock up your boat or house with the best products; meats, dairies all types of groceries and fresh baguettes. Benito juarez s/n, col. centro, Loreto Bcs [email protected]

HOME DECÓR

Gecko's Curios (See ad on page 34) ........... 613-135-2505

JELEWRY:Silver Desert (see ad on page 4) ................613-135-0684

MEDICALAmbulance................................................... 613-135-1566Hospital ....................................................... 613-135-0039issTe .......................................................... 613-135-0730red cross .................................................... 613-135-1111

REAL ESTATEAlexander Real Estate (See ad on page 36) ... 613-135-0212

TOURISMLoreto Tourism office ....................................613-135-0411



GD

LA PAZ DOWNTOWN

MUNICIPAL/MUNICIPALfire Department ............................................612-122-0054La Paz Tourism office ....................................612-124-0278Museum of Anthropology ..............................612-122-0162Port captain ..................................................612-122-0243

DININGcafe capri .....................................................624-123-3737gorilla’s grill1 ...............................................612-128-8095

LODGINGHotelsLa concha Beach resort ..............................612-121-6344Los Arcos ....................................................612-122-2744Marina Hotel ................................................612-121-6254Mediterrane ..................................................612-125-1195 seven crown Hotel .......................................612-128-7787

BUSINESS DIRECTORY (A-Z)FERRY SERVICE

Baja ferries ...................................................612-125-7443

lA PAz, BAJA CAlIFORNIA SURLa Paz (“The Peace”) is the capital city

of Baja california sur located at 24.1405°n 110.3123°Wand is an important commercial center. its surrounding municipality, which is the fourth-largest municipality in Mexico in geographical size, in 2005 reported a population of 219,596 living on 7,828.2 square miles of land.

La Paz is typically dry and warm with averages of 75–77 degrees fahrenheit, and 300 days or better of sunshine annually. summer months are often in the 90’s and can be humid. The winter months can drop below 60, but stays mostly in the mid-60’s. During the summer the cooling coromuel winds, a weather phenomenon unique

to the La Paz area, blow from Bahia de La Paz keeping the temperature mild.

By Air, La Paz is served by Manuel Márquez de León international Airport with flights to the U.s., Mexico city, guadalajara and Monterrey. Two ferry services operate from Pichilingue outside the city, connecting the Baja california peninsula to the mainland at Mazatlán and Topolobampo.

By road, La Paz is served mainly by two highways, Highway 1 that links the south of the state from cabo san Lucas to the north of the peninsula until Tijuana, and Highway 19, which connects La Paz with the population of the south Pacific towns like Todo santos and el Pescadero.

GOVERNMENTseMATUr .....................................................612-125-8899Baja california sur state government ............612-124-0199La Paz Post office

HOME DECORRicky Ricardo’s Home Furnishings (See ad on page 34) .................................612-145-0379

POLICEcity Police .....................................................612-122-4692green Angels ................................................612-125-9677fed. judicial Police ........................................612-125-2665Highway Patrol ...................612-12203-69 & 612-122-5735state jud. Police ................612-122-6610 & 612-122-1399

MEDICALcruz roja 065 or ...........................................612-122-1222isssTe Hospital ............................................612-122-2789iMss Hospital ...............................................612-122-7377salvatierra Hospital .............612-122-1496 & 612-1221596

REAL ESTATE SERVICESomni services ..............................................612-123-4888

TODOS SANTOS, BAJA CAlIFORNIA SURThe mission nuestra señora del Pilar de

La Paz was founded by father jaime Bravo in 1723. This mission contains the statue of the virgin of Pilar, which is the focus of the town’s main festival in october.

More recently, there has been an increase in tourist activity and a boom in real estate development. Handicraft shops, art galleries, upscale restaurants, boutique hotels and restored colonial buildings have contributed to the gentrification and redevelopment of the town.

There are many beautiful beaches within a 30-minute drive. Playa Las Palmas and Playa Los cerritos are great beaches for swimming and shell collecting, and Los cerritos attracts surfers from around the world.

named “Pueblo Mágico” in 2006, Todos santos is a small coastal town at the foothills of the sierra de la Laguna Mountains, on the Pacific coast of the Baja california Peninsula, about an hour’s drive north of cabo san Lucas and an hour south from La Paz. Located at 23°26´56˝N 110°13´32˝W, Todos Santosis very near the Tropic of cancer in the municipality of La Paz. The population was 4,078 at the census of 2005.

During the 19th century Todos santos thrived as the Baja sugarcane capital. now the rich farmlands have been reworked and the town prospers from an abundance of avocado, vegetable and chili farming, papaya and mango orchards, fishing and ranching.

MUNICIPAL/MUNICIPALHospital ....................................................... 612-145-0095Mayor .......................................................... 612-145-0365Post office ................................................... 612-145-0330 state Police .................................................. 612-145-0198

BUSINESS DIRECTORY (A-Z)ART GALLERIES

contemporary Mexican Art ............................612-145-0215charles stewart gallery/studio ......................612-145-0265colores de Mexico ........................................612-145-0106ezra Katz gallery ...........................................612-137-3473galeria Arturo ...............................................612-145-0773galeria de Kathleen gambogi .........................612-145-0460galeria La Poza .............................................612-145-0400galeria n. e. Hayles .......................................612-145-0183galeria on-ce Photography ............................612-145-0550galeria Wall ...................................................612-145-0527Jill Logan Galerîa (See ad on page 34) .......612-145-0151La Polilla ..................................................01-331-255-7965Michael cope ................................................612-145-0500Wendy faith, artist in glass ............................612-145-0255

HOME DECORRicky Ricardo’s Home Furnishings (See ad on page 34) .................................612-145-0379

SHOPPINGcactus Arte Mexicano ...................................612-145-0771casa juanita .................................................612-140-0069La canada del Diablo Muebles rusticos ........612-140-0069curios Tony ...................................................612-145-0356el Perico Azul ................................................612-145-0538fenix de Todos santos ...................................612-145-0808galeria santa fe ............................................612-145-0301Mangos ........................................................612-145-0451Manos Mexicanas .........................................612-145-0538regalos Diana-Dos glorias ............................612-145-0324Uguet Tiles and Marble ..................................612-127-2776Hotel california emporium .............................612-145-0525

REAL ESTATEKing Y Asociados ..........................................624-151-5840Amerimex .....................................................612-145-0050Maya roca ...................................................612-145-0464Milagro real estate .......................................612-145-0219Moniely real estate .......................................612-145-0540Pescadero Properties ....................................612-145-0756ricardo Amigo real estate ...........................612-145-0551

Santos Degoliado Ave.

Oscar Verdugo

Camino de la Poza

Punta Abreojos

Baja

Califo

rnia

Rafae

l Pedra

jo

Agustin O

lachea

Radio Antenna

Raul A. C

arrillo

Benito Ju

arez

Colegio

Milit

ar

Miguel Hidalgo

Alvaro Obregon

M. Marquez de LeonJose Maria Morelos Pavon

Av. Ignacio Zaragoza

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Todos Santos



MUNICIPAL/MUNICIPALfire Department ........................................... 624-143-9000United states consular Agency emergency 24hrs. ............ 619-692-2154 or 624-143-3566

DININGAmericanApplebee’s ....................................................624-172-6472AsianBaan Thai Pan Asian restaurant and Bar........624-142-3344Burgers & MoreBaja Brewing company .................................624-146-9995cactus jack's Bar and grill ............................624-142-5601Die Trying cafe..............................................624-142-5657Coffee & Baked correcaminos cafe .......................................624-142-3510InternationalLocal eight restaurant...................................624-142-6655Havana supper club ......................................624-142-2603Italian & PizzaBuon Appetito .................... ...........................624-142 4040La Dolce italian restaurant ............................624-142-6621MexicanDon emiliano restaurant ...............................624-142-0266casianos restaurant ..................................... 624 142 5928Brisa Beach club and restaurant .....................624-142-244Habanero's restaurant ..................................624-142-2626jazmin restaurant .........................................624-142-1760SeafoodLa Panga Antigua restaurant and Bar ............624-142-4041SteakLa Bodega steak and Wine House .................624-142-6619

SAN JOSE DEl CABO, BAJA CAlIFORNIA SURnighttime entertainment you seek. or you can just relax on one of our many pristine white sand beaches.

for nature lovers, a beautiful protected estuary with a variety of fish, turtles, dolphins, exotic marine animals and over 100 species of birds is located on the southeast edge of the city. And the historic artist colony of Todos santos is an easy one-hour drive to the north, along the scenic Pacific ocean.

Local residents take pride in restoring the town’s 18th century architecture and preserving its quiet, laid-back ambiance.

san josé del cabo is located in Baja california sur and is the seat of the municipality of Los cabos at the south end of the Baja california peninsula. in the 2005 census it had a population of 48,518. Together with neighboring cabo san Lucas it forms a major tourist destination for travelers, particularly from north America. The two cities are served by Los cabos international Airport.

san josé del cabo offers you tranquility and old world charm, wonderful gift shops showcasing the art of Mexico, fabulous restaurants, fishing, golf, surfing and all the

Blvd

. Ant

onio

Mija

res

PG

PGSan Jose del Cabo

Sea of Cortez

To Cabo San Lucas

Paseo Malecon San Jose

Mayan Resort Golf Course

Blvd

. Mau

ricio

Cas

tro

Paseo de Los Cabos

Paseo de Las Misiones

Valerio Gonzalez Conseco

Ave. Centenario

LODGINGHotel Baja vacations. ............................................ 877-462-2226Barcelo Hotels and resort ..........................(624) 146-7500cabo surf Hote ............................................ 624-142-2666Desire resort & spa..................................... 624-142-9300Hotel Las Pescadores ................................... 624-121-8786Posada chabela ........................................... 624-172-6495Posada real Best Western .......................... 624-142 - 0155suites Las Palmas ........................................ 624-142-2131

BUSINESS DIRECTORY (A-Z)DENTISTS

cabo cosmetic DentaL ..................................624-143-0520

GOLF/MARINA TO REAL ESTATE/BIENES RAÍCEScao riviera – Margaret Hedges .....................624-191-9303

MEDICALred cross .....................................................624-143-3300emergencies .................................................624-144-3434Hospital ........................................................624-143-7777cape Air and Land first response Ambulance ... 624-143-5900centro Medico cabo san Lucas.....................624-143-9727

NURSEYjungle cactus (See ad on page 34) ............. 624-122-0324

POLICEPolice cabo san Lucas ..................................624-143-0057

TREAMENT & RECOVERYrehab in Mexico .................................. +52 818-331-0911


DOWNTOWNLOS BARRILES B.C.S.

San Jose d

el Cab

o -->

<-- La Paz

Calle Los Barriles

20 de N

oviemb

re

<-- Punta Pescadero

lOS BARRIlES, BAJA CAlIFORNIA SURLos Barriles is a quaint little town 45 minutes

north of the san jose Del cabo Airport and 65 miles south of the La Paz Airport, and only a 90-minute drive from the hustle and bustle of cabo san Lucas.

The consistent winds and beautiful, white sandy beaches make Los Barriles a hot spot for water and wind enthusiasts from late november until early March. one of the top Wind surfing and Kite Boarding destinations

in the world, Los Barriles offers postcard-perfect beaches and a couple of small, well maintained hotels ready to serve the needs of Baja travelers.

in addition to wind and water sports, Los Barriles is considered the Bill fishing capital of the world. During the summer months the area offers exceptional fishing for Marlin, sailfish, Dorado, Tuna and Wahoo.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY (A-Z)FISHING

Hotel Los Pescadores ......................................... 624-121-8786HOTEL

Hotel Los Pescadores ......................................... 624-121-8786

JEWELRYCopper River Designs (See ad on page 34) . 624-159-4780

RV ParkParaiso del Mar rv Park ................................624-355-5782

SALONNaty Salon (See ad on page 4) .................... 624-141-0346


Rosarito Beach, BCD’Groomer DogLa Bamba 50’s DinerMagañas RestaurantTo the Top ElevatorsClick-On MailBobby’s By the SeaR.B. Hotel Coffee ShopBaja Open HouseBaja MartWhale’s Tail DeliMedio Camino RestaurantInCare Casa El JardínBaja MedixConsultorio DentalRosarito-EnsenadaAlternative HealthcareFoxplorationCentro Turístico PopotlaSusanna's (btw El Nido & Sr.Froggs)Hotel Festival PlazaHotel Brisas del Mar.Buffet Ortega's RestaurantRosarito Beach HotelRestaurantr Rene's

Ensenada, BCBaja Country ClubEl Rey Sol HotelEl Rey Sol RestaurantCasaMar RestaurantHappy PharmacySteven Dryden - contactHotel St. IsabelTourism Office

San Felipe, BCAmor PropertyBaja NuevaBar MiramarBotica Sagrado CorazonCasey’s PlaceCharley @ southChumpos PizzaCSIDr JasonEl PelicanoFatBoysJackassLa VaquitaLillyAna’sPDO Beach BarRancho OtroRiviera LiquorsSan Felipe LiquorsSanta Fe PharmacySundanceSunrunnerYetMail

El RosarioCactus Hotel

CatavinaDesert Inn

San Quintin, BCEl Jardin Restaurant/Bar/Hotel

Get the Guide At:San Ignacio, BCSRice & Beans ResturantIgnacio Springs B&B

Mulege, BCSHotel SerenidadHotel HaciendaMely's RestaurantHotel MulegéLas Terrazas HotelLavamatica MulegéCarlos' InternetLos Equipales RestaurantRice & Beans &

More RestaurantLas Casitas Bar/Restaurant/

HotelAsadero Danny'sInternet MinitaEl Patron Bar & RestaurantPancho Villa's Bar

& RestaurantSaul's La TiendaEl Mesquite BarScott's El Candil Bar &

RestaurantTaco shop( (behind Hotel

Hacienda)La Palapa RestaurantTienda Vista AzulRestaurant Bar Del CortezMini Market GùeraCarmelita's RestaurantAna's Restaurant/Bar

(la playa Santispac)Bertha's Restaurant & Bar

(la play el Burro)

Loreto, BCSCoco CabanasHotel TipuiSilver ShopLa DaminanaLoreto IslasTiburon RentalsRentals LoretoGecko CuriosDali'sAlexander Real EstateMita GourmetEl Dorado MotelJuice GuyAugie'sMission HotelOasis HotelDesert InnRivera del Mar RV

La Paz, BCSHacinda del SolLand's End RealtyOMNI ServicesKettle CornTailhuntersLos Gaviotas HotelRancho ViejoTequilasToscano Pizza Gourmet

Corey ToursGorilla's GrillBaja ChallengeRickey Ricardos

Los Barriles, BCSBaja Beach InvenstmentsHome and Land of BajaGisela Talamantes Saenz,LLM Attorney at LawC & G BuildersBahia Real EstateBaja PropertiesParaiso del Mar RV ParkColdwell BankerHotel Los PescadoresTia Pablo's Grill & TiendaGaleria de LunaSea

San Jose del Cabo, BCSAngel´s Touch DentalColdwell BankerBlue MedicalNetLand's End RealtyHabenero's GrillPasquales PizzariaMi EnseladaDental Cabo CenterLa Fonda RestaurantDie Trying CaboTequila BoutiqueDream Home Real EstateCentury 21Shooter BarCabo RiveriaBaja PropertiesCabo CoffeeVilla ValentinaCynthia's Restaurant

Todos Santos, BCSAmeriMex RealtyLas Fuentes Bar & GrillA.Paraiso RealtyColdwell BankerVacation RentalsCentro CulturalJill Logan GalleryZen Garden RestaurantIl Giardino PizzariaMuseo de BarrioGaleria de HaylesMiguels RestaurantBodega Lizzarga MarcadoRickey Ricardo's GalleryCabo Linda Real EstateHotel California

Cabo San Lucas, BCSHappy Endings BarWild Canyon AdventuresCabo Cosmetic DentalCape RealtyRestaurant Mi CasaDoc wine barMama's Roal CafeHotel Mar de CortezPancho's Restaurant

www.mexicolivingguide.com – No. 34 March / marzo 2010

■ Turn Your Home & Garden Into Paradise

Home and Garden business profiles

■ Baja Fashion

From Tijuana to Cabo San

Lucas, Baja transcends the

international market

■ Mexico’s Socorro Island

One of the best diving spots on

Earth!

■ Baja’s Saltwater

Scorpion

This venomous fish offers

a gourmet delicacy

■ Are You Safe?

New reports reveal that Mexico

is as safe or safer than the U.S.

Baja’s Biggest

Blues Festival—Changing Lives Through Music & ArtBaja’s Biggest

Blues Festival—

www.mexicolivingguide.com – No. 33 February / febrero 2010

Plus:

■ Foul Play or Just a Runaway . . . The Mysterious Disappearance

of Karen Wright

■ La Bufadora

An absolute “must-see”

wonder of the world—just

20 miles south of Ensenada

■ Return of the Condor

Close to extinction, North

America’s largest flying bird

returns to Mexico

■ Remembering Tony Reyes

The passing of a Baja

fishing legend

4th Anniversary

Edition

Carnaval 20102010

No. 31 - www.mexicolivingguide.com

FREE

TAKE ONE

■ Holiday Traditions ■ Unique Gift Ideas ■ Shopping in Baja ■

December / diciembre 2009

Plus:

■ Mexico: Gold’s Next Powerhouse Player■ Snorkeling in the Underwater Playgrounds of Pacific Baja & the Sea of Cortez

Christmas in Baja

Baja News & Entertainment

No. 32 - www.mexicolivingguide.com

January / enero 2010

Plus:■ The Origins of New Year’s Resolutions Page 31

■ Assisted Living in Mexico Health & Beauty

■ Banking Basics in Baja Page 25

■ Hell No, I Won’t Go! People & Voices

Baja News & Entertainment


CABO SAN lUCAS, BAJA CAlIFORNIA SURcabo san Lucas has the largest Marlin

tournament in the world. in the winter, pods of whales can be observed in the ocean bearing their calves in the warm waters.

served by the Los cabos international Airport for general aviation flights and air taxi service, the town is also a popular port of call for many cruise ships.

exclusive hotels and gated residential communities attract the rich and famous in this wondrous region known as “The corridor.” considered some of Latin America’s top resorts, many of these properties have become havens to Hollywood stars, fortune 500 ceos and even the U.s. president during the 2002 Asia-Pacific economic conference (APec).

cabo san Lucas (aka Los cabos or san josé del cabo in Mexico, and cabo in the U.s.) is at the southern tip of the Baja california peninsula at 22.88°n 109.90°W, in the state of Baja california sur. As of the 2005 census, the population was 56,811. it is the largest community in Los cabos, and the second-largest in Baja california sur.

The warmth of the waters, the beauty of its beaches, the abundance of fish, the raucous party atmosphere, a resort studded Tourist corrider that stretcuhes between the twin towns of cabo san Lucas and san josé del cabo in miles of pristine white beaches, and other qualities is quickly making cabo san Lucas a highend vacation destination.

MUNICIPAL/MUNICIPALAmbulance........................ 066-624-142-0316 (red cross)consumer Affairs (Profeco) La Paz 01 .......... 612-122-8088fire Dept ...........................................068 or 624-142-2466Taxis .....624-142-0580 or 624-142-0105 or 624-142-0401

DININGMexicanPanchos .......................................................624-143-2891 Ay... chihuahua .............................................624-143-3280Baja cantina ..................................................624-143-0225Margaritaville ................................................624-143-7401Mi casa ........................................................624-143-1933restaurant Pancho’s & Tequila Bar ................624-143-2891SeafoodLa golondrina ...............................................624-143-0542Lorenzillo’s ...................................................624-105-0212The Blue Turtle ..............................................624-143-1118villa serena ...................................................624-145-8244InternationalPeacocks ......................................................624-143-1858

LODGINGHotel Bahia Hotel ......................................... .........624-143-1888Best Western cabo Las flores Hotel ........... 624-143-6199casa Pablito ........................................ .........624-143-1971Hotel and Plaza Los Arcos ........................... 624-143-0702Mar de cortez Hotel ............................ .........624-143-0032siesta suites Hotel .............................. .........624-143-2773

BUSINESS DIRECTORY (A-Z)CITY

chamber of commerce .................................624-143-0437family Protection ..........................................624-143-0586gas Leaks .....................................................624-143-1292

FISHING CHARTERsolmar v (See ad on page 33) ......................866-591-4906

MARINEHarbor Master ...............................................624-143-4771

MEDICALAlcoholics Anonymous ..................................624-147-5516Ambulances ..................................................624-143-4020social security Hospital .................................624-143-1548 Health center ................................................624-143-0102red cross .....................................................624-143-3300

POLICE

federal Highway Police..................................624-146-0573Municipal Police ............................................624-142-0361Police san jose del cabo ..............................624-142-0361Traffic Police .................................................624-142-3748state Police ...................................................624-143-0296 Highway Patrol ..............................................624-143-3977 federal Police ................................................624-143-1210

REAL ESTATECabo Riviera - Margaret Hedges (See ad on page 37) ................................624-191-9303

TREAMENT & RECOVERYrehab in Mexico ............................... Mx 01-800-724-0911

Mal

econ

PuertoParaiso

Mall

PlazaBonita Boat Ramp

CaboWabo

Casa de la Cultura

Musuem

Customs Office (Aduana)

ATM

ATM

ATM

ATM

ATM

ATM

ATMATM

ATM

CaboMaritime

Center

HotelTesoro

Los Cabos

Plaza de la Danza

PlazaNautica

Plazadel Sol

Hotel Mar de

Cortez

ATM

ATM

PlazaVillade

Mexico

(under construction)

Blvd

. Mar

ina

Blvd

. Mar

ina

Blvd

. Mar

ina

L. Cár

denas

Cabo San Lucas

Miguel H

ildago

Ninos Heroes

Vincente Guerrero


MailbagFISHING MEMORIES

Being an avid fisherman, i just wanted to tell you that the article by Tom gatch, “Baja Bacalao,” which appeared in your january edition, brought back many fond memories of my younger years as a fisherman. i can no longer get out as much as i want, nor do as much as i used to, but i do still enjoy talking about it and reading fine tales. i hope you print more articles such as this in your magazine.

—Tony Peters, Baja california

Tony, I have to agree—Tom Gatch

definitely has a way with words. If you haven’t read the March edition, you may want to check out Tom’s “Baja’s Saltwater Scorpion: Saga of the Sculpin.” And, you don’t want to miss his article this month. Tom tells me that pargo is fabulous!

GREAT INFO january issue: great as usual. “The gypsy

journal”: i almost got to the question of can i

drive to san filipe on Highway 1 from Loreto. i’m told it is worth a drive, but i want to have a look. Your maps show the road stops at Puertocito and some maps show various dirt roads continuing further south; any recommendations?

february: More great info! “Mother to be,” you get married first and then get pregnant, especially with language, cultural and perhaps religious differences. The traditional Mexican man has no respect for women, though it is changing slowly. Look elsewhere for a solid relationship.

“centavo’s Two cents”: i concur with Penny, and after 37 years in media, i’m really good at mime (even with a Mexican wife who speaks no tech spanish) and entertain at the same time, and we all have a laugh.

La Huerita, good on ya!!!—joe Wachter, Loreto

Joe, thank you for all of the kudos. As you

know, I’ve already sent you information on the drive from Loreto to San Felipe. I’ve also passed along your input to “Mother To Be,” and your compliments to Penny Nask and La Huerita.

WHY? i’m just curious as to why some letters to the

editor, or as you refer to it “Mailbag,” contain the full name and city, and others do not. Why is that?

—vicki nutter, north carolina

Vicki, great question! Well, as you already

know, when you sent me your question, I replied back to you with the answer; but, in addition, I asked if I could use your full name and asked you where you live. If you had answered that you would prefer that I/we not give your full name and the city you hail from, we would respect your privacy and not print that information. This policy is not limited to just the “letters,” but also to the “OP-ED,” Reader Connection page or any other correspondence where a reader would prefer to remain semi-anonymous. In addition, if WE think that it would be in the reader’s best interest to remain anonymous, we will not print their last name or city.

Contributors Mexico Living is only possible through

the continued contributions from all these knowledgeable and talented people. if you would like to become a contributor, email [email protected].

george Bergin, steve Dryden, Benjamin eugene, steven forman, Tom gatch, Bob Ham, Lynn Hamman, stockton Hill, La Huerita, Lucy e. jackson, graham Mackintosh, David Mandich, Dann Manz, Alexa verdugo Morgan, Karri Moser, Penny nask, greg niemann, john Pack, rachel Pack, Lynn russ, Lisa shannon, june snow, cai Tierra and robin Waters.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Featured Contributor:

ToM gATcH

over the past decade, Hooked on Baja author, Tom gatch, has built a solid repu-tation as one of the foremost authors and photographers focusing on outdoor and rec-reational topics in southern california and the Baja california peninsula. Tom’s widely read “south of the Border” column and articles appear in each edition of The Log, socal’s #1 Boating & fishing newspaper, and his popular “Hooked on Baja” column is published in the Baja Times, Baja norte’s oldest english lan-guage newspaper.

Tom is also a seasoned restaurant reviewer, whose mouthwatering descriptions of popular regional restaurants have provocatively stimu-lated the appetite of many a reader. His com-pany, eL PUerTo creative consultants s.A. de c.v. provides professional copywriting and creative support for entities in both the United states and Baja california.

Both he and his wife, photographer Lynn gatch, are full-time Baja california residents, and live just south of the city of ensenada.

As always, we’re interested in your HonesT feedback. so, send your opinions and comments to [email protected]. Letters may be edited for length and content. Make sure to visit us online or pick up a copy of next month’s edition to find out what others reALLY THinK!

Send Us Feedback

Have a humorous or creative picture of you and your guide to the good life? Email your photo to [email protected] and show the world!

Jesus Felix of Baja Cummins in La Paz, Baja California Sur., enjoys practicing his English while reading the guide.

. . . .

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contrary to popular belief, it’s not that easy to learn spanish just by living in Mexico. if you want to communicate with locals and enhance your language skills, you have to make an effort.

The easiest way to learn is to start with little chunks at a time. To assist you, each month we will provide just a few nouns, verbs, conjunctions, phrases, road signs, etc. in addition, the Pronunciation guide for vowels and consonants will be available in each issue.

As well as practicing the words and phrases every day, be sure to get out and talk to locals. Talking with natives . . . in spanish! . . . will assist you with proper pronunciation and tone, and enhance your listening and speaking skills. if you practice the information given in each edition every day, you’ll see a dramatic improvement in your spanish skills in no time.

¡Hasta luego!

Spanish 101

PRONUNCIATION VOWELS a - like a in father e - like e in ten i - like ee in see o - like o in rose u - like oo in shoot; silent following q or g,

except when written with an umlaut (ü) ai, ay - like y in try au - like ow in cow ei, ey - like ay in day ie - like ye in yellow oi, oy - like oy in boy

CONSONANTS b - b and v are the same; at the beginning of

a word or after m or n, like an english b without a strong puff of breath; otherwise intermediate between an english b and an english v.

c - before a, o, u, and any consonant but h, like k in kitten; before e or i, like s in sit.

cc - like cc in accept d - at the beginning of a word or after n or l,

like english d without strong puff of breath; otherwise, like a softer th in this.

g - when followed by e or i, like h in hit; otherwise like g in gold.

h - silent j - like h in hot; ll - like y in yes q - like k in kite, followed by ue or ui (u is

silent) r - at the beginning of a word or before

a pause at the end of a word, like rr; otherwise like dd in ladder.

rr - with a pronounced trill ü - like ny in canyon v - same as b x - like english x; in words derived from

native American languages, sometimes pronounced like h in hit (Mexico)

y - standing alone, like spanish i; otherwise like spanish ll

z - in Latin America, like s in sit

ADJECTIVES aquel - that (over there) alguno - some, someone (pron) bueno - good cierto - certain, sure, truecada - each, every

ADVERBSademás - also, as well, besides ahí - there ahora - now allí - there, over there antes - before

CONJUNCTIONSaunque - although, even thoughcomo - like, as cuando - when donde - where mientras - while, whereas; as long as

NOUNSaño - year casa - house caso - case, occasion parte - part, portion cosa - thing

PREPOSITIONSa - to, at ante - before, in the presence of bajo - under, underneath contra - against, opposite con - with

PRONOUNSalgo - something, somewhat cuál - which? cual - which, who, whom él / ellos - he / them eso - that

VERBS regular verb conjugations: Present (when it is happening now) PERSON Hablar - to talk comer - to eat vivir - to live “AR” “ER” “IR” i - (+o) hablo - i talk; i am talking como vivo yo you (friend/child) - (+s) hablas comes vives tú he, she, you - (+ ) habla come vive él, ella, usted we - (+mos) hablamos comemos vivimos nosotros, nosotras they, you all - (+n) hablan comen viven ellos, ellas, ustedes abrir - to open preguntar - to ask bailar - to dance buscar - to look for caminar - to walk

COMMON PHRASESMy name is... Me llamo... What's your name? ¿cómo te llamas? How are you? ¿cómo está?Fine, thanks, and you? Bien, gracias. ¿Y

usted?

I'm lost. estoy perdido(a).Thanks for your help. gracias por su ayuda.Hello/Hi! Hola/Qué tal! Good morning/Good afternoon. Buenos

días/Buenas tardes.Good evening/Good night. Buenas noches.

ROAD SIGNS ACOTAMIENTO - soft shoulders ALTO - stop AREA DE DESCANSO - rest Area ASCENSO Y DESCENSO DE PEAJE A 100 m -

Toll Booth Barrier Ahead in 100 m CALLE SIN SALIDA - Dead end CAMELLON CENTRAL - center Divider CAMINO CERRADO - road closed CAMINO SINUOSO - Winding road CARRIL IZQUIERDO SOLO PARAREBASAR - Left lane only for Passing CARRIL LATERAL SOLO POR VEHICULOSLIGEROS - Laterals only for Light vehicles CASETA DE COBRO - Toll Booth CEDA EL PASO AL PEATON - give Way to

Pedestrians

CON LLUVIA DISMINUYA SU VELOCIDAD - in rain reduce Your speed

CON NEBLINA ENCIENDA SUS LUCES - in fog Turn on Lights

CONCEDA CAMBIO DE CIERRE SU ESCAPE - close Muffler By-Pass

CONCEDA CAMBIO DE LUCES - Dim Your Lights Approaching Traffic

CONSERVE LIMPIO BAJA CALIFORNIA - Keep Baja california clean

CONSERVE SU DISTANCIA - Keep Your Distance

CONSERVE SU DERECHA - Keep to Your right

CRUCE DE ESCOLARES - school crossing


{NEWS}{NEWS}

“Water is worth more than gold” is the rallying cry that has worked to halt, at least temporarily so, the Paredones Amarillos open pit gold mine project. The residents of Baja california sur have opposed vista gold corporation's plan to obtain the permits and rights to extract gold from the La Paz area. The proposed site is also close enough to the sierra de la Laguna Biosphere reserve to be of cause for concern.

on february 22, 2010, vista gold corporation was denied the application for a change of forest Land Use Permit. The Mexican secretariat of environmental and natural resources (seMArnAT) denied the application to the vista gold corporation's Mexican subsidiary Minera Paredones Amarillos. The reason given by the agency for the denial cites insufficient information given as to the mines effect on biodiversity and erosion in the area, amongst other issues with the application. vista gold corporation does not agree with the reasons for the dismissal and they plan to amend the application, address any of the specific concerns and re-apply for the permits to begin the process.

vista gold corporation contends the Paredones Amarillos open pit gold mine site will meet all safety and environmental regulations. They state they will use environmentally sensitive mining techniques. They also say the mine will create many jobs for the area. vista gold corporation cites the potential to create 400 construction jobs and 300 mining positions. They have also proclaimed plans to create a foundation for health care support and education in the Baja california sur area if they do begin to mine the area.

Public opposition to any plan to mine gold in the Baja area has been growing steadily as the local population has become educated about open pit mining and the potential dangers to the area. There are several ways to mine gold from the earth. open pit mines are commonly cited as one of the most environmentally destructive methods. it basically involves blasting away massive amounts of the earth and creating a large open pit. in fact, some of these open pits throughout the world can actually be seen from space due to their size and overall disturbance of the natural environment. The pits most resemble open sores

or ulcers on the earth’s surface.

one particular open gold mining pit that can be seen from space is the Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana. it was a working mine from 1955 to1982. The 1,780-foot pit now contains 900 feet of contami-nated water. The water is contaminated with arsenic, sulfuric acid, cadmium, and other acids and minerals. The contaminated water

is actually compared to the chemical makeup of battery acid. There is a real and undeniable possibility that this will eventually contaminate the surrounding waterways. some of these mines are left open and contaminated forever after all the gold is gone.

Water contamination is not the only concern when it comes to open pit gold mining. The natural landscape is literally stripped and blasted away. This means everything, plant and animal life, is also stripped away. The water table, plant life and natural levels of biodiversity are altered entirely. Because of the amount of water that needs to be brought in for operation, desalination often accompanies the mining process. The amount of water needing desalination for the mine to operate has the potential to disrupt and negatively impact the sea turtle and whale habitat in the Baja area.

Any open pit mining operation in the area will also encroach on the buffer zone of the sierra de la Laguna Biosphere reserve. This area provides a lot of the water supply for the Baja california sur area, along with being a major source of pine and oak. This particular area is recognized by the United nations education scientific and cultural organization as a world biosphere. Many local citizens understand the delicate balance that exist within the reserve and naturally want to take steps to ensure its protection.

The process of mining the actual gold also drudges up many harmful chemicals that contam-inate the area. The process uses lead, arsenic and cyanide, which adversely affects ground water, livestock in the area and agricultural practices. for every 37 tons of actual gold taken out of an open pit mine, 3,700 tons of arsenic is unearthed and exposed. Any major storm, such as a hurricane, is capable of spreading the arsenic to where it can directly leach into important waterways.

open pit gold mining has been a source of contention for many communities. gold mining

corporations are constantly looking for new sites to explore and extract gold from. currently, 200 canadian gold mining companies are investigating 400 locations in Mexico to possibly pursue gold mining operations. in the past, these pursuits have divided communities and caused civil unrest, with violent consequences at times. An anti-mining organizer in chiapas, Mariano Abarca, was shot in november after being the target of many threats and assaults for his opposition to mines in his community.

Local organizers and environmental groups have been very outspoken about their opposition to plans for the Paredones Amarillos open pit gold mine; www.vistagoldno.com has been putting the word out to keep citizens aware of the process and has also provided information letting Baja citizens know how they can show their opposi-tion. opposition groups informed Baja california sur governor narcisco Agundez Montano of local concerns about gold mining and its potential to harm the environment. He too has supported the opposition. The national commission for Biodiversity also objects to the mine plan due to the potential environmental impact.

for now, the opposition has worked to halt the issuance of the necessary permits; but Baja citizens need to remain aware of vista gold corporation's plans to re-apply. vista gold corporation projects they could extract approxi-mately 1.2 million ounces of gold from the area if they are able to get the permits issued. vista gold President fred earnest and the Paredones Amarillos project manager carlos calderon both have publically stated through the company that the process will be safe and held to the highest environmental standards if they are able to proceed with mining in Baja. vista gold corporation also currently states through online updates that they are working with legal counsel and experts to advance the permit process.

Paredones Amarillos Open Pit Gold Mine Status

by Karri Moser

The Berkeley, Montana, open pit mine as seen from space.

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The Berkeley Pit . . . once a huge copper pit mine, now a toxic man-made lake of extremely acidic water.

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New Mexican Passport lawby Lynn Russ

The new Mexican passport law went into effect february 28, 2010. The law requires U.s. and canadian citizens to present passports when entering Mexico by land, air and sea. However, there are exemptions, which directly apply to the border towns. visitors to the border regions, which the law defines as areas encom-passing 20 kilometers or 12.5 miles south of the border, and also visitors planning to stay less than 72 hours do not need to worry about the new passport requirement.

Those who visit and do business with border towns, along with those who depend upon those visitors, are breathing a sigh of relief, as the new passport law would have presented more dif-ficulties and delays for those who wish to tour or do business in border towns only. cruise ship patrons who disembark in ensenada are also excluded and can expect to see no change in the requirements to enter the country. The Baja california Tourism secretary has assured area businesses that they should have no worries about disruptions or lost business.

There are already border issues that have had a negative impact on commerce between the U.s. and Mexico. The federal government has been working to install new inspection systems that will detect contraband or weapons more effec-

tively than before. This has led to border delays. With the current amount of resources available at busy ports such as san Ysidro and otay Mesa, enforcing the new passport law for those only visiting border towns for short periods of time would only have led to longer delays and more frustration.

The law should not adversely affect the typical U.s. or canadian citizen in the long run even if they plan to visit further into interior Mexico.

changes in U.s. policy have meant U.s. visitors typically have pass-

ports or passport cards in hand when they visit Mexico anyways. roughly 90 percent of all U.s. and canadian travelers to Mexico use a pass-port to cross the border and go back home even before the law went into effect.

for those who come into the border towns without a passport but then later decide to stay beyond the 72 hours and travel further into the country, they will need to obtain a tourist card. These can be found at the border or at the Mexican consulate.

The purpose of the law is to coincide with the requirements already adopted by the U.s. and canada. With the legal exceptions for the border towns included, citizens of Mexico’s border com-munities can rest assured the borders are being kept secure and commerce and tourism will be able to flow freely just as before.

{NEWS}{NEWS}Register Your Cell Phone Before April 10 or It WIll be Deactivated

by Karri Moser

Changes in Immigration Procedures Effective May 1, 2010 by Jacob Sapochnick

in february 2009, legislation was passed requiring every cell phone number in Mexico to be registered to an individual. The law officially goes into effect on April 1, but cell phone providers have had a year to get the word out. If you have purchased a phone

since April 2009, you do not need to take any further action.

registering a phone can easily be done through your provider. The required information is your name, date of birth and your state of birth. This information is matched against an existing data-base, or cUrP. once it all matches up, you will receive a text verifying successful registration.

cUrP, which is comparable to a U.s. social security number, is unique to each citizen. if you are not a citizen of Mexico, you naturally are not part of cUrP. non-citizens must be fingerprinted and present their passport in order to register a phone. Phones from other countries can still be used without registration.

it is vital that everyone takes the time to reg-ister any phone which was bought and activated before April 2009. if you do not register the phone, you will find it useless. The provider network will expediently deactivate any phone that is not reg-istered by April 10, 2010.

While many question why the registration is nec-essary, others realize that Mexico is actually join-ing a long list of other countries that have already required each phone to be registered. The law has come about to help law enforcement officials pre-vent the use of cell phones, both stolen and legiti-mately bought, from being used in criminal activ-ity. As cell phone technology has advanced, there has been an increase in the use of cell phones in extortion, kidnapping and other criminal activi-ties. By having an active database storing identity information on each and every cell phone bought in Mexico, police can trace and identify users who use the phones in criminal activities.

even though this mandatory registration may help reduce cell phone use in criminal cases, many see easy-to-maneuver loop holes in the plan. first, you can register a phone in someone else’s name by simply knowing their name, birthday and state of birth. This information can be easy to obtain. Also, many question whether there are safeguards in place to prevent someone from using the infor-mation of a deceased person.

regardless of the potential to get around the law and use a cell phone for criminal purposes, it will go into effect. The potential for criminal use means each and every law-abiding citizen needs to be very cautious with their phones. it is very impor-tant to report a missing or stolen phone immedi-ately to your network operator. This will keep you from being held responsible for what your phone is used for if it is not in your possession.

Mexico’s national Migration institute has published its Manual of criteria and Migration Procedures. The Manual will be enforced as of May 1, 2010, throughout the 32 delegations of the national Migration institute in Mexico. courtesy of AiLA member enrique Arellano.

The intention of the national Migration institute is to clarify, streamline and simplify processing requirements for each immigration category. Applications currently being processed and those filed before May 1, 2010, will be analyzed and processed based on current policies, practices and procedures.

some of the most relevant aspects of the Manual are the following:

All migratory forms for tourists, business •visitors and technical visitors with lucra-tive activities, who intend to stay in Mexico for up to 180 days, will be replaced by a single “fMM” form (“forma Migratoria

Múltiple”). The fMM will serve as evidence of the foreign national’s immigration status while in Mexico;The business visitor criteria are clearly •defined. This new fMM form has an option for choosing the purpose of the visit as business (negocios), which once the for-eign national enters Mexico, the immigra-tion officer will grant a 180 days stay.There are three different options that the •immigration officer might mark and that will grant the foreign national 180 days: a) Business (visitante Persona de negocios), b) visitor with Lucrative Activities (visitante con Actividades Lucrativas) and c) visitor with non-Lucrative Activities (visitante con Actividades no Lucrativas). Any of the previous allow the foreign national to visit Mexico for business, either for working purposes or only for meetings.

in case the purpose of the business visit •extends more than 180 days, the foreign national will have to file for a change of immigration status to obtain the corre-spondent fM3.The ABTc (Asia-Pacific economic coop-•eration business travel card) criteria are clearly defined;in the following weeks, the national •Migration institute will publish the formats of the new migration cards that will replace the fM2 and fM3 booklets. changes of activity, domicile, marital status, etc., will no longer have to be annotated on the migratory document, thereby allowing the foreign national the ability to travel in and out of the country while a change of status/conditions application is in process without having to request an exit and re-entry permit;

consular Posts will no longer issue fM2 •or fM3 booklets. instead, the consular Post will place a visa sticker on the for-eign national’s passport, upon receipt of the petition’s approval from the national Migration institute. The sticker will allow entry into Mexico within 365 days of issu-ance. Upon entry, the foreign national must obtain the new fM2 or fM3 migration card within 30 days.

Jacob Sapochnick is recognized as one of the most innovative, up-and-coming Immigration Lawyers in the nation. He devotes 100 percent of his practice to Immigration Law, representing corporations, hotels, restaurants and other organizations, as well as entre-preneurs and individuals worldwide. He also provides legal support and representation in family-sponsored immigration matters.


ZAPP Animal Center in san felipe has been open for a few months and i thought it was time to check in and give you a progress report. ZAPP has 7.5 acres in the desert; a great deal of needed space, especially with our “open door” policy in place, which prevents us from turning away any dogs, cats, kittens or puppies in need. We currently have more than 200 animals on-site. Many puppies and dogs have already made the trip to the states for permanent placement at “no-kill” shelters. other dogs and cats will be with us for life, if they cannot find suitable homes.

We’ve begun working with PeTco in el centro doing adoption weekends throughout the month. The goal, of course, is to find homes for as many puppies, dogs and kittens as possible.

We’ve had some typical problems that all res-cues and shelters face from time to time. it’s defi-nitely a learning curve, and we continue to gather more experience each and every day. We now use a 24’ x 60’ trailer specifically designated for isola-tion and quarantine of all new puppies. Dr. Mario Alberto Calvo, DVM, has relocated to san felipe from Mexicali and joined our staff. A second part-time vet covers for him when he is off. our prom-ise to san felipe and its animals was to provide a fully operational urgent care center that is available

24/7 to handle emergencies and treat animals in distress. our new surgery clinic opened on-site in March, complete with everything we need to pro-vide solutions for all animals in distress. x-ray and ultrasound equipment are next on the list.

We have completed 20 of our 40 15’ x 30’ runs complete with energy-efficient straw bale houses that are constructed of plywood floors, walls and ceilings, along with 24 bales of straw, covered in stucco—extremely cool in summer and warm in winter—perfect for san felipe weather extremes. The on-site “catterie” opened in March, and is sur-rounded and covered by chain-link fence.

our next fundraiser is not scheduled until november, but Hold on! The “Baja chihuahua race” is coming—a 2K pet walk around the Pavilion at el Dorado ranch, where folks and their pets can participate in contests and compete for bragging rights. santa claus will be present to take pictures of locals and their furry kids against a painted christmas background, just in time for online and Holiday greeting cards. stand-up comedy, music, and lots of food and games are also planned.

That’s it for now. stop by and visit—bring tow-els, blankets, dog food or money. We never have enough. (686) 111-1143 or (686) 190-3432. www.sfzapp.com.

Straw Bale Houses Perfect For San Felipe’s Dogs and Cats!

The South Camposby June Snow

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The below letter was sent by rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres to stephen Kashkett, consul general of the U.s. consulate in Tijuana, on March 1. While recognizing the good work of the state Department, it expresses concerns with the wording of a travel alert for Mexico issued on february 22.

Rosarito Mayor Disputes Accuracy and Wording of the U.S. State Department's Travel Alert for Mexico

Dear consul general Kashkett, i am writing this letter to express my concerns with the U.s. state Department’s updat-ed Travel Alert for Mexico issued on feb 22. While it is a travel alert and not a warning, i believe it presents an inaccurate portrait of conditions in Baja—including rosarito—and will unfairly increase safety concerns. i appreciate that the alert begins by stating that “millions of U.s. citizens safely visit Mexico each year (including tens of thousand who cross the land border every day for study, tourism or business and nearly one million U.s. citizens who live in Mexico.)” But most of the remainder of the alert is a summary of violence throughout all of Mexico, caused primarily by the government’s crackdown on organized drug cartels and confined overwhelmingly to those involved in that international effort. if the same approach were taken in an alert for the U.s.—primarily listing high risk areas and detail-ing crimes there—people would be afraid to travel anywhere in the U.s. That would not be fair.

The alert states that a “number of areas along the border continue to experience rapid growth in crime” and cites northern Baja california as being one of those areas. That is not accurate. Year-to-year crime in this region was down 10 percent in 2009. in rosarito it was down 21 percent, to a five-year low. That included a 24 percent drop in robberies and burglaries, a 38 percent reduction in violent crimes and a 56 percent decrease in homicides.

i both understand and share the U.s. state Department’s concern for the well being of its citizens who choose to visit or live in our region—we have an estimated 14,000 in rosarito alone and we value them highly. But i also ask for your assistance in getting the wording of the alert changed so that it more accurately reflects the reality of this region.

sincerely,

Hugo Torres, Mayor rosarito Beach Baja california, Mexico

by Steven Forman aka “Dogman”

The people of the south campos decided that they needed to have a place to get together and discuss their life in a foreign country. so, a meeting was arranged at a local restaurant in san felipe for all concerned. it was packed!

We explained it has been increasingly apparent that an organization where we could seek information, advice, legal consult, etc., regarding our status as non-citizens owning or renting property in Mexico was very important. i firmy believed that this would benefit both cultures. The misunderstandings that had come about due to

the lack of communication, and ignorance of the law, on both sides were staggering.

rest assured that this was in no way intended to be anti-Mexican, but rather a bridge to better understanding. our initial plan was to elect officers by popular vote. There is strength in numbers. so, we sincerely hoped the tenants would join us and bring their ideas, questions and moral support.

The name we decided on was “campos educational group.”s.c.e.g.” And, we are now celebrating our 12th year!


¿Qué Pasa San Felipe?

El Taste Restaurant has been closed for over two years, and Vamos Con Pedrin has now taken possession of that building. vamos con Pedrin is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. You can’t help but find something to eat or drink on the menu—steaks, chicken, salads, Hamburgers/sandwiches, Traditional Mexican combinations, seafood, soups, omeletes, smoothies, Beer/cocktails and juice/soda. vamos con Pedrin is located on the corner of

B. juarez and Zapata (across the street from the Pemex gas station). Juanita Pedrin is the new owner and is looking forward to serving you. she also caters private parties and special events (Baptisms, Birthdays, Anniversaries, etc.).

Internado of Colonia Zaragoza lost their beloved dog Willy who lived a full and blessed 14 years. The internado has other dogs, but needed a replacement for Willy. Linda Nicholls, who has been a volunteer there for 18+ years, had been searching for a replacement. Well, she didn’t need to look long or far since puppies (and older dogs) can to be acquired for a song. The children lined up with excitement to pet the new addition to the school. The children had decided that the puppy’s name would be “Willy 2” (or Willy Dos . . . however you want to look at that). With 50+ children here, a dog at this school will never lack attention. Willy Dos will never know how lucky he really is! if anyone out there would like to adopt a dog, contact Misty Mattics at Animanandia at [email protected].

Around Town in loreto with lynn Hamman

Juanita Pedrin, owner of Vamos Con Pedrin, with her Bartender.

{NEWS}{NEWS}

J.B. and Lynn took first place at the Mulegé Chili Cook Off on March 7

New Same-Sex Marriage law in Mexico City

by Magnolia Velázquez, The news

Beginning March 4, the legal modifications allowing same-sex marriage in Mexico city was implemented, despite the appeal of unconstitu-tionality filed by the federal Attorney general’s office, said the mayor of Mexico city, Marcelo ebrard.

ebrard explained that the government of the federal District is ready to sanction civil mar-riages between two persons of the same sex, and that 52 judges from the registry office have been fully trained to perform the civil unions.

“We have taken measures to make sure that the judges in charge of marriages are qualified and that the facilities of the registry office are all set. We have to respect the law and this law is valid. We will implement it,” ebrard declared.

According to the government of Mexico city, 22 homosexual couples have expressed the intention of getting married in city Hall, although

they have not pre-sented all neces-sary documents to the registry office yet.

in order to facili-tate civil unions and issue mar-riage contracts, the registry office of Mexico city has issued three different forms to fill out: one for “Marriages Between Her and Her,” another for “Mariages Between Him and Him” and a last one for “Marriages Between Her and Him.”

Homosexual couples need to have lived in Mexico city for at least six months and present such proof of residence to the registry office in order to get married in the federal District.

Good Deeds to Good Times in la Paz

Despite lower attendance than previous years, swarms of tourists and locals alike still flocked to this year’s Carnaval de La Paz, held february 11–16. The event, which included musical and comedy performances, children’s rides, and the coronation of the King and Queen, culminated in a three-day parade themed “Alegria Bicentenaria,” celebrating 200 years of Mexican independence.

Located on the Malecon between Calles Torre Iglesias and Salvatierra, the Tailhunter Fubar

Cantina, owned by Jill and Jonathan Roldan, served as the perfect spot for a bird’s-eye view of the festivities, with courteous staff and a fisherman-friendly menu. The couple also own the Tailhunter International Charter fishing fleet, based right here in La Paz. reservations can be made at www.tailhunter-international.com.

eleven sailing vessels partici-pated in the First Annual Carnaval Regatta, an exciting race from Punta Prieta to isla Partida and back.

organized by Club Cruceros de La Paz, A.C, a non-profit group for boaters both visiting and living full time in Baja sur, the event was held february 13–14 and the annual Valentine’s Day Dance fol-lowed. entries were divided into two categories, spinnaker and non-spinnaker, with the overall win-ner being s/v Gitana. Awards and congratulations were handed out at the Perico Marinero Bar on february 21.

This sleepy little fishing village has not been so sleepy lately! We’ve had the pleasure of having Baja race pre-runners in our midst for the last sev-eral weeks, and now we wait for all the Baja 250 Race festivities to begin!

on february 26th, Las Amigas hosted San Felipe Has Talent at the Pavilion at La Ventana del Mar (El Dorado Ranch). san felipians came out in droves to see the amazing talents our resi-dents have to offer. There were singers, dancers and skits, including Campo Ocotillo group’s “A shopping We Will go.” What a hoot that was! for anyone who travels up to el centro for shopping

View of Carnaval de La Paz from the Tailhunter Fubar Cantina

Cheeseburger in Paradise Party

Cheeseburger in Paradise Party

adventures, this skit would have really hit home! Las Amigas raises money for educational scholar-ships for san felipe students of all ages, from intermediate school to University.

Denny and Sandi Flannigan hosted Cheeseburger in Paradise Party on March 2 at their home in Playa de Oro to benefit the Snarlin’ Cholla Racing Team. George Jackson and Belinda Eastman have been hosting these parties at differ-

ent homes for the past 10 years, and this one had the largest crowd ever. race fans enjoyed perfect san felipe weather, great cheeseburgers and fun music. A special treat was “home brew” by the Baja Brewers Club.

March 5–7 was the Tequila Festival on the Malecon, benefiting A Child’s Garden charity to provide medical treatment to the children of san felipe. it was hosted by the BajaMar Group, Tecate and Cotuco. for more information about the char-ity, visit www.achildsgardensanfelipe.com. check this column for Baja 250 haps next month! Until then, be well, be safe and be HAPPY!

by Alexa Verdugo Morgan


LOCAL WEEKLY EVENTS

See the Community Calendar on www.mexicolivingguide.com for a weekly

schedule of events for each city.

ROSARITO BEACHApr. 11 and May 9: Second Chance

Animal Alliance Tradepost (SCAAT) FREE SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for more info, contact Karen Patonai at (661) 613-0737 or [email protected]

Apr. 17: Rosarito Ensenada 50-Mile Bicycle Ride. A Pacific coast and inland ride through rural countryside from rosarito Beach to ensenada. (646) 174-0033

Apr. 17: Cheve Beer Fest. (661) 612-0700

Apr. 18: MX Grand Prix Rnd. 4. (661) 612-2525

ENSENADAApr. 1–4: Guided Whale Watching Tours.

(646) 172-5444 Apr. 17: Rosarito Ensenada 50-Mile

Bicycle Ride. A Pacific coast and inland ride through rural countryside from rosarito Beach to ensenada. (646) 174-0033

Apr. 23–25: 63rd Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race. U.s. (949) 644-1023

Apr. 23–25: 11th Annual Festival of New Wine & Mollusks Seminars. (646) 178-3038

May 1–2: Cabalgata Vaquera El Alamar. A 4–5 hour guided horseback riding adventure at Parque nacional. contact Alfredo vizcarra at (646) 179-5074

May 16: Fiesta of the Flowering Vineyards/Fiesta de los Viñedos en Flor. info and tickets: Baja california Winemakers Association (Provino), (646) 178-3038

IMPORTANT DATESMar. 31–Apr. 4: Semana Santa/Easter

Week 2010

Apr. 1: April Fool’s Day

Apr. 2: Viernes Santo/Good Friday

Apr. 4: Domingo de Resurreccion/Easter Sunday

Apr. 4: Daylight Savings Time begins (MX)

Apr. 4: Easter Sunday

Apr. 5: Easter Monday (Canada)

Apr. 22: 40th Anniversary Earth Day

Apr. 30: Día del Niño/Children’s Day (MX)

May 1: Día del Trabajo/Labor Day (MX)

May 1: 136th Kentucky Derby (U.S.)

May 5: Cinco de Mayo

May 9: Mother’s Day (U.S. & Canada)

May 10: Mother’s Day (MX)

May 15: Armed Forces Day (U.S.)

May 24: Victoria Day (Canada)

May 31: Memorial Day (U.S.)

Send your calendar events to [email protected].

Please tell them you found their event in Mexico Living.

Three independent, intelligent, innovative and gorgeous blondes are setting out to change the way the world sees Baja. robin Leigh Mackenzie, susanne stehr and Debbie shine have filmed and produced a pilot episode of a new kind of reality Tv show called Baja Blondes. The 15-minute pilot was derived from eight hours of footage, which in-cludes interviews with all three women, along with shots and highlights of the beautiful area they love to live and work in and wish to paint in a positive light.

The concept for the show came about as su-sanne and Debbie watched the media and other outlets put forth a negative view of life in the Baja area. With the constant bombardment of drug car-tel crime stories coupled with a U.s. state Depart-ment travel alert for the area, tourism and business has dropped considerably for the Baja region. Ac-cording to Mackenzie, over 300 businesses have gone under primarily due to the decline of tourism. The collapse of the economy and housing market in the U.s., especially the secondary housing mar-ket, also contributed to the decline of tourism and business in Baja.

instead of idly standing by and riding out the rough economic seas, susanne and Debbie teamed up with san Diego producer robin Leigh Mackenzie to present a more positive view of life and work in Baja. The show depicts these three as successful American women who are thriving and surviving just fine in the picturesque backdrop of Baja, and having fun in the process.

These three have come together from varying backgrounds. All three are successful American women who bring amazing life experiences to the table to make the show that much more unique and enticing.

robin Leigh Mackenzie grew up anywhere and everywhere. As a military brat whose father was in the Air force, she traveled extensively and at-tended four different high schools in the process. After a whirl wind journey of going to the Univer-sity of Kentucky, flunking out, marrying, having two kids, divorcing and ending up a single mom, Mackenzie went back to school when her children set off for college. she attended UcLA and discov-ered her true calling of screenwriting. she founded the Women in film san Diego and has produced a women filmmakers’ series for the san Diego film festival. other professional credits include producing and writing Mothers and Daughters and a reality cooking show called Gourmet for a Day, along with numerous plays. she is the founder and producer of Tatblue Productions, which is behind Baja Blondes.

susanne stehr is a california-born-and-bred beach girl and UcLA alum who has worked for many high-end and exclusive southern california resorts and hotels. she handled over 500 weddings during this time in her life. After moving south and work-ing in the military aircraft parts industry with her husband, susanne opened a small and successful furniture store at Pueblo Plaza. she currently owns one of the most successful restaurants in rosarito Beach where you can get the best wines Baja has

to offer. susanna’s restaurant has hosted hordes of tourist, athletes, actors, politicians and artists.

Debbie shine is originally a new jersey girl who ended up following a musician boy-friend to Berkeley in the '60s. This led to a stint designing costumes for his band, then on to traveling with the Pointer sisters and the go-go’s. she made her way to rosarito Beach and worked with james cameron on Ghost of the Abyss. she also opened a small boutique in rosarito and has spent the last several years do-ing interior design for others who make the move across the border.

The pilot episode of Baja Blondes is complete and gaining the attention of industry insiders. it is currently being shopped around to media outlets; and they also hope to team up with the Mexican Tourism Board to utilize the show as a new ap-proach to advertising tourism in the area. Mack-enzie says, “it is outside of the box advertising. We are Americans. We can talk to the American tourist. We are trying to change the thinking of old-school advertising.” rather than just making Baja a dream destination of the typical tourist the MTB has been targeting for years, the Baja Blondes hope other successful American business women will see Baja as a safe and beautiful place to live and work. other outlets the Baja Blondes are pur-suing for the reality show include The Travel chan-

nel, Lifetime and, potentially, the oxygen network. The LA secretary of Tourism also believes the idea and concept of Baja Blondes can work to increase tourism in Baja, according to Mackenzie.

Aside from revamping how living and working in Baja is seen by outsiders and increasing aware-ness of opportunity and success in the area, these women are also showing a different view of how women are portrayed on reality television shows in general. They are not your typical fame seek-ing young girls who are willing to throw each other to the wolves for airtime. They are professional, intelligent and accomplished mature women who support and root for other successful women. if more episodes of Baja Blondes are ordered by me-dia outlets or the MTB, the show will focus on other American women who live and work in Baja. To prove just how much buzz the show is generating, Baja Blondes were awarded a rosarito city recog-nition Award by Mayor Torres and the city council for their promotion of a positive image of Baja.

More information on the reality series Baja Blondes can be found at www.thebajablondes.com.

Baja Blondes A New Kind of Reality Television

{CAlENDAR}{CAlENDAR}


After 62 years of the oldest of all races from the U.s. to Mexico, it's never the same. from year to year, the wind and sea conditions are seldom the same.

The race is open to boats from high-tech ocean racers to Mom and Pop trailerables. The minimum size limits are 18 feet for monohulls and 20 feet for multihulls.

Don't be one of those West coast sailors still kicking yourselves for missing last spring's 62nd newport to ensenada international Yacht race that had a moderate but steady breeze for the

ages and swept the fleet all 125.5 nautical miles on a direct track to the finish, leaving most of the weekend to party.

Keep the faith. There is only hope of another dream breeze this year and, as always, the on-shore fun is guaranteed.

The historic race is organized by the newport ocean sailing Association (nosA).

Like other major sailing events in the early days of the recession last year, the usual turnout of 400 to 500 boats slipped to 270 entries and 260 starters; but only three failed to finish by 4 p.m. saturday after a single night at sea, leaving the rest of the weekend to enjoy the hospitality of the colorful seaside pueblo.

Like last year, non-sailors also may join in the fun by opting for a carnival cruise ship, tour buses or personal ground transportation.

The fun picks up a beat for 2010. it will start with the pre-race fiesta at Bahia corinthian Yacht club the Thursday night before the start, continue after the finish with a new program of musical

entertainment on the ensenada waterfront plaza saturday night, then conclude sunday with the fiesta del vino leading into the colorful awards ceremony sunday afternoon.

entries for the 63rd world's largest interna-tional yacht race starting friday, April 23, opened in early january, but there is still time. online entry is available on their website. The entry fee is $155 through March 31 and $205 afterward. registration, including payment of entry fees, will be available online at www.nosa.org or call U.s. (949) 644-1023.

63rd Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race, April 23–25 by Benjamin Eugene

{CAlENDAR}{CAlENDAR}SAN FELIPE

Apr. 2: Las Amigas Luau. contact carol goddard, [email protected]

Apr. 3: South Campos Annual Poker Run! $25 entry fee, includes T-shirt and drink tickets. contact carol reams, (686) 111-1021

Apr. 17–18: Code San Felipe 200 off-road race

Apr. 22: Earth Day, Beach Clean up at casey’s Place, 8 a.m. www.sanfelipeBeach.org

Apr. 28: Full Moon Mixer at El Dorado Ranch. (686) 577-0022

May 8: Annual Chili Cook Off Club DePesca. contact joseph Malek, (686) 233-5206

May 15: Dia del Maestro/Teachers Day by the city of san felipe and Dif.

MULEGéApr. 1–14: Whale Watching Excursions in

guerrero negro, Bcs. (615) 157-0100

LORETO Apr. 30–May 2: Loreto Fest 2010.

Three days of fun. contact neil charlton, [email protected].

Apr. 18: Earth Day Celebration. 4th Annual Bay of Loreto Kick-off event for Loreto com-munity Pride Week. sponsored by Bay of Lo-reto national Park. [email protected]

LA PAZApr. TBA: Tequila and Mariachi Festival.

U.s. (866) 504-2252 Apr. 8–11: Bayfest 2010. club cruceros’

event at La costa restaurant. www.clubcruceros.org Apr. 29: Piano Recital. guadalupe

Parrondo performs at 8 p.m. at the sala de conciertos. Admission is 100 pesos. www.bcs.gob.mx

May 7: Piano Recital. sudcaliforniano pianist juan Pablo Bautista cano performs at 8 p.m. at the sala de conciertos. Admission is 100 pesos, www.bcs.gob.mx

May 15: “Raise the Roof” Benefit Gala for La ciudad de los niños y niñas. contact chris at 124-8302 or [email protected].

LOS CABO Every Thursday Night: San José del Cabo

Art Walk along obregon street behind the church, sipping wine and viewing fine art. 5–9 p.m.

Apr.: Whale Watching Season. spectacular views of whales just offshore abound from october through April. of the world’s 11 species of whales, 8 come to Los cabos to breed and nurse their young.

Apr. TBA: Annual Halibut Derby. The annual Halibut Derby unfolds on the east cape. (310) 827-4855

Apr. 16–17: Cabo Marine Show 2010. contact sergio, [email protected] or (624) 125-4216. www.cabomarineshow.com

May TBA: Rolex Invitational IGFA Offshore Championship Release Tournament. (866) Los-cABos

May TBA: Yellowtail Shootout. A day trip from cabo san Lucas. (818) 762-5873

TODOS SANTOSApr. TBA: “Earth Day” Celebration

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The Rosarito to Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride is a annual event that takes place in rosa-rito, Baja. This scenic and award-winning race takes place two times per year, April and september. This year's dates are April

17 and September 25. The rosarito Bike ride attracts cyclists from all around the world, and is open to all ages and experience levels with top rid-ers finishing this event in under two hours.

The rosarito ensenada Bike ride began in 1979. The ride starts in rosarito near the rosarito Beach

Hotel and travels along the Pacific coast and in-land through rural countryside along the Mexico Highway 1 free road to the ensenada finish line lo-cated at Plaza ventana al Mar, on Boulevard Lazaro cárdenas, under the giant Mexican flag. As many as 10,000 bikers will enter the race, and with specta-tors, friends and family that join in the celebrations, the finish line party can exceed 25,000 people.

This event attracts all kinds of people. You'll see colorful costumes and wildly decorated bikes. You see all types of bikes, from tandem and trikes to BMx and beach cruisers. The race course is relatively easy, staying at sea level the majority of the way, with the exception of “el Tigre,” a two-mile hill that climbs over 800 feet. You'll see many bikers walking this stretch of the course. once you get to the top, it's mostly downhill all the way into ensenada.

The starting line begins at 7 a.m. with the fin-ish Line celebrations starting at noon and going until sunset. There is secure bike storage, so you can enjoy the celebrations without worrying about your bike. for more information, visit www.rosari-toensenada.org.

The Original Party on Wheelsby Benjamin Eugene

from first launch, this unique annual event is being billed as the most important nautical/marine show in the Los cabos destination as well as Baja california sur, Mexico.

Principal nautical products and service provid-ers, marinas and resorts, as well as sailing and yachting enthusiasts from the U.s., canada and Mexico will converge on the Marina Golden Zone of the cabo san Lucas marina, in a venue they won’t soon forget.

official event sponsors include Marina Fiesta Resort & Spa, Luxury Avenue Boutique Mall and Puerto Paraíso Mall, which together form the Ma-rina golden Zone in cabo san Lucas.

supporters include Los Cabos Conventions & Visitors Bureau, Los Cabos Municipality Tourism

Dept., Marquis Los Cabos Resort and Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Resort and Mexico Living.

cabo Marine show 2010 boasts an extraordi-nary exhibitor area, set in the heart of the cabo san Lucas’ Marina golden Zone. charter compa-nies and water activities promoters—sportfishing, boating and luxury yachting—as well as resorts and marinas, hotels and world-class golf courses will offer their products and services to the select Los cabos local and travel market, its visitors and the eyes of the international travel media, in a venue that is sure to offer something for everyone.

This is a two-day event you won’t want to miss! Times are friday, April 16, noon to 9 p.m., and sat-urday, April 17, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is FREE to the general public.

Cabo Marine Show 2010, April 16–17

BAJA TOUR10 city flamenco guitar and dance tour of Baja being presented by Mexico Living

www.bajaflamenco.com


Phot

o by

Deb

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r

Centavo’s Two CentsAin’t No Mountain High Enough

la Huerita on . . . Everything! Home Remedies, Mexican Style

everyone knows, or ought to know, that the best remedy for a hangover is a big steaming bowl of pozole. There are restaurants all over Mexico that serve only pozole, quite naturally called “pozolerias.” They do especially good business on weekend mornings when custom-ers come in for a bowl to cure what ails them.

But did you know that a cure for a bad cough is a glass of warm milk with honey and garlic in it? i found that out the hard way when i had a bad cold and my cough kept my neighbor awake all night. she knocked on my door the next morning with her offering and a gentle smile, and i had to drink it right there on the spot. it wasn’t good, but maybe it helped a bit.

And did you know that the fastest way to stop the itch of a mosquito bite is to rub it with a piece of bar soap? Being a mosquito magnet, that one i can vouch for!

Diarrhea, of the short-term type that we’ve all experienced from time to time in our lives, can be stopped dead with a teaspoon of ground nutmeg in a glass of water. That usually works within a couple of hours. Don’t ask me why.

one of the really fun things about living in Mexico is learning all of the great home remedies and fixes that people know. Mexicans are end-lessly inventive and, besides the store of cures that have been handed down through genera-tions, they can fix just about anything, at least long enough to keep things going until a better fix can be arranged.

Want to know the fix for a hole in your radia-tor? Well, that requires a short story.

once i lived in a small Mexican town that was short on many amenities. one of those ameni-ties was money, and i had a gringo friend who suffered from that shortage. she drove an old

pickup truck that suffered not from a shortage but from a surfeit of holes in its radiator. she did not have the money for a new radiator. What to do?

While discussing the problem with a neighbor one day, the neighbor’s grandfather came out to see what was going on. He sized things up and told her he could fix it. “Wait here,” he said. “i’ll be right back.”

He disappeared into the house and returned with a box of oatmeal, which he calmly poured into the radiator. Then he filled the radiator with water and told her to start it up. it WorKeD! And until she could finally afford a new radiator, she always carried extra oatmeal and water in her truck.

of course, there was always a film of oatmeal covering the front of the truck and the windshield, and it didn’t do much for what was left of its paint job, but HeY! Whatever works, right?

oatmeal and nutmeg—home remedies to stop the leaks that plague you. viva Mexico!

After viewing the vancouver Winter olympics from Baja california i found it difficult for my body to call up a “shiver.” The television told me just how cold it was there, that it snowed often and that everyone had on fierce winter clothing as they gathered around a cozy network fire to discuss olympic events.

This year Mother nature blew cold weather and snow all over north America. i kept reading about record storms, torrential rains and disastrous floods. While all this was going on i was getting a suntan and collecting shells on the beach here in san felipe.

The olympic Tv coverage shook me back to a weather reality that i left behind many years ago. i remember snow boots, hats, leggings, scarves, mittens and coats that added several pounds to any activity that we wanted to do in the snow. You couldn’t walk normally once you were dressed for the outdoors. You waddled to your sled. Your nose hairs froze instantly, but you expected this when you went out to play. i can still call up the smell of wet wool when our snow clothes were drying on the heater.

san felipe got another cold snap in late february, but it wasn’t enough of one to make much difference to us. We organized an off-road vehicle trip where we found ourselves in the middle of a fossil bed that was developed from a time when the ocean covered the terrain we were

riding on. it was thrilling! During the same trip we stopped for a picnic just below a mountain made of quartz. We climbed it in sandals.

This April we are planning fishing trips, rides in our ATvs and more excursions down the coast of the sea of cortez. The wine country is a short distance from us and we look forward to sampling the wines of the area.

in our neighborhood we relish each others companionship knowing that we have all made the best choice of location for our retirement. it’s easy to get together, to watch the sunset from a neighbor's rooftop with drinks in our hands and smiles on our faces. We are planning events for our casual futures.

Because Baja is loved so much, we watch the daily transformation of a simple ramada being closed in, or rooms added to an existing living space. This makes us happy because we know that once you are here . . . you never want to leave. it just makes sense to “add on.”

Baja is growing at a comfortable rate as we gather around blueprints of our neighbor’s homes. As some of us build and play we watch the daily changes of our snow-covered mountain. it reminds us that we can continue to get where we were going and that our adventure is a continuous climb.

Before we know it we will be swimming in the ocean again and waiting for summer.

Centavo aka Pamela esther nask

(“Penny”)

co-owner of simpatico Arts, she is a writer and an art

historian, whose luck in these fields has given her an early retirement. she attributes “laughter” as the best possible stimulus for life. [email protected]

La Huerita

An artist and writer, La Huerita and her husband operated an online travel magazine for nearly a decade—

until they noticed they were doing more writing than traveling. Her philosophy: When it stops being fun, stop doing it. La Huerita now operates the blog rocky Point Tides, and she’s having fun! [email protected]

{PEOPlE & VOICES}{PEOPlE & VOICES}

Massage Therapy

686-577-1431Call for an appointment

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Mike and Priscilla Pegg walking their dogs on a beautiful Baja day.

by Penny Nask

661-100-6218 • 125*317*7317

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Thank You ROTARY!The Rotary Club

of San Felipe Meets every

Monday 8 AM at the

Barefoot BarEl Cortez Hotel

For Information call 686-576-8974

Thank You ROTARY!The Rotary Club

of San Felipe Meets every

Monday 8 AM at the

Barefoot BarEl Cortez Hotel

For Information call 686-576-8974


The Mexican police were going to throw us in jail and we would rot in the La Paz jail without anyone to bail us out or bring us food. it wasn't so much myself i was worried about, it was rachel. i'm sure i could handle going to jail, but i would never want rachel to have to go through it. Yet there we were, just before dawn risking it anyway.

“You stand over there and yell if you see any cops,” i told rachel. About 100 yards away was what looked like some sort of administration building, for what i didn't know. However, i did know it was far away from me and had plenty of shadows to help hide rachel's presence.

just a week earlier, we had arrived in La Paz and christmas was just around the corner. Throughout La Paz, homes and businesses were adorned with festive red, green and white lights; the shared colors of Mexico and the yuletide. it was a time for fiesta. Unfortunately, our first fiesta turned into a loud exchange between myself and another equally loud and equally opinionated man.

no sooner had i sat down with a cold german beer given to me by my generous host, than he generously began insulting san felipe. “That place is dirty and ugly,” he said to me, knowing very well that san felipe was our home. so, after promptly telling him he was full of it, which he was. i childishly pointed out some of what i didn't like about La Paz, like traffic and graffiti.

i have to admit, i was a little angry at his unprovoked attack, so i barked a little louder than needed; truthfully, my only real problem was traffic. The graffiti was not any worse in La Paz than any big city anywhere. However, the problem i had was graffiti on the La Paz city sculpture of the Whale's Tale/Doves entering the city. We had watched the city workers put up the “feliz navidad y Prospero Ano 2010” lights and completely ignore the nasty black graffiti, which, in my opinion, destroyed the holiday spirit. i couldn't imagine why or how someone could be so completely disrespectful.

so, that night as the pissing match progressed, and we grew louder—clearly not acting our age—i decided if i didn't like the graffiti, i was going to do something about it. of course, at this point rachel had no idea what was going on in my head, only that this guy was raising my blood pressure, so she caressed my arm to calm me down, as she does when she thinks i'm getting to excited. With

John & Rachel Pack

After marrying john & rachel traveled the United states full time producing live events, until moving to san felipe Baja to slow

down. That only lasted a couple of months. since then they’ve dedicated themselves to sharing life in Mexico with the world. They have fallen in love with so many of you that they want you to join them as they explore the wonders of Mexico living.

{PEOPlE & VOICES}{PEOPlE & VOICES}

george Bergin

george Bergin retired with his wife, Lynda, to La ribera, a small village at east cape in 1996. A former

insurance executive in Las vegas, nevada, george’s love for the desert and outdoor living, drew him south to roam the Laguna Mountains, fish, and write books, short stories and news items for southern Baja california periodicals.

Tribes and Tribulations by George Bergin

Ugly Graffiti by John Pack

sometimes on The Travel channel or National Geographic we get to see westerners meeting and greeting tribal people around the globe. it is always a treat to watch the clumsy visitors attempt to quickly learn the various greeting customs; the posturing, body language, exchange of words or small gifts that mark the first important ceremony. What we don’t usually get a chance to see is what happens next. if the visitors should linger, for weeks, months or longer, to fit in, it is necessary for them to learn much more than new handshakes.

Those parts of Baja california that can be called rural are home to small groups living off the land or sea, and we could still call them tribes. some of you have wandered through the villages of such tribes as you read the fascinating histories of the area, the people, in books and stories by explorers.

The whole concept is a forest for the trees thing because those who have spent most of their lives in Baja california think of the place as though it were an island. islands and tribes go hand in hand. isolation is key.

Tribes consist of families. The colorful history of southern Baja california recalls the founding of the place by an unusually small but prolific number of families whose names ring out in every voting roster of every small hamlet near the tip of the peninsula. Down here, if you, like our clumsy Tv westerners, want to fit in, you need to learn the customs and some things about the families, the clans, the tribes.

it takes time. it is taking me forever. Before i could recognize the tribe thing i stumbled about telling new friends their cousins were lazy liars, paying great homage to all the wrong people while ignoring the whole family of the next mayor. i did not know that if i befriended the cosios, i would not be trusted by the Montaños. i recognized

way too late that my key to meeting the mountain people, being invited to see their world would hinge on my courtesy toward the little guy who built my palapa. Were i to apply for a business license it might depend on something i said or did on the beach three years ago. Trouble with the law, going before the local judge might turn good or bad because of my behavior last week on a visit to the dump.

After 10 years in this little village i am still a stranger. every encounter with my Mexican neighbors has hidden danger or opportunity i still don’t quite fathom. i’ve learned that every small thing i say or do is magnified in importance to where i stand in the eyes of the villagers—every courtesy is deemed more grand, every unintended slight or dismissal augurs poorly for my reputation.

There are times when the villagers take me in, treat me like one of their own. These are the rare occasions when we are together witnessing some blatant discourtesy by a newcomer; a new, clumsy westerner meaning no harm, but is unfamiliar with life among the tribes.

the help of other guests, we changed the subject and finished dinner. When we got home i told her of my plan and she was immediately onboard.

now there we were . . . as the sun started to come up and we could see the cars of the highway coming towards us, i pulled out the white can of spray paint and started spraying directly over the nasty black graffiti. My heart was pounding out of my chest, i couldn't imagine what would compel the criminal to paint his name on the beautiful sculpture, especially standing out in the open as i was, only with black paint instead of white.

“i see a cop,” rachel yelled. i thought my chest was going to explode . . . i was spraying as fast as i could . . . i had to finish.

“Maybe he won't see me,” i thought as i continued to paint, “just a little more . . .” The paint can was sputtering as i turned to see not one but two cop pickups and a patty wagon. in the early morning light, i could see the bright glow of red as they hit their breaks, one after the other. As they began to slow, i continued to paint. now all three vehicles were parallel with the Whale's Tail, so i knew they could see me clearly. The lead car released his breaks and the other two followed.

“They must have seen we were covering the graffiti,” i said to rachel as we reached the car.

“either that or they're turning around,” rachel replied.

With the sun rising brightly, we pulled out onto the highway going the opposite direction of the police and, with our hearts pounding, headed home.


The uplifting sounds and homey folk lyrics of mariachi music has become an integral part of Mexican culture and history. indeed, it appears the entire Mexican psyche is interwoven with the brassy and bold tempo produced by sombrero-clad men in tight-fitting pants, frilly shirts and waist-length jackets.

visitors to Baja restaurants quickly become aware they’re in a different culture when, along with the cervezas, frijoles and totopos (chips), they’re treated to ear-splitting renditions of “rancho grande” or “La cucaracha.”

Depending on the restaurant’s acoustics and size, the experience can range from a bombard-ment of the aural canals to a lovely, romantic inter-lude on a seaside patio, like at La fonda, where strains of “coo coo coo, La Palo-o-o-oma” can caress the waves below.

Mariachi is Mexico’s main contribution to the music world, and has entertained diners, moti-vated dancers and serenaded lovers for many years.

The origins of mariachi go back to pre-cortes days when indians played music with rattles, drums, reed and clay flutes, and conch-shell horns. The spaniards brought their violins, guitars, harps, horns and woodwinds, and the blending of the cultures also brought about the blending of the music. one of those music forms was the maria-chi, and as no one can agree on the etymology of the name, its meaning has been lost to history.

But the music has lived on, its modern form evolving in the Mexican state of jalisco in the 19th century. early mariachi groups there consisted of

the vihuela (a high-pitched round backed guitar), two violins and a guitarró (a deep-voiced gui-

tar, which took the place of the harp). Today, a complete mariachi group generally has two trumpets, six to eight violins and a

guitar, along with the vihuela and the guitarró. forms of mariachi vary by region and include

the son jalisciense, son jarocho, and the jarabe, a medley of dance pieces. (jarabe Tapatio, or the Mexican Hat Dance, is a notable jarabe).

Whenever there’s a special occasion in Mexico you can be assured that mariachis are present.

Mariachis often participate in the courtship pro-cess, and the serenata (serenade) has become a touching and uniquely Mexican experience.

Las Mañanitas is a melodious birthday song, and it is traditionally sung early in the morning intended to awaken the recipient. once i helped a friend plan one for his mother and we all gath-ered at dawn in the driveway below her window as the mariachis woke up the Los Angeles neigh-borhood. for my Mexican-American friends, it was another occasion for a party, and tequila and beer quickly supplanted coffee and juice. Those inclined to pass out hardly made it until noon.

on another occasion, i hired a mariachi band in the Baja lobster village of Puerto nuevo. This is what i wrote about the incident in my first book, Baja Fever:

“Mariachi music wafts through the now-cob-bled streets as musicians stroll from restaurant to restaurant along with purveyors of freshly cut flowers and trinkets made of seashells. Leila and i will never forget that summer weekend in 1985 when we went to the village to hire a mariachi group. We were throwing a party in cantamar about two weeks hence.

“several groups of musicians lounged in the shade of a tree near the end of the main road, down about where a market is today. We were introduced to the leader of a group who would be willing to come to cantamar on that date. We began negotiating how many hours they’d play, how much per hour, etc.

“As we were closing in on a deal, they proudly offered to let us hear them. We agreed. so Leila and i stood, our arms around each other, in the middle of the dusty dirt road, while this mariachi group serenaded us in the hot August sun. Quickly a crowd gathered out in the road while these guys just kept playing and playing. Their enthusiasm won us over. That we felt special amid a group of gringos didn’t hurt either.”

Puerto nuevo is not the only Baja venue for mariachis. They are everywhere: rosarito Beach Hotel, festival Plaza (el Museo Bar), rene’s and many more restaurants and night spots from Tijuana to cabo san Lucas. each spring, La Paz

hosts a Mariachi and Tequila festival. And in guadalajara, jalisco, where it all began,

each september there is a Mariachi and charro festival which attracts some 50 mariachi groups.

Today there are mariachi groups in such diverse places as Aruba, calgary, canada, Amsterdam and germany. There are numerous groups in the United states, including the Mariachi Los cabos of salem, oregon, which performs throughout the Pacific northwest. california, naturally, has plenty of mariachi groups.

one of california’s most famous mariachi restaurants is the La fonda de los camperos on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles where two alternat-ing bands have performed seven nights a week since 1969. A touristy place, diners long remem-ber the loud music reverbrating from both a bal-cony and the main floor. Traveling groups, like Mariachi esmeralda (based in Montebello) bring the classic Mexican music to venues throughout the southland.

in san Diego, the Baja Brewing company fea-tures the Mariachi Del Mar. The group also plays at el Torito in chula vista. in orange county, maria-chi groups entertain at Plaza garibaldi in Anaheim (Mariachi espuelas de Mexico), Tlaquepaque restaurant in Placentia and the el Mariachi restaurant in orange.

At the el Mariachi restaurant in san clemente, unfortunately, you won’t find a mariachi group. There is a live harp player who provides pleas-ant background music, but no mariachis. it seems too many customers complained when they had a mariachi group in there as with trumpets blaring, and a lot of “ayy-yii-iiing,” it was just too loud.

if you like “loud” with your meals—well, that’s another reason to go to Baja!

Greg Niemann is the author of Baja fever, Baja Legends, Palm springs Legends, and Big Brown: The Untold story of UPs. www.gregniemann.com

{FEATURE}{FEATURE}

Mariachis – The Tempo of Mexico by Greg Niemann


{ACTIVITY GUIDE}{ACTIVITY GUIDE}

This is part of a series of blog posts about a 10-day trip I recently took south of the border through the Mexican state of Sonora and then back up north (after a ferry trip across the Sea of Cortez on December 29–30, 2009) through the Baja Peninsula.

i have never been on a carnival cruise, but i have traveled by reed boat along Peru’s Lake Titicaca, jetted in a motor panga through rivers in nicaragua and once took a very long trip to the corn islands sitting on the boat’s deck, squished between other people, animals and sacks of grains.

Boat trips, to me, are about exploring new places and setting off on adventures—not so much about lounge chairs and martinis. The idea of crossing the sea of cortez (gulf of california) by boat was alluring to me, in part because i didn’t know anyone else who had taken the 8–10 hour ferry trip between guaymas, sonora, and the Baja peninsula.

Taking the ferry, it turned out, also requires a zen state of mind. Technically, it leaves at 8 p.m. on four designated days a week from guaymas. But nature is what actually dictates the boat’s schedule. We had arrived here sunday and by Tuesday morning we still weren’t exactly sure

when it would leave—or if it would leave before the end of 2009.

As we were lounging at the guaymas hotel pool in travel limbo, we got a call from the ferry office asking us to hurry over and pay for our tickets because the ferry would be leaving . . . at 4 p.m.

There were still a few things i wanted to check out in guaymas. i had learned there was some sort of a dolphin facility in guaymas/san carolos, and i had also seen signs for a pearl farm. instead, we ended up stocking up a cooler with food and drinks for the trip, and making a few other travel-related purchases before rushing to line up our car for pre-boarding inspection by soldiers and a drug-sniffing dog.

We joined about 80 other people waiting to board the ferry, including a platoon of gun-toting soldiers heading for an assignment in Baja. other ferry travelers included some french guys, mem-bers of a band traveling to Baja to perform over new Year’s and a chatty chinese student, Arnold, who had a visa problem and was waiting out his U.s. appointment in Mexico.

We left as the sun was setting over the horizon, so i was able to enjoy the view as we pulled away from guaymas. The sunset stroked violet and orange colors on the horizon as we headed west

Taking the Ferry Across the Sea of Cortez by Anna Cearley-Rivas

out of the bay. soon the sorbet canvas above us was replaced by the sparkle of stars and the inky smudge of sky and sea.

Most of the people onboard—except for the soldiers in first-class—had bought the ferry’s basic ticket. This got you a seat in a room that was set up like a very wide plane. Two large tele-visions provided nominal entertainment, and a snack bar immediately in front of the passengers sold overpriced popcorn and other foods. it was hot there, and didn’t look very comfortable. As the evening wore on, the people in the front seats ended up curled on the ground.

i was glad we had gotten a cabin. This had cost an extra $75 for the four of us, but it gave us our own space with four bunk beds, a small sink and shelf—and our own porthole. We kept the porthole slightly open to provide air circulation. We had left most of our luggage in the car, but brought with us the cooler with drinks and snacks from guaymas.

There were a lot of doors inside the ferry and lots of curious—or lost—people. At one point during the trip, all four of us were sitting in the cabin when the door swung open and a disori-ented soldier stared at us. “Ay, perdon . . . me equivoque.” (oh, sorry! i made a mistake). This scenario kept on repeating itself in bad comedic style. We finally just locked the cabin door.

i spent much of my time clambering up and down the ferry’s three levels or standing outside, chatting with the other ferry travelers and watch-ing the waves churn below us. At one point, the

ferry captain and his assistant let us visit the navi-gation room.

The sea was calm and the ride was smooth. i asked about the “worst ever” ferry trip and was told that there had been one particularly rough trip that took 24 hours and that practically inspired mutiny except that the sick passengers were too busy heaving into bags.

Around midnight i went into the cabin to doze a bit. At 3:30 a.m. i went outside where about a dozen passengers were hanging out in the dark-ness. We could see the lights of santa rosalia sparkling off the Baja peninsula. it was almost 10 hours since we had left. The lights grew brighter, and soon i could make out the forms of buildings and the dock.

We arrived around 4 a.m. and had to check in with Mexican authorities to give our names, show our identifications, and to have our photos taken. The car got another sniff-over by the crime-fight-ing dog and soldiers, and then we were back on the road.

it was too early for breakfast, and too late to go to sleep. We ended up driving about an hour south to Mulegé, but it was still too early to do anything and so we checked into a hotel just outside of Mulegé to rest for a few hours before continuing our journey.

for more information, visit www.ferrysantarosalia.com.

Anna Cearley-Rivas is a former border correspon-dent for The san Diego Union-Tribune and, in 2006, she received an award for best Latin American Reporting from the National Hispanic Journalists Association for a series of stories about the effects of the drug trade on Mexican communities. She recently took a 10-day road trip through Sonora, across the Sea of Cortez and back through Baja. Read the entire story on her blog, Across the Border, at http://acrosstheborder.wordpress.com.


{BUSINESS & MONEY}{BUSINESS & MONEY}

Take a Tour in Your Own Backyard

by Lucy E. Jackson

it never ceases to amaze me that no matter where we live, we become complacent and rarely experience all that our local community has to offer. And, when it comes time to take a vacation, we feel the need to go hundreds of miles away.

Yes, Baja is your home . . . but, have you looked at it lately? Hundreds of thousands of visitors cross the border every year to explore the excit-ing attractions, dining, nightlife and shopping that Baja has to offer. And, as a local, you don’t have to leave this paradise to relax or find fun, because ev-erything you need is right here in your backyard.

Think about it . . . Baja is affordable, offers free world-class attractions and has an unsurpassed restaurant scene. so, it only makes sense to choose your own backyard—your own town or a neighboring city—for your next vacation, day trip or weekend getaway.

To start planning your Baja vacation or weekend getaway, first you need to make a list of attractions you’ve been wanting to see and activities that you’ve been wanting to do, but just haven’t had time. Make sure your list also includes restaurants

that you’ve wanted to try. Drawing a blank? check out the “calendar,” “Din-ing guide” and “Activity guide” in this and previous issues of Mexico Living, or visit www.mexicolivingguide.com for tours and activities by city. some restaurants and attractions even offer discounts to local residents and/or give a discount just by mentioning that you read about them in Mexico Living.

next, even if you’re only a few miles from home, check into a hotel to enjoy the blissful feeling of a vacation. The change of setting and pampering service will be relaxing and invigorating, and you’ll get more pleasure from your vacation without the everyday chores and distractions of home getting in the way. sleep in, savor a leisurely breakfast, and take the time to enjoy the spectacular sunrise and sunset.

since you’re on vacation, don’t forget your camera. snap away as you take in the sights and sensations of Baja—your friends won’t believe

We want to hear about the adventures you found while touring in your own backyard. email [email protected] to share your stories about something you learned, something you tasted, something you saw or something you never imagined existed in Baja.

Phot

o by

Ken

Bon

dy, L

oret

o Bc

s

you had a fantastic vacation without the trouble of driving hundreds of miles away.

The beauty of “touring in your own backyard” is that you don’t have to plan far ahead and you can enjoy it on the spur of the moment.

“Whale’s Tail”

THE BAJA BIG LIST: Tours and Guided TravelBAJA PENINSULA

BAJA ECOTOURS Region: All of Baja Type: Water Activities Contact: (619) 819-2966, +52 (612) 125-9081, [email protected], www.bajaecotours.com About: operates a whale-watching base camp at san ignacio Lagoon, which is a fully functional off-the-grid eco-friendly camp with solar and wind power within their cabins. The camp consists of 15 cabins along with a large palapa. In Business: 10 or more years Operates: Year round

BAJA AMIGOS RV CARAVAN TOURS Region: All of Baja Type: rv Tours Contact: (866) 999-2252, [email protected], www.BajaAmigos.net About: Provides a camping experience to the rv community that is safe, affordable, enjoyable and unforgettable. Their tours to Baja california promise and deliver majestic vistas, new adventure, a warmer climate and endless beaches. In Business: 1 year Operates: Winter

NORTHERN BAJA

BAJAVIAJES.COM Region: All of northern Baja Type: variety of Land and Water Activities

Contact: (664) 675-3805, [email protected], www.bajaviajes.com About: Baja california excursions, wine country tours, whale watching, camping, tourist guides, transportation, bookings and customized tours. In Business: 3–5 years Operates: Year round

CASEY'S BAJA TOURS Region: All of northern Baja Type: variety of Land and Water Activities Contact: U.s. (310) 862-4928, Mx (686) 577-1431, [email protected], www.sanfelipe.tv About: specialize on The Magnificent Baja Peninsula. Located in san felipe all year. Most tours start in downtown san felipe. All drivers speak english, first-aid trained, and carry radios, satellite gPss, satellite phones and cell phones. Minimum of 2 people for each tour. In Business: 10 or more years Operates: Year round

SOUTHERN BAJA

TODOS SANTOS ECO ADVENTURES Region: All of southern Baja Type: variety of Land and Water Activities Contact: (619) 446-6827, +52 (612) 145-0780, [email protected], www.tosea.net About: Pet the whales, play with sea lions, surf the waves, gallop the

beach, climb the waterfalls, stroll the cliffs, trek the mountains, fish the seas, make great margaritas, toast the stars . . . and explore the Beauty of Baja! In Business: 5–10 years Operates: Winter, spring, fall LORETO SEA AND LAND ECO TOURS Region: All of southern Baja Type: variety of Land and Water Activities Contact: (613) 114-7294, [email protected], Loretoseaandland.com About: specializes in guided tours that are customized to the client's desires. Both ocean and land adventures to satisfy all Baja visitors. special multi-activity tours can combine cave painting, petroglyph, conception Bay snorkeling, and much more. In Business: 1–3 years Operates: Year round

EDUARDO'S TOURS & GROUND TRANSFERS Region: All of southern Baja Type: variety of Land and Water Activities Contact: (612) 166-1657, [email protected], www.eduardostours.com About: Provide tours and activities such as diving, snorkeling, kayaking, beach tours, snorkeling with the whale shark, fishing, and other water activities and land tours. In Business: 3–5 years Operates: Year round

ENSENADA

BAJA WINE COUNTRY TOURS Region: ensenada, Bc Type: Wine Tours Contact: U.s. (619) 300-4976, Mx (646) 118-9801, [email protected], bajawineandtours.com About: Your guide, steve Dryden, is a wine, food and travel writer living in Mexico's premier wine country where he guides individual and small group wine tours. You will usually visit 4–5 wineries and enjoy lunch during an 8-hour wine tour. In Business: 5–10 years Operates: Year round BAJA VINO TOURS Region: ensenada, Bc Type: Wine Tours Contact: U.s. (619) 227-8579, [email protected], www.bajavinotours.com About: specializes in guadalupe valley wine tours. Led by a winemaker, their tours take you inside the wineries to meet the people behind the wines. They currently only run private viP charters for groups of 20 or more. customized tours available from san Diego, Tijuana, ensenada or Los Angeles. In Business: 5–10 years Operates: Winter, spring, fall SAN FELIPE

DISCOVERING-BAJA TOURS Region: san felipe, Bc

Type: Land Activities Contact: (686) 222-4639, (686) 125-7807, [email protected], www.discovering-baja.com About: ATv rentals and off-road tours. In Business: 1–3 years Operates: Year round

SAN IGNACIO

PACHICO’S ECO TOURSRegion: san ignacio, BcsType: Whale WatchingContact: jesus Mayoral, [email protected]: A unique whale and wildlife watching organization that is run by the Mayoral family, the true pioneers of whale watching in Baja! A legend in whale watching, Pachico started running whale trips in the mid/early ‘70s, after his first friendly encounter in 1972. In Business: 30+ yearsOperates: Winter, spring MULEGé

ED'S WORLD Region: Mulegé, Bcs Type: variety of Water Activites Contact: U.s. (218) 257-4433, [email protected], [email protected] About: overnight Kayaking to an island and sleep in a outfitted cave, view the luminescent waters and fish below you. Kayak under the stars. In Business: 1–3 years Operating: Year round


{BUSINESS PROFIlE}{BUSINESS PROFIlE}

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California Baja Rent-A-Car The Only Way To Go Mexico

People often asked me, “is there a place where i can rent a car in the U.s. and drive to Baja?” The answer is yes. or, i always hear, “i really don’t want to take my car to Mexico.” Usually it’s from people who have never been to Mexico or any farther than a border town. solution: just rent one from california Baja rent-A-car in san Diego, drive the Baja and see what you’re missing!

california Baja rent-A-car lets you rent a vehicle that you can drive all the way to cabo san Lucas . . . actually all the way into the main-land to the guatemala border! There is even an option where you can leave the car in cabo and fly out. They are located 20 minutes from the san Diego airport in spring valley, cA. Before you begin, you must be at least 21 years of age to rent a vehicle.

Driving on Mexico’s Highway 1 or 5 is no different than driving a highway in the UsA. Highway 1 is the bi-peninsula toll road that’s very smooth with spectacular views of the coastline along the Pacific. it’s a highly recom-mend trip down the Pacific coast even if it’s only as far as ensenada . . . or passing along through to Mexico 3 to connect to Mexicali-san felipe Highway 5. The stretch of Highway 1 runs along

the Pacific coast; the sheer cliffs give you the feeling of being in an aircraft overlooking the beach. This highway eventually leads you all the way to cabo san Lucas while crossing over to the east coast at santa rosalia. The trip can take several days . . . or as many as you want so not to miss one exciting thing along the coast. it really is spectacular.

some prefer a more challenging road trip and can cross over to the east coast of Baja at the north end from Tijuana or through ensenada, travel through san felipe then begin your excur-sion south. currently this route is paved several miles past Puertecitos and then turns into a dirt road. A 4x4 vehicle with high ground clearance (and a spare tire or two) is recommended for this route.

At california Baja rent-A-car, www.cabaja.com, most any size vehicle can be rented for your Baja excursion. There is a large variety of cars, 7- to 15-passenger vans, 4x4 jeep Wranglers, excursions, suburban and midsize 4x4 explorers and 4-runners. if you want to haul some gear, they have pickup trucks, 4x4 crew cabs and util-ity trailers as well as tow packages.

The rates can range from $49 to $159 daily plus Mexican insurance that is based on the

vehicle’s value, which starts at around $20 per day. According to owner Henk Tysma, passenger vans are very popu-lar in Baja, especially with church groups. A total of 15 people (including the driver) can ride in one vehicle. four-wheel drive sUvs, suburbans and excursions are also very popular.

california Baja rent-A-car offers many high-tech goodies such as satellite radios, satellite phones and you can rent THe sPoT, a personal locator device that transmits a signal to a sat-ellite. With this device your family, friends or coworkers can track your travel by going online. You can use one on yourself and keep one in the car. it also has a distress button that will signal coast guard and government agencies in case of an emergency.

Henk has been in business for 20 years and his company has been used by politicians, news and movie crews, and dignitaries from around the world. He also had the first car deal-ership in cabo san Lucas 25 years ago. from

his location in spring valley, you can purchase toy haulers, quads, rhinos, rv’s and most any motorized toy you would want, as well as cars and trucks.

so, if you want to see the gray whales con-verge on Baja, see the world’s best off-road rac-ing, or just get away from the cold and enjoy the warm beaches, feel free to get started and rent your favorite cruiser for a road trip south of the border.

california Baja rent-A-car is located at 9245 jamacha Blvd., spring valley, california 91977. call.1-888-470-renT, or email [email protected], and Heidi or Kelly will assist you with rent-ing a vehicle that best suits your needs. if you’re flying into san Diego during the week, arrange-ments can be made for transportation to their location.


{BUSINESS & MONEY}{BUSINESS & MONEY}

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LORETO

BAJA KAYAK ADVENTURE TOURS LTD. Region: Loreto, Bcs Type: Kayaking Contact: (613) 100-7102, [email protected], www.bajakayakadventures.com About: 3- to 10-day kayak tours out of Loreto. Tours are based in the national Marine Park and in-clude isla coronado, isla Danzante and isla carmen; as well as a 10-day route from Loreto to La Paz. In Business: 3–5 years Operates: Winter, spring, fall

PADDLING SOUTH KAYAK TOURS Region: Loreto, Bcs Type: variety of Land and Water Activities Contact: (800) 398-6200, (613) 135-1230, [email protected], www.TourBaja.com About: sea kayak operator and unique cultural riding tours, and World Heritage rock Art trips. full service tour packages, meals fresh with local flavor, all skill levels welcome, professionally trained local guides. customized group trips available.

In Business: 10 or more years Operates: Year round

LA PAZ

PALAPAS VENTANA Region: La Paz, Bcs Type: variety of Land and Water Activities Contact: U.s. (310) 594-Dive, Mx (612) 114-0198, [email protected], www.palapasventana.com About: off-the-beaten-path adventure vacations with comfort. scuba, spearfish, fish, kiteboard, kayak, stand-up paddle surf, or just relax and enjoy their friendly laid back town! In Business: 5–10 years Operates: Year round

LOS CABOS

CABO SAILING OCEAN ADVENTURES Region: cabo san Lucas, Bcs

Type: Water Activities Contact: U.s. (800) 209-1669, Mx (624) 143-8485, [email protected], www.cabosailing.com About: Premium sailing charters in cabo san Lucas. snorkeling, sunset cruise, whale watching, great music, delicious food and premium open bar are at your service. Professional sailing crew will set the right environment for your special occasion. Daily private and public cruises. In Business: 5–10 years Operates: Year round

WILD CANYON Region: cabo san Lucas, Bcs Contact: (624) 144-4433, [email protected], mx www.wildcanyon.com.mx Type: Zip Lines

About: soar across canyons and zoom by rock faces . . . flying like a bird over the oasis below. from a 164-foot long, 33-foot high training line, to their 2,673-foot long (almost 9 football fields!), 295-foot high mega zip line, they have something that will get your heart pumping: In Business: 3–5 years Operates: Year round

THE BAJA BIG LIST: Tours and Guided Travel (cont.)

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{DINING GUIDE}{DINING GUIDE}Cafe Orleans: A Real American-Style Diner in Ensenada

by Steve Dryden

American home-style cooking with an emphasis on breakfast dishes is the theme for the orleans cafe located in downtown ensenada at Blvd. costero no. 1370. You’ll find it located next to the chevrolet dealership and directly across from the velmar Hospital towards the harbor.

owners Jerry and Beatriz Shelby moved to ensenada armed with a long history of operat-ing food venues at the san Diego Airport. over the years jerry collected and stored various ele-ments of restaurant materials with future visions of opening an American-style diner in Baja california. if you look around his cafe, you’ll find pieces of rubio’s, Arriba Margarita Bar, chili’s, Pizza Hut and left over paint from starBucks.

Today, they’ve built a comfortable venue that is home to retired Americans, tourists and locals who crave such American classic dishes as chicken fried steak, gumbo of the day, shrimp

salad, pan fried cat fish, center cut pork chops, turkey breast open-faced sandwiches and more.

The specialty here is large portions of break-fast selections. Their 50 peso Cafe Orleans Special is two eggs, two pancakes, two sau-sage and two bacon, strips. in addition, they offer eggs to order, omelets, new York steak and eggs, carne asada and eggs, s.o.s., corn beef hash, poached eggs, fresh fruit with cottage cheese, hot cakes or waffles, french toast and oatmeal. jerry grinds fresh coffee beans each morning and provides Wifi communication for customers with laptops.

cafe orleans is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting in April they’ll be featuring friday and saturday night themed dinner specials, including lobster, abalone, prime rib and other hard to find favorites. for more information, call them at (646) 178-3286.


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{DINING GUIDE}{DINING GUIDE}

la Cascada Bar & Restaurant in loreto by Stockton Hill

Excluding shrimp or scallops dishes. Not valid with any other special. Items

only discounted off regular price.

20% OFFAny breakfast, lunch or dinner

[email protected]

The Pavilion Restaurant

expires 28-Feb-2010

San Felipe BC Mexico

Excluding shrimp or scallops dishes. Not valid with any other special. Items

only discounted off regular price.

20% OFFAny breakfast, lunch or dinner

[email protected]

The Pavilion Restaurant

expires 28-Feb-2010

San Felipe BC Mexico

from the comfortable and relaxing covered patio, which looks up and down the cobblestone streets of the historic district, to the large palm tree growing up through the patio ceiling, La cascada Bar & restaurant offers a fabulous ambience and some of the best Mexican food in Loreto.

After traveling to Loreto from costa Mesa for years, owner Lucia Alaniz said her children told her they would rather live in Loreto. so, 11 years ago Lucia decided that Loreto was a safer and better life for her kids, and moved permanently. for the last five years, the Alaniz family has been making their guests feel right at home. often you’ll find the son Ariel waiting tables, and Lucia behind the counter or helping in the kitchen.

on our first visit to La cascada, my wife and i had a craving for pescado (fish), so we decided to order the Pescado de salsa de Mango (fish in mango sauce) and the Pescado al cilantro (fish in a creamy cilantro sauce). Both dishes were beautifully presented and grilled to perfection. This was my first taste of fish in a cilantro sauce, but could possibly be one of my favorites. The cilantro flavor was light and accented the fish perfectly.

The fish served both in the mango and cilantro sauces were dorado, also known as mahi mahi, caught locally the same day. for those of you that want to catch your own fish, La cascada will cook your catch to order for only $5 per person. in addition, they offer a full bar with 16 different varieties of tequila and 10 different varieties of scotch.

La cascada serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is located in the historic district on the corner, a block from the Mission of Loreto, at salvatierra and Zapata. (613) 135-0550.

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{DINING GUIDE}{DINING GUIDE}

INGREDIENTS:

• 11/2poundswhitefishfillets

• 1tablespoonmeltedbutter

• Saltandpepper

• 1tablespoonoliveoil

• 1clovegarlic,finelyminced

• 2greenonions,thinlysliced

• 1/4cupchoppedfreshcilantro

• 1cupheavycream

• 1tablespoonlimejuice

• Saltandfreshlygroundblackpepper,totaste

PREPARATION:

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; sauté the garlic and onion for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream and bring to a simmer. simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes to reduce slightly. stir in cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. simmer for about 1 minute longer. set aside or refrigerate until nearly serving time.

Heat oven to 375°.

Line a baking pan with foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Brush fillets lightly with butter; arrange in the baking pan. sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake the fish for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Warm the sauce up and drizzle a little over each serving of fish.

serves 4.

White fish is easy to prepare and serve with tasty green onion and cilantro cream sauce.

White Fish with Cilantro Cream Sauce

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Vacation Rentals &Property Management

613-135-2505www.rentalsloreto.com

Beach-side Vacation condo or house rentals

www.stayinloreto.com ContaCt Lynn Hamman [email protected]

{lODGING GUIDE}{lODGING GUIDE}

Hallelujah! There is an RV Park in la Paz

by John Pack

As an rv'er a stop in La Paz is almost a neces-sity, whether traveling north or south it's the ideal place to stock up. La Paz has some of Baja's best shopping, great mechanics, restaurants, movie theater and much more. You can find just about anything you need in La Paz, except an rv park.

There used to be several nice parks, but as of 2009, the two remaining rv parks in La Paz closed. fortunately, there still is an option for rv'ers just north of town in el centenario at campestre Maranatha, a 7-acre camp located 11 km north of La Paz, on the west side of the highway. camp Maranatha is the only choice if you plan to stay in La Paz.

campestre Maranatha is very well maintained, clean with nice bathrooms, hot showers and laundry facilities. The grounds are meticulously groomed by very friendly staff. it also has a park area, pool, various park equipment for kids, pic-nic facilities and lots of shade trees. However, it is close to the main highway, so depending on your site, traffic noise can be disturbing.

They already had about 20 full hookup sites, and recently opened an additional 24 full hookup sites to accommodate the extra travelers.

in addition to being an rv park, campestre Maranatha is a christian campground used by local churches, schools and families for their different activities, and is also the base for Maranatha Ministries in Mexico.

The original founder of the park was a mission-ary and used to fly to La Paz to do his mission-ary work. He owned his own airstrip, which once was where the rv park and campestre is now.

Walking distances to North Beachfor all you Wind & Kite Surfers

www.fisheastcape.comLos Barriles BCS Mexico

“Maranatha” means “our Lord has come.” churches use the campground for youth

and children’s camps, adult seminars, spiritual retreats and fellowship meetings. Their swim-ming pool is not only used for fun and games but also as a place where hundreds are baptized each year.

Both public and private schools are welcome to use the camp. for example, students enjoy coming to celebrate Dia del niño, or children’s Day. sixth grade classes find it an exciting place to celebrate their gradu-ation from primary school. Boy scouts even hold meet-ings at campestre Maranatha. You can expect to have activ-ity at the camp nearly every weekend.

Although it is outside of town, the local bus stops directly in front of the cof-fee shop “exquisito” on the corner, and the ride to town is only 8 pesos. it comes by every 30 minutes. it's the el centenerio bus, which makes it easy to identify, so you don't get on the wrong bus when returning. “exquisito” also offers internet Wifi and free phone calls to the UsA

or canada with any purchase. campestre Maranatha is $20 per night. The

camp administrators are Cindy and José Nuñez, and they can be reached by email at [email protected].

gPs Location:

Latitude: 24° 5'52.62”n Longitude: 110°23'13.13”W


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{HEAlTH & BEAUTY}{HEAlTH & BEAUTY}Mutated Form of H1N1 Found in Mexico

by Karri Moser

The Mexican Health secretary jose Angel cor-dova villalobos publically announced Mexico’s first case of a mutated form of H1n1 in the coun-try. This particular mutation has been found in a 10-month-old girl. This mutation is showing resistance to treatment, including resistance to Tamiflu. This flu treatment is the most widely used and effective weapon against the H1n1 flu. However, even with the mutated form, the child is steadily recovering.

The 10-month-old child with the mutated strain was admitted to the hospital on january 4, 2010. she came from ecatepec. At the time of hospi-talization, she was diagnosed with respiratory problems, bronchitis and malnutrition. After initial treatment, she improved enough to be released and sent home from the Mexico city area hospi-tal. Ten days later she was once again hospital-ized and diagnosed with aggravated pneumonia. she then tested positive for the mutated H1n1 flu. While she continues to recover, others with H1n1 are being tested to see if the mutation has spread further. so far, out of 150,000 tested, only 423

people are showing signs of having the mutated form of H1n1.

The discovery of this mutation shows the virus can mutate at any time and without warning, just like any other virus. Because of this, the Mexican Health secretary is stressing the importance of vaccination. Anyone who is in a risk category should get vaccinated. He stresses taking ad-vantage of the vaccine supply is the best way to prevent another wave of infection or any more preventable deaths from H1n1.

so far, out of 71,000 cases, over 1,000 people have died of the H1n1 flu in Mexico since the flu’s onset in April 2009. Worldwide, the deaths have totaled 16,000. vaccines are still read-ily available for the public. Health officials also stress that simply getting vaccinated is still the most proactive approach for the public to protect themselves from H1n1. As with any illness or flu, washing your hands, covering coughs and taking common sense precautions can go a long way in keeping it from spreading.

if you get sick with flu-like symptoms, you

should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Most people with H1n1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs, and the same is true of this seasonal flu. However, some people are more likely to get flu complications and they should talk to their doctor about whether they need to be examined if they get flu symptoms.

People at high risk for developing flu-related complications are: children younger than five (especially children younger than two), adults 65 years and older, and pregnant women. it is also possible for other people to develop severe illness from the flu, so anyone who is concerned about their illness should consult with their doctor.

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first stop, i got slammed by a spirited 13-pound amberjack. not exactly what i was looking for, but a nice fish and good fight all the same. other boats that swarmed in on us sat soaking their untouched sardines as i continued to pull in a 6-pound red snapper and then a chunky barred pargo on my squid rig. needless to say, my skip-per made no further observations regarding my tackle or techniques for the remainder of the trip.

if at all possible, it’s a good idea to bring along at least one 5-pound block of frozen squid when you head south of the border in pursuit of pargo. These fish are not particularly picky eaters, how-ever, and they will happily inhale just about any-thing from cut bait and squid to a wide variety of plugs and iron lures. They also deserve your respect, and should be fished for only with a conventional reel and line having a minimum test strength of 30 pounds. Making the unwise deci-sion to use spinning gear when targeting these stubborn and pugnacious fish could easily end up ruining your fishing trip.

There are, of course, other good techniques for catching pargo. Dennis spike, a well-known kayak fishing expert, is an experienced light tackle angler who has perfected the art of casting a live, nose-hooked sardine directly over submerged rocks and reefs, then waiting with the reel in gear for the slightest nibble so that he can immedi-ately jerk the hooked fish away from the structure before it is has a chance to wedge itself in.

Another southern california kayak angler, jon schwartz, enjoys fishing for pargo from his yak using medium-sized mullet as bait. He often buys them in an Asian fish market near his home and brings them down with him when he visits the east cape’s rancho Leonaro resort.

schwartz is particularly fond of this particular area for pursuing big pargo and suggests, “The best place to fish is to paddle straight out to where the charter cruisers are anchored and then start paddling south. if you bring a fish finder, you will see that there is a huge drop off just past the boats that goes from about 40 feet deep to nearly three times that depth within about 20 yards, and there are fish lined up all along the ledge.”

no matter how you plan to stalk them, big pargo are a true prize unto themselves, as well as being a wonderful alternative target for spring anglers who may have been kept inshore by unpredict-able weather conditions. release the small ones but, whatever you do, be sure to take advantage of a gourmet dining opportunity by filleting out a 15- to 20-pounder and having a member of the hotel staff grill it for you over mesquite while bathing it in melted butter and crushed garlic.

By the time the first delightful, charbroiled chunk hits your palate, you might even forget all about that elusive striped marlin, which was your originally intended quarry.

Tom Gatch is the author of Hooked on Baja

and has built a solid reputation as one of the foremost authors and photographers focusing on outdoor and recreational topics in Southern California and the Baja California peninsula.

GOT PARGO? by Tom Gatch

{FISHIGN}{FISHING}

686-946-1028El Dorado Resident Discount

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Your Adventure FishingSpecialists!

VOTED BEST FISHING IN SAN FELIPE 2009!

Southern Californian, Charlie McGee, shows off a sweet pargo perro (dog snapper) that he caught near Isla Cerralvo, just off the coast of La Paz. Photo courtesy of Tailhunter International

can be used interchangeably to refer to different fish species, much as californians might allude to certain members of the Sebastes family as being “red snapper.”

in Baja sur, pargo are members of the true snapper family, Lutjanidae. The most prominent species are mullet snapper (Lutjanus aratus), known as “pargo lisa”; dog snapper (Lutjanus novemfasciatus), called “pargo perro”; the origi-nal red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), affec-tionately referred to by diners as “huachinango”; and one of the most targeted members of the group, the barred pargo (Hoplopagrus gunther), known to Baja pangeros as “pargo coconaco.”

These fish are generally found close to islands, reefs and rocky areas, and can range in size from 5 to well over 40 pounds. Most species of pargo are considered prime table fare, but all of them tend to have the infuriating habit of grabbing a lure or bait and running straight into any nearby structure that happens to be handy, at which point in time they are nearly impossible to extricate.

A standard dropper loop baited with live or dead sardines is an extremely effective pargo set-up, but i personally prefer using a whole squid on a modified trap-rig. if you’ve never made one of these before, tie a large treble hook to the end of a 25- to 35-pound test fluorocarbon leader about 25 to 30 inches long. A single, 2/0 live bait hook is then tied up the leader that corresponds with the size of squid being used. The tag end of the leader is tied to the middle eye of a 3-way swivel. secure an 8-inch leader on the bottom eye, and attach a 4- to 6-ounce torpedo sinker to the ter-minal end. Hook one prong from the treble hook between the squid’s eyes, and then pin the single live bait hook through its nose.

As the squid is slowly lowered through the water column, it tends to flow along with the cur-rent and almost look as if it's swimming. once you reach the bottom, give your reel a couple of cranks and hang on!

if you plan to charter a panga to fish specifi-cally for pargo at one of the major resort hubs like cabo san Lucas or san jose del cabo, remember that most panga operations in these areas earn new and repeat business by the level of success that they display in catching species like marlin, tuna, sailfish and dorado. Therefore, don’t be surprised if your captain looks a bit disappointed when he finds out that you want to focus your angling efforts on these bottom dwellers.

i’ll never forget a trip that i took to a prominent east cape resort well over a decade ago. When the skipper first asked me what i wanted to fish for his smile dropped noticeably when i chirped, “Yo quiero pargo!” He then looked at my tackle set up and raised his eyebrows when he noticed my block of squid and large treble hooks.

on the way to the fishing grounds just north of the cabo Pulmo reserve, he couldn't help but speak up. “Por favor, señor! Your hooks are much too big!” He continued to suggest that i change my rig, but i simply remained silent.

Less than 30 seconds from the moment i cranked my squid up from the bottom on our

springtime marks the beginning of a tran-sitional phase in fishing conditions around the Baja peninsula, partic-ularly in Baja california sur. As the water begins to warm, anglers are occasionally teased by summer-like flurries of surface game-fish activity that may be abruptly disrupted by windy periods, green water and rough off-shore seas.

These are the times when it can be more productive to forget about the highly touted gamesters like striped marlin, yellowfin tuna or dorado and focus on the inshore zone and one of the most noto-rious tackle-busters in all of Baja . . . the pargo. Pargo are gen-erally caught from Bahia Tortugas on the Pacific side to Bahia de Los Angeles in the sea of cortez. in southern Baja, the name “pargo”


CICESEABRIL 2010 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S.Oceanografía Física (22 53 N, 109 55 W)

Hora del Meridiano:

Nivel de Referencia:

1er Cuarto: 21Luna LLena: 283er Cuarto: 6Luna Nueva: 14

439 -32

1045 84

1605 12

2227 125

516 -21

1120 70

1620 22

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1603 38

2347 90

818 20

029 76

1123 18

2044 65

003 61

423 68

1218 11

1936 69

038 46

604 75

1249 5

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105 31

651 83

1313 1

1936 85

130 17

726 90

1336 -2

1950 94

156 3

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1439 0

2045 120

317 -27

925 95

1458 4

2107 125

347 -31

955 90

1518 9

2130 128

419 -30

1028 81

1538 16

2156 127

452 -24

1102 71

1557 23

2223 122

531 -15

1143 59

1616 31

2253 113

620 -3

1243 49

1624 40

2332 101

738 8

041 87

959 11

1829 62

2132 60

314 77

1121 6

1820 75

2340 42

525 83

1207 1

1840 90

032 20

631 92

1244 -2

1905 105

115 -1

721 98

1317 -1

1932 119

157 -19

806 100

1349 3

2001 130

236 -31

848 98

1419 8

2031 137

314 -37

928 93

1447 15

2101 138

351 -36

1006 86

1514 22

2131 135

428 -30

1043 78

1538 29

2201 129

90 W.G.

BMI

http://oceanografia.cicese.mx/predmar MAR V0.9 2010 J.I. González

1Dom Lun Mar Mie Jue Vie Sab0 6 18 0 6 18 0 6 18 0 6 18 0 6 18 0 6 18 0 6 18



4

Dom Lun Mar Mie Jue Vie Sab0 6 18 0 6 18 0 6 18 0 6 18 0 6 18 0 6 18 0 6 18

5


6


7


0 60120

BMI

NMM

PMS

8 9 10

11 12 13 14

0 60120

BMI

NMM

PMS

15 16 17

18 19 20 21

0 60120

BMI

NMM

PMS

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

0 60120

BMI

NMM

PMS

29 30

0 60120

BMI

NMM

PMS

0 60120

0

61

122

cms

6 19

12 20

3 37

6 30

CICESEABRIL 2010 La Paz, B.C.S.Oceanografía Física (24 10 N, 110 21 W)

Hora del Meridiano:



544 -16

1143 57

1625 29

2238 107

621 -10

1219 46

1617 33

2256 103

705 -1

1312 36

1529 35

2314 95

811 7

2323 85

1034 11

2259 73

1227 7

2123 67

249 55

454 56

1317 3

2048 69

206 44

650 61

1349 1

2046 71

220 32

740 66

1413 1

2048 74

239 21

817 71

1432 3

2052 79

301 10

850 75

1450 5

2100 85

325 1

922 76

1508 9

2111 92

353 -8

955 74

1528 13

2125 99

424 -13

1029 70

1548 19

2141 105

456 -17

1104 63

1603 24

2159 108

530 -17

1141 54

1614 30

2219 109

605 -15

1226 45

1610 35

2241 107

646 -12

1349 38

1535 37

2305 102

741 -7

2334 93

906 -3

012 79

1046 -2

2015 63

2256 61

300 64

1202 -3

1940 68

102 41

608 64

1256 -2

1948 77

146 20

729 70

1338 1

2006 87

228 1

828 74

1413 8

2027 96

310 -14

917 74

1442 16

2048 104

350 -24

1003 70

1505 24

2107 109

429 -28

1044 64

1525 31

2126 112

505 -27

1127 57

1543 35

2147 112

540 -23

1207 51

1555 37

2209 109

90 W.G.

BMI





4


5


6


7


0 50100

BMI

NMM

PMS

8 9 10

11 12 13 14

0 50100

BMI

NMM

PMS

15 16 17

18 19 20 21

0 50100

BMI

NMM

PMS

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

0 50100

BMI

NMM

PMS

29 30

0 50100

BMI

NMM

PMS

0 50100

0

54

107

cms

6 19

12 20

3 37

6 30

CICESEABRIL 2010 Loreto, B.C.S.Oceanografía Física (26 01 N, 111 22 W)

Hora del Meridiano:



525 -24

1246 27

1446 26

2200 81

606 -20

2213 81

655 -13

2229 78

805 -6

2245 72

1006 -2

2245 65

1214 -4

2151 58

1253 -5

2118 54

400 37

635 39

1318 -5

2105 52

238 30

734 43

1341 -3

2059 53

232 19

818 46

1401 0

2055 55

247 9

854 48

1417 5

2051 60

308 -1

929 49

1432 10

2052 66

332 -11

1005 47

1445 16

2059 72

400 -18

1044 45

1456 22

2110 78

430 -24

1127 40

1501 27

2123 83

504 -26

1223 34

1453 31

2137 86

542 -24

2154 87

630 -20

2215 85

739 -14

2237 79

937 -10

2253 70

1109 -10

2107 59

1204 -9

2012 58

325 38

616 40

1242 -6

2006 60

140 22

743 44

1314 1

2012 65

210 4

846 48

1343 10

2021 72

247 -12

945 49

1407 20

2029 78

326 -24

1043 47

1426 31

2039 84

404 -31

1146 44

1431 38

2051 89

441 -32

2105 91

519 -29

2122 91

90 W.G.

BMI





4


5


6


7


0 40 80

BMI

NMM

PMS

8 9 10

11 12 13 14

0 40 80

BMI

NMM

PMS

15 16 17

18 19 20 21

0 40 80

BMI

NMM

PMS

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

0 40 80

BMI

NMM

PMS

29 30

0 40 80

BMI

NMM

PMS

0 40 80

0

44

88

cms

6 19

12 20

3 37

6 30

CICESEABRIL 2010 San Felipe, B.C.Oceanografía Física (31 01 N, 114 49 W)

Hora del Meridiano:



315 425

918 -68

1555 465

2159 20

346 371

948 -29

1637 408

2234 79

416 314

1020 16

1726 347

2313 135

444 258

1054 64

1830 292

014 183

516 205

1136 113

2102 263

529 157

914 175

1557 132

2258 289

550 116

1116 214

1700 102

2342 317

607 81

1153 258

1737 71

010 342

623 50

1218 303

1808 44

029 362

640 21

1239 347

1837 22

047 379

657 -5

1301 389

1905 6

105 394

716 -29

1326 424

1932 -3

125 406

736 -47

1351 449

1959 -3

145 413

756 -60

1418 462

2026 4

206 412

818 -64

1445 462

2053 19

229 402

843 -60

1515 450

2122 42

254 383

914 -48

1551 426

2156 73

325 351

952 -26

1638 392

2240 110

404 310

1038 8

1742 354

2343 145

504 263

1142 48

1914 329

154 156

729 236

1345 76

2101 338

359 109

932 275

1550 52

2214 371

454 48

1042 340

1652 15

2305 407

534 -7

1136 406

1744 -15

2349 435

612 -50

1222 462

1830 -33

028 452

646 -76

1304 501

1915 -39

106 454

718 -86

1344 520

1955 -33

143 443

750 -82

1422 518

2034 -14

218 420

821 -68

1501 498

2111 14

252 387

853 -45

1541 463

2147 49

105 W.G.

BMI





4


5


6


7


0200400

BMI

NMM

PMS

8 9 10

11 12 13 14

0200400

BMI

NMM

PMS

15 16 17

18 19 20 21

0200400

BMI

NMM

PMS

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

0200400

BMI

NMM

PMS

29 30

0200400

BMI

NMM

PMS

0200400

0

204

408

cms

5 19

11 20

2 37

5 30

CICESEABRIL 2010 Ensenada, B.C.Oceanografía Física (31 51 N, 116 37 W)

Hora del Meridiano:



523 -24

1133 109

1640 37

2305 169

613 -14

1232 93

1708 53

2343 157

713 -2

1352 81

1736 66

028 141

830 9

1608 79

1800 78

130 126

1002 13

1826 88

2024 87

306 116

1119 11

1845 97

2319 80

449 114

1211 8

1907 105

023 66

558 117

1249 6

1927 114

104 51

649 122

1319 6

1945 122

137 36

729 125

1344 8

2003 132

208 22

805 126

1406 11

2021 141

238 9

838 125

1428 16

2041 150

309 -2

912 122

1449 22

2102 159

341 -11

946 116

1511 29

2127 165

416 -16

1024 109

1534 36

2154 168

454 -18

1107 99

1558 44

2225 168

538 -16

1158 89

1625 53

2301 163

630 -10

1307 81

1657 62

2347 154

736 -4

1445 79

1747 72

050 142

857 -0

1633 86

1940 80

217 131

1015 -2

1729 99

2207 74

355 127

1116 -5

1806 115

2335 55

519 129

1204 -6

1839 132

035 31

626 132

1245 -4

1911 149

127 8

723 133

1321 2

1943 165

214 -12

815 131

1356 11

2016 177

259 -28

905 126

1430 22

2050 184

343 -36

955 118

1504 33

2124 185

428 -37

1044 110

1537 43

2159 181

512 -32

1136 101

1611 54

2235 171

105 W.G.

BMI





4


5


6


7


0 75150

BMI

NMMPMS

8 9 10

11 12 13 14

0 75150

BMI

NMMPMS

15 16 17

18 19 20 21

0 75150

BMI

NMMPMS

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

0 75150

BMI

NMMPMS

29 30

0 75150

BMI

NMMPMS

0 75150

0

82145

cms

5 19

11 20

2 37

5 30

TI

DE

CA

lE

ND

AR

S

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BAHÍA DE LOS ANGELES BC – May 22–23: 17th Annual Guillermo’s Yellowtail Sportfishing Tournament in Bahía de los Angeles. contact guillermo satellite, (200) 124-9104

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“Big Surf”30” x 40” oil on canvas $2700

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{ARTS}{ARTS}

Robin Waters has always had a passion for art, and when she found a medium that could transcend tradi-tional painting, she became a digital artist.

As a little girl, a new box of crayons was always her favorite gift; growing up, she never missed an arts or crafts class. she studied various mediums at the oregon school of Arts, but specialized in fiber/fabric and designing hand-painted wearable art. Always wanting to learn new things, she took continuing classes in oil, water color and acrylics.

robin's fascination with art has always been an integral part of her business life. she owned a stained glass overlay store in Palm Desert, california, where her glass pieces were often featured in the Desert Home show. As a member of American society of interior Designers, robin collaborated with many of the designers to build expansive custom glass creations for the high-end residential and commercial markets.

in 2002, robin came to san felipe and imme-diately fell in love with the mystical meeting of the desert and the sea. she purchased property on the first day. subsequently built a home, and notes that “it gives me the feeling of being on vacation every day.” she points out, “i’ve found the color spec-trum brighter as i’ve moved south, and the rich-ness of it on nature’s art; the seashells, the fish, the sunrises, makes rendering it on canvas or film irresistible.”

robin is a digital painter, an artist with a magical canvas that can change like a kaleidoscope. every

image she creates is unique in color, subject and visual texture. “The digital medium provides limit-less freedom of creation and you never stop learn-ing, that’s probably the joy and fascination for me.” so, she will take a photograph, crop and enhance, and craft a new art piece.

Portraits are her favorite. “i adore taking a pho-tograph and creating an heirloom portrait,” says robin, describing her techniques, “Portraits are more than a likeness, they are a wonderful visual memory of you, your pet, a favorite scene or somebody you love.”

When robin is not at the computer, she is hav-ing fun painting and designing tiles, glassware, wall décor and things for her home. gardening, try-ing new recipes or working on community activi-ties with the san felipe Lions club round out her leisure time.

When asked about the art community, she replied that she would like san felipe to become known for art as well as fishing, and to follow the lead of Todos santos, Ajijic or san Miguel de Allende and emerge as the “Art colony” only two hours south of the border.

robin has recently become affiliated with the Art expo—An artists' co-op in san felipe. They have monthly art shows from october through february

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and end the season at the Blues and Arts fiesta.Her work is currently displayed at The

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{HOME & REAl ESTATE}{HOME & REAl ESTATE}

at least five years to qualify for an exemption to the tax on the sale of property. in the past the residency requirement was typically one or two years, and, to put it tactfully, foreign sellers often could find a way to qualify for the exemption.

There is “absolutely” a new focus on enforce-ment in Mexico, says Linda neil of the settlement company, a Baja california-based firm.

“foreign buyers who buy for rental or for vaca-tions should not expect to receive the residence exemption,” neil said.

The residency exemption to the tax has been changed frequently in recent years, but the law has never been this strict, according to raoul rodriguez-Walters, managing director of Mexico Advisor, which has offices in Portland, oregon, and san Miguel de Allende. (for the record, it’s not technically a capital gains tax, but simply a tax on the income from the sale.)

some aspects of the law are still confusing and open to interpretation, rodriguez-Walters says. for example, it’s unclear from the wording of the new law whether sales of less than $500,000 are exempt from the tax, as they have been in the past. (That confusion can be found in this recent article on the new tax.)

The issues are further complicated by a long-running debate about how the tax system clas-sifies residents and non-residents, he says. in most cases a notario publico has tremendous leeway to determine residency status, and the interpretation and application of the law varies among notarios and jurisdictions.

“some notarios are more comfortable granting exemptions to foreign nationals than others,” said rodríguez-Walters. “it is important to find one that will provide an exemption if you feel you qualify.”

The easy residency exemption was particu-larly useful for developers and landlords, who could work the system to claim multiple proper-ties, using evidence such as utility bills to verify residence. But a five-year benchmark sets a high standard.

“if you can’t prove you’ve been there for five years, it’s going to be practically impossible” to avoid the tax, rodríguez-Walters said.

in some cases, the tax can be a shock to sell-ers. in the past, buyers were often encouraged to record a lower property value when they buy a house, only to face a large capital gains hit when they go to sell the property.

“This is the reason [buyers] should definitely insist upon declaring full value paid in their deed so that when they sell they will pay an income or capital gains tax on only the profit,” neil said.

U.s. and canadian residents can typically de-clare the tax they pay in Mexico on their home-country income taxes, easing some of the hit.

“foreign buyers need to be sure they do it right, declare full value, pay taxes and get the proper documentation to prove to tax authorities in their home countries that they need a credit/deduction on their Mexican properties,” neil said.

Kevin Brass, is the editor of international Prop-erty journal. Through booms and busts, Kevin has chronicled the international property industry for the international Herald Tribune and new York Times. His popular International Herald Tribune blog, “Raising the Roof,” was named one of the Top 20 real estate blogs in the world by NuWire Investor. A frequent speaker at industry events, Kevin’s features and analysis have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including the Los Angeles Times, san Diego Tribune, san Diego Magazine and Hispanic Business. In 2008 GlobalEdge named Kevin one of the 100 most powerful property journalists in the world.

This article is reprinted with permission from Kevin Brass and the international Property journal www.internationalprop-ertyjournal.com.

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Mexico Cracking Down on Capital Gains Taxby Kevin Brass, international Property journal

changes in Mexico’s tax laws have made it more difficult for foreigners selling real estate to avoid the country’s steep capital gains tax, which can run as high as 30 percent.

Under the new rules, homeowners must prove the house has been their primary residence for


{HOME & REAl ESTATE}{HOME & REAl ESTATE}changes in Mexico’s tax laws have made it more

difficult for foreigners selling real estate to avoid the country’s steep capital gains tax, which can run as high as 30 percent.

Under the new rules, homeowners must prove the house has been their primary residence for at least five years to qualify for an exemption to the tax on the sale of property. in the past the residency requirement was typically one or two years, and, to put it tactfully, for-eign sellers often could find a way to qualify for the exemption.

There is “absolutely” a new focus on enforcement in Mexico, says Linda neil of the settlement company, a Baja california-based firm.

“foreign buyers who buy for rental or for vacations should not expect to receive the residence exemption,” neil said.

The residency exemption to the tax has been changed frequently in recent years, but the law has never been this strict, according to raoul rodriguez-Walters, managing director of Mexico Advisor, which

has offices in Portland, oregon, and san Miguel de Al-lende. (for the record, it’s not technically a capital gains tax, but simply a tax on the income from the sale.)

some aspects of the law are still confusing and open to interpretation, rodriguez-Walters says. for example, it’s unclear from the wording of the new law whether sales of less than $500,000 are exempt from the tax, as they have been in the past. (That confusion can be found in this recent article on the new tax.)

The issues are further complicated by a long-running debate about how the tax system classifies residents and non-residents, he says. in most cases a notario publico has tremendous leeway to determine residency status, and the interpretation and application of the law varies among notarios and jurisdictions.

“some notarios are more comfortable granting exemptions to foreign nationals than others,” said rodríguez-Walters. “it is important to find one that will provide an exemption if you feel you qualify.”

The easy residency exemption was particularly use-ful for developers and landlords, who could work the

system to claim multiple properties, using evidence such as utility bills to verify residence. But a five-year benchmark sets a high standard.

“if you can’t prove you’ve been there for five years, it’s going to be practically impossible” to avoid the tax, rodríguez-Walters said.

in some cases, the tax can be a shock to sellers. in the past, buyers were often encouraged to record a lower property value when they buy a house, only to face a large capital gains hit when they go to sell the property.

“This is the reason [buyers] should definitely insist upon declaring full value paid in their deed so that when they sell they will pay an income or capital gains tax on only the profit,” neil said.

U.s. and canadian residents can typically declare the tax they pay in Mexico on their home-country in-come taxes, easing some of the hit.

“foreign buyers need to be sure they do it right, de-clare full value, pay taxes and get the proper documen-tation to prove to tax authorities in their home countries

that they need a credit/deduction on their Mexican properties,” neil said.

Kevin Brass, is the editor of international Property journal. Through booms and busts, Kevin has chronicled the interna-tional property industry for the international Herald Tribune and new York Times. His popular International Herald Tribune blog, “Raising the Roof,” was named one of the Top 20 real estate blogs in the world by NuWire Investor. A frequent speaker at industry events, Kevin’s features and analysis have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including the Los Angeles Times, san Diego Tribune, san Diego Magazine and Hispanic Business. In 2008 GlobalEdge named Kevin one of the 100 most powerful property journalists in the world.

This article is reprinted with permission from Kevin Brass and the international Property journal www.internationalpropertyjournal.com.

Can In-House Financing Help Trigger the Next Baja Real Estate Boom? by Alejandra Esquivel

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With a slow housing market trending the real estate world, and economic uncertainty glooming over millions, Baja real estate developers may yet attract buyers with purchasing plans very much within their affordable grasp.

The number of housing and condo developments in the Baja california coast increased significantly in the past few years. As a result of the boom in construction and the current market conditions, opportunities are arising for the knowledgeable investor who can expect a significant return on the investment after the market has recovered, as well as for the American retiree considering moving to Mexico.

Baja california has been attracting retirees for decades with its perfect weather, affordable beachfront housing and accessibility to U.s. services. in response to this, the medical infrastructure has been updated with state-of-the-art hospitals and assisted living services have been created. combine this with the continually increasing purchasing power of the dollar against the peso, retirees not only get a secure economic future but also a lifestyle upgrade while, at the same time, extending their income by 3 years per each 10 of retirement funds.

The number of Americans living in Mexico was reported to have increased by 17 percent from 1990 to 2000. This number could very well double since the people looking to relocate to Mexico are not just baby boomers anymore. Many people in their 30s and 40s, looking for a slower pace of life, are moving to Baja and starting their own business; people who can’t afford the california real estate prices live in Baja and work in california; and some people are transferred to Baja for business.

The Baja peninsula is currently estimated to have around 250,000 American expatriates, with approximately 12 percent of them living along the Tijuana-ensenada corridor. for these people neither health concerns nor security issues are enough to drive them away from a place they have come to call home, instead they speak out against the negative publicity Baja has received.

considering the reasons why acquiring Mexican real estate is an appealing option, then why is the Mexico real estate market and particularly the Baja california region, which is one of regions leading the retirement trend, faced with slow sales? The answer could be simple: financing. The slow down in the economy has significantly reduced the number and type of loans the financial institutions are issuing. With fewer institutions providing loans, qualifying becomes more and more difficult.

in response to this current situation some developers in Baja are starting to offer in-house financing, which alleviates the dependency on financial institutions. some of the advantages of this type of loan are: no property appraisal, it identifies a financially sound seller, possibility of getting customized loan terms, and it is not a rigorous screening process, which makes it available to people with lower credit scores.

Kathy Katz has been a resident of Baja california for 18 years and a reputable broker specializing in Baja california real estate. With years of experience she knows very well that a buyer must be careful and work closely with their realty company in figuring out who is offering the best options. These are the key things she mentions you must look for in an investment and their in-house financing options if available:

it is important that title is transferred into the buyer’s name and a lien placed on the property.

Ask about pre-payment penalties if any. Make sure that when all payments are made

you have the developer sign off your lien in front of a Mexican notary.

it is important to get a statement of your closing costs.

Always ask for a certificate of no Liens. in-house financing brings the possibility of

more buyers coming in to the Baja real estate market. As more developers begin to offer this opportunity, the demand for beachfront property will continue to increase. With this, the chances of getting more for less money will steadily or rapidly decrease; as was the case with the previous boom that started early in the decade,

which had prices rising 10 percent to 15 percent per year.

The demand for coastal real estate in Baja california still exists. The lack of purchasing power brought about by the economy is one of the reasons for the slow market. When you make funds available for the prospective buyers, and combine it with the current prices, the possibility of a next boom is not so far fetched.

Alejandra Esquivel was born in Baja California and has never lived far from the Baja coast. She has written several articles on its cities, communities and places of interest. You can find more information on Baja California and this particular subject by visiting www.bajarealestategroup.net.

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Jane Allen, Contract Manager US: 480.600.2114 or MX: 011.521.686.236.4927

www.sanfelipehomesbyperez.com

[email protected]

* * * * * El Dorado Ranch 5 Star Contractor

Lupe Pérez, General Contractor 011.521.686.170.3979

Jane Allen, Contract Manager US: 480.600.2114 or MX:

011.521.686.236.4927www.sanfelipehomesbyperez.com

[email protected]

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Phone: 577-0195 USA: 011-52-686-577-0195 Email: [email protected]



Open HOuse us$154,500

WWW.MeXICOLIVInGGuIDe.COM/OpenHOuse

Baja's Best lakeside living

just south of downtown ensenada, nestled in a canyon surrounded by mountains, 12 acres of lakes and 300 verdant acres is the Baja country club. The Baja country club has been known for its gorgeous par 72 championship golf course, which is open to the public.

Baja country club is a sanctuary, encompassing natural beauty and tranquility, with cooling ocean breezes and gated, controlled security.

The Baja country club is a gated community with homes by the prestigious Marena development group, which are well known for club Marena in rosarito. These consist mainly of two choices of custom home locations around the golf course. An impressive but elegant wall surrounds the entire area making it more exclusive.

The homes are situated on the mountain side and on the fairway side, and three different models are available: Los cabos, Loreto and a recently released san felipe model. it will also be offering tennis courts and resident and guest pools in addition to the golf course and club house amenities.

A few model homes are available for viewing and many homes are already being constructed and delivered to excited owners. starting prices in phase one offer a great investment opportunity.

The Baja country club is found at the end of a canyon and is surrounded by mountains that embrace the Bentgrass greens and ocean breezes gently blow over the property.

Prices: Were starting at $162,500, noW at $154,500

BAjA coUnTrY cLUB fancisco i Modero cañon san carlos ensenada, B.c Mexico Mailing Address: 858 3rd Avenue #312, chula vista, cA 91911 Phone: 011 52 (646) 177-5523 from the U.s.: (866) 599-0631 fax: 011 52 (646) 120-1924 email: [email protected].

San Felipe, Baja Californiaone can truly appreciate the beauty and peace of Baja in this gorgeous, 2,100 sq. ft. home. it comes completely furnished, has a separate two-bedroom casita, and the amenities are too extensive to list them all; upgraded furniture and appliances, ceiling fans, entertainment center, 109-inch Projection DLP Home Theatre and many, many more. The outdoor living area is over 9,000 sq. ft., including pool, spa, shower, kitchen, and lots of privacy. This million dollar property is PriceD To seLL at only Us$499,000! To start living your dream, contact Bill Maine at (619) 203-5129; from the U.s. (760) 688-6238; or [email protected].

San Felipe, Baja CaliforniaThis beautiful 2 Master suite home is located in the gated community of el Dorado ranch in san felipe, Baja california. front and back tiled patios offer sea and mountain views. The rooftop deck is perfect for stargazing and relaxing. includes great room, garage and billiard table. Home is fully furnished, ready to move in ToDAY! offered at $209k Bill Maine 686-231-4921 or 619-203-5129.

Loreta, Baja California SurBeachfront rental. Two bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, sleeps six. Unique, private home, five miles north of town. Kayaks, bikes, etc. $1,000/week or $3,500/month. email [email protected].

Los Barriles, Baja California Surensenada de Palmas, Buenos Aires, Los Barriles, has lots, in a new community, nestled between the sierra Madre Mountains and the Beautiful sea of cortez with views to the north and the south. Lots range from 800 M2 to 1,500 M2, so you can build your dream home. Lots are near the town of Los Barriles. Prices from Us$40,000 to $100,000. Lots are also available in other communities. cell: (624) 355-5782, nextel 72*698805*3, ask for jorge ortiz, or email [email protected].

La Paz, Baja California SurThis stylish home must be seen to be appreciated! Located in el comitan roughly 15 Km north of La Paz. Has a large, bright living/dining area and an open kitchen with state-of-the art appliances. Master bed and bath are located on the main floor with a covered patio to the pool area. A separate stairwell takes you to the terrace with a guest bedroom, bath and outstanding views. Approximately 1,700 sq. ft., fully furnished, professionally landscaped with an automatic irrigation system. PriceD To seLL at Us$340,900. contact Alexander at 011 52 (613) 104-3625 or [email protected].

OPEN HOUSE PHOTO ADSPublish your real estate photo

ad for onLY $50. simply email

your copy and photo to sales@

mexicoliving.info and Mexico

Living will contact you. if you

have questions, please call

686-230-9933 in Mexico or

877-LUvMex1 from the Us.

The Models


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37: Pay out, with 'down'38: capital of Phoenix?39: Tooth's partner40: Lunar effect43: out of work? (abbr.)44: get back45: go by46: secure48: Term of enlistment49: Tv ratings period51: in reserve54: segments of history55: Without give56: Thorny flower59: Touch of winter60: Uploading initials61: Helios, to the romans62: Player's peg63: Avg.

WANTEDREPORTERS WANTED: Mexico Living’s Baja California is looking for community reporters. if you’re interested and would like to get paid for your writing, email [email protected].

SALES ASSOCIATES - ROSARITO BEACH, ENSENADA and CABO SAN LUCAS. Mexico Living’s Baja California is looking to expand our sales team and are looking for a few self-motivated go getters. We are looking to expand the ensenada, rosarito Beach and cabo san Lucas markets. if you’re interested and would like to make a living in Baja meeting new people, email [email protected] ENSENADA DISTRIBUTION: Mexico Living is looking for someone to distribute in the ensenada area. Must have reliable car and know the area. if you’re interested and would like to make a living in Baja meeting new people, email [email protected].

MISSINGMissing Dog “Pickle” Lost on sunday, january 3rd around 2:00 p.m. at KM 224 1/2 on Highway 1 - 55 KM north of Bahia Los Angeles turnoff in the Laguna chapala Area.Please call: 001 (619) 851-4959 or 045 (624) 141-6121. **$1000 UsD reWArD**

PETS MULEGE: FREE puppies to good Families. 2 neutered Males and 2 females, 9 weeks old, vaccinated, Dewormed. call joanna at (615) 101-5031 or [email protected] BAJA CALIFORNIA: AKC Registered English Bulldog puppies for sale. Playful, good with kids and other pets; you will definitely love them. email richard at [email protected].

FOR SALEBAJA CALIFORNIA: Unlimited calls to U.S., Canada and more for 29.99 per month. videophone available so you can see the person. email [email protected] or call (858) 414-4825.

ROSARITO BEACH: 2006 Polares 4x4 quad 500 Sportsman Red Flame edition with very low hours. owned by a 70-year-old man - wife says, “you don’t ride it, so sell it.” Like new! $4,300; always garaged. [email protected], (629) 793-4790 U.s., (646) 155-0408 Mx.

ROSARITO BEACH: 1990 Achillies Inflatable 13’ Heavy Duty red dive boat with 15HP Suzuki includes transom wheels for easy launching and removable bimini top. great condition. $2,200. [email protected], (619) 793-4790 U.s., (646) 155-

0408 Mx.

MULEGé: 89’ Wrangler Jeep 4x4. 5 speed with power steering and power brakes, cD player, new top, tires, brakes and battery. Always garaged. runs great and in beautiful condition. $5,500. Located at Posada concepcion #42. [email protected], (619) 793-4790 U.s., (646) 155-0408 Mx.

MULEGé: 1997 Neptune fishing boat 18 1/2’ center console. 90HP evinrude, 37 gal. built in gas tank, T-top with enclosed electronics box, Lorence sonar fish finder, gPs, radio, dual batteries, trailer. excellant condition. Located at Posada concepcion #42. $8,500. [email protected], (619) 793-4790 U.s., (646) 155-0408 Mx.

LA PAZ: 30-foot travel trailer in good condition; 1995 Prowler. includes all factory options, microwave, Ac, full awning and more. room for 6, completely self-contained. it’s ready to go, just come and hook her up! $8,500 oBo. cAsH onLY! call Dax at (612) 140-3070; for pictures, email [email protected].

SAN FELIPE: 6-Pak, 8 1/2’ CABOVER CAMPER. sleeps 6, fully self-contained, 2-way frig, new fantastic fan and furnace, stove w/oven, hydraulic jacks and more. in very good condition. $1,500 firm. 576-0329, (530) 386-2770 (U.s. cell), [email protected]

SAN FELIPE: Barely used 8 hp Honda four stroke outboard and 10 ft zodiac. new over 3K. Asking 1.5K obo. contact ron cartwright at campo san Antonio km 43 or jacobsen at [email protected] SAN FELIPE: 2002 Dodge Ram 2500. $4,950. great condition! extended cab 2-wheel drive. Air conditioner, power windows and locks, spray on bedliner, deluxe interior, automatic transmission, towing package, recent tires, Magnum 5.9L v8 engine.

REAL ESTATEROSARITO BEACH: Casa only 15 miles south of Rosarito in the upscale Mision viejo community. Beautiful 3 bed, 2 bath, 2-car garage; completely furnished. $299,000 takes over a fedeicomiso that has 96 years left. Will also consider long-term lease. [email protected], (619) 793-4790 U.s., (646) 155-0408 Mx.

SAN FELIPE: A Lot at San Felipe by the Sea for sale by owner. Us$130,000 cash. Best offer considered - very close to the beach. email Kazuyo Kano at [email protected].

SAN FELIPE: Oceanview lot for sale in Playa de Oro. Walking distance to the beach, gated community. Us$84,500. email Dave

at [email protected].

MULEGé: Beachfront casa 15 miles south of Mulegé on Baja concepcion in Posada concepcion. Two story, 2 bed, 2 bath, and garage with loft. Utilities and trash included in $4,400 annual 10-year renewal lease. security, boat moorage and tennis court. $175,000. [email protected], (619) 793-4790 U.s., (646) 155-0408 Mx.

LORETO: Central Loreto Real Estate For Sale by Harbor. cleared, flat, partially fenced 4,ooo plus sq foot lot for sale. full title, 150K, email [email protected]. Paved street and sidewalk, utilities to lot. U.s. (805) 748-4566.

LORETO: 2BR, Exciting Sports Fishing Casita in Loreto/Puerto Escondido, Tripui resort #B-07/8 in La Mano de Dios, the heart of world-class sportfishing, cruising, sailing, off-roading and all kinds of recreation. contact joe at [email protected] for details, directions and pictures. Us$120,000

LA PAZ: Lot for sale in the lovely community of Bellaterra (located in the hills above Marina Palmira). stunning ocean views. it’s just a few minutes away from downtown La Paz. call Dax at (612) 140 3070. for pictures, email [email protected]

LA PAZ: Excellent Rustic Lots in San Pedro, only a 30 min. from city, 20m x 43m, 860m2 = 9,257 sq ft. Deposit $3,500 pesos and 48 fixed Monthly payments of $1,220 pesos. www.inverlap.com. [email protected], (612) 128-1808, (612) 128-1878.

RENTALSSAN FELIPE: MINI RV PARK Long-term rentals; newly developed: 8 rv sites within campo ocotillos, 5 miles north of san felipe. complete hook-ups $220 plus elect, 2 full-size trailers already set-up $330 plus elect. Also trailer on private residential property with complete overhead cover, deck and fenced yard. (686) 576-0347, [email protected]

LORETO: Casitas for rent by week/month. Pool and free Wifi. fully furnished, steps from Malecon. 1-3 person casitas with full kitchen, Ac, pool and BBQ area, quiet area secure, and room to park! Pets considered. Quiet adult facility. Weekly, $490/mo and $1,500/mo. U.s. (805) 459-3100, Mx (613) 135-2536.

CABO: Timeshare rentals available for Spring Break, Apr 3–10. 2br, 3ba, sleeps 6+, ocean $2,400; 1br $1,400. call irene nisbet, (951) 255-4856 U.s.

SAN FELIPE: Beautiful South Campos Beachfront, 2 bedroom

apt. plus party and sleeping deck. just bring your food and clothes. clean, safe, sandy beach. Well behaved pets welcome. $80 per night up to 4 persons, children free. [email protected]: Beachfront Rental, 2 Bed, 2 1/2 Bath, sleeps 6. Unique, private home, 5 miles north of town. Kayaks, Bikes inc. $1,000/wk or $3,500/mo. email for more info: [email protected], or visit estrelladeloreto.com

LORETO: $120,000 / 2br for sale by owner. exciting sportfishing casita in Loreto/Puerto escondido, Tripui resort B-07, 2 years old, secured American community, A/c, all utilities, insulated, pool, Dish. contact joe at [email protected] for details, directions, and pictures.

BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES: Beautiful beachfront house on 2 acres. 2 bed, 2 bath, open floor plan, and massive wood beam ceiling. Large detached garage, solar power. Launching ramp and palapa on a quiet sandy beach. $325,000. owner may carry with substantial down payment. (562) 810-1941, [email protected]

ANNOUNCEMENTSROSARITO BEACH: 2010 SCAAT Free Spay/Neuter Schedule. Apr. 11, May 9, june 13, july 11, Aug. 8, sep. 12, oct. 10, nov. 14 and Dec. 12. We need volunteers! call Karen Patonai if you can help: (661) 613-0737; [email protected]

TODOS SANTOS: AA Meeting at Church Courtyard, Monday through saturday, 5–6 p.m. (612) 145-0265 or (612) 145-0364.

SAN FELIPE: 72 Baja Cookbooks. 400 recipes for all sorts of foods, drinks, appetizers, main dishes, salads, soups, breads, and brunch and desserts. The profits go to the food Bank and other related food charities in san felipe. Look for them at the swap Meet or email Debrah at [email protected].

BUSINESS SERVICESRENTAL CONTRACTS FOR MEXICO: english in the left column, with spanish in the right column. These contracts are custom drafted for Mexico, and have safely served hundreds of rental property owners and tenants. see sample rental contract pages and download the rental contract at www.mexico-contracts.com. [email protected]. starting at Us$20. good for all states.

AUTOMOTIVE: ROSARITO - Colisiones Corona. genuine and after-market auto body parts, radiators, hoods, headlamps, taillaps, fenders, grills, bumpers, signal lamps, door handles, mirrors, Ac condensers. (Auto Wrecking) 428-c, Blvd. Benito juarez. Playas de rosarito B.c.152*14*19670, (661) 613-1109.

All ads must be placed online at [email protected]. All Ads Must be posted by the last Friday of each month. All ads must be specific, no generic ads, All ads must be 60 words or less

and contain contact info and price. Mexico Living reserves the right to edit all ads for length, or to refuse any ads. We will not print ads submitted with ALL CAPS.

FRee CLAssIFIeD ADs


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MEXICO LIVINGG

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he Sea of Cortez

Documents

Edition 35 - April 2010