David K - 11-29-2004 at 10:06 PM
Thanksgiving weekend, 2004 had me being invited to El Rosario by 'BajaCactus' (Antonio Munoz)... I offered to drive!
Wed. 11/24: Left Oceanside at 10 am and met Antonio at noon. First order of business was lunch! We went to a taco stand that is famous for their spicy
shrimp tacos. I added some green stuff on top that I assumed was guacamole... WRONG! It was crushed chiles and I became a 'local' muy rapido as my
mouth was aflame and I lost the feeling in my lips!! It was a good laugh... Really wasn't THAT bad... But Antonio said not even the locals use that on
the spicy shrimp. Note to self: Not all that is green is guacamole! I next tried the marlin con queso taco and it was awesome!
Okay, lunch done, we went back to the border to see customs office regarding the 13 new 27" TVs that are being imported for the Baja Cactus motel's
new rooms. Hotel TV's are not available in Mexico. Import tax paid and documents signed, the truck with the TVs is across the border. Antonio's
brother will drive it to Rosario the next day.
Antonio and I head south from Tijuana about 4pm. Great conversations about our two worlds and family history. We pull into the Mision Santa Isabel
restaurant in San Quintin (north of downtown, east side of highway). I had the breaded fish (Pescado Empanizado) and Antonio had the special (fish
with nopal and special sauce). Served with excellent soup, both were delicious. We finished with cheesecake from the bakery of 'El Costco'
! Great restaurant and inexpensive... full of locals... I highly recommend it.
We arrived in El Rosario at 10 pm. The Baja Cactus Motel is really awesome and quite advanced for Baja motor inns!
Baja Cactus GPS: 30-03.57', 115-39.50' (Map Datum: NAD27 Mexico), elev. 89'.
Photo Baja Cactus Motel and Pemex from hilltop...
[Edited on 11-30-2004 by David K]
El Rosario & Sidetrips 11/04 (Part 2)
David K - 11-29-2004 at 10:46 PM
Thu. 11/25: Antonio is busy most of the day with the installation of the new TVs and other hotel details.
In the afternoon, we visit the first site of the Rosario mission, a local artist (Hugo Lopez) whose paintings are on display at the hotel (more on
Hugo, later), and Antonio wants to show me the BIG Diamante del Mar project... We drive west from the curve toward La Bocana and through Rosario de
Abajo then turn right and head up into the hills. Eventually we reach a manned security gate where Antonio gets permission to enter Diamante
terrritory. The road goes to a new 3 story building that serves as the presentation office and residence for Tony and Robert who are friends of the
developer and managing the project in its early stages. I get permission to photgraph the project site maps. Really a lot is going to be happening. A
sea water desalinization plant is going in (for those who ask where the water's coming from).
We invite Tony to join us later for Thanksgiving dinner at Mama Espinoza's after he kindly explained the project to me.
From the Diamante office we head south to La Bocana beach as the sun is ready to set. A very beautiful, big beach! GPS: 30-02.60', 115-47.30' (NAD27
Mex.).
Heading back to town past the estero/lagoon we spot a stuck little car and a lone woman digging. We meet Katherine and she is a British former army
soldier vacationing in Baja. After lowering the air pressure (to 10psi), I drive the little car out of the sand and back to Antonio's gas station
where I refill the tires. Antonio drives my truck. Katherine is relieved and she elects to rent a room from Antonio rather than sleep in her tent,
since Antonio still offers special prices for the new rooms.
Tony arrives and the three of us go to Mama Espinoza's where we are greeted by Mama's daughter, 'Roli' who runs the business. Mama (Anita) is in a
hospital in Ensenada with bronchitis.
Thanksgiving calls for Turkey, and in Baja that means LOBSTER! It was great, the fishermen just brought them to Roli, live.
Great Thanksgiving...
David K - 11-29-2004 at 10:49 PM
Hugo Lopez captures boojums. This on display in the hotel office.
David K - 11-29-2004 at 10:52 PM
Hugo Lopez painting of San Quintin's Old Mill, in room 201...
[Edited on 11-30-2004 by David K]
David K - 11-29-2004 at 11:01 PM
Hugo Lopez also is working on a scale model of the Rosario mission as it appeared about 200 years ago.
Here is Hugo in his little restaurant
David K - 11-29-2004 at 11:09 PM
His painting here represents the sadness of the destruction of cardon cactus (which are gifts from God) and how the boojums are like rising spirits...
That is how I understood his explanation.
Mexitron - 11-29-2004 at 11:44 PM
Beautiful, striking artwork.....sounds like a great time David.
I was called a while back about managing the reveg part of the golf course but I couldn't work out time and logistics....looks like they haven't
done much yet anyway--what's the general feeling in town about the golf course?
David K - 11-30-2004 at 12:13 AM
They seem to have high hopes that El Rosario will finally become a destination instead of simply a plass to pass through. Part of my weekend there was
to see what kind of interesting excursions could be made from Rosario. I wasn't disappointed, and there was more still more to see.
Grading for the first golf course starts in January, I believe. It has taken them seven years to secure clear title to the land. A marina is also to
go in on the north side, near El Consuelo site. The govenor of Baja has been there also. The concrete runway is 6,000 feet long and will soon be
doubled in width to handle full size commercial jets. The lots are selling fast at US$500,000 each...
On the right edge of the plan is Highway One, on the mesa and where it drops down the canyon. The airport is parallel to it, and the project is alongt
he coast and inland. The two 18 hole golf courses will be 9 holes along the sea cliffs and 9 just inland.
[Edited on 11-30-2004 by David K]
BajaGrrls - 11-30-2004 at 09:26 AM
Sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for sharing the photos. "Baja turkey" sounds awesome!
I was curious about one thing. Why are hotel tvs not available in Baja? Are they different than regular tvs? I've never heard that before.
wilderone - 11-30-2004 at 10:22 AM
I love Hugo Lopez' boojum painting. Does he have others for sale to the general public? Where can he be contacted?
GREAT STUFF, DAVID
Barry A. - 11-30-2004 at 11:48 AM
This is all super information, David. Thank you for giving us the thumbnail description and pictures. Sounds like big plans for El Rosario.
Amazing!!! Barry
You guys wouldn't even believe
jrbaja - 11-30-2004 at 01:35 PM
what's going on down here.
Most of my friends are buying or at least looking for properties here.
And the canadians are doing it down south. PCH/ orange county, coming right up !!!!
Mexitron - 11-30-2004 at 03:03 PM
Thanks for the info DK. Wonder if all the investors know about wind and fog in the neck of the woods!?
David K - 11-30-2004 at 06:38 PM
Stand by for the next part of this trip report!
The meeting at the Diamante Del Mar office was very informal. I heard the figure of "half a million dollars per lot", but I very well could be
mistaken. Robert (one of the two Americans at the site) reads Baja Nomad, and if can correct me... that would be great.
Understand that prospective investors are being flown in on a private jet... that figure might very well be true, just for the sea view lots. The
villas that will be constructed there are substantial estates. This project is for the upper 1% of society, in my opinion.
Okay, let me start a new thread for my Friday adventures, east from Rosario. Note that the 'El' is dropped from the name, as locals often just say
Rosario instead of El Rosario.