Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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Guererro Negro
Guererro Negro
We live part time near Bahia de Los Angeles. The tiny village here is filled with sweet people and the basic necessities they require. Although we
can find many quality foodstuffs, shrimp, scallops and fish, chicken and beef, there is no true ?meat market? and the provisions, while growing, are
still limited. Life here is as you would expect; limited needs, limited provisions. We are accustomed to that and wouldn?t change a thing. And
there is no bank.
While we have made other arrangements from time to time when we run out of money here they have the potential of inconveniencing others. So we avoid
it.
Today, after a month plus in Bahia we drove the 3 ? hours each direction to Guererro Negro for some supplies not available in Bahia and for a cash
withdrawal from our nearest bank. The maximum we can extract is $400, and most places in Guererro Negro don?t take debit or credit cards, so we were
still limited by what we could buy for our remaining time in Bahia de Los Angeles. But that?s all good because we were spending too much moola
anyway.
We took the airport road into town and were soon overwhelmed by the bustle of the community, the main point of provision for the entire central Baja
peninsula. After so much time in the rural environs outside Bahia de Los Angeles it was the equivalent of being deposited at Sixth and Spring streets
in downtown L.A. People were everywhere, colors designed to attract attentions for the purpose of advertisement, salesmen waving, so many
establishments in general were all overpowering and we had been away from all that for so long that we were more aware than we might on ?the other
side.? El otro lado, meaning the United States. We spent two hours in town and I was very prepared to return to our sleepy fishing village and our
house south.
It doesn?t take long to slow down when we?re at our Baja abode. There?s nothing to cause you to focus except the sea, sky, the sand. And the birds;
pelicans, heron, egrets, California gulls, terns, and the Magnificent Frigate birds. It?s such a peaceful environment. It?s a very tranquil place.
On our long and tedious drive to Guererro today we carried another couple we?ve recently met. During the hours of driving south and then returning
north we had plenty of time to talk; indeed a need to talk to fill what would otherwise be boring hours of nothing but blacktop. We discussed our
varied histories, our worries about our futures, our current problems and issues and our related discoveries from our past. On a long drive like this
there is a certain pleasure and idleness fulfilled by deep discussions. We have now become friends with our fellow travelers.
When times failed to fill our conversational needs, our friends? 15 month old baby offered up sweet sounds for our appreciation. She is just learning
to talk and walk and you can respect the smiling and yet serious look on her face when she has to concentrate on these issues. It carried me back to
our own children when they were babies in Southern Spain, North Africa and Baja and loving them with such intensity and then through to today when we
are missing them badly because they at our northern home and we are here in our southern.
All this on a lonely road in the central peninsula.
Once back at our casa our friends packed up their new supplies and departed. We climbed the stairs, put our goods away and sat on the balcony facing
east. The sun had set behind our tall western mountains and our house was in shadow. But the hills forming the southern tip of Bahia de Los Angeles,
Punta Roja, were still illuminated in bright orange and red and tan tones. What an awesome sight and what a feeling of peace and tranquility, looking
across the bay at the exhibits of our universe.
I guess it?s all about accessibility of time.
Down here there?s plenty of it.
Time to share life with each other. Time to ponder and appreciate simple matters.
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Hey Mike-
Sounds wonderful...I'm sure you spent many years dreaming about your current situation..congrats! I often remind myself that "one-day" will be here
before I know it.
Zac
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Cincodemayo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 3-7-2005
Location: Pacific NW
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Great writings Mike.
Makes me think back to Spring Street when my Dad was a trader before Nasdaq....The Jonathan Club dinner on Thursday Evenings when you could drive to
LA from Downey in 15 minutes....Thank goodness I live in the PNW and it's a short hop to Baja via Alaskaair.
I also can't wait till there will be more time in Baja just relaxin looking at the beauty down south.
Don\'t get mad...
Get EVEN.
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
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Mike don't tell them about the airport road. wouldn't want them to miss the immigration check. We also use GN every once in a while from Abreojos..
nice post and well said about the trip.
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4baja
Super Nomad
Posts: 1339
Registered: 9-4-2003
Location: morro bay ca
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mike your killing me! will be there soon, thanks for the visions
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RJM
Newbie
Posts: 23
Registered: 7-2-2004
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Hey Mike, What a lovely way you have with words! Of course I had to register again to tell you this because this @#$%^^& site unregistered me for
some reason! Again, your way with words is just about the only reason I continue to frequent this site. The whale sounds in the middle of the night
and the sunsets and sunrises, the scorpions, Kangaroo Rats, and the bee swarms make the BAHIA a special place. I will sometime "in the future" appear
in front of your casa to launch my Whaler and of course pay tribute to your word smithing skills. With best regards... RJM
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Santiago
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3499
Registered: 8-27-2003
Member Is Offline
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Mike: Thanks for the posts! Have you been able to see any of the whale sharks from your roost? Hope to be there in a week or so and will stop in if
you're still in residence.
Jim
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