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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
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Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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The Expatriate Elite in Baja
Resident Malcontents.
It has long been apparent reading the various postings in this forum that a high percentage of those foreign residents who post here possess something
of an evangelistic view of their presence. Whether they represent a majority of those who live here, Quien Sabe ? It?s more likely that they just
tend to be the more outspoken. They consistently rant as if they somehow have more right to exist in Baja because of their appreciation of the land,
their affinity for the native peoples and their devout willingness to meld into existing culture. Somehow the rest of us are unworthy because we
cling to our own culture and the various accruements of that culture. They bemoan the loss of purity and innocence in their adopted land created by
the Norte Barbarians bringing South the evils of Consumer Capitalism. These Chosen Ones don?t even grasp the irony that they are using some of the
same demon?s tools that they appear to hate in order to spread their sophistry. Without a Computer and telephone line or Satellite connection, they
wouldn?t be heard from. Without Generators or Solar Power, they wouldn?t have the electrical ability to expound. Of course, consistency has never
been a hallmark of the malcontents who seem to have a hatred or embarassment over their origins. They have fled the oppressed land of evil Capitalism
and rampant Religiousity. In their minds, They have escaped the land of Zealous Patriots who are determined to imprison all who disagree. In doing
so, they have escaped TO a place of Corrupt Government where the law might change from day to day or from official to official, but they don?t see
irony in that, either.
I think that most of us go to Baja for far more mundane reasons. Open space to ride offroad and sample the adventure of the unknown. The ability to
live reasonably adjacent to the ocean, to sail, swim, fish. A chance to meet people and make new friends according to their merits. While we have
respect for the native peoples and their culture, we don?t feel the need to absorb ourselves in it. We don?t expect to be greeted as saviors or
dreaded as spoilers. The fact that Spanish is the language is an inconvenience to be overcome, not necessarily to be embraced with religious
fervor. The accomodations of Modern Technology are to be appreciated and enjoyed as available, not spurned as evidence of the downfall of mankind.
Most of us are happy with our lives and our
heritage and feel no need to apologize for the evil machinations of a corrupt America. We enjoyed growing up American and still enjoy it to this day.
It must be occasion for great angst among the expatriate evangelistas that the Mexican people embrace all of these same technological luxuries
whenever given the chance. Don?t these noble peoples understand how they are being corrupted ? Whenever the subject of the rampant growth of
Americano-related facilities comes up in discussions I have with Mexicans, the opinion is universally positive. They appreciate the jobs and economic
prosperity that they are enjoying. Poor Fools. Don?t they understand that it is far more noble to live in poverty cooking over an open pit and
scrounging each day for their existence. You, who are among the purists, have a great battle ahead to reverse this terrible decline.
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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BRAVO!!!!!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64532
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Bill, that is great... I think you hit the nail on the cabeza!
When I am camping on Shell Island and you are in the area, drive your American invented machine of global destruction (automobile) on over for a cool
one!
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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Wish I could say it that well. Thanks
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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Packoderm
Super Nomad
Posts: 2116
Registered: 11-7-2002
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That's not bad at all. Thanks Mr. Bill; I have been thinking those same thoughts for a while.
Maybe one other point could be that all Americans are individuals, and those visiting and living in Baja most likely lie somewhere in between these
two generalizations.
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El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
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MrBill, thank you so much for that! Your words ring so true for what I believe is most of us. Look, the reason I go to Baja is that I just want to
have fun. After all these years of two week explorations, I'm finally going to retire to my gringo enclave on the south-east cape. Sun, sand, surf and
dare I say...sex. Sure, we will enjoy our contact with the locals, we will improve our already decent Spanish, and we will tread lightly on the
beautiful environment. But most of all, we will enjoy the warm waters, the red sunrise and the quiet beauty of it all. Simple as that. If ever you are
in the neighborhood, I'd love to buy you a beer. You're my kind of guy!
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
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Mood: mellow
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baja expatriate
I think it explains so much why we are all here, and i'm amazed at how many of our members are so articulate on so many subjects it really makes me
jealouse that I cannot express myself so well. Well happy hour is over. Just don't want to get myself bamboozeled,G' night.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Mood: Just dancing through life
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Very well said! Hats off to you.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Try spending some time down here
before coming to your typical "better than thou" conclusions.
because when you see how you people act on a daily basis when you vacation here, you miight have some grasp of what the people that live here
actually see and think. I don't make things up!
But Willy, that was very well written. Didn't know you had it in you!
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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That's the difference between Gringos
and "P-nche gringos" which many on here obviously are!
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viabaja
Nomad
Posts: 277
Registered: 10-6-2003
Location: Georgia
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Alright Bill. Enough of this! When I'm down next week I'm coming over. I'm yanking your computer connections, disabling your solar system (no TV!), &
locking off your propane. You'll be back to cooking with mesquite, going into town for ice, kerosen lanterns, & gravity feed water!! The "Purists"
will thank me.
Chris
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Calexicocarrera
Newbie
Posts: 23
Registered: 3-16-2005
Location: Ear Falls Ontario / Calexico / Florida Keys
Member Is Offline
Mood: Feo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jrbaja
before coming to your typical "better than thou" conclusions.
because when you see how you people act on a daily basis when you vacation here, you miight have some grasp of what the people that live here
actually see and think. I don't make things up!
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Who are you talking to? You paint with a very broad brush Senor.
[Edited on 3-25-2005 by Calexicocarrera]
Southbound and down!
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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What exactly has all this "prosperity" brought to Baja? i just got back from a few days down in Baja sur, i am completely amazed at the
narcotransformation of the communities, everybody wants to make money anyway they can, and if planting marijuana or receiving cocaine from south
america via airplane is the ticket to buy that brand new pick up, and have a nice home at the beach ( wonder where they saw those things) so be it,
who the hell cares if a whole generation goes to hell. I am so happy that so many come here and think that their dollars cleans them of any
responsability, after all, its not your fault that the goverment screws the people here right?
Well, let me make it very clear to you, Baja just 15 years ago was one of the most pristine states in Mexico, and the people while poor, where decent,
honest, friendly, and easy going, but now, the whole f***** peninsula is changing for the worst, regardless of what many would love to believe.
Rampant and unplaned development has benefited little the locals, instead, american dollars have brough people from central Mexico who wont think
twice about robbing you, narco traffickers from sinaloa, and land grabbing foreigners who buy from farmers at dirt prices and sell at California
prices, this has caused new generation of Baja children to go from living in poverty, to adopting narcoculture as the only way to afford those nice
houses popping out all over Bajas beachfronts. I know what many will say, lets blame the Mexican goverment, lets blame others, lets blame the locals
for not having the guts to demand more, all i do i come here and spend my money, its not my fault.
Well, think what you want, many of you dislike me because you think i am a lonely Mexican who doesnt represent most of the people here, and if thats
what you want to believe, good for you, in reality, my views are very popular amongst Mexicans, if you think that from your conversations with locals
all they tell you is that life is good and they dont dislike whats happening in Baja, you obviously dont understand the Mexican mind, WE DONT OPEN UP
even with neighboors, we do it with family and close friends, you have no idea what we are thinking of just like when we say yes when we really are
saying no.
15 years ago you could go anywhere in Baja no problems, just a few days ago an american and his buddy was killed because he drove right into a field
of marijuana in the valley, wich was guarded by heavily armed gunmen.
Theres certain types of progress that are actualy worse than not having progress at all, this is one of those types, i can already see in 10 or 15
years the U.S. goverment posting travel warnings for Baja, and it will be impossible to travel in certain areas ( it already is), our kids are killing
themselves, poverty is about the same since all the good paying jobs go to foreigners and or city people from Mexico city or Guadalajara, and we have
to like it???
No thanks, you dont have to accept responsability for your actions here, but i dont have to greet you with a smile as well and help you to change yout
tire do i? if many old Baja travelers are worried about whats happening, its because they have seen the change for the worse, this is not only about
real estate, its about a lifestyle, its about a way of life, and sooner than later Baja is just going to end up like any other part of Mexico, if you
dont have a problem with that, go and travel and camp in Sinaloa, or Sonora, and lets see how safe and happy you are there? so enjoy your Baja trip
today, because your children are never going to get a chance to experience traveling in a remote land virtually free of crime.
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bajapablo
Nomad
Posts: 226
Registered: 1-27-2004
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Bien dicho Mr. Bill
\"changes it lattitudes, changes in attitudes\"
J.Buffet
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yankeeirishman
Banned
Posts: 1070
Registered: 3-5-2004
Location: Kalifornia
Member Is Offline
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Baja. It?s my HG Wells time machine! This land (in most areas)is so unclouded of commercialism, people, cars, and all that crapola associated with the
human race. Baja. It reminds me of early California when I was a young Lad. Mom and Dad would take all these weekend trips on the endless highways.
Only was Los Angeles really a big place?so to speak. Irvine Ranch was as far as the eye could see. Hell?I remember seeing Bobcats up there?now where
the Mall is! Central Ca coast. ?carry a gas can dude! And the North coast was very sparse. Only San Francisco was a huge Island of a city. Big Sur to
Trinidad was open land?few buildings. The fishing was legendarily close as in the Sea of Cortez. Folks said howdy to strangers, not ?give me your
wallet?! I?m not talking about California of1896 either! 1959! There are many places in our world that offer a great time machine to most of us?but
Baja is right here in our backyards. I plan to jump in this time machine and never come back to 2005?someday in the future.
Better poster 4 ya?
[Edited on 3-25-2005 by yankeeirishman]
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
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Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Hey, Groover...
Are you trying to make the point that the "typical" Gringo visitors are busy running over innocents on the beach ?? Talk about a stretch.
By the way, back in April there was an article in the Sol de San Felipe newspaper about some MEXICAN Nationals pulling their Panga out on the beach,
neglecting to notice a female sunbather and ran her over. I still have that newspaper. I guess maybe you would have lost that bet.
It may me just me, but when I read that article, I didn't draw the conclusion that it was a normal activity of Mexican Nationals.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64532
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Jesse:
Amigo, I know you, I know what you are saying, and I know your heart aches over this...
Jimmy Smith told me that I was the bridge to deliver the memories of Baja's past (the pre-paved Hwy.1 days) to today's new Baja visitors...
"Change Happens"... but it is not all bad. There is still a lot more campo (country) than ciudad (city) on the peninsula.
For your own good (and others who can do without the 'modern comforts'), get away from the damn pavement!
Mama Espinoza is often credited with saying: "Bad Roads = Good People... Good Roads = All Kinds of People"
Paved roads mean easy access for all and faster emergency transportation, improved movement of goods, etc.
However, as Jesse stated, the old days did mean a happy, good quality of life.
Those who didn't want to stay in those isolated villages could (and often did, leave). Those who enjoyed that peaceful, easy life, stayed.
So, what is the solution? For the locals, resist the desire to bring in pavement. For the NorteAmericano Baja enthusiast, get 4WD and stay away from
the masses.
The only other remedy is through education. Web sites like this, newspaper and magazine articles, can relay the folly of too much improvement leading
to a REDUCTION in quality of life.
Thank you Jesse for sharing your passion... I share your concern, and will join with you in trying to keep Baja pure.
Viva Baja California!
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
Member Is Offline
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I hardly consider posting coordinates
of all the places in Baja a step towards keeping Baja pure. Its more like an invitation to riff raff who seem to frequent this board more and more.
Jesse is 100 per cent accurate with his words and he is a Mexican. Obviously the idiots are screwing up some beach right now because there are
always a few who have vacationed here in the gringo enclaves who like to think they know what is going on here and actually argue with those who see
this place every day.
Some of them even make it a point to let everyone know they speak Spanish yet obviously have no grasp of the culture.
Thank goodness for gringo enclaves because I certainly dont want to see these fools around me
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
Member Is Offline
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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| Quote: | Originally posted by JESSE
What exactly has all this "prosperity" brought to Baja? i just got back from a few days down in Baja sur, i am completely amazed at the
narcotransformation of the communities, everybody wants to make money anyway they can, and if planting marijuana or receiving cocaine from south
america via airplane is the ticket to buy that brand new pick up, and have a nice home at the beach ( wonder where they saw those things) so be it,
who the hell cares if a whole generation goes to hell. I am so happy that so many come here and think that their dollars cleans them of any
responsability, after all, its not your fault that the goverment screws the people here right?
Well, let me make it very clear to you, Baja just 15 years ago was one of the most pristine states in Mexico, and the people while poor, where decent,
honest, friendly, and easy going, but now, the whole f***** peninsula is changing for the worst, regardless of what many would love to believe.
Rampant and unplaned development has benefited little the locals, instead, american dollars have brough people from central Mexico who wont think
twice about robbing you, narco traffickers from sinaloa, and land grabbing foreigners who buy from farmers at dirt prices and sell at California
prices, this has caused new generation of Baja children to go from living in poverty, to adopting narcoculture as the only way to afford those nice
houses popping out all over Bajas beachfronts. I know what many will say, lets blame the Mexican goverment, lets blame others, lets blame the locals
for not having the guts to demand more, all i do i come here and spend my money, its not my fault.
Well, think what you want, many of you dislike me because you think i am a lonely Mexican who doesnt represent most of the people here, and if thats
what you want to believe, good for you, in reality, my views are very popular amongst Mexicans, if you think that from your conversations with locals
all they tell you is that life is good and they dont dislike whats happening in Baja, you obviously dont understand the Mexican mind, WE DONT OPEN UP
even with neighboors, we do it with family and close friends, you have no idea what we are thinking of just like when we say yes when we really are
saying no.
15 years ago you could go anywhere in Baja no problems, just a few days ago an american and his buddy was killed because he drove right into a field
of marijuana in the valley, wich was guarded by heavily armed gunmen.
Theres certain types of progress that are actualy worse than not having progress at all, this is one of those types, i can already see in 10 or 15
years the U.S. goverment posting travel warnings for Baja, and it will be impossible to travel in certain areas ( it already is), our kids are killing
themselves, poverty is about the same since all the good paying jobs go to foreigners and or city people from Mexico city or Guadalajara, and we have
to like it???
No thanks, you dont have to accept responsability for your actions here, but i dont have to greet you with a smile as well and help you to change yout
tire do i? if many old Baja travelers are worried about whats happening, its because they have seen the change for the worse, this is not only about
real estate, its about a lifestyle, its about a way of life, and sooner than later Baja is just going to end up like any other part of Mexico, if you
dont have a problem with that, go and travel and camp in Sinaloa, or Sonora, and lets see how safe and happy you are there? so enjoy your Baja trip
today, because your children are never going to get a chance to experience traveling in a remote land virtually free of crime.
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I not only agree with Jesse but I can voutch for him speaking for the Mojrirty of the Mexicans here in Baja. they will be polite to you because that
is there nature. But they are laughing at every gringo that is dumb enough to bring there tones of things from the north. they will politely except
your trinket gifts and second hand clothes but laugh about you to there Friends and family. many people really need to learn about the culture here.
it is a beautiful one once you understand it and only then can you hope to earn the respect of the people here.
I was as guilty as the rest when I first visited and even for years after I lived here. I brought gifts and presents for people all the time and now I
see how foolish I was and how I insulted the people with my I thought Kindness.
[Edited on 3-27-2005 by Bruce R Leech]
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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