Ancient Paintings at San Borjita

Recently, Salvador Castro Drew of Mulege Tours took me to see the wonderful cave paintings at San Borjita. We drove out to the trailhead in Salvador´s two wheel drive, medium clearance van. The road is quite rough, with the drive out taking 2 - 2.5 hours from Mulege. The hike to the cave takes about 20-30 minutes over moderate ground.

We had the paintings all to ourselves when we arrived, taking in the beauty and magic of our distant ancestors to our heart´s content, in peace.

Then, after some time, the ancestors started coming to life! Spirits flying back and forth across the ceiling of the cave!...no wait...it was a helicopter buzzing back and forth in front of the cave entrance, up and down the canyon. Just then, a multitude of fun loving free spirits arrived at the cave by foot, one of them, a beautiful young maiden walking directly up to me and informing me she had done 100 pushups that morning, and she would do 100 more that evening. I stood there smiling at her, yes ma´am, you certainly look like you did and will. Then, some of the free spirits gathered together for group photos, whooping and yelling with delight under the beautiful art of the distant ancestors.

Salvador and I walked back out to our van and started the drive back to Highway 1. On the way, at the first of the fence gates, Salvador got out and opened the gate. Before we could drive through it, three vehicles of the fun loving free spirits raced around us and through the gate. They were all in space age looking off road desert rovers, resembling mechanical spiders, appearing like something out of a science fiction movie. I tried to pick out the beautiful maiden, but alas all the spirits were in their off roading attire, all wearing black space age helmets looking something like Darth Vader. They left us to close the fence gate and in their dust, which wasn´t too bad and dissipated in a few minutes.

Some days later, Salvador emailed a photo of our visit to the paintings, taken when we were in peace and communing with our ancestors, in awe of the beautiful art they have left us.



[Edited on 5-18-2024 by cupcake]

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake

Recently, Salvador Castro Drew of Mulege Tours took me to see the wonderful cave paintings at San Borjita. We drove out to the trailhead in Salvador´s two wheel drive, medium clearance van. The road is quite rough, with the drive out taking 2 - 2.5 hours from Mulege. The hike to the cave takes about 20-30 minutes over moderate ground. We had the paintings all to ourselves when we arrived, taking in the beauty and magic of our distant ancestors to our heart´s content, in peace. Then, after some time, the ancestors started coming to life! Spirits flying back and forth across the ceiling of the cave!...no wait...it was a helicopter buzzing back and forth in front of the cave entrance, up and down the canyon. Just then, a multitude of fun loving free spirits arrived at the cave by foot, one of them, a beautiful young maiden walking directly up to me and informing me she had done 100 pushups that morning, and she would do 100 more that evening. I stood there smiling at her, yes ma´am, you certainly look like you did and will. Then, some of the free spirits gathered together for group photos, whooping and yelling with delight under the beautiful art of the distant ancestors. Salvador and I walked back out to our van and started the drive back to Highway 1. On the way, at the first of the fence gates, Salvador got out and opened the gate. Before we could drive through it, three vehicles of the fun loving free spirits raced around us and through the gate. They were all in space age looking off road desert rovers, resembling mechanical spiders, appearing like something out of a science fiction movie. I tried to pick out the beautiful maiden, but alas all the spirits were in their off roading attire, all wearing black space age helmets looking something like Darth Vader. They left us to close the fence gate and in their dust, which wasn´t too bad and dissipated in a few minutes. Some days later, Salvador emailed a photo of our visit to the paintings, taken when we were in peace and communing with our ancestors, in awe of the beautiful art they have left us. [Edited on 5-18-2024 by cupcake]

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Sounds like the Trail of Missions Can-Am tour (with helicopter) was there and the young maiden was Can-Am star Sara Price? https://sarapricemx.com/

Quote: Originally posted by surabi

Quote: Originally posted by David K   Sounds like the Trail of Missions Can-Am tour (with helicopter) was there and the young maiden was Can-Am star Sara Price? https://sarapricemx.com/ Doesn't much sound like they "tread lightly" as her website claims.

It has to do with $$$
Everyone who sees San Borjitas buys a permit (government) and hires a guide (the local who has the key to the two locked gates).
People like Sara Price and Ricky Brabec are Dakar champions as well as Baja racers of the past. Cameron Steele (a current Baja racer) has developed these Baja tours because Baja is more than a place for desert racing, it is a place of beauty, friendly people, and history... Plus good food!
The racers see and learn so much more of what Baja and its people have to offer (and spend $$$ in Baja).
It is a win-win for the people who live in Baja and who go to Baja.
The helicopter is for the cameras that film some of these tours for TV specials as well as for rendering aid, if needed.

I have been fortunate to be on two trips with Cameron. The first was in 2014, the very first Trail of Missions week-long tour, for three days, flying to and back from the tour in Jim McCoy's helicopter. https://vivabaja.com/trail-of-missions-1-helicopter-over-baj...
The next time was in 2019 for all six days of recon travel to find new locations for the next tour. No helicopter but the travels were made public in a five-part YouTube series with a little of it being added to the main tour TV special. My photos: https://vivabaja.com/p519/ (the five-episode shows are linked at the end of that webpage).

Yes, a lot of dust and noise was briefly created, but the good for the people and the orphanage Cameron raises thousands of dollars for, seem to more than compensate for that. In 2019, Cameron fed the entire village of San Francisco de la Sierra and brought them gifts. [we had asked our guides during the Recon visit, what do they need: they asked for a tent so they also could escape the cold air when they bring gringo tourists to see the painted caves on muleback... Cameron brought tents for all of the guides]

At the Cueva del Ratón, San Francisco de la Sierra:

L to R: Jason Scherer, Curt LeDuc, Cameron Steele, Ángel Arce Arce, Oscar Arce Arce, David Kier, and Filiberto Arce Ojeda.

Quote: Originally posted by Lee

Good read. Were the painters giants or used scaffolding? Any other cave paintings in Baja with high ceiling murals?

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake

My only concern would be in knowing if vibrations from a helicopter could pose a risk to the paintings over time. I don't have knowledge on this, or how to go about measuring said vibrations, if that can be done. [Edited on 5-20-2024 by cupcake]

Quote: Originally posted by Lee

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake   Recently, Salvador Castro Drew of Mulege Tours took me to see the wonderful cave paintings at San Borjita. We drove out to the trailhead in Salvador´s two wheel drive, medium clearance van. The road is quite rough, with the drive out taking 2 - 2.5 hours from Mulege. The hike to the cave takes about 20-30 minutes over moderate ground. We had the paintings all to ourselves when we arrived, taking in the beauty and magic of our distant ancestors to our heart´s content, in peace. Then, after some time, the ancestors started coming to life! Spirits flying back and forth across the ceiling of the cave!...no wait...it was a helicopter buzzing back and forth in front of the cave entrance, up and down the canyon. Just then, a multitude of fun loving free spirits arrived at the cave by foot, one of them, a beautiful young maiden walking directly up to me and informing me she had done 100 pushups that morning, and she would do 100 more that evening. I stood there smiling at her, yes ma´am, you certainly look like you did and will. Then, some of the free spirits gathered together for group photos, whooping and yelling with delight under the beautiful art of the distant ancestors. Salvador and I walked back out to our van and started the drive back to Highway 1. On the way, at the first of the fence gates, Salvador got out and opened the gate. Before we could drive through it, three vehicles of the fun loving free spirits raced around us and through the gate. They were all in space age looking off road desert rovers, resembling mechanical spiders, appearing like something out of a science fiction movie. I tried to pick out the beautiful maiden, but alas all the spirits were in their off roading attire, all wearing black space age helmets looking something like Darth Vader. They left us to close the fence gate and in their dust, which wasn´t too bad and dissipated in a few minutes. Some days later, Salvador emailed a photo of our visit to the paintings, taken when we were in peace and communing with our ancestors, in awe of the beautiful art they have left us. [Edited on 5-18-2024 by cupcake] Good read. Were the painters giants or used scaffolding? Any other cave paintings in Baja with high ceiling murals?

Yes good read. The prevailing theory is that the Cave floor was closer to ceiling way back when or............aliens. Yes there are.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

It has to do with $$$.

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake

Quote: Originally posted by Lee   Good read. Were the painters giants or used scaffolding? Any other cave paintings in Baja with high ceiling murals? At the ancient painting site of La Trinidad, Salvador told me that the painters had used scaffolding. I have a print by Kaki Bassi, entitled 'Brilliant Encounter', which shows the ancient artists painting a super nova, seen in Baja in the years 1054 to 1056. The painter in Kaki's print is standing near the top of a single tree log leaning against the rock. Thus far, I've only been to these two Baja ancient painting sites. I hope to see more in the future. I don't know what the 'canvases' are like at other sites. [Edited on 5-21-2024 by cupcake]

Page 46 of Cañon de los Artistas by Austin Deuel

Quote: Originally posted by surabi

Quote: Originally posted by David K   It has to do with $$$. That's all very nice, David, but what's with the "Tread Lightly" virtue-signalling hypocrisy? Tearing around on motorized vehicles, using helicopters, whooping it up taking selfies, disturbing the wildlife and the quiet, is the opposite of treading lightly. [Edited on 5-21-2024 by surabi]

Quote: Originally posted by KurtG

I visited Borjitas twice 25-30 years ago. Back then we drove to the adjacent ranch who were the caretakers/guides and signed their visitors log and as I recalled paid a small fee. We were then taken to the site. The setting is lovely and the paintings spectacular. The overhang is deeper than other sites I have been to so the paintings have been well protected. As to the methods used by the painters, it is all speculative. When I am at a painting site I find my mind starts to wander imagining what life was like for those long ago inhabitants who left no other traces besides their rock art.