Mike Humfreville - 8-15-2005 at 05:09 PM
We were at home in Bahia de Los Angeles a month or so back. Our place is toward the south end of the bay. We had some friends that came for a weeks
visit and, as we?d earlier introduced them to La Gringa at the north end, they wanted to camp there. Every day we would arrange a place to meet and
get together there for most of the afternoon and dinner.
On a day when we were hanging out at La Gringa, we?d just eaten and left our friends to head back to the south end. We?d see them in the morning.
When we got back to the house I received a VHF call from our friends. His father?d had a serious heart attack. They would be leaving at first light
the following morning. We could only wonder how they?d found out about the heart attack. When I radio?s them back they told me the story.
Somehow, our friend?s son had located the telephone number of the Lizeth market in the village. He had called there asking for a way to get a hold of
his father at La Gringa. I haven?t a clue how the conversation went between the son of our friend and the lady that is usually behind the small desk
at Lizeth?s. But I was soon well aware of the results.
Our friend?s son told the lady at Lizeth?s that our friends were staying at La Gringa and described their motor home. Lizeth?s sent a car speeding to
La Gringa to inform our friend of his father?s plight. Actually, the point of contact isn?t quite clear. It may have been someone from Lizeth?s that
located our friend or the lady from Lizeth?s may have called the fisherman local to La Gringa, who came out and located our friend.
In the long run it?s not important who actually contacted our friend. What is important, to me anyway, is that during an emergency situation, a
system that some might call backwater worked just fine.
Sometimes it?s too touching when we see that people really do care.
bajajudy - 8-15-2005 at 05:48 PM
Mike, this is just another example of how important the family is to the Mexican people. Whoever was responsible for getting the news to your friend
understood the importance of the son being with his father and did all he/she could to help make sure that he was there with him.
You gotta love these people.
Hope that there is happy ending to this story.
David K - 8-15-2005 at 05:52 PM
10-4 on that Judy... they are the greatest!
Guess I could'a Mentioned...
Mike Humfreville - 8-15-2005 at 06:11 PM
Our friend's dad was OK after a quadruple bypass. Full recovery expected. Might have been a different outcome without the town's help.
another good reason to go shopping there
BajaVida - 8-15-2005 at 07:47 PM
nice people
internet access, phone, cold beer
Bahiamia maintains their computers too
Santiago - 8-15-2005 at 08:56 PM
When I was there in late July it was closed the 4 or 5 times we drove by??
elgatoloco - 8-15-2005 at 09:14 PM
Great stuff.
It's always good to give family members an itinerary if you have one. I take sat phone so I can check voice mail because we usually end up some other
place then intended. I have an 80 year old father and employees.
Bob H - 8-16-2005 at 07:21 AM
Great story Mike. These people are wonderful.
Debra - 8-17-2005 at 01:18 PM
Thanks Mike, (finally....something positive to read here, and some happy memories! Only a very sick Baja Broad would admit this! That "Baja Fever"
ya know.)
As several Nomads will remember, last summer I was on my way south with my 10yr. old son, and 5yr. old grand-daughter and my truck blew up in San
Diego. I can't remember for sure who I made my first call to, My "sester" (Mrs. Mike H.) or DK, but, in a flash things started rolling to come to my
aid. (oh yeah, now I remember I called DK, he posted at the board, Mike read that I was in trouble and MA called me, I didn't have computer access
where I was stuck, but that didn't matter because I had FRIENDS, people I didn't even know got the word and called with offers of help, anything
they could do, they would do......from La Paz to Sacramento, I won't embaress anyone with naming names (you know who you are, and so do I!.....I had
my truck rebuilt and went on down south....Baja was calling and I wasn't about to dissapoint my children.
We made it just in time to cook Clam Chowder for the bunch on the 4th. of July......all is good, right? NOT! I had so much trouble with the DA*M
truck for the next 6 wks. that we were there I can't even begin to go into it, but, I will say, from the guy behind me at the gas pump (local) to the
lady that took me (and translated for me) to the electrical guy, to the people at Diaz's, (I could go on!) I never felt that I was in real danger of
being stranded, If I needed I knew that I had only to place one phone call south or north of the border and someone would come.....didn't matter how
far they had to come, I knew that there are so many good people out there (again, many I had never met in person) that would do anything to help me(or
maybe just a good excuse for a Baja road trip? LOL!)
Mike
Baja Bernie - 8-17-2005 at 05:40 PM
It somethimes sounds corny--but "Baja is about People helping People." Always has been and, hopefully, always will be.
David K - 8-17-2005 at 06:03 PM
Debra, nice to see you here again... I want all Baja Nomads to know that a benefit to making friends here is like the one incident you mentioned...
there are others, where we can join together and help in big or small ways... I am good at getting the word out and I have met hundreds of you on the
peninsula or at my Viva Baja events... it is my pleasure.
For the Baja people it might be clothes, bug spray or sports/school supplies... or financial as one reader here offered... or giving great service
Nomads have found, and us giving possitive mention here, so that more readers will bring their dollars/pesos their way & keep them in business...