Don Jorge - 9-26-2005 at 07:44 AM
Just got back fiorm a quick 2 day trip to Santa Catarina, Alamo and Valle de Guadalupe.
Our group consisted of Mike Wilkens, Director of CUNA, a Mexican governmental agency setup to help the Indegenous populations of Bja market their hand
craft artworks, preserve their skills and preserve and expand the native languages.
Also in the goup was Deborah Small, former professor at UCSD in the literature department but now a prefessor at Cl State Sna Marcos in the art
department. She is videograhing and song/language catching elders in Baja and Veracruz as well as havung an ongoing project in Ghana also.
Also in the group were Joe and Rosey, form the Pechunga tribe, who are helping Mike Wilkens help the Pai Pai market their handcrafted works in
California through already established channels, ie museums, casinaos, pow pows etc.. Rosey is also a photogarpher in old tin type and other older
photo techniques and a linguistic student of the indigenous languages. Joe, he is the big heart and a philanthropist!
Also along was Mike Evans, my friend, owner of Tree of Life Nursery, largest Califonia Native Plant nursery in the state and a recognized expert in
flora of the southwest. Lastly was me, invited as an organic farmer hoping to find ways to produce food locally albeit seasonally.
We visited all of the local artesians, recorded histories which is an ongoing project of course, and of course bought hundreds of dollars of their
pots, baskets and handwoven agave fiber sandals, carrying nets and willow skirts.
Mke and I camped above Alamo Saturday night, eplored athe are briefly the next morning and met Joe, Rosey and Deborah in Ensenada Sunday at noon.
From their we went to the museums in Guadaluope , wine tasting at Cettos and home.
2000 reserve Nebbiolo was $12.00. Bought a few of those. The rest or their red wine is girly stuff.
I will make a web page link soon to this trip. It was amazing and thought provacative.
Adios, Jorge
I am going to put a web page up on this but that will take some time. Suffice it to say
Handwoven Agave
Don Jorge - 9-26-2005 at 07:53 AM
The sandals and carrying nets were used by the Pai Pai, as were the willow skirts. The agave is stripped and the fibers extacted and rolled on the
legs woven into fiber for making the sndals and carrying nets. The skirts are made out of willow and tied around the waste with agave fiber ropes.
The time and effort to make these items is amazing.
I encourage any one in the area to visit these handcrafters and purchase their goods as a way of showing your support and appreciation of Baja.
burro bob - 9-27-2005 at 09:02 AM
Don Jorge
Are any of the native craft items for sale here in Baja? I have no problems going out to where these items are being made but unless you are with
someone who knows the area and its people it would be hard to find them.
I am always frustrated by the lack of quality souviners for sale here in San Felipe. Most of it is really cheap versions of mainland crafts, ie cheap
blankets, cheap huraches, and cheap painted pottery. I don't think the Pai Pai need to go all the way to southern California to sell their crafts.
burro bob
Pompano - 9-27-2005 at 09:19 AM
Us too, Don Jorge. We like and use native crafts...especially of Baja origin. Where would they be sold? I would love to actually see the processes
of the work in person and wonder how the roads are to that site? Would they mind a visitor or two who would camp nearby for a spell? All we need
would be a wide spot for our 5th Wheel...just would want an invitation first.
Don Jorge - 9-27-2005 at 10:45 AM
Was hoping people would want to support these fine folks. The best way is go to their houses and buy what you like for what they ask.
Talks and plans are underway to develop a coop and a central area for selling of wares in their village and having the artsans there making the goods.
Easier said than done
Santa Catarina is easy to finfd and very close to the main Hwy 3.
Pots for Sale!
Don Jorge - 9-27-2005 at 10:47 AM
All the folks who have goods for sale put up a pot on a rock. They want your visit and need our support!
Yes, You can see them at work!
Don Jorge - 9-27-2005 at 10:50 AM
Pots are made by adding wet clay a bit at a time and worked by hand. No wheels baby!
Wood tooling the clay pots
Don Jorge - 9-27-2005 at 10:56 AM
Camping!
Don Jorge - 9-27-2005 at 11:02 AM
Lots of places to park 5th wheel. Musical instruments keeo the coyotes quiet!
Arrowhead collection
Don Jorge - 9-27-2005 at 11:17 AM
Alamo
Don Jorge - 10-17-2005 at 07:30 AM
Hard to believe this sleepy town was once the home of 10,000 miners.
There are signs everywhere of the mining activity which once once fllourished and if this palce was in Arizona or California it would no doubt be the
site of a museum, shops, etc.
Peak in the background is Cerro el Pinon. Mostly denuded of the Pinon Pine for which it is named as timbers are a part of mining and buildings. But a
few pines and cypress are still up there.
Shafted
Don Jorge - 10-17-2005 at 07:31 AM
Open shafts are everywhere a quartz vein was found. Hand dug.
[Edited on 10-17-2005 by Don Jorge]
Easy Diggings!
Don Jorge - 10-17-2005 at 07:34 AM
This pile represents what they dug into.
Note the cactus gowing on the top. It didn't just grow there last year.
Quartzite and Shovel
Don Jorge - 10-17-2005 at 07:35 AM
The MIll
Don Jorge - 10-17-2005 at 07:36 AM
Originally steamed powered, later converted to electricity.
Stamp mill interior
Don Jorge - 10-17-2005 at 07:38 AM
What a great place to enter into. It just feels like men at work when work is what men did.
Stamp it!
Don Jorge - 10-17-2005 at 07:39 AM
Crush it up and sort it out!
[Edited on 10-17-2005 by Don Jorge]
[Edited on 10-17-2005 by Don Jorge]
Steam Plant
Don Jorge - 10-17-2005 at 07:47 AM
There is lots of the old equipment scattered throughout the vally!
Milling starts here
Don Jorge - 10-17-2005 at 07:59 AM
Into the hopper, up the belt to the mill!
Thats all folks! Rained hard here in south orangeless county, second October in a row, very strange.
Borrego rain gauges
Hook - 10-17-2005 at 09:35 AM
showing .99 at Agua Caliente, 1.5+ at Borrego Springs and even .60 at the usually dry Fish Creek rain gauge.
How do these unusual October rains affect your planting schedule, Jorge? Is pumpkin rot a worry? 
Don Jorge - 10-17-2005 at 10:53 AM
Hola Hook,
Let the rain come, I never compain too much about the short term benefits as in the long term it is a positive. Farming is a gamble. Too wet to
work, take a day off.
Thanks for the rain guage updates, going to try and shoot some quail manana in the San Felipe Valley off of S2 and they should be good and scattered
after opening weekend and the rain! Nice day for a walk anyhow.
jide - 10-17-2005 at 12:33 PM
That's what I call a great trip report!! I would have loved to se those crafts being made!
I saw the pots and other craft at the pai-pai& kumehay shop in old town SD, it's really awesome.
hey D.J. , are you still up for a coast to coast peninsula hike crossing anytime soon?
David K - 10-17-2005 at 03:57 PM
Fantastic Jorge, fantastic!!!
Baja California history 'es numero uno'!