David K - 1-30-2004 at 01:11 AM
This is a preview of things to come!
A sampling of classic Baja treasure.
The publisher of Desert Magazine and the creator of Perry Mason exploring Baja, 40 years ago.
Just a few of over one hundred NEVER published photos from Choral are in this teaser web site: http://community-2.webtv.net/Baja4Me/pepper
PabloS - 1-30-2004 at 08:31 AM
Fabulous! Thanks for sharing with us all.
Choral's pics
bajapablo - 1-30-2004 at 08:52 AM
Those were cool. Nostalgia is cool. You are cool with your vast wealth of knowledge and your willingness to share it!
LarryK - 1-30-2004 at 12:33 PM
Thanks a lot David! Those pictures are priceless!!!!
viabaja - 1-30-2004 at 01:27 PM
Good pix Dave. That was Baja as we wish it still was!
Chris
So nice!
El Vergel - 1-30-2004 at 06:25 PM
Beautiful artwork presented by the pro, David K. Awesome photos and a priceless painting... Way Cool!
Packoderm - 1-30-2004 at 06:37 PM
I especially liked the photo of the road at Bahia Concepcion. I highly doubt that back in those days, truckers would terrorize campers with their Jake
brakes - even when going uphill!
bajalera - 1-30-2004 at 09:03 PM
Yer right, Pack, but there was a whole lot more traffic in 1964 than I had expected--especially all those taxicabs--and quite a bit of engine noise as
trucks groaned up El Coyote grade. (Not that this compares with jake's noise.)
For lack of anything better to do, one morning I tested my rusty cartographic training by plotting the grade--and to my surprise found that despite
all the rocks. every five paces it rose the height of my eye level. When I mentioned this to the goat rancher across the road, he laughed and said
the Mexico City engineer who built the grade had been drunk from dawn to way past dark. Did a good job, though.
bajalera
David K - 1-30-2004 at 09:39 PM
Lera, in one of my books it said the Mulege prisoners built the road...? Do you have any thing on that info.? Perhaps they maintained, it at least?
pappy - 1-31-2004 at 07:00 PM
thanks Dave- absolutely classic!
David K - 1-31-2004 at 10:37 PM
You are all so very welcome! Choral knew that by giving me her personal Desert Magazine Baja archives, I would be sharing it with all of you Baja
amigos. Believe me that there is a ton more to share!
I wanted to get something online as soon as I mastered using my new scanner (thanks to a dear friend) and my computer (thanks to another amigo
especial) to help me do these things. My web host (Dick Van Bree) will be helping me with a special web site for all the photos and other interesting
documents and maps, etc. For now, the WebTV page was a quick way to share some of the photos.. I may be adding more, so recheck it from time to time.
http://community-2.webtv.net/Baja4Me/pepper
Choral (Corke) was a really wonderful lady... So kind and generous.
When we talked about Baja, there was a smile in her eyes. Her Coronado high rise condo faced south and she could see Baja every day.
Choral really enjoyed meeting some of my Baja amigos I brought over, which included Graham Mackintosh, 'Lorenzo de Baja', Debra, and 'jeans'. Through
emails, she was reaquainted with Jimmy Smith who she hadn't seen since calling him a grinning gargoyle in 1964! Bringing those two together again was
when Choral named me 'The Baja Connection'! Bernie Swaim used that name for the chapter title about me in his new book,'Bouncing Around Baja'! You
Baja guys are all great, thank you!!!
[Edited on 2-1-2004 by David K]
bajalera - 1-31-2004 at 11:19 PM
David K = Sorry, but you already know all I know about the road. It's quite likely to have been built by prisoners--a Mexico City ingeniero may have
plotted the grade, but you can bet he never got involved in things like moving rocks.
bajalera