Well, yesterday I shrugged my shoulders, put a smile on my face and headed down to visit a few of my old time Baja friends and charge my battery.
Yes, it is time to lay my grief off to the side for just a little while and bask in the friendship of Baja folks.
Left in the dark and was amazed that there was no traffic on the toll road……..one car and six trucks between Playa Tijuana and Baja Mar…..Unreal! But
so nice.
Met with Bill Steele, a American licensed as a contractor in Baja, and the guy who had called me the night before and very firmly told me it was time
we got together for a lie or two—he knew, as most friends do—that it was time for me to start changing my perceptive on life and a good shot of Baja
was the best way to accomplish that.
Wandered up the Country Club for a great breakfast—Bill had ‘divorced eggs—and I had Machaca—we both murmured throughout breakfast so you know it was
good.
I told Bill of Lu and I dining here years ago when promptly at 8:00 PM all of the help left to catch the last bus to Ensenada. No warning, no bill,
nothing! It was understood that we would place the dishes in the sink and leave money for the bill near the cash register—those were, truly, the
days—er nights.
Bill invited me down to his second large development at Colonet, 47 lots, with 80% already sold.
Said his wife Bertha would take care of the meals and I could stay in the guest house or one of three trailers available for friends. Bill is one
hell of a friend.
Headed back to La Salina to visit the guy, Phil, that we ‘allowed’—that is true—we interviewed people based on how they would blend into ‘our’
community to buy our home. Poor guy is wandering down a short path because of cancer. He offered me the use of ‘our home’ anytime I wanted to
stay. Such a great guy—but no way could I ever stay there after Lu’s death—it was our house built on love—‘nough said.
Visited with Nancy and then off to “Magana’s and lunch with two of the best friend I have—Keri and Mike of the Pyramid Resort—these are real tried and
true Baja Folks. Food was great as always but the flavor was lost in to conversation with true friends.
Looked in the rearview mirrors and saw Keri waving with both hands as I headed north.
Okay! The Sentri Lanes were a disaster and the detours wound our around like a snake...I guess they think that if the lanes are backed up no one will
notice as long as they keep inching toward—somewhere. Paid our wonderful Government over a hundred bucks to be allowed to use this film-flam system
and finally got across the border after 40 minutes.
An aside of interest, at least to me. When I was heading south near Descanco I notice a high-rise condo unit advertising an Airport Shuttle
Service—being most nosy I stopped and asked a very friendly salesman what was behind offering a free shuttle to the airport.
His response blew my socks off and absolutely shattered my mind. It seems that a while back a guy from the Middle East arrived with a briefcase from
Rodriguez Airport and decided to buy two condo’s @ $600,000 each—briefcase covered the sale and it was done.
When the guy returned home he began to talk about a safe harbor in Baja and convinced six of his family members to purchase condo’s next to his……so
back he came to Descanco to buy six more condo’s—they say he complained about the taxi fare from the airport—thus the sign about the free shuttle to
the airport……
Mas Tardes my friendsEli - 12-22-2007 at 10:20 AM
Bernie,
Good to read that you are out and about and back in Baja. Saludos, SaraHook - 12-22-2007 at 11:26 AM
1.2 mil in a suitcase and he complains about the cab fare?
Is that how the rich get richer? CaboRon - 12-28-2007 at 10:32 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Hook
1.2 mil in a suitcase and he complains about the cab fare?
Is that how the rich get richer?
Oh yes, they are actually quite frugel you know.
CaboRonCaboMagic - 12-30-2007 at 07:25 PM
Bernie always enjoy your writings .. makes me think and feel deeply about something or other .. God bless you for that ...
About MEast visitors - it reminded me of this: I know someone who in 1975 purchased a modest 3/2 tract home on a cul de sac type street in Canoga
Park CA for $58K. A short time later a MEast family paid $110K cash to a neighbor because that house had a pool. Before a year was up most homes
were sold for cash to 'relatives' of that first MEast purchaser .. Seemed to start quite a real estate boom in the SFV and beyond as I recall ...
