Baja Reflections - Changing Times - Pta. Chivato

I thought I would try to capture some old Baja moments before they fade from the scene.

Palo de Arco - Creating new shade with an old craft.

(There you are, Marie-Rose. I could dredge up the old price per square foot for you, but it will be many years out-of-date by now.)




[Edited on 12-28-2008 by Pompano]

One of the first Baja caravans....

Back in the day, when warned of an approaching caravan, everyone scurried to buy and hoard food; specialty items like chicken, butter, milk, lettuce, beer, and, of course,...rush to the Pemex and fill your gas tanks!

It must have been like for the Mormons at Salt Lake City when the locusts descended upon them...or Sherman's March to the Sea.

No problemas like that these days. Progress?....Si, but not nearly as 'vivacious' as the Old Days.

Timeless.....

...she is representative of all our grandmothers, and the crafts left behind are cherished.

The Mighty Cortez Fish Trap.

Not nearly so mighty anymore, one can only hope compliance with laws will ensure it's survival...before once-common scenes like this are gone forever.

Baja 'characters' and 'uniqueness'

Remember when funkies were the 'normal' type of Baja adventurers?

BAJA ROAD ENTREPRENEUR

...old-fashioned Baja know-how.

Chance favors the prepared mind.

Carmelita in her early mobil kitchen at Jesus Marie. (Still there, but Moving On Up.)

Palapas are not for everyone.

Smoke alarms are not nearly fast enough when these go up...construction is changing fast along these lines.

For whom the bell tolls...

..it tolls for these.

Self-explanatory photo. A common sight in early days at San Felipa.

Mankind is intricately intertwined and involved with all of nature and should act accordingly.

Old methods of courtship are fast disappearing..

....once a time-honored tradition on the streets of Mulege.
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(Nowadays, gulping a tequila shooter from your date's belly button at the Gigglin' Marlin just isn't the same...er..right?)

Remember when you didn't need eyeglasses?

It's getting blurry walking down the Mulege streets these days....

I can barely make out that little red sports car up ahead.

yea yea yea....blurry???

your wife was there when you shot that picture

i've seen your pictures and they are ALL great!!!

No more yearly washouts

Notable floods all - when large rocks were tumbling down onto the toll road, downtown Ensenada was a river, and washouts were common on the main highway.

Once, I believe it was 1976, we were stalled at a flooded vado and river bed for many days. There must have been over 100 people in all, buses, cars, trucks, campers, all southbound. It turned into a mass campout with everyone sharing whatever they could.. groceries, water, cookers, fridges, tents, etc. I hosted many a card game in the motorhome to pass the time. Lots of nightly bilingual get-togethers over a campfire. Nobody seemed to mind the wait too much. Definitely old-time Baja.

Here's another washout a few years later. Nowadays we are 'almost' out of that danger. Lots of new bridges have been built, with more to come.

That "blurry" shot of the sports car looks like a Ferrari to me. Great pictures.

Some NEW to Reflect On....

How about the new Baja craze of body semiphoring?

Signaled at mi casa by Nomad Don Jorge and 3 of his organic farm employees.

Nice visit, George! Mi casa es su casa.

A 'Wading' Party

It seems we always had a lot of heavy rains a while back. So much so, that in the mid-70's, local ranchers would tell me that it was the end of a 30-year drought. Not much in the way of rainfall records kept way back then, but certainly the last 30-odd years has proved them right.

Plenty of water to fill this favorite route to some rock paintings in the mountain caves west of Mulege Back then we went with a young man who has since formed a business for touring the rock painting in our area...Salvador is a muy bueno hombre.

Did you ever take a tour of the Isla San Marcos gypsum mine?

One of the fun exploratory trips we took way back when....long, long before the seduction of satellite internet!

The hatted gentleman on the right is JW Black.."Blackjack"..ramrod for Earl Stanley Gardner's (Uncle Earl) earlier expeditions into the remote areas of Baja. They made trips by helicopter, mules, and special vehicles invented by Blackjack.

With his wife, Lois, and friend, we toured the remote operation with the plant manager. The winds picked up and we were soon covered in white dust, as was everything else on the island..including the tiny village of San Marcos.

This outing was in the chilly winter of 1974.

MIKE...better late than never....

THE OLD PHOTO - DEC, 1974
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THE NEW PHOTO - DEC, 2008
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Ranger Roy of Ecomundo is now gone to Thailand...with Mission Jim, Digital Doug, and, ..I would like to believe.. the spirit of Killer Caine. Gawd..just ain't no place like Baja!
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Changing Times!.

I saw lots of changes on this particular day.

3 days ago..or has it been 4 now?....no matter, I decided to take an amigo's 14ft Zodiac center console on a maiden cruise..for me, anyway.

Maybe do a little fishing out around Sta. Inez Islands, although I've been fishing those islands for so many years that I really didn't care if I caught any more of it's fish or not...today was just an excuse for getting some salt air and taking a boat ride. See what changes may have taken place....

So I consulted the Moon God the night before..got her blessing that manana would be a good fishing day. See?..la luna is holding water nicely.
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Das boot:


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Launching at the Donation ramp in Mulege as usual, I used the newly repaired floating dock for the very first time. The dock is a truly great addition and very handy. Changing times since the old broke-down, hurricane battered concrete wharf.

Please donate whenever you see this can:
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The river-run out past the lighthouse is fairly clear of debris now and free of groundings for the Zodiac's shallow draft. The recent hurricanes and river floods have acted as a dredge, causing ..'changing times' ..for the better. As I went out slowly this riverview photographer waves good morning, and I meet some other boaters heading to sea.


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Top right pic is something that has 'not changed'..the bait hole at Punta Prieta just north of the Mulege estuary. If looking for it, here's your landmark...the Rhino Head. Note: Get there before dawn to make your baits with a Zubiki..the bigeyes and macks are gone with the light.
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I decide to give the Zodiac's fiberglass hull a test into the slight chop coming from the northeast..so I put her on a quartering course out to sea. It was just after dawn and I soon came across this old shrimping relic of the Cortez coming back to it's anchorage for the day.
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SHRIMP BOAT - 2008
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SHRIMP BOAT - 1970'S
For a comparison of changing times...here is a photo of a shrimper I took in the 70's in the Bay. Not too much of any change here from old to new...just more rust.

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I motored around the old rust bucket, taking a few photos and waving at the crew..who were signaling me to come aboard and buy some shrimp. 'No gracias', I yelled back...'maybe mas tarde.' Actually I was being polite, because I know full well how these boats smell once you are aboard. It was too nice a morning out here and I didn't want to embarrass them..or myself.. by hurling over their rail.
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2008

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I veer off to the north and make the short run of 7 miles to Sta. Inez islands off Pta. Chivato. Thinking of 'changing times' again, I remembered that years ago the only lure I used for trolling was a 8-inch metal-lipped 'Rapala'. Back in the day, I caught just about everything that swimmed with those lures. Nowadays of course, one lure that really produces well is the 'Mirrolure' of about the same size. Mirros just dive deeper, pull true at a faster speed, and have excellent wiggle action...'changing times' folks. Want a good color selection?...'Hot Pink' works for me.

I trolled the pink once past the islands in 30-45 feet of water and caught 2 nice-sized cabrilla. Well, that's plenty for me and a neighbor, so I put away the gear and wondered what to do with the rest of the day? 'Float and snore' entered my mind, but seemed too lazy...what to do..? Hey..I have'nt been over the Pta. Chivato shorelines for some time now...like a few years at least. Plus, I could see from here that it looked like more 'changing times' for sure. It's a fine day to go take a looksee. Onward, Zodi, old girl.
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I cruise along the lighthouse point and crescent beach..(Amigo Warren Fox's house on the hill...sold by now to someone else, I expect.)

I recall back in the day when Jorge, Bill, Doc and I lived in the old Casa Grande....Jorge and I concentrated on the beachfront concession, bargaining hot water showers or a dip in the fresh water reservoir to hot bikinis , and collecting garbage from early Baja RVers who camp/fished here in numbers....so many years ago. Great times...time for a brew and drink a toast to old friends.

'Nowadays' there was just this one pickup camper and boat...'changing times.' , folks, changing times.
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Going north around the corner I pull up and take a photo or two of a place high on the bluff..between 2 perfect little beaches facing north. A site I had briefly planned to build another house, but opted for a warmer winter climate...this place gets a wee bit Windy!
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Nice shaped hilltops, though...
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Making a 180 turn, I run back around the lighthouse point and cruise west towards the old Casa Grande and Hotel Borrego ...old memories flooding back with each sight along the shoreline. We first came ashore about here in 1970 for a picnic lunch..there was nothing in sight then..no structures, no campers, nada...
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'Changing Times"

I motor along the shore..trying to count the many new homes that have been built since I was a guest there. I remembered when the first home went up...Jean and Rich from Wyoming..who used to fly a bright red/yellow Cessna taildragger, landing here at Chivato, and taxied it to their seaside bungalow. Back then their charming little waterfront casa was luxurious for the time...now it would look very modest indeed.

I recall introducing one of the developers, Raul Luan, to one of the first new home owners after Alvarado left the scene around 1990...I forget the exact year now. Raul built that client's home in this stetch..a good choice and view. Wonder if he is still building these days..or have his sons taken over the helm? I met him and his then young family in the Bay a long time ago.
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'Changing times.'

The old Casa Grande..where I hung my hat on and off from 1978 - 1987. We had some times here...hot buttered rums at night in front of a roaring fire...eating quail, ducks, and doves..and sometimes a rabbit or two. Casting a silver Crocodile or Kastmaster from that concrete pier out to the feeding roosterfish and yellowtail that were balling the bait towards shore.
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The airstrip was full of small planes..and the Taildragger Club would meet there every winter. Off-roaders found the 12 mile gravel trail in from the blacktop washtopped, but very passable..an old 4 or 40 road.

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1978-1987
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What times those were...ah, shoot..'changing times'..you can still get some action today, though..just smaller and fewer fish. The buttered rums are still around..and a few more bikinis, I suspect.
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2008 today

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Past the Casa Grande and some large new houses we come to the old Hotel Borrego...Punta Chivato Hotel..and nowadays Villa de Flores, I believe.

Back in the day, I helped the fellows in procuring new room furniture finds, patio stuff, planting trees with Doc, making 100's of trips to town, and generally having a good time. We ate from the sea and desert, made many new friends who came to stay at the old hotel or camp on the beach. Back then, the rate to rent a hotel room was $5 per day...spartan at best, there was no power or bedding...you brought your own gear and had the bare room, but with a tremendous seaside view and an inside fireplace, doors and windows...what more could you need?

The rates today are slightly higher...

'Changing times'
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The airstrip was full of small planes..and the Taildragger Club would meet there every winter. Off-roaders found the 12 mile gravel trail in from the blacktop washtopped, but very passable..an old 4 or 40 road.



I now look to the west and see a whole new beach city stretching away into the distance. Good grief, there must be a hundred..or more..new homes. Built on what we used to call Shell Beach so many years ago. Where did all this come from, I wonder..did I just wake up, like Rip Van Winkle? Just goes to show you what can happen when you concentrate on fishing too much...and this area of the original Mulege Bay was never in my 'hot-spot' fishing zone.

This was all empty sand beach back then. From the old airstrip ... to forever.

All new homes

Really changing times...
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Boat launching ramp still in use.

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A magical place to build a new home..with a tremendous view and great beach. No wonder people like our Nomad friend, 'Russ', built here.

Kudos, Russ..you have a million dollar view, it's much easier to get to these days...AND.. you're close to really good fishing!!

'Changing Times'