BajaNomad

Jack Smith

Mexitron - 4-2-2008 at 04:04 AM

For any who enjoyed Jack Smith's musings there's an exhibit of some of his memorabilia at the Huntington Botanical Gardens, including a section on the house in Santo Thomas (from 'God and Mr. Gomez' fame).

From the LA Times:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/2008/04/jack-...

DENNIS - 4-2-2008 at 07:19 AM

I loved Smith's writings. He opened the door to Baja for so many people, including me. I once met Mr. Gomez but never had the pleasure of meeting Jack Smith. In spite of that, I read his book so many times, I feel as though I knew him.

bajaguy - 4-2-2008 at 07:25 AM

"God and Mr Gomez" should be required reading for anyone building or buying a house in Baja

DENNIS - 4-2-2008 at 07:31 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
"God and Mr Gomez" should be required reading for anyone building or buying a house in Baja


If only life were so simple these days. It was another world down here then but, you're right, Terry. It should be required reading, a primer on patience.

Dennis

Baja Bernie - 4-2-2008 at 09:28 AM

Amen! To patience!

When most of us older folks started building 'the' book was considered the bible of home building in Baja.......and what fun.

When one of the really older ladies in camp passed on she actually willed me her copy of God and Mr. Gomez along with every story by Jack Smith that appeared in the L.A. Times.

When Mr. Gomez died (October 1994) we held a wake in his honor in the Cantina.

For you ladies our there Jack's wife, Denny, was really the one who decided to come to Baja and she was quite a woman.

Edit---"How will I know when I own the house" Answer by Mr. Gomez, "Iwill give you the key." So simple!!!!

[Edited on 4-2-2008 by Baja Bernie]

DanO - 4-2-2008 at 10:31 AM

Unless I miss my guess, I'd say that the left-most dog in the photo of the Smith house bears a strong resemblance to the Gomez's Chocolate, who was the Alpha dog of La Bocana when I first started out with a trailer down there. Perhaps it's a relative, as the photo probably dates from the late 60's or early 70's and I met Chocolate in 1990. Chocolate lived a full life, but no Baja dog I'm aware of has ever lived to the ripe age of 20 or more.

One of my (few) regrets is missing a book signing by Jack Smith in L.A. shortly before he passed. I had wanted to thank him for making it possible for me to suspend my American sensibilities and take the plunge on a place in Baja, but, for some stupid reason I can't recall, I couldn't go.

His stories about the building of his place rang hilariously true for us as well. Did you know that an octagonal living room actually has nine sides? Or that the best placement of a driveway is on the opposite side of the house from the garage door? If not, you don't have a place in Baja.

Mexitron - 4-2-2008 at 03:30 PM

Around three years ago my former girlfriend's son wanted us to check out a house he was thinking of buying in LA...it turned out to be Jack Smith's old house and upon Denny's passing they kids were putting it up for sale. We even got to meet one of the sons who showed us around the place--pretty neat to see the Airdale's yard and other things Jack wrote about. There were literally bookshelves everywhere in the house.
Jack was quite a nice man--I once wrote him a response to one of his columns about the Baja house and he sent me an autographed copy of his book!

BajaWarrior - 4-2-2008 at 03:37 PM

Jack Smith's book "God and Mr. Gomez" inspired me to build a home at LaBocana in '93. The position of my house was about 1/2 mile south of the Smith home. The book was a good owners manual, as I passed it off to the new buyer.

I actually got to meet Romulo Gomez the year of his passing which was '93 or '94. I eventually sold that house to a friend that still owns it, but unfortunatley does not use it much.

Truly a beautiful location.

La Bocana

bajamigo - 4-2-2008 at 10:51 PM

Visited a few weeks ago (after finishing "God and Mr. Gomez). It's a little more crowded than Smith described, but still a beautiful spot.





Neal Johns - 4-3-2008 at 02:02 PM

On my first trip to Baja in the '70's, my girlfriend and I had Thanksgiving lunch with Mr. Gomez's pigs for company. Later I became a big fan of Jack Smith's writing's. I miss him.

tripledigitken - 4-3-2008 at 02:16 PM

Bajamigo,

I too enjoyed the book, I think I read it in 2 days.

I have wanted to visit it also, would you share a few directions, (I can find the turnoff of Mex 1)?


Thanks,

Ken

DanO - 4-3-2008 at 03:12 PM

Turnoff is between k47 and k48 south of Ensenada, at the bottom of the grade below the new checkpoint and a mile or so north of Santo Tomas. Take the road all the way out to the coast. Note: the road forks just after a cattle guard about five miles in -- take the low road, to the left, as the high road to the right was washed out by the rains earlier this year (the low road was pretty messed up too, but there was a grader working on it on my way out a few weeks ago). Once you get out to the lagoon and the beach at La Bocana, the road will hump up the hill to the north, and it's another three miles or so past the houses to Puerto Santo Tomas.

tripledigitken - 4-3-2008 at 03:23 PM

Dano,

So the house is north of the lagoon on the road that follows the coast to Puerto Santo Tomas. We will try to find, thanks for the information.

By the way the San Diego Wine Bank is a wine store in the Gas Lamp section of San Diego on 5th ave. It is the lower section of 5th toward the Convention Center if memory serves me.

Ken

bajamigo - 4-3-2008 at 03:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by tripledigitken
Dano,

So the house is north of the lagoon on the road that follows the coast to Puerto Santo Tomas. We will try to find, thanks for the information.

By the way the San Diego Wine Bank is a wine store in the Gas Lamp section of San Diego on 5th ave. It is the lower section of 5th toward the Convention Center if memory serves me.


Ken


Can't miss it, Ken. There's actually a road sign pointing to La Bocana as you drive into the town of Santo Tomas.

tripledigitken - 4-3-2008 at 03:44 PM

Thanks Bajamigo. I've seen the sign for La Bocana and with LB GPS maps I could get there, just needed some help to get to the house once I reached the coast.


The book is such a good read. Everyone visiting Baja Nomad surely would find the book a joy to read.

PS
I read the book after we bought our lot last year, and had to laugh many times over incidents in the book that weren't that different than what we went through. I would have loved to have met Senior Gomez!

Ken

DENNIS - 4-3-2008 at 05:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajamigo
Can't miss it, Ken. There's actually a road sign pointing to La Bocana as you drive into the town of Santo Tomas.


Maybe a couple of miles before? Sí?

David K - 4-3-2008 at 05:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by bajamigo
Can't miss it, Ken. There's actually a road sign pointing to La Bocana as you drive into the town of Santo Tomas.


Maybe a couple of miles before? Sí?


Yah, like at the bottom of the steep grade that drops into the Santo Tomas valley... just south of the military checkpoint... Well signed: La Bocana & Punta China.

BajaWarrior - 4-3-2008 at 05:57 PM

Here are some photos of the house I built in '94 in La Bocana, traditional style, front and rear views

r.LaBocana.jpg - 37kB

BajaWarrior - 4-3-2008 at 05:59 PM

A shot of the finished roof, 6 guys, 2 days. I'm holding a Skilsaw and a Nail gun.

Not bad working conditions!

rr.roofdone.jpg - 30kB

BajaWarrior - 4-3-2008 at 06:01 PM

A shot of the Lagoon looking south. Note the small incoming wave as it was high tide and filling the lagoon and backing up the river. When the tide would go to a low, the lagoon would literally rip open the beach while draining.

[Edited on 4-4-2008 by BajaWarrior]

r.lagoon.jpg - 27kB

bajamigo - 4-3-2008 at 06:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by tripledigitken
Thanks Bajamigo. I've seen the sign for La Bocana and with LB GPS maps I could get there, just needed some help to get to the house once I reached the coast.


The book is such a good read. Everyone visiting Baja Nomad surely would find the book a joy to read.

PS
I read the book after we bought our lot last year, and had to laugh many times over incidents in the book that weren't that different than what we went through. I would have loved to have met Senior Gomez!

Ken


Amen! I always felt that buying or building a house in Mexico involved a tremendous leap of faith, no matter what the legal status of the deal was. After reading the book, I developed more deeply that necessary what-the-hell attitude that is so essential to living and enjoying life in Baja.
After renting in variuos places around Punta Banda for five years, we found our dream home, which happens to be on leased land. The landowner professes to love the land and has no intentions of selling it (leap of faith). We're happy but frankly do hope he outlasts us!

:yes:

[Edited on 4-4-2008 by bajamigo]

DianaT - 4-3-2008 at 06:40 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajamigo
Quote:
Originally posted by tripledigitken
Thanks Bajamigo. I've seen the sign for La Bocana and with LB GPS maps I could get there, just needed some help to get to the house once I reached the coast.


The book is such a good read. Everyone visiting Baja Nomad surely would find the book a joy to read.

PS
I read the book after we bought our lot last year, and had to laugh many times over incidents in the book that weren't that different than what we went through. I would have loved to have met Senior Gomez!

Ken


Amen! I always felt that buying or building a house in Mexico involved a tremendous leap of faith, no matter what the legal status of the deal was. After reading the book, I developed more deeply that necessary what-the-hell attitude that is so essential to living and enjoying life in Baja.


As we were wiring off money to people we met only once, depositing funds in stranger's account, etc., the idea of leap of faith flashed in my mind often. I always smiled and thought about the book.

I had the book many years ago and loved it. With building in Baja, I wanted it again and found it in a used book store in San Diego. The hard cover cost more than the original hard cover---man said it is a collector's item now. Glad we have it.

Diane

DanO - 4-4-2008 at 02:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaWarrior
A shot of the finished roof, 6 guys, 2 days. I'm holding a Skilsaw and a Nail gun.

Not bad working conditions!


BW -- Pepe Gomez used to call that house K-Mart. Not sure exactly why, though, but he thought it was funny. He also nicknamed the firepit in front of my trailer "El Cyclon" (sp?), because of the way the smoke would swirl out of it like a tornado and get in your eyes no matter where you sat. Miss that guy. R.I.P.

DanO - 4-4-2008 at 02:31 PM

A recent shot of the lagoon.

IMG_8556.JPG - 24kB