SANTA ROSALIA PHOTO TOUR - MARCH 2009

SANTA ROSALIA

I've made a few trips to Santa Rosalia in the last few days, which created lots of photo-ops, and thought Nomad viewers might like a current glimpse of this unusual European-style Baja town.

.

.
On July 7, 1885, the French mining company "El Boleo" began to harvest the rich copper deposits of Santa Rosalía.

.
Then President Porfirio Diaz offered a 99-year contract that provided for total tax exemption for 50 years and 44,742 acres of land. In exchange, the company was obliged to build a town, including a port and public buildings, generate employment for Mexican workers and establish a maritime route between Santa Rosalía and Guaymas.

.
In 1897, the Santa Barbara church was founded. It was originally designed by Gustave Eiffel in 1884 and preconstructed in two years to be shown in a World Exposition in Paris in 1889.

.
Walking or driving through the town, you get the impression of being in another place and time.

.

.





.
The seacoast town has a very nice marina. I used to tie up here 30 years ago.
.
A naval academy and administrative offices.

A well-stocked public library.

.
Immigration and judicial offices are contained in this building next to the ferry terminal.

.
The ferry service to Guaymas on the mainland.


.
A gas station that some Nomads avoid..

And lastly....Another place to avoid...at all costs! El Cereso.


.
And that's all for now, folks!.

..edited to correct church photo... Thanks to elgatoloco.

[Edited on 3-24-2009 by Pompano]

Nice. Next best thing to being there.

Thanks!



ps photo of library where church should be

Found a really OLD Sta. Rosalia photo...

I think I took this photo in 1974. This was the now-chicken place on theright as you first drive downtown from the highway. Pretty much across and a little past from where Pepe's Taco stand now sits.

Hey, that's what young people were wearing back then...Good Lord, how did we breath?

.
The following year I drove my brand new 75 El Camino down Baja's by then potholed highway...grrrrr. This was more towards the bakery and same side of street. The gent in the hat and waving is Blackjack..JW Black, ramrod of Earl Stanley Gardner's Baja expeditions of the 50's and 60's.
.

.

Hey Mike, don't worry about some off-hand comments, amigo...I know you love Baja as much as me and I have seen you prove that many times with your generosity to the communities.

Santa Rosalia is not a typical Baja town in anybody's book. More like a North Dakota burg with small town people, shops, and a little bustle going on...even has an old time barber chair just like mine at home. Although when I asked for a shave I had to give the barber some pesos to run to the store and bring back a safety razor. Now why was I not surprised...?



It's all part of what makes Baja so homey...and further proves to me that country people are pretty much the same the world over. Rural Baja and the people are very much like rural ND...except for the saltwater.

(By the way, thinking of water & ND...keep your eyes on the current flood situation in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. That is a 150-year flood record happening right now and is hundreds of miles long, displacing over a quarter million people. Fargo area (200,000) is being evacuated. This flood is the Katrina of the north. I wonder why the poor news coverage? I have only seen coverage from Fox News so far. Come on NBC, CBS, ABC, & CNN. After all, we do have 2 Democrat senators.)
.

[Edited on 3-27-2009 by Pompano]

Pescador...that must have been my fellow, for sure. Those shaking hands convinced me that IF he was allowed to shave me, it would only be with a safey razor. It made me laugh at the time, because he reminded me so much of an old barber I go to near my hunting place in North Dakota.

Only this ND barber, Hank, is 80, steady as a rock...and has a prankish sense of humor.

He puts the 'willies' into newcomers to his old-style barber shop when he misses/hits his strop a few licks with a razor, then shuffles toward the chair, shaking his straight-edge wildly and mumbling..."let's give this another try.."

Hank's not too worried about building up his clientele.

Hi Scott, good to see you posting here..and welcome to Baja Nomads. You will see folks you will recognize, so jump in and get your feet wet. I could post a photo of our poker group, but some are still on post office walls up north.

Work? Hey, you're a good enough poker player to go on tour..then go fishing, eat those tacos, and drink the cold beer in the warm Baja sun. Say hello to your charming wife and see you back here soon.

BTW, I am boat-researching at the moment and a Triumph CC, like yours, is on my top 10 list. Because I intend to roam and tow the boat behind my Dodge 3500 & 32' 5th Wheel, I am limited to 17'-19' boats. Where I am going, length restrictions say overall length of rig shall not exceed 75'.

Here's a nice 19' Triump. I like the unsinkable part.. You take good care up there, Scott.

.
.
And now back to Santa Rosalia stuff..ah, smell those Boleos??...mmmmm
.

El Cereso

Quote:

Originally posted by Pompano SANTA ROSALIAAnd lastly....Another place to avoid...at all costs! El Cereso.

This place brings a smile to my face.

During my first trip to baja with Alex (he was 5) he kept asking me what the people at the checkpoints were looking for.

I would tell him: bad boys.

And when they caught them they would be placed in El Cereso.

He was always on his best behavior at those stops after that.

Alas, that only worked for 2 years.