BajaNomad

Baja Sur Perspective

Osprey - 8-9-2010 at 11:24 AM

The View


Perspective is everything. I didn’t know that when I moved to this little Mexican village to retire. When I pulled up to the place in my truck, with an open cargo trailer holding all my stuff, there was just a barbed wire fence around the lot, a worn out little Mexican house on the upper portion. The gringo contractor who I hired to refurbish the old place said the first thing to do is build a wall to keep the critters out. I was not pleased – the kitchen and bathroom, the plumbing and electrical were all in critical condition but when in Rome, do as the Romanians do.

My near gringo neighbor, adjacent, had a nice wall so I only needed three others and a couple of big ornamental iron gates. The contractor asked me what height I wanted the block wall and I told him about four feet; I wanted to keep the cows and horses out but I wanted to be able to enjoy the comings and goings of my new neighbors.

Turned out great because from my outdoor living room, my palm covered open patio, I get to see and hear all the action on this busy corner. We live in this outdoor jungle and only go into the house to cook and sleep and bath and use the computers. So we are bombarded by all the commotion and sounds of the village when it’s in motion. It is my great fortune to be connected in this way to the heartbeat of the village. I get to wave and say hello to those who walk the streets to the beach, the store, to visit others and share a smile or a shout out to the police, the garbage truck guys, the water truck man, various friends and neighbors I know by their vehicles.

After a few years I’m beginning to get the Garrison Keillor thing going because I often know where the people are headed, where they’ve been by the schedules they keep, by what they do for a living.

The ice cream guy ringing his bell, the tortilla truck honking his horn, the kitchen ware truck with the grabador blaring, the pan dulce truck from La Paz, the metal buyers from Cabo are all the music of the day, the distinctively Mexican message that serves as a local newspaper, TV or radio advising that you need only wave or whistle – they will bring you everything you need.

There are tiny cars that sound like huge dump trucks. There are huge trucks that sound like cars; my dogs and I know, seconds before they appear racing around the corner, whose quadrunner or dirt bike or dunebuggy is coming at breakneck speed. A few local cows wake the dogs (and us) with bells around their necks at any time between 11:00 and 2 AM.





There are at least three pickup trucks who tear around town with dogs in the back. Street by street you can hear the dogs of the town barking in outrage at the highriding dogs in the vehicles. They key on the sound of the motor so the barking begins when they hear the truck, with or without the dogs and continues until the vehicle is out of sight. I have not done this yet but one day: a new gringo with a pickup truck may move here. I will borrow his truck for an hour or two, throw my dogs in the back and cruise the village causing trouble. I’ll drop the dogs back off at my house, hand him the keys and thank him for the use of the truck. He will never know why his truck is forever after chased and attacked by every dog in the village.

Are there jarring sounds that make you grind your teeth? Sure, quinceañeras, fiestas, school parties, kids with powerful base speakers in little lowriding muscle cars are part of the mix, come with the territory, so to speak. They already had me at “Your house costs $25,000 dollars, your property taxes are $40 dollars a year and the nearest handgun is 800 miles away in Ensenada.”

It would be fun to say that all of this is talk about the good old days but it is more fun to tell you this is the joy I feel living in this part of Mexico right now. Come on down. Get your own personal room with a view. To me Mexico always was, and still is, cheap thrills.

Cypress - 8-9-2010 at 11:37 AM

Osprey, Thanks for your prospective on the neighborhood comings and goings. You've found a a sweet spot. And keep your stories coming.:D

Ken Bondy - 8-9-2010 at 07:41 PM

Jorge you are a treasure on this Board!!!

Udo - 8-9-2010 at 07:52 PM

Your "PERSPECTIVE" is quite refreshing, Jorge.
You emulate exactly the reasons why we all want to live the way you do.

You writings and perspectives help keep the mood on this board much lighter (and a welcome need).

MUCHAS GRACIAS, COMPADRE:!::bounce::!:

Sallysouth - 8-9-2010 at 10:33 PM

You are a Gem Osprey! Take me back to sights and sounds, feelings I have felt, even in the past.I read all of your posts and love them all.Thank you for taking me along...

wessongroup - 8-9-2010 at 10:33 PM

Really liked the dog thing... and they really get off on it too...

But, your sure right about the adventure aspect, don't know why but I just have such wonderful experiences with the folks down here...

Today ventured out to get some peanut butter, tortillas and a 18 pack of Tecate in Rosarito at the Calimex store... when I got out the Bronco it takes me a while to get moving.. so I just kinda stand for while to get my balance and the rest..

I saw this Mexican man, getting the cart from the parking lot and bring them back.. the handicapped parking was full, so I just parked.. anywhere...

After getting my bearing... I got up onto the sidewalk that was along the front face of the structure... on step up from the parking area..

There was a shopping cart... that had been left on the sidewalk, I put my cane in it and pushed it back to where all the other carts were.. by the front door..

When I reach area where the other carts were stacked, there was a rail which I couldn't get the cart through... then the man that was getting the carts comes up and takes the cart from me and say "much gracis" and quickly takes the cart around the railings, I work my way over to the door, He opens it for me and shows me the way, plus then he goes over to a closed lane and opens the door... so I don't have to walk all the way down the front area to be able to get into the shopping... He was so kind.. he really did not need to do that... he really did not.. but, when he saw me at my age and condition just doing what one is supposed to do... Inside I met a number of other people which were adventures in each case, but I was able to get most done, but got tired... so I wanted to get it over.. couldn't really look around .. .nice store... with not bad over all selection... produce.. not top quality, but pretty darn good and lots of other things..

But, I finally pay for my items and say thank you to a very nice guy older than me bagging groceries, and he put my tomoatoes on top... too... I thanked him for his good job..

After I had loaded the Bronco, I started to turn to push the cart back... you guessed, the guy that first taken me inside and gave me a short cut...

He than gave me a hand getting into my car...

I tell him... he is a credit to the human race.. and if he wasn't working I would buy him a cervisa .... and gave him 2 dollars for his kindness.. he would not take it... and I told him I wanted him to take it for a coke or what ever... he accepted it.. and I shook his hand his name was Juan...

Hope he makes it.. a bit of a hard job for a gentleman of his age and physical size ... he was small, maybe 5'7" max if he was lucky.. and light 130-140 lb... thin arms.. must say, given his age he was in pretty good shape ... but, they don't seem to last the must work on tips only.. and that is a lot of work.. not sure they do that good..

Thanks for the ride Osprey... made me think..

Osprey - 8-10-2010 at 08:05 AM

Fishabductor, you can U2U me. If you give me the name of the person with the guns, his address, the vehicle he drives I'll tell our local police about it and maybe they will make those guns go away. Many years ago a retired Long Beach cop landed here, brought some handguns. One night he shot at some noisy dogs, the next day he was deported and never came back. He lost his home here -- it was trashed and ransacked. Don't know what the U.S. did with him. The fine here is heavy now, with 5 years in prison and hearsay tells me Mexican jail is not LILO jail -- you pay for food and a bed or you don't get much. All the cholleros I know don't want to go to Mexican jail. They are very much afraid to commit a crime like burglary which would put them in the cereso. You probably bought where you are now, out in the pucker brush, because it was cheap. So did I but I liked the idea of sleeping like a baby along with my law abiding Mexican neighbors in a little pueblo with city services and a police force.

Udo - 8-10-2010 at 08:27 AM

That's the same reason many of want to move down South, George. You hit the nail on the head!
Quote:
Originally posted by Osprey
... So did I but I liked the idea of sleeping like a baby along with my law abiding Mexican neighbors in a little pueblo with city services and a police force.

Osprey - 8-10-2010 at 08:40 AM

Thanks Udo, a nice little house closer to the beach, right on the beach road adjacent to the new marina (on a double lot - 25 X50 m) just sold for $115,000 U.S. to a Mexican corporation. Not a bad price that close to the water.

Osprey - 8-10-2010 at 10:32 AM

This is for Soulpatch. I live in La Ribera, an hour north of Cabo San Lucas. We also have the small town feel like yours. I parked my bike just inside my gate for years (before it rusted out) and one morning it went missing. I went to the cop shop and reported it. The 6 cops there insisted I bring them back to the scene of the crime. I told them "It's gone, it'a bike???"
They made me park across the street from my house. All six of them eyeballed the place, the tracks in the dirt street and then two of them followed the tracks on foot while the truck trailed along with their fellow officers. Ten minutes they were back with my stolen property. They said they found the bike on the beach and an old man asleep under a palapa. Did I want to make a statement? Press charges? Nope, and thanks for the great police work.

Eli - 8-10-2010 at 11:10 AM

Enjoyed the perspective Osprey, thanks.

ELINVESTIG8R - 8-10-2010 at 11:26 AM

Estimado Señor Osprey

Yo, David Elinvestig8r M. no tengo ninguna arma cuando voy de visita a México. Por favor no me hecha la policía de los varios corporaciones para revisar mi pickup con camper shell cuando viajo a visitar a mi mama. Gracias por su cooperación.

Atentamente,
David Elinvestig8r M.


:lol:

BajaBlanca - 8-10-2010 at 11:58 AM

the sounds of motors... I too can tell you when the water truck is coming, when the garbage truck is coming, by the sounds of their motors

the water guy honks

the roosters announce the coming of morning

the shells announce the arrival of visitors at our house

the waves announce the passing of time

the crickets announce the evenings ... love where we live :spingrin:

Iflyfish - 8-10-2010 at 03:36 PM

Ahhh, I needed that! Viva Mexico e Viva La Vida Loca!!

Iflyfish

Udo - 8-10-2010 at 07:39 PM

I see that there are other poets/writers/pensative individuals in the neighborhood besides Osprey:bounce::saint::bounce:
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
the sounds of motors... I too can tell you when the water truck is coming, when the garbage truck is coming, by the sounds of their motors

the water guy honks

the roosters announce the coming of morning

the shells announce the arrival of visitors at our house

the waves announce the passing of time

the crickets announce the evenings ... love where we live :spingrin:

Pescador - 8-11-2010 at 07:33 AM

When I lived in Colorado, I knew everyone in the community because I was the operator of the water system in the mountain area where I lived, but I did not have the gentle, quiet, laid back existence that I enjoy here in San Bruno. The sounds that BajaBlanca talks about are part of the life in the village and the only sounds that could be added is when the propane truck comes he he has a musical horn that plays that days tunes, and the vegetable truck has a microphone and big speaker to announce the specials of the day. But the real part is that people seem to have enough time that they want to stop and talk for a minute and it may be to just ask about fishing or something very small, but sometimes it is to report a big happening or very important event. If I had failed to work very hard to become reasonably fluent in the language I would be missing a very important part of the whole picture. But, I can think of no place in the world that I would rather be for retirement than right here in this little piece of heaven. It's even pretty easy to forget that the temperatures are warmer this time of the year and it's easy to see why I look forward to getting up every morning and coming in to contact with my world.

bajabass - 8-11-2010 at 08:03 AM

I managed to get away to my little house on the hill in La Mision last weekend, finally! I am in tune with the daily goings on in the ejido. though what I really key on is the lack of noise. No helicopters, planes, sirens and alarms. In OC I live near freeways, hospitals and firestations. I am woken every night by a variety of totaly obnoxious noises. The quiet is almost deafening at times. I sleep like the dead every night I am there!:spingrin:

bajabass - 8-11-2010 at 11:25 AM

I can hear the waves and coyotes every night. :biggrin: Once in a while you will hear a truck engine brake from the toll road about 600 yards away, other than that, fireworks from the beach, our "security guard", in his little car, NADA MAS!!! I am really looking forward to even quieter life in El Centenario, just outside La Paz. Even more so, the nights camped out in desolate little spots up and down the coast, as I learn my way around my new home!!:smug: Today is the 3rd anniversary of my marriage to the lovely Mrs. Dra. Bajabass, and she is 1000 miles south in paradise! :mad: Not a great day today, but I'll be there soon!:yes:

bajabass - 8-11-2010 at 12:00 PM

Osprey, thank you for sharing your stories with us. Your "perspective" is entertaining and insightful. After a few years there, I hope I can honestly ingrain myself into a harmonious BCS existence.