I met the Governor of Baja California

Wednesday evening, the governor of Baja California, José Guadalupe Osuna Millán, and several dignitaries from the state and municipal district of Tecate, including the mayor of Tecate, officially opened the new Community Museum of history of Northern Baja California from the Kumiai (Spanish spelling) people, to the mission padres, miners and ranchers.

The museum is on the grounds of CAREM in Tecate, just east of the big baseball and soccer fields (east side of the Ensenada road). See http://carem.org

I estimated there were about 400-500 people and news crews there. After each of the officials spoke, the governor spoke, then raised a special flag, then cut the ribbon.

Next, the governor and his staff toured each of the buildings and the grounds displaying life as it looked years ago.

Max and I were invited by Zella, who is the head of CAREM's activities and library, to attend the event tonight and we had some pre-pub copies of the new book we wrote, to give to the Governor and others. We met the governor's coordinator before the governor arrived and gave him the copies to give to the governor... The crowd was growing, so it was no intimate affair where we would have a private meeting, so it seemed.

As the governor was coming around to the next building, his staff got Max and I to come to the steps and told us to step up, handed us each a copy of our new book (that we had already given to the staff member earlier), so we could personally give a copy to the governor and one to the Mayor of Tecate!

I handed my camera to Zella's associate with CAREM and asked her to photograph Max and I meeting the governor and the mayor.

So, they both are led to me, I am introduced, the book is mentioned, I shake his hand and hand him a book... and actually exchange a couple words about what is in the book. Then the Tecate mayor (didn't catch his name, will look it up later) got his book from Max... It was pretty quick, but longer and more personal than I had expected.

Anyway, I think we are getting this book off to a good start, and we will be doing the first 'commercial' printing next week so very soon they can be in your hands!

The governor at the podium speaking, we were seated with others who were there early enough for a seat.




An Indian representative gave him that lei after blessing him and others with smoke and chants.


He was quite animated and spoke about other museums recently opened, including the one Graham attended in the San Pedro Martir Park. He talked about the condor project and the observatories. (my Spanish listening is just good enough to pick out several words)

The flag he raised:



This is our book's co-author, Max Kurillo:



The following 3 photos were taken for me, while I met the governor:


Here I had just shaken his hand and handed him the book...


Max is introduced to the mayor of Tecate... notice the governor already getting into our book!



I am looking to see if my camera is working, the mayor has his book, and the governor looks excited holding up his!

Okay gang, I need to get some sleep, but I have lots more photos of the museum exhibits I will add later.

Thanks for your time and letting me share our little excitement with you.


Oh, we went to La Mision for dinner on the west side of town, I had quail. The border wait at Tecate was a surprising 30 minutes starting at 8:52 tonight.


Oh, if anyone has not yet seen it (in the other threads):





http://oldmissions.com

Way to go David--congrats! You and Shari both live in that rarified air now

Good job DK....did you tell him all he needs to do is lower taxes to get everyone back to work

Darn it Jim, now I gotta kill ya!

Like maybe the "secret"surf spots???...

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy Quote: Originally posted by surfer jim How about a book on BAJA vacations and points of interest? Like maybe the "secret"surf spots???...

Maybe a great idea... I could write a book with maps and GPS of the road along the coast south of El Rosario... and Woody and all the other surfers (who pretend this is an unknown sanctuary only open to a select few members of their secret society) would have to buy every copy to keep it out of the hands of us infidels!!!

DAVID K

LOL... Max was responsible for the Alta missions... and when he invited me to help him on the book last March, he had some of the Baja missions described... so initially, I was going to check his facts and write about the others he hadn't yet. Max has been to nearly all of the Baja missions, as well. I am not well versed on the Alta missions, so I will need to study this book, too!

In talking with Max, he was initially just doing the "popular" missions and not the 'piles of dirt' ones... He agreed with my concept include every mission founded and to give each mission equal consideration (ie. two pages for each) and to add the number to the mission name (ie. Loreto is #1 and San Diego is #19, etc.)... then I made the locator maps using those numbers to show the placement of the missions in the Californias... At a glance one can see they were NOT built from south to north like a ladder, but randomly around the land, as the Padres found new Indian settlements or 'rancherias' as they were called by the Spanish.

You can email Max at the oldmissions email (we both read that email inbox). Now, we will be sending a copy to Huell Howser if that is the Alta Mission guy you are thinking of... Max was on one of Huell's rare 1 hour specials... The El Camino Real Bells episode.

We would love it if Huell would complete his California Missions Series, by going to where the missions began and were exclusively for 72 years BEFORE San Diego was founded. Max said Huell is concerned with logistics and his production staff being allowed south. Huell did do a special on the Whales at San Ignacio Lagoon... so there is hope!

Sweet times!

All the obsession with missions and you're not even Catholic, ever tell the tale of leaving a friend in the desert looking for the "lost mission?"



Really, congats. David I can feel your excitment and can't wait to read itl