It’s Easter Sunday morning and it might be a good time to talk about our local marina. I know a lot about it because for years I fought to keep free
access to the beach because when the project purchased the land, they bought the one and only vehicle road to our lovely beach. The beach is very
important to the local townspeople and our fishermen who use it as a platform from which to fish for their families.
Each Semana Santa has been a test for the marina: will they close the road, turn away the 2000 campers this year? So far they have not closed the
access or the beach but they have fenced off a large part of the marina near the jetties/slips/clubhouse.What a test it is! For the last three days
hundreds of vacationers from Los Cabos have been camped on $800,000 dollar
chfront lots sold years ago to people who are now suing to get their money back. For reasons unknown to the people of the pueblo, the project was far
from complete when they pulled the plug and shut down all operations except boat slip rentals and a small launch ramp.
The slips are full most of the time ($900 dollars a month for 30 feet) and there are no gas, maintenance or storage facilities – boat owners must haul
gas in 6 gallon cans from the stations to the slip each time they need to fill the tanks.
In years past, when I saw the campers enjoying light breezes, warm water and clear skies my heart would soar but now my feelings are mixed. I used to
believe that the campers were the poorest of Mexicans who can’t afford to take a break any other way --- now that I see all the new cars, trucks,
quads, waverunners, huge tents, I’m changing my view of the visitors.
They aren’t tourist service people because they are all working like mad at the hotels and restaurants in the cities to the south and north. That
leaves all the businesses and offices that are usually closed for several days around Easter; city and county offices, admin services of all kinds,
some city services, school workers and teachers, transportation people and a whole world of pencil pushers. Absent would be the upper management folks
who can afford trips to Mazatlan and Guadalajara with the whole family. Probably not many day labor people can get here, stay here, get home.
The place is tailor made for the campers --- the little town has many little stores for ice and eggs and beer. There are two gas stations. Police
patrol the beaches day and night while the city provides water and sanitation stations.
Time will not stand still. The music is newer, the trucks are bigger, the quads are faster. At amanacer I can still smell the sweet, spicy onions and
chorizo wafting up the bluff to my little house and if I get my wish, that will never change.
That's one way to spin it. Have you considered that the ejido got and spent their money, and then for a number of years had lots of jobs there? The
road to the pescadores beach is not and has not been closed. That was part of the original purchase contract. That this was a money-laundering scheme
was not known at the outset, and sometimes people really can be trusted. This was not one of those times. If you are no growth, anti development,
"keep 'em in the pueblo" kind of person, you can view this whole thing with hatred and skepticism. I prefer to think that if it ever comes to
fruition, it will be a real shot in the are for a sickly little out of the way fishing village. Time will tell, and the veracity of the new owners
will be on display. I find it interesting that they have removed the grand entrance sign, and there are signs that work will again be going on there.
(there is a little going on now). If you want a place with absolutely no development allowed, look no farther than the coast of California.
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