Last week, the amazing guide Zihul Martinez from Guerrero Negro, took us to his compadres ranch where they are preparing for the family's future by
creating an adventure tourism program where people can stay at the ranch and see more of what the area has to offer in natural history and nature
photography of bighorn sheep.
The road from just north of Vizcaino was pretty good and passes through some outstanding cactus forests of huge old growth cardons some nearly a
century old. It took us over an hour to get to the ranch and we stopped for a visit to Miraflores so Zihul could talk to the rancher there about the
radio towers he sets up for the ranchers.
I was impressed by all the stone corrals and the rancher told us that they were completely covered by sand that was brought down the arroyo in
Hurricaine Odile and they had to dig them all out by hand and shovel!!! And I wine about my roses getting beaten up!
We were welcomed warmly by 3 generations of Medinas and enjoyed some cold cervezas in the shade of the mesquite tree where the owners Don Kiko &
his wife Mati told us about the history of the ranch & their plans for the future.
This was Mati's grandfathers adobe home that was abandoned when they grew old and storms decimated the area so families moved into towns and now the
family is working hard to bring it back to life!
Hurricaine Odile also destroyed all the original 16th century grape vines that the missionaries planted but Mati managed to save some and they are
doing well with new grapes on them. Her grandfather was the principal wine maker in the area and the family still makes wine the traditional way. That
storm destroyed all the family gardens and arroyo and they are still moving rocks & degris 3 years later.
Something else buried by Odile was the famous Fertility Rock but the family dug it up and moved it to the ranch for safe keeping. It has helped many
many women get pregnant so be careful if you sit on it!
On the adjacent mountainside beside the ranch you can see bighorn sheep especially in the winter when they come down the mountain as well as deer and
we saw a beautiful fox!
It is a short stroll to the Mission where Zihul told us countless stories about the area, history and artifacts... we learned so much from him.
This big hollowed out rock was for storing wine!
Zihul calls the Mission a living monument as the church is still used today for special events...his son was baptized here last year!
He stood under this wooden contraption and said they were the original speakers...he demonstrated how the round design amplified the voice of the
person standing under it...super cool!!!
On the way back to the ranch we stopped at the "Oxxo" a tiny store for more beer and Juan was surprised to see the storekeeper was a diver from his
village of San Roque who lived there in the old days. Baja is such a small place!
The ranch can accommodate campers at the moment with hopes of some cabins in the future. They have a dining area where they will prepare your food and
nice bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers....although the grandkids prefer this tub!
The Medina men are members of the fishing cooperativa in Guerrero Negro where we set up our remote whale camp this season...it is like they lead dual
lives...the fishermen and ranchers. Chema & Eric were the captain & crew on whale watching boat in Laguna Ojo de Liebre...another way to
diversify their income.
How did the ranch get it's name you may ask? When they were building the house and walls at the ranch, Don Kiko would wake up the boys early to go to
work and say Vamos a la Chinga...meaning hard labour in this case...and the name stuck!
The Medina family are not only lovely hard working people but are very talented as well and have a musical group with their cousins.
Here is a funny little ditty Chema & Eric sang us at Whale Camp
So if you want to go visit, they would be glad to have you. Look for Chema Medina on Facebook or message me for his phone #.TMW - 6-6-2018 at 08:19 PM
That is really cool, thanks.Paco Facullo - 6-6-2018 at 08:43 PM
Another fantastic gem you have brought to our attention Sheri, thanks...
SO much warmth and history along with new history in the making..
Beautiful photos and write up to boot !ElCap - 6-6-2018 at 08:55 PM
I can certainly attest to Zihul, Eric & Chema being wonderful and amazing people. And I think somewhere out there that there is a video of Shari
singing along (translating?) a song by Eric out at the whale camp at Carros Viejos!motoged - 6-6-2018 at 10:56 PM
Shari,
Beautiful story and pics.
As said, thank you for taking us to another Baja gem.shari - 6-7-2018 at 08:10 AM
so many things amaze me about this family...their joy, compassion & respect for others, natural talent, unity, open minds, hard work ethic,
creativity and diversity.
Watching these guys sing their songs loudly standing in the bow of their panga in hip waders and then in their worn cowboy boots working in the
vineyard...so at home in two totally different worlds.
They realize the fishery may not support them forever so are experimenting with whale watching and sportfishing tourism...can you spot a couple
Nomads?
But their heart lies in the hills...on their grandfather's ranch...so they are building their future en La Chinga which has so much potential with the
historical site Mission, bighorn sheep at their doorstep and the vineyard...not to mention their musical talent. There is nothing like listening to
great live music under the mesquite tree.
The outdoor sink reminds me of them...it is a naturally carved out rock on an old cardon trunk but with new pvc plumbing to bring water from the
arroyo! the symbiosis of old and the new...
Although I am an ocean person, I am really enjoying our forays to local ranches. I see a great opportunity for visitors to explore a new realm of old
Baja and help struggling ranchers to supplement their income so they may keep and improve the land and stay on the ranches their families have loved
for generations.
There is a growing interest in this rural, rustic ranch tourism that offers such rich experiences...the road winding through enormous old growth
cactus, the old fashioned hospitality & fantastic homemade food, the rich stories they tell of history & the present, the peace &
tranquility of an off grid ranch. Many have nearby Missions to explore and other historical sites like cave paintings.
Now that some are accessible by roads, it is opening up a new niche for Baja visitors. So on your net Baja adventure to your favorite beach why dont
you plan a day or two at a local ranch!
Just ask around and you will find one that suits your style! Take a day trip, stay overnight or for the weekend or even an extended stay to really get
into the ranch spirit!JohnK - 6-7-2018 at 01:29 PM
Wonderful report, Shari. It's now on my list!hermosok123 - 6-7-2018 at 03:46 PM
That is some great information about a wonderful family so representative of just one of the things that we live or come to Baja for. Thank youDavid K - 6-7-2018 at 04:10 PM
Bad roads bring good people...
Thanks, Shari!SFandH - 6-7-2018 at 04:30 PM
"Rancho La Chinga"
Really? Translate that for me.shari - 6-7-2018 at 04:56 PM
La Chinga in this case means working your butt off....like anther day of hard work would be otro dia de la chinga. So when the family would be getting
ready to go to work for the weekend on the ranch Don Kiko would say...Vamos a La Chinga....lets get to work...so it is kind of a joke that stuck as a
name. They have spent year moving rocks and digging out from Odile...very backbreaking heavy work...es una chinga! SFandH - 6-7-2018 at 05:07 PM
It's a versatile word.woody with a view - 6-7-2018 at 05:43 PM
What a great report. Such magic in those old places!bajaric - 6-8-2018 at 06:24 AM
That is pretty neat that they apparently have some old Mission Grape vines. The Mission Grape was the main source of wine in California up until
about 1890. It was replaced by other varietals that made better wine, though there are still a few people making sacramental wine out of it as well
as a fortified wine called Angelica that was said to be a favorite of the Padres. I would like to get a cutting off those vines.pacificobob - 6-8-2018 at 06:35 AM
me too but when Mati told me of the struggle to find the vines under the sand and get cuttings and replant them and how only a few survived...I didnt
ask for a cutting...maybe next time!
I love the mission wines...they are like mead!
[Edited on 6-8-2018 by shari]David K - 6-8-2018 at 08:24 AM
Once there was a bottle of San Ignacio mission wine image posted on Nomad...
Every mission village seems to claim their grape vines came from the old country... at least from the mainland.
The site of Santa Gertrudis was not discovered by the Jesuits until around 1747. Padre Consag began baptizing Indians there in 1751 for a future
mission in the region. He initially called this location 'La Piedad.
The next mission north of San Ignacio was to be named 'Dolores del Norte' and that name appears on Jesuit lists and maps going back to 1744. This had
caused many in modern times to believe there was a lost mission by that name north of San Ignacio (often placing it at the adobe visita ruins in San
Pablo Canyon or the ruined rock walls at San Francisco de la Sierra).
When funding for a new mission and a priest became available, the new mission's name was made 'Santa Gertrudis' in honor of the wife of the
benefactor, the Marqués de Villapuente. He had sponsored the mission of San José del Cabo, but when the Jesuits closed that mission in 1748, the
funds became available for a new mission in the north.
Santa Gertrudis was officially founded by Padre Georg Retz on July 15, 1752. Padre Retz had arrived at San Ignacio in 1751 to train for the future
post by learning the Cochimí language first.
The stone church at Santa Gertrudis seen today was built during the Dominican period (1773-1822) and was completed in 1796, replacing the adobe church
there.
The missions have many stories to tell!shari - 6-8-2018 at 09:21 AM
I understand when the missionaries were expelled, it was used as a cantina! David, do other missions have this "speaker" in them?
David K - 6-8-2018 at 09:51 AM
I don't recall seeing it elsewhere? This church was remodeled and modernized in 1997 with financial assistance from the salt mine company in Guerrero
Negro.
The Jesuits were expelled and replaced by the Franciscans... who after 5 years happily gave Baja California mission duty to the Dominicans. The
Independence of Mexico ended the original purpose of the missions and most Dominican padres left in 1822. A few remained and a few were added before
most of the missions closed in 1840. Only Santo Tomás remained operating as a mission longer, to 1849. The last two Dominicans left La Paz for the
mainland in 1855. This is all in my book.
Where it is located and the height above the floor would have me question if it had anything to do with sound amplification. The priest typically
speaks from the altar, does he not?
The explanation of what it is, is in one of the books on missions (Baja California Missions--In the Footsteps of the Padres by David Burckhalter,
2013): a golden sun medallion with the central image of a crouching dog holding a flaming torch in its mouth. This traditional Dominican symbol
represents the dream of Saint Dominic's mother before his birth (the coming of one who would light up the world).
[Edited on 6-8-2018 by David K]bajaric - 6-8-2018 at 10:11 AM
Here is a link that describes how the ancestry of Mission grapes was traced back to Spain by DNA analysis
Grapes need to be pruned every fall when they become dormant so that would be a good time to transplant some cuttings. Grape vines have a maximum
life span of 100 years, so these must have been propagated from the original vines at some point if they are indeed descended from the grapes that
were planted by the Missionaries.
A winery called Gypsy Canyon makes Angelica from 100 year old Mission Grape vines found in an abandoned vineyard near Santa Barbara. They sell those
s for $175 per bottle! shari - 6-8-2018 at 10:40 AM
yes Mati's grandfather tended the vineyard and was one of the principle wine maker. The new vines they managed to save are looking good...hope another
hurricane doesnt wipe them out...but they have moved them to a safer spot now...for my taste the wine from old grapes is just sooooo rich!!!
David...the speaker system does work as Zihul demonstrated it! In this photo you can see the different symbols of all three denominations, Jesuits on
the left, Franciscans in the middle and Dominican on the right. It is interesting to see elements of all 3 in this mission/cantina...jajaja
David K - 6-8-2018 at 11:16 AM
The coat of arms for each Order are at these links:
In our 2012 book 'The Old Missions of Baja & Alta California' we included them:
fishbuck - 6-8-2018 at 02:50 PM
So cool!
bi-lingual?
beachbum1A - 6-11-2018 at 09:35 AM
Is there anyone bi-lingual on site that could explain about the ranch to English speaking tourists? shari - 6-12-2018 at 08:12 AM
one of their sons Eric speaks English but I highly recommend getting in touch with Zihul Martinez (tel:615 159 7342 or on FAcebook)who is a plethora
of information about all things Baja especially about our area in the center of the peninsula.
But really these folks are so wonderful language isnt really a problem and you can communicate without it.azucena - 6-22-2018 at 07:03 AM
Great trip Shari. What an amazing place and wonderful people.
