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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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They Could Complain, But Realize That No One Would Listen
"I spent many years among the good and happy people of Baja, especially in the Loreto area.None of them ever complained to me about their lives, rich
ones or poor one!"
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Just keep singin' that Bob Dylan tune "When you got nothin', you got nothin' to lose." Baja Mexicans moving about in cars and trucks go along pretty
much unafraid and ready for what ever comes their way. When you're unafraid you can be giving, friendly. All of that changes for travelers who find
themselves and their gear, their families at what they perceive to be great risk -- might change those Mexicans if you had em go back and earn a
$300,000 MOHO full of goodies, have em be responsible and protective of pets and loved ones and all the serious obligations coming their way on the
Baja highways and byway. All the well to do Mexicans I know have bars on their windows and doors and may not be as open and giving as the Mexican Joe
six packs out there.
[Edited on 12-16-2009 by Osprey]
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
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Osprey:
My 38 years in Baja Sur in and around Loreto gave me many valuable lessons from all kinds of mexicano People. Their effort to show that they liked
you, their way of showing their Care, their sometimes juvenile behavior, their Family values.
As I some times compare with my friends in the States, I see very similar values and traits, especially those people who show care and kindness to
others.
And yes, the mexicano Family has gone toward the American Family in that it has seperated. But the core values are still there.
It is my hope and dream that we can all one day realize our Hopes and Dreams for a Happy and fulfilled Life.
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Gypsy Jan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4275
Registered: 1-27-2004
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Mood: Depends on which way the wind is blowing
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Warning, Warning, Will Rogers! (For Those Know and if You Don't Recognize It)
This is a retro popular culture reference to a TV show from the sixties.
"More sarcasm chubascos arriving due to a collision of low pressure, well-meaning piety areas and know-it-all cynical high pressure windiness moving
in."
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
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Mood: Want to fish!!!
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I am going to step out on a limb, and assume the original post was sincere. As was my first reply. The poverty, lack of infrastructure, sanitary
conditions, low wages, and poor elementary education that many Mexicans endure is unfair and deplorable. The majority of the blame must be placed on
the corruption throughout the Mexican political system, not the U.S., or individuals from other countries. I am sure U.S. policies do not help, but
have been accepted by the governing powers that were, are, or will be making the decisions for the Mexican people. I think Skeet was trying to convey
the spirit and vigor that the Mexican people show, despite the conditions they MUST survive in, and in some cases thrive in. I have never seen people
do so much, with so little. I admire their strong will, and " get it done" attitude.
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 9-2-2003
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Bajabass: Well said:
Here I was in Bishop Calif. as Mgr. of an Office, good Job, Towing Gliders, haveing a great time hiling and Fishing the Sierras, when I received a
book for a xmas present from my sister-in-Law. It was called The Sea of Cortez!!
I read the book and became Amorued with the Sea of Cortez.
On my First trip I met a young man ,Alvarro Murillo, we became very good friends , and still are Good Friends. I have lived with his family and
watched it grow to 10 Grandchildren!!
We have Cussed and Cried and been very neaqr to Death a couple of times, we have seen and experienced things that most people never get the chance to
experience! Like a Shark in the Water with us as we dive for Lobster, like a Whale coming out of the water next to our Panga, Dolphins jumping beside
us, Pelicans biting our legs as we filet Fish!
And being accepted by the People as I walk behind the truck that carries the Body of his Father to his Grave.
Yes , Despite all this , many of thees people show love, care, kindness , happiness even with out all of the marterial Goods us Americanos have.!
Why.???,
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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I'll join you on that limb for another opinion. I was absolutely seduced by the Mexican culture the first time I ventured South. To me, there's a
palpable humility within the culture, which I ascribe to the Roman Catholic Church, a religion that was actually exported to Mexico from Europe. It is
also likely that this same phenomenon was a catalyst in creating a long-standing program (pogram) of subjugating the masses for the benefit of an
educated power elite.
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
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Bajahowodd! Very well said at a good time! Most people do not have a good idea of the Power struggle that happened in Mexico.
We all need to try and understand the mex icano People.
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6700
Registered: 9-5-2003
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Barry
Any pictures from the back country in 1949?
| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
I have dozens of stories about the back country people of Baja accumulated over the last 60 years of travel down there, all similar. An example of
one that I will always remember------
Viva back-country Mexico!!
Barry |
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 19935
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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yes, all well and good, saint skeet. but if you talk with the people you so revere you will find they all want the same things we want: health, fun,
money, cars and big screen TVs.
your work view is distorted if you equate poverty with nobility. in fact, your opinion sounds a bit like condescending psycho-babble that we got from
1960s spin on calvinist protestant schooling.
while you find the people of baja to be better than us nekid dope smoking liberals that went to college and learned from commie profs, in the end all
people are the same. people's actions are motivated by 4 things: money, power, love and hate -- 'tis true in Mulege, Los Angeles, NYC, Texas, Cuba
and Bangladesh
[Edited on 12-17-2009 by mtgoat666]
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Ken Bondy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3326
Registered: 12-13-2002
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Mood: Mellow
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One of my favorite "Baja people" stories: In 1982 I landed my Baron on the dirt strip at Rancho Buena Vista. The strip ran perpendicular to the
beach, and at the inland end was about 150 ft higher than at the beach end. The paved highway ran past the uphill end of the runway. At the end of
my landing roll I made a left 180-degree turn, hit a soft spot in the sand, and buried the nosewheel. Realizing we were good and stuck, I shut down
the engines and my three passengers and I exited the airplane and surveyed the situation. We were about 200 feet from the fence separating the runway
and the highway. All of a sudden there were three young Mexican men with us, looking at our buried nosewheel. They had seen our situation from the
road, stopped at the end of the runway, hopped the fence, came to us and offered help. All this without any signaling or distress signs on our part.
They just saw we were in trouble and wanted to help. One of them ran back to their truck and returned with two shovels. They dug us out and together
the seven of us manually pulled the Baron out of its hole, pulling on the props and a nosewheel tugger bar. We thanked them profusely and offered a
propina. They refused graciously. We insisted that they meet us in the Buena Vista lobby and at least share a cerveza. That worked. My three
passengers walked back to the hotel with the three Mexicans kids while I lit off the Baron and managed to taxi to a tiedown without further
embarassment. We shared several Pacificos with them and, once again, tried to pay them for their help but they refused. Finally with abrazos all
around they left and went on with their day. It was a wonderful experience for me, and I never forgot it.
carpe diem!
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8088
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Are we talking about baja or Cook's encounter with Tahitians here? 
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
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Ken: I had a very similar experience at the same airstrip many years ago.
I think it can be said " It don"t make no nevermind where you are Rich or Poor:\" if you have a kind Heart you are the BEST!!!!!
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
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Mood: Want to fish!!!
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If money and power motivated the people of Baja on a whole, the region would have no population what so ever! I think many of the people in Baja do
know there may be a different life elsewhere. Better, ?, then why are we here. If you are among the group that have chosen Baja for the low cost
option, great. Live cheap, stay buzzed, complain about the problems you experience. Unless you become a citizen, you cannot vote, demonstrate, or do
anything to bring about any significant change. What you can do is embrace the gracious, giving people that have allowed you to join there lives. We
can all help improve the lives of anyone we interact with. The store owner, the Pemex attendant, the propane truck driver, the local church. These
people are caring, giving, gracious hosts. Attemp to be an equally appreciative guest. It is not that hard to do. I, for one, cannot wait to leave
SoCal, once and for all. I own, and have run daily, for over 20 years, a retail auto service business. I cater to upper end vehicles, and their
owners. Most of them are more worried about their economic status than anything else. Simply enjoying life is a totally foreign concept. For the last
2 years my business has dropped 40%. The greed has caught up with them. The jobs are being lost. The houses are being foreclosed on. They are
miserable!! I almost hope that business gets a little worse. Then I can justify selling at a loss and bailing out early. To live the rest of my life
in a beautiful place, with wonderful people, that know how to make due with what they have and enjoy life. My little block house on the hill is a
happy place. I will be much happier when it is more than a weekend escape! Oh, as far as the other two Goat, love and hate. I have experienced much
more of the former, than the latter, in Baja. Never been to Cuba or Bangladesh, but L.A./NYC are cesspools.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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No pics, rt. I was 11 then, and at that time the only "back country" I got into was with my Mom & Aunt in the Sierra Juarez and Laguna Hansen and
nearby environs on camping trips.
Barry
| Quote: | Originally posted by rts551
Barry
Any pictures from the back country in 1949?
| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
I have dozens of stories about the back country people of Baja accumulated over the last 60 years of travel down there, all similar. An example of
one that I will always remember------
Viva back-country Mexico!!
Barry |
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajabass
I think many of the people in Baja do know there may be a different life elsewhere. |
They would only have to see a caravan of MOHOS to be convinced of that.
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
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The one thing that stands out and is very different in the wants of most of the Mexicanos I knew, was their lack of GREED!
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
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Mood: Skeptical
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In my earlier posts in this string I was merely commenting on what I read into Skeet's heart on this issue only. I believe he is sincere and it
corresponds with my experience with the Mexican people. I separate out the heart from some of the other      he espouses.
I have lived in other places in Mexico besides Baja and have traveled throughout the whole country and much of the rest of Latin America including
Cuba. I have taught ESL in San Diego to people mostly from Tijuana. I have been to many of their homes in TJ (during better times). We have shared
fiestas, comidas, musica y bailles. You will be amazed at the respect you will get if you know their culture and attempt to learn and speak their
language.
My love of the latino culture extends beyond Mexico. And believe me, I have been the victim of crimes of opportunity, the mordida and bureaucratic
blunders and plunders. In friendship, it is very difficult to find a more gracious host than the Mexican when a family invites you to share what they
have, no matter how little that may be. My heart remains with the people, wherever I am.
Pollyannas and cynics can (and have) analyze(ed) and pick(ed) apart the positives and negatives of the topic. There is merit on both sides of the
argument if you don't let the personality, articulation abilities and other attitudes of the poster interfere with your opinions. That is up to you,
the reader; not the original poster.
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Yep
| Quote: | Originally posted by Skeet/Loreto
The one thing that stands out and is very different in the wants of most of the Mexicanos I knew, was their lack of GREED! |
Must agree and find it a very laudable trait…
Seems to be a trait of many of the Native Americans, from “Black Elk Speaks, The Offering of the Pipe”
“But if the vision was true and mighty, as I know, it is true and mighty yet; for such things are of the spirit, and it is in the darkness of their
eyes that men get lost.”
http://www.firstpeople.us/articles/Black-Elk-Speaks/Black-El...
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
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You know Toneart, your words are well taken.
Most everyone on this board has their opinion of an le Fart" and seems to
convey it in their Answers or Posts.
One of the best things that has ever happened in my life was my relationship with Alvarro Murrillo Romero of Lreto. Watch him raise his family which now includes 10 Grandchildren{Last Count}.
His wants and desires was always for his Family./
I cannot in my Heart find any Anger even for the ones who tried to to put the "Bite" on me.
Guess I just like People too much,
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