vseasport
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Location: Buena Vista, BCS
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A magical place
A magical place
East Cape has been experiencing the typical ups and downs of winter. Last week seas were calm and Yellowtail, snapper, marlin, dorado, sierra
mackerel and Giant humbolt squid were all on the score card. This week brought strong north winds not allowing many to get on the water. The score
card, well, the wind is starting to back off and the bite should pick up again.
The good news is Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow so you can take it to the bank we will have an early spring. It will only be 4 or 5 more
weeks before we turn the corner of winter and start to experience more consistent good fishing conditions.
Many ask how I ended up in Mexico. My first visit to Los Cabos was 1973. At that time getting to the Pamilla hotel was like an adventure out of
Indiana Jones. There were no direct flights. The first leg of the trip from TJ to La Paz was no problem as there was Jet plane service. The last leg
was a different story. We took an old DC3 twin prop plane to a dirt runway a few miles from the Pamilla. The people operating the little plane had
the attitude of the more the merrier. We don't need no stinking seats! After they were all occupied passengers would sit on milk crates in the
aisles. Some holding bundles and bags similar to the sights on old Mexican busses. It was quite a scene.
Rickety old taxis would see the plane coming and make their way to the dirt landing strip. The road was kind of paved if you call a little black
slurry over dirt pavement. There was huge pot holes, roaming live stock and no shoulders. It was an adventure-some ride in a car that smoked
sputtered and hardly ran dodging the cattle and trying to avoid the pot holes. On my first visit a pig was being slaughtered on the side of the road
right at the entrance to the hotel. Later we discovered that pig was our dinner.
From that time I frequented Los Cabos every couple of years. The DC3, horrible road and sub standard cabs were always a part of the adventure. It
was 1987 when I was invited to a private beach house on the East Cape just a few hundred yards from Spa Buena Vista (now known as Buena Vista Beach
Resort). It was then I found a charm the East Cape had, and still has, like no place else I have ever been. On this trip the thought entered my mind
that maybe this is where I would want to live when I grew up.
In 1990 a 1/3rd interest came available in the little one bedroom beach house where I had first stayed on the East Cape. With no hesitation I snapped
it up and started making preparations to move to Buena Vista full time. I closed my real estate firm killing the goose that laid the golden egg,
packed all my worldly belongings and in May of 91 was on my way to Mexico.
It is obvious by the growth I've seen that many others have been attracted to the area by the same charm I found. Several milestones have contributed
to the growth. In the early days this place was more or less a fish camp where manly men came to fish.
Construction of the Los Cabos international airport (SJD) provided easier access to the area and was the first big change. In 1993 Telmex installed
a phone system on the East Cape and we were able to have our first home phone. Prior to that there was only one phone in the whole town. There was a
woman operating the phone we called the phone N-zi. If you ever saw Sinfelds Soup N-zi you will get the idea. Anyhow, phones provided instant
communication which provided more comfort and security that attracted family visits. Then came cell phones. The installation of DSL which provided
high speed internet changed the entire game.
Step by step Los Cabos has grown and the population has exploded. With it all the East Cape still has a magnetic charm and is still a magical place.
I'm the one on the right
The best source for the latest East Cape fishing conditions "like"
www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing
Mark Rayor
teamjenwren.com
markrayor.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/JenWrenSportfishing
US cell 310 308 5841
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BajaBlanca
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Location: La Bocana, BCS
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what a great story !
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vseasport
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaBlanca
what a great story ! |
Blanca, It was a pleasure to meet Les during your visit to the East Cape. I'm sorry I missed you.
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
Registered: 11-26-2002
Location: Bat Cave
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Mood: Sling time!
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Mark - i sent that pic to a buddy who's architectural and planning firm has done a lot of work at Palmilla over the years as well as other east cape
high line resorts.
he really loved the historical significance.
was that when you made your choice to move and set up biz there full time?
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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vseasport
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Posts: 322
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Location: Buena Vista, BCS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by capt. mike
Mark - i sent that pic to a buddy who's architectural and planning firm has done a lot of work at Palmilla over the years as well as other east cape
high line resorts.
he really loved the historical significance.
was that when you made your choice to move and set up biz there full time? |
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vseasport
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Location: Buena Vista, BCS
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It is hard to remember the exact sequence of events but that photo was six months before moving here full time so it certainly must have been on my
mind. The move here was to get out of the fast lane and I had planned on never working again. I wasn't here to long and figured out I needed
direction and motivation and opened our scuba business. Later I just fell into fishing charters. Now I love what I'm doing so much I can't see ever
quitting .
Somewhere I have photos of the Palmilla in the early 70's. At night you could stand out on the point and not see a light in either direction. I
landed my first marlin in a cruiser we rented for $100.
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El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
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Great story and fine memories. Many things change and some never seem to. Out here on the near east cape, a mere 17 miles or so as the crow flies from
Palmilla, there is still no phone service cellular or otherwise. But a fine fellow named Osmar provides speedy internet. Go figure.
And the crappy dirt road is still the crappy dirt road it always was. But we will take it for a million stars in the sky and a life way, way out of
the fast lane. And we got surfin' too!
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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BajaBlanca
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Mark - we'll get back up in May and I will make a point of meeting up with you at the safety meetings then ! Les is a real character, ain't he ??!!
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vseasport
Nomad
Posts: 322
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Location: Buena Vista, BCS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaBlanca
Mark - we'll get back up in May and I will make a point of meeting up with you at the safety meetings then ! Les is a real character, ain't he ??!!
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Blanca, I have learned over the years Being a bit of a character is required to survive down here.
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
Registered: 11-26-2002
Location: Bat Cave
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Mood: Sling time!
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i miss the old Palmilla runway. Now it is a golf course. For a long time Palmilla advertized as THE place for pilots to come enjoy the east cape.
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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CaboMagic
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Posts: 1109
Registered: 4-30-2005
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Enjoyed your story Mark.
You and Tommy might have been at the same place at the same time back in the 70's when Tommy first visited.
'a magical place' - indeed!!
Magic is why we named our first boat "Cabo Magic", the business that took on a life of its own Cabo Magic ® Sportfishing, and trademarked the name.
Wishing you and Jen endless amounts of the happiness you so obviously enjoy.
All best wishes ~ Lori
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