Starry Starry Night in Loreto Bay

One of the quiet pleasures of Living Loreto is the night sky.  For several reasons including our latitude near the Tropic of Cancer, the clear desert air and relatively low light pollution, the stars and other heavenly bodies are particularly bright and apparently close, when viewed from here.  In fact, I remember one of my visitors, from my previous home in western Canada, saying that she had never seen so many stars appear to be so close, “it was almost alarming” – if it wasn’t so spectacularly beautiful!

However, like so many things that we see on a regular basis in our day to day routines, we tend to become complacent about this nightly light show, except for the occasional situation, walking home in the evening or taking a moment to look up at a full moon – at times like that we experience again the awe inspiring display that hangs overhead every night.

Speaking of full moons, more than once, as I pass through the inner courtyard of my home on a night with such a moon, I have caught myself checking to see which light I have left on, due to the almost unnaturally bright moonlight that bathes what normally should be in darkness.  Here “moon shadows” is more than a lyric in a song - you can literally read in the light of the full moon!       

So when a Homeowner recently suggested, on our community website, getting together with others who shared an interest in observing the night skies, I responded enthusiastically.  To be clear, I am a novice when it comes to navigating the celestial bodies, I can barely make out the difference between a star and planet, let alone know their names or be able to find them beyond the obvious like the Big Dipper, and Orion’s iconic “skymarks”.  But I did know enough to know what I didn’t know, and I was glad to have the opportunity to observe and learn a little more from anyone who did have that knowledge.

About half a dozen of us got together for an informal meeting one afternoon about a week ago and discussed possible sites for our first “Star Party”.  Ray, who had initiated the idea behind the group, had done some scouting of the surrounding area and suggested a couple of locations within a short drive of Loreto Bay with “near dark” conditions.  But it was decided that our first venture would be closer to home.  The adjacent golf course has several “dark spots” where we would be shielded from the modest amount of light pollution surrounding our development, and we could access them easily without having to drive – a cautious consideration given the possible hazard of meeting stray animals on the roads at night.     

And so, with the location decided, it was agreed that we would meet at the south end of the Paseo main road around 6:00 pm so we could make our way to the viewing site on the golf course in the twilight and get whatever equipment we had, set up before it became too dark.  I offered to borrow one of the golf cart “trucks” from our Office to help transport any bigger telescopes, although I was only going to be bringing a pair of nautical binoculars and a tripod myself.

Earlier on the appointed day, I watched a few wisps of high cloud pass and saw that things were shaping up for an almost perfectly clear night sky.  After I closed the Office I hurried home to change into “warm” clothes (I can hear the scornful sounds of my northern readers now, as they struggle through late January weather, but it’s “winter” here too, and it does cool off at night when the heat goes down with the sun – albeit to 15 degrees Celsius or 60 Fahrenheit) and grabbed a folding chair along with the binocs, tripod and of course my camera, and headed off to pick up the cart truck.

At the Office I met two fellow star-gazers carrying their reflector telescope with its stand, soon the three of us had loaded everything onto the cart and were headed for the meeting place.  When we arrived there were already half a dozen others setting up equipment on a sheltered tee box surrounded on three sides by rocky hills, which gave us a convenient place to view the darkening night sky. 

In addition to two bigger telescopes, among us we had a spotting scope and a pair of celestial binoculars, both on tripods, as well as my own binoculars and several people had brought star charts.  But I was particularly taken by the I-pad that one person had brought that had a “star ap”.  Using the internal GPS, this tablet had the amazing ability of showing a graphic of the star formations in view and identifying them by name, just by pointing it to the heavens, dare I say – star gazing for Dummies!

While the more expert among us identified Jupiter’s three moons and the Andromeda Cluster (a fuzzy glow in the middle of Orion’s sword) and shared their views with the other “beginners”, soon we were all enjoying the magical experience of focusing on that which we take for granted most nights – the celestial light show that has attracted us as a species since the beginning of time.  Pardon me if that sounds pretentious, but it really was exciting to take the time to LOOK, and more to the point, SEE the awesome beauty that is the night sky under circumstances that were close to ideal!

Even with my own modest equipment (a decent pair of 7x50 binoculars but more importantly, mounted on the tripod so they were stable) I was able to focus on a constellation and appreciate the myriad of stars surrounding it, otherwise invisible to the naked eye.  And then I saw a streaking star – no, it must be a satellite, moving at a steady, but leisurely pace across my field of vision – and then, a few minutes later another, and another!  I had no idea that there were so many man-made celestial bodies orbiting above us, in such a tiny keyhole view, and over the span of just a few minutes, it boggled my mind as to what the total population of these artificial “stars” must be globally!

After an hour or so of such heavenly distraction, the couple whose equipment I had ferried to the site earlier were packing it up and I offered to give them a lift back to the main road again, leaving my equipment behind for others to use.  The three of us piled everything back into the cart and began the ride back across the golf course, until we reached the first hill, where the cart slowed to a crawl and one passenger had to jump out so I could make it to the top.  Obviously my cart batteries were now precariously low and I quickly decided that if I was lucky enough to make it back to the Office under power, I would have to park it there and leave it recharging. 

Which is what I did, walking back to the Star Party with my flashlight to pick up and pack up my stuff and then return on foot – glad that I hadn’t stranded the cart in the middle of a fairway overnight, and relieved that I wouldn’t have to find a way to retrieve it somehow the next day.  But this minor inconvenience became another moment of appreciation, as I made my way through the now very dark night, guided by my trusty light, my was focus shifted to how the familiar golf course terrain around me was transformed, and now it was, in its own way, as unfamiliar as the skies above that I had just been observing.     

So ended my first “star trek”, and with thanks to Ray and my other cosmic guides, I look forward to future adventures in the night skies.  I don’t know if I will ever be familiar enough with the heavens at night to find my own way around, but even after this first modest venture, I believe that I appreciate more than ever before what a fantastic show is performed every night right over my head – and I hope I will never take it for granted in the way I have before.  Appreciating the realization that the commonplace can become the spectacular if you take the time to really see what is around you – that is another lesson I will remember about “Living Loreto”!     

Jovina and Ulises - Entrepreneurs in Loreto Bay

I thought I would write this week about some of the new businesses that have started business this Fall on the Paseo, or main street that runs through Loreto Bay.  Two of the more popular enterprises that have opened have a unique connection in common – they are operated by an entrepreneurial husband/wife couple.  Jovina operates Tranquil Massage and Spa, and her husband Ulises runs the Fresh Market in the next storefront.

They met when they were both in the US Military and started their family when they left the service for civilian life.  After the birth of their second daughter they made the decision to move to Loreto, where Ulises’ mother lived in retirement.  When the girls were old enough to leave in the care of her mother-in-law, Jovina made the big decision to pursue her long time dream and move back to the US to take a year’s training and become a registered massage therapist. 

When she returned to Loreto she first opened her own small studio, but due to the H1N1 scare the timing was bad for starting a new business.  Soon she found work at an established Spa in Loreto, gaining practical experience as a masseuse and learning to be a nail technician as well.  After a brief experiment with business on the mainland, Jovina returned to Loreto and, with some help from past clients, started to develop a clientele in Loreto Bay.     

About a year later, when the opportunity arose to open a storefront location in Loreto Bay, Jovina was one of the first lessees to sign up.  But the logistics of operating a massage studio required her to expand operations and provide other services including hair dressing and manicure and pedicure services as well, to better utilize the space and to have staff in the studio so she can do her massages without interruptions.

During the summer she and her husband planned the renovations for her, dividing the approximately 550 sq. ft. space into two sections, the larger spa side with a reception desk, a small display area for shampoos and other retail supplies, the hair dressing station, manicure table and a pedicure chair.  Behind the partition is the massage studio - true to the name, a Tranquil space tastefully decorated and a relaxing oasis.

There is a fulltime nail tech doing mani/pedicures and a hairdresser from town who currently comes out twice a week for appointments, while Ulises’ mother Eva keeps the reservation desk so that Jovina is available for an almost steady schedule of massages.  Although most of her clientele is female, I can personally vouch that she does a great massage and encourage more men to take advantage of her services – otherwise you’re missing out on a great experience!  

Ulises had some experience working in construction in Loreto Bay so both he and Jovina had got to know Homeowners and understand the community, so Ulises was aware that there was demand for a good source of fresh fruits and vegetables, since the selection in town was unreliable at best.  Although he had previously operated a number of other businesses in the town of Loreto including a clothing store, and a restaurant, and he had enjoyed cooking since he was young, the produce business was new to him and so he set about learning more about it by doing some research on line.

Then, this Fall, he rented the storefront adjacent to Jovina’s Spa, did some basic renovations to set up an area to wash and prep his produce and installed some refrigeration units, display tables and shelves.  In the beginning he drove an hour and a half to the nearest big supermarket in the next town a couple of times a week , where he purchased his stock, but soon he arranged to purchase from wholesalers who would deliver much of the regular produce to his store.  As he became more established, other producers sought him out and he began to receive regular deliveries of oranges, onions and other locally grown crops.  Part of his regular routine is to check with several local fishermen in town every morning and pick up filets of the “catch of the day” – and it doesn’t get much fresher than that!  He also has a local source for fresh free-range chicken, which he sells plain and marinated.

Having an expanding source of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as seafood and poultry is a great convenience to Loreto Bay Homeowners, as well as those who live in Nopolo and the surrounding area.  The store would be popular for the convenience factor alone, by reducing the necessity of having to go into town as often for fresh supplies, but the fact is that the quality and freshness of the produce is usually superior to what is often available in town.   

Like good businesses everywhere, Ulises listens to his customers and he is always happy to take requests for things he does not regularly carry and look for them when he makes his regular trips to wholesalers as far away as La Paz.  Very often he has hard to find delicacies like eggplant and mushrooms (sometimes even Portobello!) when they are impossible to find in even the biggest grocery stores in town.  He also is able to refrigerate the produce that is perishable so it is in the best possible condition when he sells it. 

But not everything has to come from afar.  Recently, he was asked for firewood by a Homeowner who has a fireplace in their home.  Knowing the town as well as he does and where to find whatever is available is one of Ulises big advantages.  He knew where to find the firewood and brought some into his store for that customer and another new product was added! 

In the future, he is planning on doing some cooking classes, focusing on traditional Mexican cuisine and possibly even some of his Thai specialties. Over the past Holiday Season he has done some catering for Homeowners parties and this is another business he wants to expand, now that the market is operating smoothly. 

Jovina and Ulises combine their Mexican heritage with an understanding of North American culture, and with their true entrepreneurial spirits, they are working together to provide goods and services that contribute in important ways to the quality of life for our community here in Loreto Bay.  Seeing new businesses created and thriving, and watching how they add to the quality of life here, that is an important new dimension to “Living Loreto”.  

Healthcare in the Baja

One aspect of Living Loreto that (thankfully) I have not had personal experience with is the healthcare system, but I know that this topic is one of significant interest to many people who now live here, or are considering spending more time here in the future.  That is why, when a friend of mine suffered a nasty broken bone near her hip after fall, I asked her to consider sharing the experience of her treatment and recovery with the readers of Living Loreto.

What follows is her story, and while like any major health procedure conducted anywhere it has not all been “fun and games” I am pleased to say that when I saw Jane earlier this week she is continuing to mend and should be off her crutches hopefully by the end of the month.  I want to thank her for contributing this first person account about an important aspect of life: 

Health Care Options In Baja

Have surgery in Baja? Not exactly the first place you might think of when faced with the prospect of a major procedure. Most of us living here have heard a horror story or two about health care experiences and so hopefully I can debunk a few myths as well as provide a little information, although by no means do I have all the answers.

As I write this I am recovering from surgery for a broken hip. At first I thought maybe I had jammed my leg after a fall down two tile stairs, and so I iced it and waited a couple of days before getting an X-ray here at the hospital in Loreto. However, when that showed that the bone was broken I knew I had to get to La Paz “muy pronto”, because the necessary surgery was going to be beyond the capability of the local Hospital.

Consulting La Paz phonebook I was surprised with the number of Orthopedic specialists listed and narrowed it down to two; OrtoMedix and a Dr. Luis Vargas, where I scheduled an appointment for the following day and I also scheduled an appointment with Dr. Mondragon, an orthopedist that I had previously seen about a knee injury. Both doctors seemed very professional and competent but I decided to go with Dr .Vargas for several reasons, mainly because he proposed a surgical procedure that I felt was more appropriate for my kind of fracture.

After his examination and consulting my X-Rays, Dr. Vargas wanted to operate immediately but I felt I needed to go back home to Loreto and get organized. I was going to be spending one night in the hospital, then a couple nights in a local motel with daily check ups. So, my husband and I drove back to Loreto to have my pre-op lab work done and get packed and organized, before returning to La Paz in a few days for my operation.

The facility I had my surgery in is known by several names: Central de Especialidades Medicas, Fidepaz, and “that little purple Hospital”. It is a private hospital and the access to the surgical facilities and the overnight stay were included in the fee the Surgeon quoted me for the procedure, which also included the anesthesiologist fees as well.  Fidepaz, as I will call it, is far nicer than most medical centers in the United States. First of all, it is a small facility, (important to me because it meant potentially less exposure to germs), and each patient gets their own private room. There are no set visiting hours and they encourage a family member to spend the night by providing a really nice couch in the room.

Like most medical specialists with high levels of education, my surgeon, Dr. Vargas spoke fluent English as did my anesthesiologist, who also had a great sense of humor. He played retro 80’s music in the OR and, because I had had a spinal tap and was semi-conscious through the surgery, he gave me updates on the progress of the operation.

Although the doctors all speak English, the nurses do not - at all! My Spanish is terrible and I had difficulty even communicating that I needed another pillow. Hospital food is usually a challenge and that’s true in Mexico as well.  I thought the food was, well, weird and couldn’t eat it but that didn’t stop my husband Greg from taking care of that aspect on my behalf.

About 3 or 4 hours after the surgery, the effects of my spinal started wearing off and boy was I in for a surprise! At my pre-op, the doc explained that my surgery really wouldn’t involve a lot of pain and that thinking ahead about it would only make it worse. I should have clarified this. As I eventually learned, he is anti-medication. After no sleep that night due to agonizing pain, I finally got a small shot of something around 5am to help me sleep. When the Dr. came in at 9 we had quite the conversation about my pain management!

While I agreed with him that American Docs tend to overmedicate most of the time, surgery isn’t one of those times, and a five inch incision that included drilling through my bone and putting two long screws into my hip bone was indeed major surgery. He said morphine and opiates were for the dying, which seemed appropriate to me as I was wishing I was dead at that moment. He finally gave up four (four!) pills of some kind to get me home and in bed. Lesson learned. I would definitely have surgery down here again, but not before the surgeon and I had an understanding about pain management!

For general medical care here in Loreto, we are fortunate to have a handful of competent English speaking doctors. Most charge approximately $200 pesos ($15.00 US) per office visit. One doctor, Dr. Gerald Ramos, has in-office X-Ray and ultrasound equipment. However medical services here are limited, our local hospital is comparable to a walk-in clinic in most places in North America and it is necessary to go to larger cities like Constitution (2 hours drive) and La Paz (4 hours) to see a specialist and receive more than first aid treatment.

As I understand it, Mexico’s medical system has a number of tiers, not unlike that of the United States. At the top of the pyramid, receiving the best care in the best private facilities are those who have private Mexican health insurance, (some US insurance may be accepted) or, are like ourselves, are “self-insured” and pay directly for the procedure, (the cost of which, in this case, was a small fraction of what it would have been in the US).

Government employees have their own hospitals, under the ISSTE system that provides a variety of subsidized social services. These hospitals are located in Constitution and La Paz and I’m told they are on par with the Seguro Social Hospitals and clinics. The Seguro program is a government health insurance plan that provides basic coverage for most paid employees and can also be purchased by American and Canadians for approximately $300USD/yr. My private doctor in Loreto works two days a week at the Seguro clinic here and I believe that may be a requirement for the local doctors. I know several people who have been very satisfied with Seguros services, and this is also a way to obtain referrals to see top notch doctors in La Paz.

Last of all, there are the general hospitals in Constitution and La Paz for the general population without some form of insurance or personal resources. Briefly, you would not want to end up here, by North American standards they are crowded and unsanitary.

While I have heard there are some specialists in near-by Constitution, I prefer to go to the much larger city of La Paz (population over 200,000) and have relied mostly on word of mouth for referrals to Doctors I have seen there. For example, a consultation with a dermatologist will run you $500 pesos ($40.00 US) for a head to toe skin check. The biopsy I had done on a precancerous lesion left less scarring than one that I had done in the States by a Facial Plastic Surgeon! Most of these Doctors speak English, some even having American training or credentials. However, rarely do their office staff speak English, but you can usually get by with “Spanglish”.  

It’s been a slow recovery and I still have sleepless nights but after two months it’s getting easier. I’ll be on crutches until the end of January, which can’t come soon enough. Like many things here in the Baja, I learned by experiencing it and will be a more informed patient if something else happens and I need medical services again. 

.....

Thanks to Jane for the story about her experiences with the medical system here in the Baja, being better informed about the options and realities of something as potentially important as healthcare is certainly an important part of “Living Loreto”.

Flying to Loreto from San Jose - Up Up and Away!

My return journey to Loreto began dark and early one morning this week.  Although I had set an alarm for 3:00 am – yes, that was three o’clock in the morning! (perhaps that should have been spelled mourning) I didn’t really sleep, dozed, I guess, but I was either too excited about returning home again after my Christmas visit back to Calgary, and/or I was paranoid about sleeping in and messing up the whole plan!  In any event, I was up at three and on my way to the Airport by four to check in for my six am departure.

Being from western Canada, I am familiar with the early morning scheduling of outbound flights to sun destinations, but it still amazes me how many people manage to get up so early for their departure times to these warmer climes.  Particularly when it is this close to the shortest day of the year and there are so few hours of daylight (forget about warmth!) the motivation is clear, but it is still a remarkable sight to see some of the biggest crowds of the day at the airport before 6:00 am.

Not surprisingly, my flight to San Jose del Cabo was full, but it was surprising to me the number of very young kids on board – but I guess young parents deserve a holiday too!  Regardless, the flight was uneventfully and we arrived in San Jose almost four hours later.  I was able to clear Immigration fairly quickly, handing in the remaining half of the exit document that I had completed on my outbound trip – reversing the process that most of the tourists were doing on an inbound flight.  My bag took a little longer and there was a bit of a delay while a couple of “first timers” were somewhat baffled by the X-Ray equipment that all incoming luggage had to be screened through before leaving the baggage area.

After pushing green on the Customs entry button I made my way out to the exit through what is usually a gauntlet of timeshare and other hucksters, but at 10:30 in the morning the day had not really begun yet and there were only a couple of bleary eyed “Ambassadors” who made only a half hearted effort to entice me with their wares.  When I cleared the terminal I packed my jacket and sweater into my bag and headed to the other terminal half a mile away.  Having just arrived at the main International Terminal (Two), my next flight was to depart from Terminal One, a building which I had never been in before. 

The departure area of Terminal One is basically a large open area with a few small tourist shops along the outside wall and most of the rest of the space taken up with crowd control barriers snaking the lines of passengers towards check in podiums on the far wall.  First of all I determined that both International and Domestic flights were handled out of this Terminal, and after observing the traffic figured out that there were separate entrances to check in for the different types of destinations.  Even though my departure was late afternoon I wanted to figure out where my flight would be checking in, as I had been told that since Aereo Calafia does not have their own podium they used an unidentified space beside the Aero Pacifico desks.  I figured out where the likely check in location was going to be and observed that before you can enter the area to line up, first you had to have your bags scanned through a big X-Ray machine and then push another Red/Green light button, pushing a Red light apparently necessitated a further hand inspection of your luggage – the Mexican authorities apparently take security on these Domestic flights seriously!

Having thus oriented myself, I also had observed that there were no food services on the public side of the check in, and, since it was now after 11:00, it had been a long time since the yogurt and muffin more than 7 hours earlier.  So I headed back the 10 minute walk to Terminal 2, (still dragging my luggage) where there were more services – more but still no food without a boarding pass for a departing flight that permitted access to the departure lounge and food court on the second level.  At this point I sat down and let my somewhat befuddled brain consider my options.  While there was a bar counter where I was on the main floor, there was no apparent food service and I knew it was too early to start drinking – let alone the fact that it would be 3 or 4 hours before my flight. 

However, when I asked around, I found out that the bar could in fact order from the food court upstairs and so I settled in with a cold beer to wait for my cheeseburger and fries for lunch.  I was even able to plug in my computer at the Bar and start writing this Blog.  As it turned out, the soccer game that was on the tube when I arrived was soon replaced with – be still my pounding heart – coverage of the Spengler Cup hockey championship from somewhere in Europe.  This SKY TV broadcast was a live feed of raw video, including unedited live audio from ice level and coverage of the dressing room pep-talk by the coach between periods – all without voice over or play-by-play, not surprisingly, as I guess there must be a shortage of hockey commentators here in Mexico!  Who knew I had to sit in a bar in Mexico to get this close to a Canadian team playing hockey in Europe – small world!  So that’s how I spent my afternoon, drinking beer, eating a cheeseburger and watching hockey – welcome home to Mexico!  Soon I struck up a conversation with a couple who had just arrived from Washington and were Canadian Hockey fans and over several post-luncheon drinks we solved some of the world’s problems.  

Following this pleasant interlude, I made my way back to Terminal One around 3:30 and went through the aforementioned baggage scan, got the Green light and avoided inspection and finally made my way in the general direction of the Areo Pacifico desks where I met a couple who were waiting for the same Loreto flight.  We visited for 15 or 20 minutes about Loreto, they were joining friends who were Homeowners in Loreto Bay, and then we were joined by two other couples travelling down to see their parents who were also Homeowners.  So now we were 7, more than half full for a 12 passenger plane – looking good!

About 4:15 a young man and woman arrived wearing Aereo Calafia logoed clothing, our ground crew had arrived, and our little group of passengers broke into spontaneous applause, evoking an embarrassed, but good natured response from them.  Boarding passes were issued and overweight charges assessed, the checked luggage limit on this flight is only 15 kilograms, about 33 pounds – I was about 10 kilos over and they charged me 339 pesos or about $25.00 – not bad, considering that they charge by the actual weight and not a flat charge if you exceed the maximum.  Considering the generosity of Santa, I was happy to pay the extra for what I was bringing with me.

After getting the boarding pass I proceeded through another typical pre-boarding security screen and then a nice food court, smaller than Terminal Two’s, but a good variety of International Fast Food brands.  Looking around I thought that it was too bad that I couldn’t have checked in for the flight earlier in the day, I could have spent my time quite comfortably there, but then again, perhaps I would have missed the Hockey game!

The Aereo Calafia staff had told us that the Airline did not have an “Announcer” to call the flight in the Departure area, so we had been told to hang out in the vicinity of Gate 1 and watch for the ground staff to come to the gate around 5:00 pm.  When they arrived our little group of passengers quickly handed over their boarding passes and then followed them out the doors, onto the tarmac toward our plane, which was waiting nearby.  Our luggage had been loaded onboard from a small pick-up truck that was parked nearby and with no further ado we climbed aboard. 

The single engine plane had four rows of seats, a double and single in each row separated by a narrow aisle, with the “cockpit” with two bigger, more official seats directly in front of the first row.  Occupying the left hand seat was our Pilot, (no co-Pilot on this flight) and once we were all seated he fired up the engine and we proceeded to taxi out to the runway.  Soon, with a roar of the propeller, we picked up speed and were quickly airborne, climbing over the Cabo coastline before heading north.  Taking off before 5:30 we had about a half an hour before the sun began to set, below a spectacularly coloured fringe of clouds on the western horizon.  But until then it was fascinating to observe the coast and rocky hills from so much closer to the ground than the typical jets fly, and in places it was possible to see across the entire peninsula to the Pacific coast in the distance as we flew up the Sea of Cortez.

After darkness quickly fell there wasn’t much to see out the window and I caught myself dozing off a couple of times, it had been a long day and night before, and now that I was on the last leg of my trip I could start to relax – I would be home again soon!  Less than an hour later I began to pick out a few faint lights on the ground and then a bigger cluster directly below, which I was able to identify as the Villa del Palmar resort from the distinctive turtle shaped swimming pools brightly illuminated at night.

From there I picked out a few other landmarks, the town of Ligui, and the Juncalito fishing camp and even some car headlights on the highway that runs along the coast as it approaches Loreto from the south.  And then, up ahead, through the high front windshield of the plane, I saw the surprisingly bright lights of Loreto, with the cluster of fainter lights below of Loreto Bay, where my home is, as we gradually descended for our approach to the runway at the Airport.  After a smooth landing we taxied towards the Loreto Terminal, looking quite large and impressive from the perspective of this small plane, and, with a few words of welcome (the first of the trip) from our Pilot, we disembarked and walked into the north end of the building, my first arrival on a Domestic flight.

We waited in the arrivals area inside, until our bags were loaded on the conveyor and then, after claiming them, made our way past a couple of fatigue wearing soldiers, who did a couple of final random inspections (more of that Domestic security) and then finally into the concourse of the Terminal – Home Again!

I have commented before about the current limited air access situation here in Loreto, with only one International flight on Alaska Airlines from Los Angeles arriving 4 days a week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays) using a 76 passenger turbo prop.  For this reason, I was glad to have the opportunity to check out this Aereo Calafia option which started this Fall, flying from San Jose del Cabo to Loreto on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons and the reverse route from Loreto to San Jose on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings – making convenient connections with most of the International arrivals and departures.  Although currently with only 12 passenger capacity, these three flights a week don’t make a big difference in the number of seats available in and out of Loreto, they do open up some lower priced options for direct flights to Cabo from many different cities with this connection.  Hopefully, with more bookings, there could be additional flight days added to the schedule and perhaps even the possibility of a bigger plane in the future.

I should also mention that there have been occasions when this flight has been cancelled, and some people have experienced problems with reservations booked on line, and, as I observed, there is a somewhat “informal” approach to ground arrangements, but, after my experience I would certainly consider using this option, as an alternative to the 5 ½ hour drive each way, that I described a few weeks ago.  For those of you who are interested in finding out more about this flight check out the website at: www.aereocalafia.com.mx but it will be handy to have a translation “ap” at the ready as the site is in Spanish.  Also, be careful to select “San Jose del Cabo” as the location – the Airline also flies out of the “Cabo San Lucas” airport to Loreto as well, but this is a considerable distance ($75 taxi fare?) from the San Jose del Cabo Airport where all the International flights arrive.

Returning home, after a winter “vacation” in Canada, and experiencing a new travel connection that may be the beginning of improving air access, these too are parts of “Living Loreto”.

 ¡Féliz Año Nuevo! And Happy New Year to you All!

Christmas Wishes - Ho Ho Hola!

This Holiday Season finds me in a more traditional Christmas setting than my home in Loreto – I am visiting family back in Canada with all the trimmings; snow, cold weather, shopping malls aglow with decorations and shoulder to shoulder with shoppers carrying armloads of presents for the “Big Day”.

I left Loreto Bay at 7:30 in the morning, on an untypical overcast day and drove the 5 ½ hours south through La Paz to San Jose del Cabo by way of the east coast Mexico #1 highway, arriving at the International Airport at 1:00 pm.  The parking lot at Terminal 2 is being redesigned, apparently to better accommodate the numbers of busses and tourist vans that all but block the access road at the entrance to the building.  But after circling the lot I found that during this construction the temporary entrance is now through the exit gate, and I was eventually able to park where I had planned.

The check-in for my direct flight back to Calgary went smoothly, including the now routine trip back outside the Terminal and around the building to an inconspicuous rear door where my passport was checked and I was able to re-enter the building into the secure customs area where my FM2 visa was checked and my exit document stamped by an Immigration Officer.  This procedure is not required for the majority of departing passengers who entered on a FMM or Tourist visa, but since I have a resident visa and my trip originated in Mexico, I have become familiar with this somewhat round-about process.

With my documents now stamped I returned to the check-in podium and exchanged half of the form for my boarding pass, the other half I will hold until I arrive on the return trip.  Then I made my way upstairs, through security and into the food and shopping court that surrounds the departure lounge.  After a quick lunch my flight boarded about a half hour late and finally we were off by about 3:30 in the afternoon.

Not surprisingly, considering the windy weather we have been experiencing in the Baja recently, we had a considerable tail wind for the first half of the flight, and made up the half hour delay by the time we arrived at the Calgary Airport about 7:30 that evening – twelve hours after I left Loreto Bay.  A quick pass through Immigration and Customs, and with my bag one of the first off the carousel, I was outside waiting for my ride by 8:00 pm.  In minus 15 degree Celsius, or about 5 degrees Fahrenheit weather with a stiff wind – Welcome Back to Canada!     

Weather aside, it is a fitting time of year to spend time with family and friends and share the traditions of the season, and it helps to do so in the knowledge that I will be back in the gentle climate of my Baja home in a couple of weeks.

Since this is called “Living Loreto” I will not resume my postings until the New Year when I plan to relate my return trip, which will include travelling the last leg from the San Jose Airport back to Loreto by a small regional air service that recently began service from the International Airport.

So as my last posting before the New Year I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, and all my readers, for your continued and growing support, as evidenced by the number of hits I receive on this site.  I confess to having become somewhat obsessed by tracking these numbers from week to week (you too can follow the total number of visitors on the counter that appears at the very bottom of the screen when you page down through the recent posts). 

I am humbled that these hits have increased by about 50% in the past year and now average 100 per day, with over 65,000 visits since I started writing this Blog a little over three years ago.  You, the Readers, have given me this opportunity to record and share with others the experiences and people that have made this such a memorable time for me.  And so, at this time of the year for reflection and giving thanks – let me thank you for your interest and support - and I look forward to continuing to share with you “Living Loreto”!

Season’s Greetings and my Best Wishes for the New Year!  

Meeting El Presidenté – Mayor Avilés

This week marked another first in my experiences here in Loreto.  In the past I have made several brief references to local and regional politics (“Sports, Politics and Paving”, Feb. 2011) but, generally speaking, I have avoided commenting on that aspect of life here, for two main reasons; firstly, I do not feel qualified to express opinions, due in part to the second reason, as a guest in this country I have no say in the electoral process - which makes the event I am writing about this week all the more noteworthy.

The Mayor, Jorge Avilés (or El Presidenté) of Loreto, who was elected earlier this year, met with members of the expatriate community of Loreto for an informal talk followed by a question and answer session – something that has never happened before in the 6 years I have been here – and as far as I can tell, is unprecedented in Loreto!  Word of this event was circulated on Lynn Hamman’s bulletin board (which I described earlier “Lynn Hamman – In the Know in Loreto”, Oct. 2011):

 Expatriates, come meet informally with the Mayor of Loreto!

You are Cordially Invited to a Special Reception and Exchange for All Members of the Expatriate Community in Loreto, with Loreto's Mayor, Jorge Avilés, December 7, 2011, 5:00 P.M., at the Casa Blanca, across the street from La Palapa Restaurant. There will be complimentary beer, soft drinks, and appetizers. Loreto's Mayor will give a brief talk, and then meet informally with all, and field questions, in an effort to reach out and strengthen the vital link between Loreto's Municipal Leadership and our expat community.

And so, not knowing quite what to expect, I made plans to attend the reception with some other Loreto Bay Homeowners. 

The event was being hosted by Tom Woodard, a local entrepreneur with real estate investments in and around Loreto, at one of his properties in town with a large open second floor space that was ideally suited for such a meeting.  We arrived just before 5:00 and there were a couple of dozen people already there, enjoying a snack and drink and visiting among themselves. 

It is worth noting that the community where I live, in Loreto Bay, is quite separate, (both physically, 15 km south of the town, and socially) from the ex-pat community that is mainly centered in town, some of the members of which have made Loreto their home for over 20 years.  Having said that, there are steadily more connections being forged between these communities on many individual levels, as people meet and share interests together, as well as on larger scales, like the recent Paella Competition and Gourmet Luncheon (“Paella and Homecoming” Nov. 2011), shared events that bring people from both communities together.

From that perspective, the majority of people arriving at this reception were “Townies”, people who live in and around Loreto, with possibly 10 – 15% of the well over 100 people who eventually assembled, coming from Loreto Bay.  Most of those had arrived by the time that the Mayor, accompanied by more than half a dozen others, made his entrance.  He was greeted warmly by Tom, the Host of the event, who is completely fluent in Spanish, and then quickly the socializing of those in attendance was interrupted with a request for people to take a seat so that the evening could begin.

Mayor Avilés began by saying that the purpose of the meeting was not political or to discuss “contentious” issues, rather, his core message to us was one of inclusion.  He made it clear that his position as Mayor, and that of his administration, was that we, the ex-pat community, were considered as equals with all the other residents of Loreto.  Although we had no voice in the electoral process, his undertaking to us was that he wanted to “reach out” to us and assure us that we were recognized by the local government – not just in word, but in deed.

 Wow!  While I had expected that this would be some sort of a public relations exercise, Mayor Avilés had, in these opening remarks, made the most affirmative statement I had heard from any official during my time here in Loreto!  I did my best to make some notes of his comments as they progressed, however the communications were complicated by the translation that was handled by a couple of the staff and advisors that had accompanied him to this meeting. 

On that point, I thought his comments were also interesting.  The officials that accompanied him, whose names I unfortunately was not able to record, included the Director of Municipal Development, the Municipal Union Representative, the Tourism Director, the Mayor’s General Secretary, several Councilmen and the Head of the Water Department.  And while they did not take an active role in the presentation, I came to the conclusion that the significance of their presence was twofold; to underline to us the importance in which this meeting was held by the Mayor (that he wanted this group of his senior administration to be in attendance) and further, I think that it was a clear signal to THEM of the level of importance he gave this meeting with US. 

Some of the highlights of what Sr. Avilés said included that his government would be different from the past administration (which had a rather notorious reputation, which I will not dwell on) and indeed, a large part of his focus during the first six months since the election had been devoted to recovering from the bad situations that he had inherited from his predecessor. He also stressed that we, as ex-pats, should consider ourselves equal to locals as far as his administration was concerned, and to that end he was appointing a bilingual representative specifically to address concerns within our community.

He also acknowledged several issues of importance including increases in property taxes, and new appraisals for tax purposes as well as federal charges for boat launches at the marina and increases in water charges.  In his comments he also recognized the substantial contributions that have been made by the ex-pat community toward supporting many charitable causes within the municipality, particularly those benefitting children.

He concluded with remarks that while this was the first such outreach to us, it would be one of many he would be making during his four year term.  One comment that received an enthusiastic (and good natured) response was that he understood, and he had made clear to his staff, the need to respond in a timely and responsible manner to our concerns – to show up, to be realistic in what they promised to do, and to DO IT!

During the Q & A session that followed his presentation, a number of specific issues were raised including a question of particular interest to us in Nopolo and Loreto Bay, concerning the stretch of highway between the town and our development to the south.  The issue of restoring power to the lighting that covers most of that portion of the highway (and has not been working for more than a year) was addressed and he made the undertaking that he was already discussing the situation with Fonatur (the Federal agency whose jurisdiction it was under) and furthermore he stated that his long term goal was the eventual upgrading of this stretch to a four lane road.  (Be still, my pounding heart!) 

My description of this meeting is not intended to be a comprehensive report of all of the issues that came up, but more a reflection of the overall tone and context of a unique, and perhaps in hindsight, historic, outreach by the highest elected local official in this municipality to a small, but representative group that have been previously excluded from any such dialogue.  As to the future, at the end of the meeting, one of the commitments that he made was that there would be more such meetings to come, as well, there would be a flow of information to the English speaking community from the Mayor’s Office, by way of Lynn Hamman’s bulletin board, that I referred to earlier in this piece.

This is yet another reason why I suggest that it is important for any Loreto Bay residents to join her Yahoo group (a link for which is in the posting I mentioned before) so that they can be informed as this type of information becomes available in the future.  It is my hope that when the next opportunity arrives for another meeting with Mayor Avilés and members of the local government, there will be an even greater number of residents participating – and particularly, a larger representation from the Loreto Bay community.

When we have been welcomed, and made to feel a valued part of the local community – for the first time – that brings a new meaning and perspective to Living Loreto!             

To the Wine Cellar – Salud!

In my postings this Fall I have made several mentions about the new commercial spaces that have opened recently along the Paseo.  One of the first to open, in an anchor location near the south end of the road, at the round-about across from the Inn at Loreto Bay is The Wine Cellar, owned and operated by Will and Cynthia, who are also homeowners here.

For many of us, when we purchased our Loreto Bay home, the fantasy of opening a small business here was part of the dream we may have entertained, more or less seriously, at some point in the process.  I think it would also be fair to say that these sorts of entrepreneurial ideas tended to be more common early on in that process and, and as we came to better understand the complexities and realities of life (particularly business life) here in the Baja, the enthusiasm may have faded for some since then.

But, that has not been the path that Will and Cynthia followed to becoming proprietors of a tasteful and spacious wine and spirits bar in a growing ex-pat community deep in the southern Baja Peninsula.  Having purchased their home here four or five years ago, they both continued to pursue their careers in Los Angeles, where they lived, until this past summer when a change of circumstances in Cynthia’s job presented the possibility of an earlier than expected retirement. 

This led to a conversation in mid-July, where the idea that is now the Wine Cellar had its beginning – that of combining their potential new found freedom with their shared passion for wine-tasting, into a retirement business here in Loreto Bay.  A few short weeks later, in mid-August, the decision was made and Will enthusiastically joined Cynthia’s newly retired status and quickly their plans came together.

These events coincided with a focused effort this summer to rent most of the previously unoccupied commercial spaces along the Paseo that runs through Loreto Bay.  So Will and Cynthia were able to secure this prime location and satisfy a high priority service to the community, that of a Bar to provide a meeting place and social center within our development for the residents and also potentially for patrons from the surrounding Nopolo community and even the town of Loreto itself.

At the beginning of this September Will and Cynthia arrived back in Loreto Bay, this time to stay, and began the work of overseeing the renovations of the approximately 1500 sq. ft. space into the bright and airy environment that is now home to the Wine Cellar.  Approvals were secured to open up the outside wall with two French doors adding light and spaciousness to the previously dark room.  The wall surrounding the front garden space at the entrance was also lowered to a table top height creating an attractive outdoor patio area which overlooks where the main south access road joins the Paseo and provides an ideal location for their guests to observe the comings and goings to and from the development.

Inside there were even more tenant improvements made.  A large central pillar supporting the upper residential floors was incorporated into the corner of the “L-shaped” bar itself, and a small efficient kitchenette was tucked behind the back wall of the bar service area, where a selection of Tapas snacks can be prepared.  Finally two new washrooms were added and the transformation into a bright, inviting and functional space was almost complete.

Comfortable, residential style furnishings were sourced from Gustavo, a familiar vendor here in Loreto Bay, who has opened one of the new furniture stores just down the street, and the walls have been decorated with a number of pieces of original local artwork which will be completed with a commissioned centerpiece work that will be hung shortly.  Several moderately sized TV panels are positioned for viewing from all parts of the room but the Wine Cellar would not be mistaken for a Sports Bar, although often games are discretely playing in the background.

The back section of the space has been shelved to stock a variety of wine themed accessories which should be much sought after for gift giving during the approaching Holiday Season.  Two large wine coolers stand against the back wall, the one for reds kept about 5 degrees above the other storing whites, confirming my own taste for a slightly chilled red (while I don’t know where the standard for “room temperature” red wine originated, I am quite sure that it was not from the climate of the southern Baja!).

Meanwhile a local paralegal and business consultant put in place all the necessary paperwork and approvals to meet the requirements for operating the business here and two staff members were recruited; Urbano as waiter and bar tender, a familiar face who has worked at the INN and elsewhere providing friendly and professional service, and Margarita who prepares the tasty Tapas snacks for the hungry customers.

Will and Cynthia have spent many holidays, going back to University days, travelling the world tasting wines in places as far removed as South Africa, New Zealand and Eastern Europe, and in between these trips they also became somewhat connoisseurs of a social life that included the ambiance of their favourite bars.  In spite of these interests, as I said, the thought of opening their own place, incorporating ideas from their travels and experiences was a new one, when it occurred to them this past summer.

After arriving back in Loreto in early September the hard work of turning that idea into a reality began – and, remarkably, to many who are experienced with the pace of work here, in about a month and a half the Wine Cellar was substantially completed and ready to be tasted by the first Homeowners as they arrived for the season.  Opening at 4:00 pm weekdays and 2:00 on weekends, the Cellar will usually stay open until 10:00 most evenings, but Will and Cynthia are happy to stay open later, if the party is still going on!

In addition to 15 wines available by the glass, they offer a full cocktail bar service with a tasty selection of tapas including a cheese plate, guacamole and spiced olives to compliment the drinks.  But as well as the bar this is also a retail wine boutique with an impressive selection to choose from by the bottle – which is a welcome option for any Homeowner looking for a nice bottle to take to a dinner party or even something special for a restaurant meal, where the local selection  may be limited.  In addition, we now have access to the Cellar’s cellar if we run short of libations during the next dinner party – they will even deliver – how civilized is that!

Already a popular place in the late afternoons, where people can meet and mingle for drinks and conversation, it is also conveniently located at the south entrance to Loreto Bay and makes an ideal place for a nightcap when people return home from evening dinner in town.  Particularly useful for those who have been wisely cautious to consume moderately at dinner, before making the drive at night back to Loreto Bay.  So, when they have made it back safe and sound from their short drive on the highway, there is now the opportunity perhaps for one “off the road” at the end of the evening!

During the course of this season’s Blog postings I look forward to bringing you other stories about some of the new businesses that are adding so much to our community, and so I thought that I would begin with a “toast” to what I am sure will soon become a fixture here in Loreto Bay, The Wine Cellar.  This is a comfortable, convenient and laid back meeting place that fits very well with the developing ambiance that is Loreto Bay, and for many will become another favourite part of “Living Loreto”.