The Accidental Tourist

From the beginning of this Blog over 5 years ago I have maintained a positive point of view about Loreto in general and Loreto Bay in particular, following my dear Mother's advice "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all".  So this week's posting is somewhat of a departure, as it deals with a serious topic and I think it includes lessons that some residents and visitors alike could benefit from.

A recent visitor to Loreto Bay who has been reading the Blog for years and has visited here several times, after being introduced to the place during the marketing phase of the Development, came into my Office the other day and told me this story, suggesting that he thought it might be a good Blog topic.  I agreed, as it points out a real concern of mine that I think some visitors and residents here may not be taking as seriously as they should - responsibility and liability issues for foreign drivers in Mexico.

Different than in the US and Canada, Mexico operates under the Napoleonic Code - in effect you are guilty until proven innocent, which is why automobile insurance is so important for foreign drivers.  When I drive my Canadian registered vehicle into Mexico I have a supplementary Mexican Insurance policy that provides coverage while I am in Mexico.  However, unlike most North American policies, this insurance is specific to the policy holder NOT the vehicle.  So if I want to let another Driver use my car my insurance carrier requires me to write a letter (in Spanish and English) that specifically authorizes that person by name, address and drivers license number to drive the car, and keep this letter in the vehicle with the policy, for them to be covered by my insurance.     

While no one likes to think about the "bad" things that could happen while in a Foreign country, I think there are perhaps lessons for all of us in Don's story, which he has called; The Accidental Tourist.

After flying into Cabo and renting a car Don, his wife Ramona and 16 year old son Lucas drove to Loreto

Bay with an overnight stay in La Paz.  On arrival they unloaded their things and then headed into town for dinner, on their way Don had noticed the recently widened road that extends several km south of town, but at that time the new highway had not been painted with lane markings.  So on the return trip in the dark, without street lights or lane markings, Don thought he was being cautious by keeping in the right lane away from oncoming traffic.  However, in the dark, approaching a two lane bridge (which has not been widened to the new highway width) he only realized to late that he was about to drive off the end of the widened lane he was in and land in the arroyo, or dry riverbed.

The car crashed nose first, air bags deployed, seat belts locked up, but everyone survived - however Ramona had serious back pain, Lucas had the wind knocked out of him and Don was in some degree of shock from the sudden unexpected crash.  Getting help was his first instinct and so he scrambled back up onto the highway, over a barrier sign that had apparently been blown over in the high winds (but could have prevented the accident had it been in place) and tried to flag down approaching cars.  Much to his frustration no cars stopped so, with the help of Lucas, they moved the barrier sign into the oncoming traffic lane which finally stopped the next car.

With the assistance of the car's driver, who spoke some English, the Police and Ambulance were called and both arrived quickly from the nearby town.  Ramona was carefully removed from the car and put on a backboard for transport to the Loreto Hospital, where she was given a preliminary check, but they explained that their X-Ray equipment wasn't working and she would have to be transported to the larger Hospital in Constitution, two hours south by the Ambulance, to be fully checked out. 

While these arrangements were being made, Don paid the emergency treatment bill for 775 pesos (about $60 USD) and agreed to pay the 2,000 pesos (about $150 USD) for the return Ambulance trip, but before he and Lucas boarded the Ambulance with Ramona, the Federal Police Officer took him aside and, with help from someone the Officer called on his cell who acted as a translator, explained that he would let Don go with his wife in the Ambulance but he had to surrender his Driver's License.      

It was explained to Don through the interpreter that when you have a car accident in Mexico, even a single vehicle accident, blame is assigned and as the driver of the car he was to be "detained" until a report was filed. The Officer did not want to detain Don and would allow some leniency as long as he promised to report to the Nopolo Policia Federal office the next day.  Despite the language barrier, it was clear to Don that everyone involved was trying to be as helpful as possible, and the Officer even offered to loan Don some cash, but he didn't think he needed it. 

After a long and cautious drive through the night to the Hospital in Constitution, Ramona and Lucas were checked out and X-Rayed and it was confirmed that there were no serious injuries or fractures and after receiving some meds for the pain they were released for the return trip to Loreto.  But first Don had to settle the Hospital bill which, after a failed attempt to charge it on his credit card, was adjusted down by the Hospital to equal the remaining 2,500 pesos cash he had on hand.  After another long, but uneventful, trip back to Loreto Bay Don and his family finally arrived back at their rented Villa in Loreto Bay about 5:30 am and got a few hours sleep before Don got up the next morning to deal with the legalities from the accident the night before.

One of his first steps was to contact his Visa Credit Card, through which he had booked the trip and paid for the car rental, and they confirmed that they would cover the medical expenses and the full insurance he had purchased from Cactus Car Rental in San Jose would cover the damages to the car.  He then contacted the Car Rental and explained that there had been an accident and the car had been totaled and was now impounded and they made arrangements to send a representative and a replacement car to Loreto.  Don then contacted Dennis Guadalupe at 411 Solutions Office on the Paseo in Loreto Bay, who offers translation among other services, to assist him and they went to the Police Station to handle the necessary paperwork.

What followed over the next few days was a typically bureaucratic Mexican procedure that involved Don paying a 3,000 peso ( $230 USD) fine for his responsibility in the accident and the Rental Company delivering a replacement car and paying the impound fee to get the damaged car released to haul it back to San Jose, after a 4 hour round trip to Santa Rosalia to get the necessary paperwork done.  While the expression "All's well that ends well" might be an oversimplification, I am pleased to report that Don and his family are all doing well and enjoyed the remainder of their holiday in Loreto Bay, following their experiences on this visit, so I think it is appropriate that I conclude this more serious Blog post with a few words of conclusion from Don:

"This has been a lesson in Mexican medical care, their laws, their bureaucratic process and the multiple departments involved. Throughout it all there has been one consistent silver lining, and that is the kindness, compassion and patience shown to our family by everyone involved in Loreto, Nopolo, Constitucion, San Jose & Loreto Bay. What an awesome community.

In closing here are the things I am thankful for and would recommend  to anyone travelling in the Baja:

·         I purchased a Mexican Travel phone plan which was invaluable.

·         I purchased the extra collision and liability insurance required for car rentals which covered all damages, tow fees and the replacement car.

·         I used my Travel VISA card to pay for the flight and car rental which covers all medical expenses and any expenses not covered on the car rental primary insurance.

·         I engaged the help of Dennis & Chris at 411 for translation assistance which reduced my stress and anxiety as I knew what was happening every step of the way.

Thanks Drew, for allowing me to tell my story and hopefully help anyone who comes upon a similar circumstance in Loreto. "Living Loreto" means you are in a community that will support you when needed."

In conclusion, and continuing with Don's positive tone, I would like to share a link to one of several recent newspaper articles that have appeared in the US and Canada about Loreto, while I may quibble about some of the details in these articles, I cannot argue with the tone and enthusiasm that they express about this place I call home, enjoy:

http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/travel/international/20140321-loreto-mexico-a-quiet-gem-on-the-baja-california-peninsula.ece?ssimg=1536263#ssStory1536265

Food and Wine . . .and more!

Sometimes timing and circumstances conspire to challenge my aim to deliver a regular and up to date snapshot about what has been going on here in Loreto Bay - like in the case of one of the "signature" events that has been held here for the past three years, the Loreto Food & Wine Festival which took place yesterday afternoon.  With my self-imposed schedule of posting by noon on Sundays, Blog worthy happenings on the weekend pose an obvious challenge between my wanting to make the post timely and the simple logistics of getting it done between when it took place and my publishing deadline.  So with that said, here is my offering, composed Sunday morning within about 12 hours of this event taking place.

For the second year this Festival was held on the grounds of the Loreto Bay Golf Resort and Spa, which is now under new management since it became part of Carlos Slim's empire late last year.  For the first time it was planned as an afternoon event between 1 and 6 pm, rather than the afternoon/evening timing of the previous two Festivals.  Once again, about 14 local restaurants provided samples of specialties served from tented booths set up in the patio gardens of the Hotel and four regional wineries were in attendance serving their vintages by the glass and bottle as well as offering special discounts for case and half case quantities. 

 In addition to the enjoyment of food and wine that is the obvious focus of this celebration, it also is one of the biggest charity fund raising events of the winter season for a variety of local causes that will benefit from the proceeds.  To that end there was a large Silent Auction of mainly locally produced arts and crafts, many of which were donated by members of the ex-pat community and a live auction of two premiere offerings; weekend accommodations at the Hilton Los Cabos Beach and Golf Resort with a dinner at H Restaurant in San Jose del Cabo, and a weekend charter on a 60' Houseboat on Lake Roosevelt in Washington State.

It is also a high profile occasion for entertainment, this year featuring two local bands; Aguas Negra, a Loreto based group of musicians, and Loreto Bay's own Los Beach Dogs who have become one of the most popular attractions among the ex-pat community and beyond.  The combination of these two groups illustrated the vibrant local music scene and the high level of talent that we enjoy here between the Mexican and Foreign communities.  A fact that was underlined by the exchange of musicians between the two groups during the afternoon's performances, with members of each "sitting in" during the other's sets, to the obvious appreciation of those in attendance who kept the dance area in front of the bandstand filled during most of the afternoon.            

When I arrived about a half an hour before the 1:00 pm start time, final preparations were underway at the food booths with the fragrant smell of Mesquite smoke from several wood fired grills mixing with the careful display of previously prepared samples of a mouthwatering selection of local delicacies ranging from Mexican style chicken mole and chilles rellenos to ribs, clams, sushi and sashimi, topped off with an impressive and tempting display of deserts.  Volunteers were busily making final preparations to the various ticket booths and check in counters, while the wineries were arranging their displays of product and the bands were doing final sound checks of their equipment.

By 1:00 a lineup had formed through the lobby of the Hotel as people arrived for the afternoon's event and they filed past a table affixing their wristband passes, depositing a numbered tab for later raffle draws, receiving a souvenir glass and a sample service of sparkling wine to get the festivities underway.  Drink tickets were available for purchasing wines, beers, soft drinks and water and people soon began mingling, finding tables, and checking out the food selections soon to be available.  The Silent Auction area was a popular venue with a steady flow of potential buyers, and as more and more people arrived the large pool/patio area of the Hotel was soon mainly filled with Festival patrons who far outnumbered the regular Hotel guests who must have been curious with the transformation of their otherwise sparsely occupied resort.

Soon Aguas Negra took to the stage with gusto and played several high energy sets of classic rock and blues mixed with some more traditional Mexican style numbers.  In a small town like Loreto there are few local musicians that can make a living just from their music, most have "regular" businesses or jobs and play as a creative outlet, perhaps covering their equipment investment and expenses from occasional paying "gigs".  So in addition to enjoying the music, many in the audience know some of the musicians in their other roles, like Gustavo who played lively percussion with the band and is familiar to many of us as the owner of a popular local furniture and decor store.

After most people had arrived and found a beverage and a table, the food booths were opened and

hundreds of hungry patrons converged on the 14 participating members of the Loreto Restaurant Association, filling plates with the buffet of sample specialties they were offering.  The afternoon's enjoyment of delicious foods and drinks, music, and lively socializing was complimented by the weather which was unusually overcast with a thin layer of high clouds, filtering the otherwise strong sun which has been raising daily temperatures here into the 80's most days, as early spring weather has been warmer than usual for this time of year.       

Later Los Beach Dogs took over the stage and performed their smoothly professional repertoire of classic rock and blues, accented with several of their own compositions, which have become crowd favorites among this audience.  Some of whom have developed almost "groupie" like enthusiasm for these "local heroes" whose diverse musical backgrounds have melded together into an ensemble that provides many of us who live here with what has become a sound track for our Loreto lifestyle.    

My small contribution as a decidedly amateur
Auctioneer raised a substantial contribution to the eventual charitable fundraising totals for the day, but this event could never have taken place without the enthusiastic support of many hardworking volunteers, some of whom have spent many hours over several months organizing this day.  And so the afternoon continued, with return sets by both bands, featuring some of the members of both groups joining each other for variety which encouraged enthusiastic dance participation from many of those in attendance.  While conversation and socializing was the activity of the day for the rest.

After several raffles for gift certificates, sponsored by many of the participating restaurants, the afternoon turned into early evening and another successful Wine and Food Festival came to it's conclusion by 6:00 pm. Leaving sufficient daylight for most of us to wander through the landscaped pathways back to our Loreto Bay homes with the feeling that we had both enjoyed a beautiful afternoon of food and drink and made an important contribution to the community that we have adopted as our winter home.  Bringing together the enjoyment of good food and drink, with local music, arts and crafts, and resulting in raising significant funds being raised to make a difference for many who live in our community, is a perfect blend of what is best about "Living Loreto"!

A Whale of a Tale!

Ironically, the day began shortly after I woke up to find that the water was off in my house - although uncommon, not an unprecedented event, made somewhat more awkward due to the fact that I have had houseguests for the past couple of weeks.  But we managed to make a pot of coffee from the chilled water in the fridge and have a quick breakfast before getting in the car and hitting the road by 8:30 in the morning.

Our destination was Lopez Mateo, a small fishing port on the west side of the peninsula about 150 km south and west of Loreto, which is located on Magdalena Bay, a 50 km long narrow stretch of protected water separating the coast from the Pacific by a long narrow barrier island.  These protected waters are a breeding ground for the Grey Whales, and later a nursery for the newborn babies, where they are given birth, and spend their first few months growing in size and strength, under the watchful care of their mothers, until they are ready for the long trip north to Alaska, where they spend the summers feeding.

It has been a number of years since my last trip to Lopez Mateo to watch the whales, (http://livingloreto.blogspot.mx/2009/03/leviathan-uncertainty.html) but it was on my visiting Guest's "bucket list" for their trip to Loreto, and so I was looking forward to the road trip and a day spent experiencing one of the iconic activities that people come from all over the world to share.  Yet, as someone who lives here most of the year, it took my friend's visit to break my routine and make it happen, becoming a tourist where you live is one of the gifts Visitors bring with them!

Under normal circumstances the drive would be straight forward, south from Loreto Bay on Highway #1 about 100 km to the intersection where it continues further south to the next major town of Constitution, but we would be turning north through the hamlet of Insurgentes, and then about another 35 km west to the coast.  However, just south of Loreto Bay, work has begun on widening the two lane road where it starts to climb into the Sierra de la Giganta Mountains and traffic has to stop periodically to allow the workers to proceed, making travel times unpredictable. 

I wanted to get a good start on the day, in case we were held up by the construction, so we would still arrive

at our destination by mid-morning and be ahead of the crowds and tours coming from La Paz and other places further south.  With lucky timing, we were only held up for about 10 minutes that morning, for the roadwork just south of Loreto Bay, and then continued on without out interruption, although we passed through several detours along the way where we were diverted off the highway to rough temporary lanes, while the main road was being prepared for widening.

(This project to twin the Highway in this part of the Baja is a major undertaking that will take years to complete, and millions of dollars of scarce infrastructure money, but has the potential to make the biggest impact to access and travel in the Baja since the advent of the original two lane paved road that opened the peninsula to vehicles 40 years ago.)

After leaving the main Highway, we made a brief "pit stop" at the Lay Express supermarket in Insurgentes

and then continued through town and made the quick left turn onto the Lopez Mateo road, arriving in the fishing village at a respectable 10:30.  There were not many cars yet in the Port area's surprisingly large parking lot as we made our way towards a row of whale watching tour booths that lined the far side of the lot.  I went to the largest of these, "Aquendi" which is a local co-operative of fishermen who are organized to provide whale watching tours from the port for the couple of months that the whales are in these calm protected waters.  A lucrative alternative to their regular fishing work that takes place the rest of the year.

A fluently bilingual "front man" greeted us as we approached the booth and he went on to explain that the boats were for hire at 900 pesos per hour for up to 8 passengers and they recommended 2 or 3 hour excursion.  The three of us could hire our own boat, or wait for more people to arrive and put together a larger group and share the cost further.  While we were discussing this, I overheard a returning passenger exclaiming enthusiastically about how his trip today was even better than the one he had been on the day before, good news, as up to that point I was unsure how active the whales would be this late into the Season that had started earlier than usual in late January.

As we were deciding how long to take a boat out and whether to wait for more passengers, another couple approached the booth and we soon decided to make up a group with them and hire the boat for two hours at a cost of 1800 pesos (about $140 US) divided five ways.  After signing in at the desk we were issued with life jackets and headed through a small cluster of souvenir stands to the dock where about two dozen "pangas" were tethered waiting for passengers.  Soon we were comfortably settled aboard a clean, well maintained boat, outfitted specifically for passengers with 6 padded benches and Marco, our young Skipper handling the late model Honda 90 horsepower outboard.

When we left the port we headed across the channel to the barrier island that runs parallel to the coast and is basically a sand spit about 3 km across, separating the calm waters we were in from the much rougher Pacific shoreline to the west.  These sand dunes looked like classic desert, except for the fact they were surrounded on both sides by water, and soon we were cruising beside mangroves filled with seabirds, mainly frigates with the odd herons and pelicans and sprinkling of gulls.  After a brief "photo op" for the birds, we headed further north to a break in the offshore island, where we could see the choppy whitecaps of the Pacific in the distance, but still were somewhat protected from the rough water by a reef.

This was the place that this spring's babies were "conditioned" by the mother whales to build their stamina for the long swim from here north to Alaska, and it was where the last of this Season's specimens were to be found.  As we approached this open water, there were three or four other pangas in the distance and we joined them, watching the surrounding water for signs of the whales we had come to see.  Within 15 minutes or so our observations were rewarded with the first "hump" being spotted rising out of the water 50 yards or so distant.  As we and the other boats slowly converged in the general area, soon we were seeing more and more activity with pairs of massive backs (mother and baby) rising side by side, exhaling plumes of spray and then disappearing - sometimes reappearing again a few hundred yards away.

What followed in the next half to three quarters of an hour was one of the most memorable experiences I

have had living in the Baja!  On my previous trips to see these whales the sightings were fewer and further away, but this time was different - our three or four small boats were essentially surrounded by successive pairs of mothers and babies coming close enough to gently nudge our boat as they slowly passed beside and under us.  More to the point, we were able to reach over the sides of the boats and touch these massive creatures, that were apparently getting as much pleasure from our touch as we were from the incredible experience of being that close to one of the largest mammals on earth!

So, what does a whale feel like?  Imagine an underinflated rubber inner tube, with skin that felt like the surface of a wetsuit - but unexpectedly warm to the touch, not at all like the feel of a cold blooded fish in the water.  The experience went on over a dozen or more of these encounters that usually started with an area of calmer water appearing amidst the choppy waves, then the water changed color from blue/green to grey/white as their backs slowly rose to the surface and their spine broke through.  This was usually followed by them venting through their blowholes a noisy spray of fine mist and then easing back into the waves and disappearing again.

But on this special day, these mother/baby pairs often lingered on the surface, while our expert panga 

Skippers deftly maneuvered their 20+ ft. boats back and forth in a careful dance, giving both us and the whales repeated opportunities for magical moments of contact.  While I may be guilty of anthropomorphism, it was clear to all who were sharing this experience that the whales too appeared to be enjoying "playing" among the boats, gently rubbing up against them, perhaps scratching an itchy back, before nuzzling their softly pointed nose up against the boat to be touched briefly by our reaching hands.  Sometimes as they rolled and frolicked we would literally be eye to eye with these 50 foot mammoths as they were "watching" us, as we bounced around on the surface catching our glimpses of them.

My words cannot come close to communicating the impact of that hour or so of cross species contact, my previous visits paled by comparison, and I now share the enthusiasm I had previously thought exaggerated by others who had had similarly close encounters.  So I have included a few brief clips below (courtesy of my Guest Steve) of one of the many of these moments we experienced and hope you can share in some of the magic of these encounters.  Finding a unexpected new level of experience, that will stay with me as a memory for years, while sharing a popular "tourist" experience with visiting friends is one more way I am thankful for "Living Loreto"!    

    

Mardi Gras 2014

This past week I attended the Mardi Gras celebration held at the Golf Course Clubhouse, where it has been held for the past several years.  This event is a fundraiser organized by the Nopolo Homeowners Association (the community surrounding Loreto Bay) with the proceeds benefitting charity and improvements within their neighborhood. 

Similar to other annual events that are held here there was a certain "deja vu" aspect to the evening, but what sets "Fat Tuesday" apart from most other events held here are the costumes.  Without doing an actual nose count, by my estimate more than half of those in attendance had dressed up, or at least accessorized with beads or a mask to take part in the festivities.  And many of those who did were in some sort of full costume, with some of the most elaborate belonging to local year-round residents.

The party had been underway for more than an hour when I arrived about 6:00 pm, after finishing my day at the Office and then returning home to change into my ensemble for the evening.  You may recall from last year's Blog: http://livingloreto.blogspot.mx/2013/02/mardi-gras-mexican-style.html that I wore my Kilt to this event a year ago and I had been wondering what to wear this year, until my recent Visitors presented me with a very handsome Guinness Beer apron that had been purchased for me on their trip to Ireland last Summer.  Worn over a black outfit with lots of beads and a beret on my head (don't ask me why, it was a last moment addition) I felt as though at least I had made an effort, and so with camera equipment over my shoulder I headed off for the evening.

On my arrival at the Clubhouse where the party was being held I was somewhat surprised, by the presence of an Ambulance near the entrance, but then mildly impressed when I realized that it was there on stand-by and not responding to a call!  I don't know if this was in response to some new local requirement (but I doubt it - this is Mexico, after all) or an abundance of caution by the organizers, but I couldn't help thinking how things have changed here over the years!  After showing my 350 peso wristband pass and receiving a numbered string of beads (for costume voting later in the evening) I purchased some drink tickets and joined the party.

Once again the central courtyard of the Clubhouse was where a stage was set-up for the musical entertainment, leaving the rest of the space for dancing and chairs were set up on three sides of this in the colonnade around the courtyard.  Passing through the courtyard I headed towards the driving range area behind the Clubhouse where on one side a bar was set up to serve wine by the bottle or glass and draft or canned beer and bottled water and on the other side was a BBQ pit and food service area.  Across the back of the driving range was table seating, some under shade tents and the rest open to the balmy early evening.

Which brings me to another comparison.  At the same party this time last year, I remember it being distinctly chilly on Mardi Gras evening - but this year has been the mildest winter of the seven I have spent here and this evening was no exception!  Which follows along with my current theory of climate change (as opposed to global warming) - the planet is a closed system, and for all intents and purposes nothing gets in or out.  So when somewhere that normally gets rain is having a drought, it follows that more rain falls somewhere else that is normally dry.  (Consider Loreto, that historically gets less than 4 inches of rain annually but has received 3 feet of rain over the past two years!)  Likewise it follows that when most of North America is struggling through one of the longest, coldest and snowiest winter's on record, here in Loreto we have been enjoying the mildest and calmest winter it has been my pleasure to experience since I started living here.

I was drawn back into the courtyard to listen to the entertainment with "Histeria" as the opening act, a four piece band of young guys from near Santa Rosalia two hours north of here, accompanied by Loreto's own Herzon, a guitar master of many different styles.  Later on, when the party was going full steam, there was an impressive dance ensemble called " Gujiaki" from the Casa de Cultura in Loreto that performed two styles of folkloric dances in appropriate costumes.  Later on in the evening, the local favorite "Los Beach Dogs" took to the stage and filled the dance floor for most of the evening.

Along with appetizers and rice this year the organizers of the event chose grilled skewers of meat, fish or vegetables as the main course, which was a good idea for portion control, but more grill space would have probably moved the food lines along at a faster pace.  However, the lines provided a good opportunity for visiting and costume watching, besides, no one was going anywhere anyway!  Later there was a collection of small deserts which satisfied the sweet tooth and made a nice end to a dinner under the stars.

During the rest of the evening, along with the entertainment there was a silent auction for an original piece of art, and a 50/50 draw as well as crowning a Mardi Gras Queen and Costume awards, however, I confess I hit Baja midnight earlier than usual that evening and headed home before the festivities had ended.  But in thinking back over the evening my final observation has to do with the ongoing evolution of Loreto Bay and the surrounding community.

While this year's Mardi Gras party was an undoubted success with about 250 in paid attendance and turning people away at the door, I know from my own casual conversations with people I spoke to, there were a surprising number who said they were not planning to attend the party - due to too many other events happening at this time of year.  While that may not sound unusual to casual observer, coming from a place where not so long ago bumping into someone on the sidewalk that you hadn't seen for a while was reason enough for a party (well, OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit - but not much!).  To now  hear that people are choosing to skip a beautifully organized event, held within walking distance of their home, because there are too many other things to do - well, perhaps that is another sign that our little community is growing up - and that may be the best part of "Living Loreto"!

Loreto - The Place To Be!

This week I have a special treat for you, particularly if you have been following Loreto and Loreto Bay from before I started writing this Blog over five years ago.  The beginnings of Living Loreto had its roots in a previous Blog that was written by this week's Guest Blogger, Nellie Hutchison, whose Blog "Where in the world is Nellie" about her experiences after moving to Loreto Bay full time was my source of Baja sustenance  before I made Loreto my home.  It is therefore with gratitude to my Blog Mentor - and a sense of reversed roles that I introduce this week's Guest Blog:

It is a pleasure to be a Guest Blogger on Drew’s Living Loreto.   The last five years have seen many positive changes and improvements in our area.  This is quite remarkable when one steps back and realizes how much has been done in a remote community that started with less than a few dozen full time residents.  Through the sheer will and determination of our hundreds of homeowners, we have created a viable and beautiful community that offers convenient amenities and remains a safe and friendly haven. 

For the first time since 2008 I feel that we are gaining some momentum towards economic recovery and once again Loreto is The Place To Be!   There are positive rumors about Westjet coming to Loreto next season, as well as having a commuter flight again from San Jose Del Cabo to Loreto several times a week to make access from Central and East Coast States much easier.  

Personally, I am very excited about restarting the two 4 story Posada Buildings in the center of Founders Neighborhood in Loreto Bay.   These large buildings have been standing uncompleted and idle since 2008, but now, after 2 long years of negotiations with the original residential Homeowners, Homex and several contractors, we have reached a mutually acceptable agreement and full scale construction began again last month. 

The contractor is Ginax and they have approximately 60 workers on site, together with many people behind the scenes doing mill and iron work, as well as architects, engineers and administration.   The site is clean and well managed and the crew shows up every day promptly at 8 am.    They have a makeshift food stand serving hot lunches to the crew, which smells delicious and it reminds me of the early days in 2006 when we would see up to 1500 workers on site happy to be working.    The crew is friendly and they appear to be enjoying working in our Community, the people who live here, and their jobs.   Ginax is a large company and their active presence here is making a positive difference to a lot of lives. 

There are 51 residential units in both Posada Norte (north) and Posada Sur (south) on the second, third and fourth floor Penthouse units.  Only 1 Penthouse left at $595,000 … so don’t delay!  The ground floor of each building offers commercial space for sale.  These buildings will be part of the Loreto Bay Master Condo Regime and the land between the buildings will be Master Common Property for all to enjoy.    

We have sold out 50% of the residential units, which will be completed by the end of 2014.  We are offering significant pre-completion discounts on the units we have listed and Homex has 7 units for sale which we also represent.   Homex has been very cooperative with our legal team and we are pleased to announce that we have received approval of the subdivision of the two Posada Buildings away from the original Beach Club Spa Lot, which will be retained by Homex for future villa style homes.  This is the first of many successful steps as we move to transfer title to the owners in the upcoming months. 

Loreto Bay Homes plans to manage these buildings as a luxury boutique hotel offering a beautiful Lobby and Concierge Services for the owners and guests.    Our rental market is increasing exponentially and we are taking reservations in our Village homes now for March 2015.   In 2010 we could not rent a Casa Chica for $50 a night, and now we have rates as high as $185 per night for our Chicas, and up to $900 US a night for our luxury beach homes.  We fully anticipate that the Posada Buildings will be a great investment for rental and owners who want to enjoy one level enclosed living, with views from every room. 

As part of our Sales and Destination Marketing endeavors, we will be in attendance at the Calgary Herald Mexi Go Exposition held at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino on Saturday, March 15, 2014, from 9 am to 5 pm.   We are lucky to be among only 14 representatives chosen from Mexico.   Visit our Booth #26 to enter our DRAW PRIZE of a free trip for 2 to Loreto, with one week's accommodations at the 5 star luxury resort, Villa Del Palmar Isles of Loreto.  

I will be the Key Note Speaker presenting “The Past and Future of Loreto Bay and its Special Relation with Calgary” from 10 am to 10:30 pm in the Bridlewood Room adjacent to the main hall.   I will be in attendance all day and will be making appointments with those that want more information on our destination through to March 18.   I am happy to be back in Canada and sharing our special place with our many friends and supporters.    25,000 copies of the beautiful Mexi Go Magazine will be distributed in Western Canada and available at the Calgary Show.  Here’s a link online for your preview.  www.issuu.com/mexi-go/docs/mexi-go2014

The Calgary Herald, co-sponsor of the Exposition, ran a feature story on Loreto Bay on Saturday, March 1, 2014, in the New Homes Section, in advance of the show you can link to a copy of the article at: http://www.calgaryherald.com/homes/Loreto+Mexican+charms+lure+Calgary+couple/9560126/story.html.   From the beginning of this project over 10 years ago Loreto Bay has a special relationship with Calgary and we look forward to this renewed interest and curiosity of what has become of our seaside paradise!

Don’t delay in requesting more information on the Posada Buildings plans and prices, as well as excellent deals on Village Home Re-sales.    Loreto Bay Homes represents 95% of all resale listings in Loreto Bay and we are pleased to advise that there is only approximately 5% of the development for sale.  This is a very low number in consideration of the global economy and the fact that these are typically vacation second homes.   We believe that Loreto Bay has established itself as a financially secure and viable community with a bright future. 

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in Calgary, March 15, 2014!  

Nellie Hutchison

Email:  Nellie@BajaBoss.com

US Cell 602 628 2920 

www.LoretoBayHomes.com