Woodstock with Golf Carts

This past Monday was the Summer Solstice and I heard about plans for an evening concert by the three guitarists whom I featured in a Blog titled “A Little Night Music” from January this year. The plan was to hold this event in one of the large community courtyards near the INN and so I contacted my friend Rich, who plays in the group, to offer my PA system for the evening.

After consulting with his fellow players the consensus was “louder is better” and so they accepted the offer, and I made plans with Rich to pick me and the equipment up in his Golf Cart in the afternoon before the show was to begin. As the date got closer there was an addition made to the program – a Homeowner was being visited by his two University aged sons who were gifted musicians and they would be sitting in with the trio.

As many of you are aware, last Sunday there was a “Super-bright” full moon which I witnessed at a neighbour’s home and took pictures. This special full moon the day before the Solstice seemed an auspicious beginning to what I am feeling is a new chapter in the continuing story of Loreto Bay. In my business I have seen some positive results from the current atmosphere here – more people, more visitors more sales and a growing positive energy in the community.

So it was in this context that I was anticipating this first “open air” public concert and wondered what the turnout would be like. To set the scene, the homes in the Founder’s Neighbourhood are located around over two dozen community courtyards which are landscaped areas that provide green space to offset the relatively high density of the homes themselves. The area that had been chosen for the concert is one of the largest such courtyards in the development with a central fountain and a shade pergola set in a desert garden at one end which is where the musicians would set up.

Rich’s golf cart was the ideal transport for my sound equipment because with it we could load things from my door at one end of the development and drive right into the courtyard at the far end, to unload. Since electric golf carts and bikes are the only vehicles that are permitted on the meandering pathways between the courtyards and normal vehicles are restricted to the Paseo, or main road running through the development, without the cart everything would have had to be carried at least 50 yards from the road.

When we arrived at the courtyard, Greg, a local electrical contractor was just finishing up rigging a power line from a consenting Homeowner’s outlet nearby and stringing a couple of lights in the pergola for later on in the evening. I got busy setting up the PA system while Rich headed off to pick up his “Axe” at his nearby home. While he was gone, George and Steve arrived with their instruments and began their set-up. When I had the PA working and some filler music playing I turned the system over to the musicians to hook up their own equipment and play with their levels. Soon the two visiting musicians arrived, and the brothers Chad and Casey began unpacking their fiddles and a mandolin to begin the ritual of tuning.

Chad & Casey

Although both of these “guest artists” were still taking University courses and had interests outside of music, they had been playing together since the ages of 4 and 6 and had just finished a “gig” on St. Patrick’s Day in Portland OR the night before flying to Loreto for a spring break. Fortunately for us, they had brought their instruments with them and as they warmed up it became apparent that we were in for a special treat this evening!

Meanwhile, the courtyard was filling with people as the appointed start time approached. Homeowners arrived in couples and small groups from all over the neighbourhood, some in their golf carts, many carrying folding chairs and some with small coolers or snacks. Soon the fountain was surrounded and the chairs reached across the width of the courtyard on each side and more people kept arriving until the crowd stretched well towards the back of the open space. At one point I did a quick head count and estimated that there were more than 150 people gathered for the concert and others continued to arrive after that!

This in itself is a fairly unprecedented event, the last time I had seen as many people together here this winter was at the inauguration of the newly paved road (see “Sports, Politics and Paving”, from February), but this crowd looked larger, reflecting the increased occupancy levels at this time of year. While most Homeowners have a circle of friends and neighbours in the immediate vicinity of their casa, and many know others elsewhere in the community, there are few occasions where we all get together at one place and time.

While I was aware that we are currently somewhere around 50% occupancy of the about 550 homes in the Loreto Bay development, I was surprised to see how many people there are actually here, when most of them are together in the same place! During the normal day to day rhythm of life here in the community, there are usually people coming and going up and down the Paseo, walking dogs, going to Evan’s store, to and from the community pool or strolling on the beach, but you really don’t get a sense of the actual numbers of people in residence at any given time.

However, an event like this brings everyone together – and I for one was impressed! But the best was yet to come. The trio started things off with several folk and blues standards, then before long they called on the visiting musicians to join them and the addition of the fiddle and mandolin rounded out the guitar music very well. After playing along as a group for the first set, Rich, George and Steve gave up their stage for a set by the duo and the audience was in for a special treat!

Getting things off to a rousing start was one of the best versions I have ever heard of “The Devil came down to Georgia” with killer fiddle solos by each brother, which they then followed with a classical Bach piece, showing their classical virtuosity and then they did a three piece set that may defy description! The first piece involved one brother holding his fiddle and fingering the neck while the other brother bowed the strings – an impressive feat of co-ordination!

The second tune was even more athletic – the brothers stood side by side and hooked one leg each together at the knees, they then interlocked their arms and proceeded to play a duet . . . while hopping in place on their free leg, in time with the music! (You had to be there!) But, as I said, this was a three piece set and they were saving the best for last. After carefully getting into position, side by side, they managed to intermingle arms and instruments so that they were each playing half of both instruments! While one held and fingered his fiddle, he was bowing the instrument being held and fingered by his brother – and vice versa! How many hours of practice that this feat of musicianship and co-ordination had required was beyond my imagination, but it would have “brought the house down” if we had been inside!

After this tour de force the three guitarists rejoined them on stage and for most of the rest of the evening we were entertained by the newly formed quintet playing a variety of pop/rock/blues standards well into the evening. While I have been fortunate enough to be present at a number of the Trio’s performances, it was obvious that they have really come together as a group, no doubt after many hours of playing together, and I look forward to enjoying more of their musicianship in the future.

When an impromptu gathering to celebrate the Solstice grows into the largest community gathering of the winter (so far) and we are treated to a free concert of professional grade musicians playing for the joy they get from their music and inspired by the atmosphere and surroundings – and while I know I have said it before – this was really what “Living Loreto” is all about!

George

Steve

Rich

"Dinner is now being served!"

In the continuing evolution of Loreto Bay one aspect of the lifestyle that has been absent is the availability of places to eat within the community. During the past week this has changed.

I have written in these pages several times about Baja Onsite, the convenience store run by Evan and Julie
 over the last year and a half. When they opened their new larger location last Fall they had plans to offer Deli selections as well as the packaged and frozen foods they sell for home preparation. After a busy winter and managing several other business ventures, along with growing the inventory of their store, they launched the long awaited Deli side of their business in the last week.

Now you can order fresh sandwiches and salads made to order at the store and enjoy them on the patio outside or take them away – no need to interrupt that lazy morning around the community pool to go back to your Casa and make lunch! This adds another feature to the Baja Onsite patio, which has become an unofficial meeting place for many Homeowners this winter. There are often people relaxing at the tables and chairs in front of the store, enjoying a coffee in the morning sun or a cold drink in the afternoon shade, perhaps checking their email on the free WiFi, or just visiting with each other after picking up a few groceries, a bottle of wine for dinner or their mid-afternoon ice cream snack.

Anyone who has been in Loreto Bay this winter knows how convenient having access to this store has made living here in Loreto Bay – no longer is it necessary to drive the 15 km each way to town every time you run out of something, if Evan and Julie don’t have it you can probably get by without it! But it is not just the staples they stock, often they carry specialty items from the US that cannot be found in any store in town, as well as a small but carefully selected inventory of household goods and small appliances brought back from the big stores in Cabo and La Paz.

With the addition of their new take-out Deli foods, this hard-working couple have added one more convenience to our lives here in Loreto Bay and many of us appreciate the contribution they continue to made to the way we now are Living Loreto!

But wait – there’s more!

Throughout the reconstruction and development of the Golf Course one important aspect has been missing, the Clubhouse has only served as the start and stopping place of a round, with no services other than a place to pick up or drop off a cart or rent a set of clubs, oh yes, and the Banos, of course. That was the case, until this week, with the addition of a 19th Hole!

For many years, one of the most popular restaurants in town has been Mita Gourmet, run by Juan Carlos and his wife in a charming open air patio on the town square. This restaurant was in fact named for their daughter, Mita, who has grown into a beautiful young mother, married to Carlos and the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy.

Following several months of rumour and speculation (this is Loreto Bay after all) it was recently announced that Juan Carlos had succeeded in securing the food concession at the Clubhouse and was going to open a restaurant to be run by his daughter Mita and her husband Carlos.

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and with a full bar service available, this new venture, appropriately called “The 19th Hole” fills a major gap in the social life surrounding the game of Golf. Now, the early risers, who want to get their game in during the relatively cool mornings, can start their day with a hearty breakfast of omelettes or other egg dishes or Mexican Desayuno specialties. Following the game, or before an afternoon round, there is a selection of sandwiches and salads as well as a hearty cheeseburger available for lunch and there is a full dinner menu available as well as some specials every evening, finally giving Loreto Bay an option for dining out, without facing the drive home again from town in the dark.

In addition to the full day menu, The 19th Hole is running a beverage cart on the Golf Course, stocked with ice cold beverages snacks and sandwiches, bringing welcome relief to the parched and hungry players mid-game. Definitely a civilized touch that has been sorely missed by all of us concerned about maintaining our “hydration” during the long stretches between holes on hot afternoons!

Mita explained that these menus are still a work in progress, as they gauge the tastes and preferences of the diners in Loreto Bay and in fact they had planned a “soft opening” to get their staff up and running before starting to promote the new restaurant. But, in a place like Loreto Bay good news travels fast, and they have been busier than they expected since their first days. They start serving Breakfast at 7:00 am, Lunch at noon and Dinner at 6:00 and the kitchen remains open until 9:00. She also talked about plans for live music and “theme nights” with special menu and entertainment.

   

I think it is worthwhile noting that this enterprise, under the watchful eye and long experience of Juan Carlos, is being run by another young and ambitious couple who are making their own opportunities for the future by meeting a much anticipated need in advance of the market size that would normally be required by such a venture.

I am also confident, based on the enthusiastic reception both these two new food services have received, that our community appreciates the opportunity to support the contributions being made by these entrepreneurs and the big step they represent in the further development of a more complete experience we can all now share “Living Loreto”!

Chilling Calgary!

This week’s Blog is a departure from the normal “Living Loreto” format – because, this past week I have NOT been living Loreto, as regular Readers already know. This week I have been “Chilling Calgary” instead, visiting family and friends here while taking in a Real Estate Trade Show. The less said about the Trade Show the better, it was poorly promoted and the turnout was disappointing. But the rest of my short visit back to a northern City at the end of the winter season has been an interesting experience.


First of all for context, I grew up here and spent most of my adult life living in western Canada so the winter experience is hardly a new one, although, after spending most of the past five winters in Mexico I consider that climate to be the more ``natural`` one to me now. But I was well aware of what I was getting into when I arrived in Calgary last week, to be greeted by temperatures in the minus 27 degree Celsius range, almost 60 degrees Celsius colder than when I left the Airport in Cabo!

(A brief explanation here is probably appropriate – in Canada we use the Celsius temperature system rather than the Fahrenheit used in the US. The simplest explanation of the difference between them is that at freezing the temperature is zero degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Fahrenheit, so, -25 degrees C = -13 deg. F. When I left Cabo the temperature was +30 deg. C, or 85 deg. F and when I arrived in Calgary it was -30 C or -22 F – so it was 60 degrees colder in Celsius or 100 degrees colder in Fahrenheit! Confused? Well, then I guess I won`t get into explaining metres or litres!)

Anticipating the “deep freeze” on my arrival, I had packed a sweater and lined leather jacket in the outside pockets of my suitcase so I was able to add some layers while I was still in the baggage claim area of the Calgary Airport. Suitably garbed, I made my way out into the terminal where I received a warm welcome (is there any other kind, under these circumstances?) from my sister and brother-in-law and then we made our way out to their waiting car.

Driving through the early darkness of a major City in the grip of a cold snap is culturally (as well as climatologically) a shock, especially after driving in Mexico five hours earlier. The squeak of the tires on the snow in the parking lot, the clouds of condensed exhaust billowing out of the tailpipes of the cars, the ploughed walls of snow bordering the major roads – what used to be unremarkable and commonplace for most of my life, now seems bizarre and exotic, and even a bit frightening!

However, the human species adapts quickly! The next morning I was out in the car running several errands and, after taking it carefully for the first few blocks, old reflexes soon returned and I easily got back into a winter driving mode. Braking gently and early, not following too closely, watching for icy patches, yes, it all comes back so quickly.

The weather in Calgary can be very changeable at this time of year. I arrived in the midst of a “cold snap” and people were generally grumbling about the extreme temperatures, and who can blame them with lows in the high minus 20’s and “highs” in the minus mid-teens, what’s not to complain about! But over the course of the week I was there, after a few days the temperatures started to moderate and by the middle of last week they were back up to a “seasonable” plus 4 degrees – HEATWAVE!

What became apparent over this visit, and the rising and lowering temperatures, was how weary the people living in these winter climates become with the weather, from late October, now through early March - and the worst of the winter is not yet over. In fact, it is often March when they receive most of the snowfall in this area. But it’s not just the cold and the snow, but the accumulation of old snow and ice on the streets and parking lots, turning grey and unpleasant through the cycles of snow and thaw and more snow, stratified with layers of gravel laid down for traction and ploughed up into the walls that surround every cleared area.

But all of the culture shock is not limited to the weather. Living again in a “big City” one also gets exposed again to media, like weather reports – does it really matter if it is minus 15 or minus 17 degrees out today? Or sports – how did I manage to live for months in Mexico without knowing the final scores of a dozen or so Hockey games played most nights across North America? But one of the strangest was the traffic reports – every 10 minutes or so, morning and evening rush “hours” (that seem to extend further into the rest of the day) with a running list of collisions and stalled cars scattered across the four corners of the City and the chaos that results from the congestion that builds immediately behind the unlucky victims.

On a brighter side, a mid-winter visit back is an opportunity to pick up the unobtainable for myself and friends, who live a much simpler life without the 24/7/365 access to the cornucopia that is the shopping reality in most major centres in North America. While most of us in Mexico take some pride in this simpler way of life that comes with the limited selection of consumer goods available to us in our chosen home away – when the opportunity does arise the wish lists come out!

Having been on the receiving end a number of times myself, I know what a difference getting that cherished item can mean to someone months away from their own return to “Shopper’s Paradise”. On this trip, one couple wanted 3 seat cushions to complete their set of new outdoor furniture, these could not be ordered in Mexico but were readily available in several stores in Calgary. Another neighbour made an impassioned appeal for new bed sheets, to replace the set that had inexplicably become suddenly worn out (what happens in the Baja – stays in the Baja!). And finally, someone else wanted several bottles of non-prescription pain reliever, but of a particular formula that is the unique key to relieving their migraines – truly a mission of mercy!

My own requirements were modest – magazines! While there is an extensive lending library of hundreds of good books available at our well stocked Community Centre, current magazines (my favourite is Vanity Fair) are among the rarest of luxuries where I live. So I stocked up with great relish, bringing back a handful of fresh periodicals which I will jealously ration over the rest of the winter and hopefully manage to eke out until I return to the Big Magazine Racks later this year.

So these are my thoughts from Calgary last week, as I packed my bags and prepared for the early departure that will amazingly return me to sun and heat and palm trees in less than five hours from the dark and cold and snow - that really is part of “Chilling Calgary”! Burrrrr!

The Fastest Man in Loreto!

Most of you reading this will already know that I am currently back in Canada attending the Mexico Living Expo being held in Calgary to promote tourism and Real Estate in Mexico. As a result I have a treat for all of you, a Guest Blog by a Loreto Bay Homeowner and a good friend of mine, Peter.

The idea for this Blog first came to me in the form of an email from Peter who told me briefly about his experience meeting a very interesting Loretano in town. Originally, Peter suggested that I might be interested in meeting this person and writing my own piece about him. Knowing that I would be heading north this week and wouldn’t have much time to write, it seemed to me that this was a great opportunity for Peter to step in and write the following piece.

The fact that Peter has been a loyal Reader of these postings from the beginning, it only took a moderate bit of arm twisting to convince him to try his hand at authoring a post himself. As the results show below, he has the gift of putting his personality (and sense of humor) into his words.

After writing this Blog for over two years and almost 100 postings, I feel a real sense of responsibility to you my Readers to come up with what I hope will be an interesting piece each week about life in Loreto. Needless to say, it is sometimes a challenge to find a topic, and I confess that some weeks I wonder if I have hit the mark. Ironically, it is often from those Blogs that I have had my doubts about, that I get the best feedback.

It is for that reason that I am so pleased to be able to offer someone else’s thoughts and perspective about the experiences we share in Living Loreto. So I hope you enjoy Peter’s Blog as much as I did!

                                                              .   .   .   .  


I was looking for tennis racquet tape when I wandered into the store. My attention was drawn to a display case of medals and an array of trophies. Even my beginner Spanish could translate, “… National 100 meter Track Champion.” As I paid for the tape I pointed to the display, “Is that you?”

I discovered I was talking to Rogelio Cortes, local sports hero and a man of eclectic accomplishments and interests. Rogelio is the owner of ‘Deportes Blazer’, the sports goods and musical instruments store on Hidalgo, a curious combination of merchandise, until you get to know more about his background.

Rogelio is a true Loretano having been born within sight and sound of the iconic Mission, in the “Casa de la Abuela.” By the time he was eleven he had started winning track and field medals and it was during his teen years that he achieved prodigious success on the track, culminating in three National 100 meter Championships. Rogelio also took his speed to the tennis court and, blessed with the eye/hand coordination that eludes many of us, he won several Baha Sur tennis championships.

The Olympics beckoned and a scholarship was offered but with the condition that he become a teacher. Rogelio was not prepared to abandon the family tradition and chose to study for an economics degree at UABCS (the local College in Loreto), eventually becoming the fourth generation of economics graduates in the Cortes family.

Not content with burning up the track, Rogelio next took his quest for speed into the world of auto racing and in 1993 became the first Loretano to win a race class in the Baja 400. He also has the trophies to prove his most recent successes in the Baja quad bike races.

In 2006, the Loreto municipal council broke from the tradition of naming public buildings after (re)tired politicians and announced that the local soccer stadium would carry Rogelio’s name, in recognition of his stellar sporting skills and the honor he had brought to the community.

But there’s more……Rogelio and his family are talented musicians…hence the array of drums, guitars and other musical instruments displayed alongside sporting goods in his store. If you attended the recent Biker’s Band event at Del Borrachos you would have seen Rogelio playing bass in his band “Se ‘Cabó”, along with his brother, the architect Jesus Cortes. However as modestly proud as he is of his own musical accomplishments Rogelio takes particular pleasure from the budding success of his son, Oscar.

Drew’s recent blog, “Rockfest-Rock of Ages” lauded “serious talent amongst the younger generation in Loreto.” Well guess what? Oscar Cortes and his cousin are the backbone of the band “Hammer Hit’ who walked away as winners of the youth contest, beating out the competition from all over BCS. Meanwhile his charming young daughter is starting to display her musical talent while Rogelio’s wife, Maricruz is an accomplished singer.

In my follow up conversations with Rogerio I found him to be an engaging character, not carried away with his local celebrity status. He confessed that his knees are starting to complain when he takes part in intense tennis tournaments.

So next time you’re hunting for sporting goods or musical instruments take a look at the display behind the cash desk at Desportes Blazer and you’ll see evidence of someone who is very much part of the establishment in this community, someone who can truly claim to be “Living Loreto”!

A Red Letter Day in Loreto Bay

As an indication of the significance of the paving project on the Paseo, or main road, that runs through our development of Loreto Bay, I return to the subject for the third time in as many months. This third (and I expect final) episode was prompted by an invitation last weekend from Homex to the Home Owners, to join in a ”Paseo Inauguration Ceremony” this past Friday.

A large group, consisting of most of the Home Owners who are currently in Loreto Bay, assembled in front of the INN at the south end of the Paseo where a PA system had been set up. Shortly after 4:00 pm Roberto Vez and Carolina Silva, both from Homex, made some opening comments welcoming the Residents and speaking about their company’s recent history in the Loreto Bay project and their plans for the future.

It was clear that for them, as well as for we Home Owners, the paving of the Paseo was both a tangible and symbolic example of their corporate good will toward the existing community and, they admitted that due to the complicated jurisdictional issues surrounding the road and it’s actual ownership, they had finally made the decision to proceed with the paving project on their own, without having received all the official approvals. A case of asking forgiveness rather than permission on a corporate level!

In an earlier posting I mentioned another example of Homex’s willingness to respect the interests of the existing community, when they initially had left a section of the road unpaved, due to the misunderstanding that this stretch was to be set aside for a landscaped area. However, when they realized that we Homeowners wanted the whole road paved, they tore up some of the concrete curbing they had already poured, and re-graded that section in preparation for additional asphalt paving.

After the brief remarks of introduction and welcome there was a symbolic ribbon cutting ceremony performed by one of the original Homeowner couples, Dottie and Mike, following which, about half the assembled crowd boarded a string of Golf Carts parked nearby, and the remainder walked or biked about ¾ of a mile from the INN down to just past the Golf Course Clubhouse, where we turned back on the opposite lane of the road and walked or rode back to the starting spot at the INN.

This in itself was a remarkable, albeit somewhat strange event, which could only be appreciated by those who were participating and had endured the dusty, pot-holed road that we have all lived with for the past five years. Picture about 150 people wandering down the center of a freshly paved road, led by a somewhat disorganized collection of Golf Carts, travelling at a slow walking pace, followed by the rest of the crowd, some of whom were on bikes. A parade with nobody watching, because everyone was in it!

As I took these pictures of the passing crowd and then walked through them to get to the front to take more pictures, I heard bits and pieces of conversations, many reminiscing about early experiences they had had in the adventure that we have all shared in acquiring our homes here. I was struck by the genuine celebratory mood of the group – everyone was happy and smiling and enjoying this big event in the recent history of our community.

When we had returned to the INN we signed off our names on the RSVP list in the Hotel lobby before passing into the central courtyard area where tables and chairs for over 200 had been set up with a PA system and several Buffet lines on the perimeter. After most people had a chance to visit the cash bar, Roberto and Carolina took microphones and welcomed us again as their Guests and talked further about Homex and their plans for the community.

Following this, they opened the Q & A part of the program and responded in a remarkably open and forthright manner to almost all of the questions they fielded. I very much respect their willingness to initiate this sort of give and take process with a largely unknown group of Foreign Homeowners who (they were well aware) have endured some serious challenges in the sometimes long process leading to the completion of their homes.

I also was pleased, and, dare I say, a bit proud, of the almost unanimously positive tone and attitude of those who raised questions, and the response of the crowd as a whole to the answers that were forthcoming. Without trying to present a complete report of what transpired, your Humble Blogger did make a few notes during the proceedings and I will offer the following observations:

- Homex continues to work behind the scenes with a number of Airlines to increase the air service to Loreto from various hubs in the US and Canada.

- They are committed to seeing Agua Viva I completed, and they plan to construct architecturally compatible homes on the bare land lots they have acquired there.

- They are now in possession of the two unfinished Posada buildings and are beginning the process of negotiating with the other stakeholders in those buildings to determine a course of action that will result in their completion.

- They are moving forward with the first phase of their own development with initial plans for over 200 homes beyond Agua Viva.

- They have purchased the proposed “Beach Club” parcel of land in Founders but have not made any plans as yet for how it may be developed, but they did advise us they did not see a Beach Club as being a viable option there for Homex, and that it would likely be some form of residential development at some time in the future.

- They have purchased the old Convention Centre shell in AV which will eventually be demolished and be developed residentially.

- Regarding the Golf Course, they stated that they intend to offer the same access, at the same cost, to Loreto Bay Owners as they will to their Homeowners in the future.

- They are conscious of the importance of the situation around the sewage lift station, and they are working with the several levels of government involved to come up with a solution for the future.

After answering all of the questions that were raised our Homex hosts invited us to start the Buffet lines and enjoy a Mexican themed meal of soup, salad, rice, beef and fish with deserts, all catered by the staff at the hotel.

Following the meal, as darkness fell the Homeowners drifted out of the Hotel courtyard where some Taxis were waiting to shuttle people down the Paseo, but most opted to wander back along their newly paved street in small groups, sharing flashlights and conversation as they retraced the path of our earlier “Parade” back to their own homes.

When 200 people come together to celebrate a couple of miles of paving, and make their own parade – with no one watching because everyone is in it – to be followed by a meeting with the Developer, who will move our community forward into a new and exciting phase, and have a positive exchange of information (something sorely lacking for the past several years) before finally sharing a delicious meal under the stars. That Parade marked a symbolically big day in the history of Loreto Bay, a day that many will remember who are lucky enough to be Living Loreto!

I would like to take this last opportunity to invite any Readers who are in or around Calgary on March 5/6 to attend the Mexico Living Expo being held at the BMO Centre on Stampede Park. I will be one of over 20 Exhibitors promoting the lifestyle options that are available for Foreigners here in Mexico and specifically, I will be presenting information on the homes now available in The Villages of Loreto Bay. I look forward to meeting you there and talking about the place I love to call home! Pre-register for free at: www.mexicolivingexpo.com

Rockfest 2011 - Rock of Ages!

Last month I wrote about a quiet evening of musical entertainment that was held in a neighbour’s home (A Little Night Music – Loreto Style) in which I talked about the relative scarcity of live music here. Well, this past week there was an event that was one of the exceptions – Rockfest 2011, which was held at Del Borrachos, a favourite western saloon style watering hole located just off the highway, a couple of kilometres south of the town of Loreto.

First of all, a few words about this venue, which I have also mentioned in these pages before, Del Borrachos (which, appropriately enough, can be loosely translated as The Drunkards) is one of the busiest and most popular eating places in town, due in large part to the short order culinary skills of Chole, co-owner with her husband Mike. In addition the locally famous El Guapo con papas (“Whopper” hamburger with fries) which is the closest to a “cheeseburger in Paradise” that I have ever found, there are other menu favourites like the half head of Romaine lettuce with chicken Caesar, and Thursday’s special lasagne. All of these great meals are ordered at the counter in one corner of the large open room, which has about a dozen tables and several pool tables and large screen TV’s, and then the orders are prepared in a deceptively small, but efficient kitchen. Across one end of the room is the bar where draft and bottled beer are dispensed along with the regular assortment of other spirits.

However, for the Guerra de Bandas (Battle of the Bands) the regular outside patio area had been supplemented by several shade tents under which were dozens and dozens of plastic Tecate (Beer brand) chairs in what is usually the parking lot. Set up in front of the seating area under another couple of shade tents, was a temporary bandstand with banks of speakers and amplifiers and a drum kit which would be used by the more than half dozen bands scheduled to perform during the afternoon and evening.

One of my neighbours and I arrived before the 2:00 pm start time to get a good table and enjoy our lunch before the festivities began. We chose to sit outside on the regular patio, to one side of the temporary seating area, but with a good view of the stage. Meanwhile, inside, the main room was filling up with a late lunch crowd and gradually the outside chairs and tables started to fill up with other early birds for the entertainment.

After several sound checks by different bands coming and going from the stage, the first set began. Now I confess that I will not be able to report accurately on all the names of the different groups that performed and in what order – blame the language barrier, the somewhat distorted PA system, and, yes, perhaps the combined effects of frosty pitchers of Negra Modelo (one of my favourite domestic beers, amber with a nice hoppy aftertaste). But, the groups included Black Dog and Mi Name is Pancho, both from Loreto, and Pigstail, and Rockstar Again from as far as La Paz and Los Cabos along with a number of others.

What became apparent was that the groups played in what appeared to be approximately age order with the youngest on first, and the band members got older as the afternoon progressed. What also became apparent was that there is some serious talent among the younger generation here. Although the repertoire and styles of music varied from group to group, there were a generous number of what I would loosely describe as “Classic Rock” and Blues standards as well as some original material in Spanish. In fact, a number of times I was struck by the incongruity of hearing mainly unintelligible (to me) Spanish lyrics in one song, followed by a familiar “classic” sung in apparently unaccented English by the same vocalist. This left me wondering whether this indicated that there was actually a high level of fluency, or alternatively, a near perfect mimicry of these “foreign language” songs.

I also realized, that for many of these young groups, some of the music they were doing these great renditions of, I had been listening to for more than forty years! (Having just recently ushered in a new decade on my last birthday, I am, admittedly, somewhat sensitive on the general subject of aging anyway!) This brings me to one of my infrequent “rants” about the undeniable significance and cultural impact of MY generation’s contribution to the music iconography! When else is history has the popular culture, and more particularly, that culture’s young generation, continue to listen to and, in this case, perform, music that was created several generations earlier. That would be the equivalent of my generation in the 60’s, listening to, and being artistically influenced by popular music from the 1920’s!

In fact, one of my favourite ways of defining myself, in terms of my Boomer credentials, is to say “I saw the Beatles live on Ed Sullivan” which is, I think, undeniably a cultural touchstone and reference point for people of a certain age – like me! Anyway, I digress (again), the juxtaposition of Mexican teenagers singing 1960’s American and British Rock and Roll in flawlessly unaccented English, while playing thunderously loud electric guitars in the parking lot of a western-style saloon on a dusty side-road in Baja Sur Mexico was a delicious cultural experience!

An experience that was shared by what eventually became a standing room crowd of a couple of hundred avid fans who packed the saloon to overflowing, filled every chair and table in the patio and parking lot and finally stood shoulder to shoulder on the veranda and ringing the seating area. But it was not just the numbers that impressed me – but the diversity of the crowd as well. I saw many friends and neighbours from Loreto Bay, as well as a number of Mexicans who were employed there and many more that I recognized from town. That in itself was to be expected, given that this was one of the entertainment highlights here of this winter, but what was unique about this crowd was the large numbers of really young kids who were there with their parents – Rock and Roll is a family affair, just like so many things are in this very family oriented culture.

Perhaps the subject matter is clouding my judgement, but as I write this the morning after, I am reminded of the lyrics of a song from the very same era that I have been describing, although I confess Neil Diamond is not my usual first choice in music – “Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies and everyone go!” And that just about sums up the mood and nature of the crowd, everyone from leather skinned senior citizen ex-pats to goth garbed, gelled haired Mexican teenagers and middle aged middle class Mexican family groups complete with toddlers . Oh yes, and I can’t forget, there were also two caballeros in full cowboy regalia who rode in on their horses and (appropriately enough) and were able to leave their mounts conveniently tied up to the hitching rail by the front door of the saloon, in the shade of a 20 foot high inflatable plastic Pacifico beer bottle – only in Mexico, pity!

So that was my experience this week, sharing music with friends and strangers on a perfect sunny afternoon with a light breeze making the 80 degree temperature even more ideal (is it really February everywhere else?) and watching the nearby mountain horizon turn into a purple black silhouette as the sun set behind – it seldom gets better than this, even when you are “Living Loreto”!

Sports, Politics and Paving - a week in Loreto

Even though, living here on the Baja Peninsula, we are “off the beaten track” we can still participate in many of the cultural traditions from where we used to call home – like last weekend’s Superbowl. Not being a serious NFL fan, this is often the only American Football game I may see each year, but for me, like many other people I know, this game is an event that overshadows the mere sporting aspect and takes on a celebratory significance.

Therefore, I was happy to be invited to a party hosted by several good friends who invited 40 or 50 of their friends to share the festivities together. Our hosts have rented a large custom home adjacent to, but not a part of the Loreto Bay development, for office space for their new construction contracting business (www.usgconstructiongroup.com ) and that is where we gathered for the party. In the large open courtyard area in the center of the building there was a BBQ and propane fired deep fryer with a table of drinks and a cooler with two beer kegs buried in ice – all the ingredients for a good time!

Two large flat panel TVs were set up, one in the main courtyard area and the other in a smaller room, both of
 which opened onto the outdoor pool which was surrounded by a patio arranged with chairs and tables in the sun. Pregame, this patio was a popular spot, with many guests enjoying the return of the warm sunny weather after a week or so of unseasonably cool and windy days that we had experienced.

When all of the preliminaries to the actual game had finally been completed on the broadcast, most people moved into view of one or other TV as the action began. I had chosen the smaller room as it seemed to be where the “serious” fans had collected and there was less cross-talk conversation going on during the play. Well before halftime delicious smells started coming from the cooking area of the courtyard as hamburgers and hot dogs started to come off the BBQ grill, and whole chickens were deep fried in minutes and then carved into delicious portions. In another room there were fresh salads, condiments, chips and salsa and delicious fresh baked bread, still hot from the oven – yumm!

Of course, this was not the only Super Party taking place last weekend – many of the local hotels and restaurants were having special events as well. However, as it happened, this year the game coincided with the local and state election which was also being held on Sunday and, due to the law governing election day, Mexican Nationals were prohibited from buying liquor and “Gringos” (even though we are ineligible to vote) were limited to four drinks in restaurants. So, the “commercial festivities” were somewhat more sober than would have likely been the case had the election not been on the same day.

Although I am normally somewhat of a political “junkie”, as a guest in this country and a non-participant in the local politics, I feel it is appropriate to only make a few general observations. First of all, I have known for some time that Loreto is a very political town – witness the fact that voter turnout for this most recent election was 76%, which was 10% higher than in Cabo or La Paz the two largest voting constituencies in the state of Baja Sur – compare those figures with the anaemic voting rates in most North American jurisdictions!

The Governor elect is Marcos Cararrubias of the PAN party, which is the same party as the current and past Presidents of the Federal Government, Felipe Calderon and Vincente Fox. Previously the Governor’s post was held by one of the opposition parties so it will be interesting to see what the impact may be of this shift toward the Federal majority party for the future in this state. I also understand that the new Governor is from a small town not far from Loreto, so he will also be very familiar with the local issues here, which may auger well for us during his term in Office.

The Mayor, or Presidente’s race was very contentious locally, with three candidates finishing very closely, but the eventual winner was Jorge Avilés of the PRI party which is another political change from the affiliation of the current Mayor (whose unlikely name is Yuan Yee Cunningham). Yuan Yee’s term of office has had it’s controversies and so, again, it will be interesting to see what the consequences will be of this change in the local power structure.

The other major event of this week was the resumption of the paving project that I first mentioned here over two months ago (Giving Thanks – for a road – maybe! Nov. ’10). As you may recall, at that time there was a great deal of excitement when work began paving the main (and only) road through our development. Since the work was being paid for by the new Developer Homex, who is continuing development on the north side of what is now Loreto Bay and, incidentally, also owns the Inn at the other end of the same road from their future development – hence the incentive to repave the road.

Well, picking up the narrative from the earlier Blog, work continued at an impressive pace for the next few weeks until they stopped prior to Christmas for the traditional Holiday break, which down here can be a couple of weeks. So after the New Year we Residents of Loreto Bay watched optimistically for the road work to resume – and we watched – and watched – and all through the month of January no further work was done.

But we took some comfort in the fact that all the heavy equipment was still here and so we were optimistic that eventually work would resume – maybe! Well, good things come to those who wait (I don’t think the origins of that phrase are Mexican, but they could be!) and so it was with great rejoicing that greeted the resumption of the road work last weekend, and it has continued apace all last week, including, (be still my pounding heart) the stretch of road at my end of the development.

But before you get too carried away with shared enthusiasm, there is still about half of the work in the first phase to complete and almost as much again in the second phase so this project will be ongoing for weeks or even months to come. But, for now, I love the smell of hot asphalt in the morning!

So for a week that began with a sporting extravaganza, included a hotly contested local election and marked the continuation of the biggest infrastructure project in our community’s short history, it’s been a pretty good week, but, after all there are “No Bad Days” when you are Living Loreto!

Post Script: 

For any of my readers who are in the general vicinity of Calgary, you may be interested to know that I will be there to participate in a promotional trade show called the Mexico Living Expo on March 5 & 6 at the Stampede Grounds.  I will be exhibiting on behalf of Dorado Properties, the Real Estate Broker that I work for and I will be promoting the amazing resale properties we have currently listed in Loreto Bay. 

I invite any loyal Living Loreto readers to drop by and say hello, there will be many other exhibitors and seminars about various aspects of the lifestyle that is available in Mexico for foreigners.  You can get more information at http://www.mexicolivingexpo.com/ and register online for free admission to the Expo.  I hope to see you there!