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Charities of Baja California Sur

nanci — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:32:24 +0000

The Children’s Sheter in Todos Santos, Hogal del Niño needs help. This Children’s Home houses abused, neglected and orphaned children and is in need of donations of cash, food, clothing, and school supplies. All funds donated go directly to Hogar del Niño. Go to www.PadrinoProject.com

Cabo San Lucas Events November 2011

nanci — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:11:31 +0000

Every Month Events

Every Tuesday and Saturday: 9:00-1:00 Liga Mac used book store and donation center is open.
San Jose Del Cabo. 044-624-177-8507 www.ligamac.com

Every Wednesday 8:00 PM
Free movies from independent studios for teenagers and adults at the City Theater in San Jose del Cabo.

Every Wednesday: 8:00-11:00 AM
Organic market at the Pedregal. Located at the back entrance to The Pedregal just before the Colegio El Camino School. 044-624-113-8376

Every Thursday 5:00-9:00 PM
Art Walk Night in San Jose’s Historic Art District. Wine, munchies, and live entertainment. Along Obregon St. behind the church.
Every Friday 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Farmers Market Palmilla Shoppes
Every Friday 6:00-9:00 PM
Art Fest, downtown Cabo San Lucas. Artists are exhibiting their art in the little Plaza by the church in downtown Cabo. Also music, fire twirling, drum playing, clowns, acrobats, dances and etc. Businesses in the area offer special discounts and events.

Every Saturday 8:00 AM to Noon
Organic market in the Pedretal

Every Saturday 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
San Jose Organic Market at Huerta Maria on the Los Animas road across from the Jockey Club.

Every Saturday 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Golden Cactus Gallery in downtown Cabo San Lucas will feature a different live artist who will talk about his/her paintings, sculptures, poetry, music, singing, photography, performances, writings, or dancing. On Hidalgo corner with Zapata street. www.goldencactusgallery.com

Every Sunday 11:00 AM
Movie Club. Lumiere, Childrens classic movies at the marine museum in San Jose del Cabo

Every Sunday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Flea Market in the same place as the Organic Market across from the Jockey Club

Every Sunday 7:00-11:00 AM
Bicycle, walk, skate or drag your pet around downtown Cabo. The main drag in Cabo San Lucas closes to vehicle traffic. Great opportunity to exercise and mingle with local families. Each week a different activity such as spinning, aerobics, or Zumba lessons. clubcactusbike@tmail.com

November 2, 2011 All Souls Day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

November 2, 2011
One day, 230 kilometer (135 miles) bicycle ride. Participants may ride all four sections of the tour or the one of their choice. The rides will be: Cabo San Lucas to San Jose (17.5 miles). San Jose to Los Barriles (41 miles), Los Barailles to San Bartolo, San Antonio, and el Triunfo to the Y intersection to Todos Santos (47 miles), and finally from the Y intersection to Todos Santos (29.5 miles). $800 to the winning team. Sign up at www.giraXtreme.com. 624-123-5280

November 27, 2011
Third Annual Festival DArte, La Paz. At Marina Palmira. This is an Art Fair with art to buy, food booths, and live music.

Mexico Travel Tips

nanci — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:01:55 +0000

When visiting Mexico you are taking a journey into a foreign culture where some things are done differently. Here are some useful tips for your visit and to assure that you will have a good time in Mexico.

When Stopped by the Police
When stopped by the police be polite but firm. There is no need to pay the officer any money and you are not required to show your passport. If stopped for a traffic violation the standard procedure is to surrender your driver’s license. At this point you have the choice of following the officer to the station to pay your fine or go to the station later to pay your fine and retrieve your license. At the time you pay the fine your license will be returned to you. They don’t want your license and they don’t want you in their jail. Many times when the police stop you they are looking for a bribe. Just say no. Most of the time the officer will let you off with a warning and give your license back to you. If not, the worst thing is that you make a trip to the station. As you are on your way to the station think of the great story you will have to share with your friends when you return home.

In Need of Medical Services
If you need medical help we have a local doctor we recommend to our clients that we have used ourselves. He is knowledgeable, fair, and reasonably priced. Most hotels have a Dr.on call. Wherever you end up for medical care take a polite but firm hand. If a procedure is suggested that you feel is not warranted stand firm. A common typical procedure is to automatically hook up and IV. Use your best judgment and don’t be intimidated. Make sure you ask how much each procedure is going to cost before allowing the procedure. In an emergency situation it is advisable to have a friend or family member with you.

Using Credit Cards
We rarely use credit cards when traveling internationally. The simple fact is there is more credit card fraud in Mexico than in the US. If you use your credit card check your balance frequently to look for activity that is not your own. ATM’s are easily found and using an ATM to get the cash you need may be a better choice.

Think Smart, Act Smart
Don’t take chances. Don’t walk down the street alone, drunk and after midnight. This is good advice no matter where you are in the world. Don’t associate with anyone on the street after midnight. If someone offers you drugs or sex, keep walking, don’t stop. Don’t even slow down to say no. If you do you are then associating with drug dealers.

Gas Stations
In the 10 years I have lived in Cabo I have been taken twice. You can’t fill your own tank so are dependent upon the guy at the pump. With the exchange between dollars and pesos, and change with a foreign currency visitors are easy marks. For instance the 50 peso is a magenta color and the 100 pesos bill is red. Upon giving the attendant a $100 peso bill and waiting for change he reported I had given him only a 50 peso bill. I argued but lost the argument. A better plan is to make sure the attendant sees the bill you are using and naming the bill. Look them in the eye and tell them the amount you will spend. They will move their shell game to someone less alert.

Changing Money
Everyone takes dollars but not at the same exchange rate. Most places will give you a price in dollars and in pesos. Ask what rate they are using and then compare to make sure you are paying an equal amount. Many places will bring your change in pesos after you have paid in dollars. Again, confirm the exchange rate to make sure you have the correct change. We usually exchange our dollars at a bank or ATM for the best rate.

Consumer Complaints
Profeco is Mexico’s agency for consumer complaints. The website is www.profeco.gob.mx. To file a report in English go to http://www.profeco.gob.mx/english.htm and click on “quejas y denuncias”. Profeco is one of Mexico’s most respected government branches and famous for not being corrupt.

I believe a great part of Mexico’s charm is the wonderful people. However, as in all communities around the world, there are those who would take advantage of those that appear vulnerable. The best posture is to be alert, and polite but firm in any situation. The Mexican people love tourists, are helpful and want you to enjoy your stay.

Wines of Baja California

nanci — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:14:15 +0000

When we drive the Baja Peninsula from Phoenix to Cabo San Lucas we prefer to cross the border at the beautiful town of Tecate. This road takes us through some of the wine country of Baja California. On one trip we stopped at the L.A. Cetto Winery for a short tour and some tasting.

Until about 10 years ago you rarely found a Mexican wine on wine lists anywhere. Today, Mexican wines and particularly Baja Wines are popular and sought after by some of the world’s most refined wine lovers. About 90% of all Mexican wine grapes are grown in Baja California. The wine producing areas include San Antonio de las Minas, San Vicente Valley, and Santo Tomas Valley. We stayed in Santo Tomas several times on our treks to Cabo San Lucas when crossing late at the TJ border. There is a motel and restaurant right on the main highway. The small motel is clean and the restaurant has great food, full bar and small gift shop.

Wine experts say that the hallmark of the Baja’s complex, interesting vintages, is a salty, mineral taste. This is a result of the cooling Pacific breezes and mists as well as the salt deposits peppering the ground throughout the area.

Mexican wine making history goes back the very first arrival of Herman Cortes in 1519. However, the information really begins in 1597, when Hacienda del San Lorenzo was founded. Even though this was not the first winery in the Western Hemisphere, this winery was the pioneer to commercial wine making in Mexico. It is located in the northeastern state of Coahuila.

The first winery in Baja, Bodegas Santo Tomas, was established in 1888 on the vineyard of the former Dominican Santo Tomas Mission. In the mid 1990’s we saw what is known as a renaissance of quality in the Baja wines. Winemakers started planting internationally known grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon along with the traditional, local grape varietals such as the Mission grape turning their efforts to quality rather than quantity.

Currently, at least 25 vineyards are operating in Baja. The four largest are Domecq, L.A. Cetto, Bodegas’ Santo Tomas and Monte Xanic. Several boutique wineries are currently producing small quantity, high value wines. Those boutique wineries include Adobe Guadalupe, Casa de Piedra and Chateau Camou.

Many of the local restaurants in Los Cabos are now offering Mexican wines on their wine lists helping to build a national wine tradition and identity. If you want to take some home, Baja vintages can be found at La Europea, Tutto Bene

Cabo San Lucas’ Sea of Cortez

nanci — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:10:56 +0000

This beautiful body of water is known as the world’s youngest sea. The Baja Peninsula is the world’s third longest peninsula with over 2000 miles of coastline. The cool waters of the Pacific Ocean are found off the west coast and the much warmer Sea of Cortez is on the east. The Sea of Cortez is a thousand-mile ocean trench between the Baja on the west and the Sierra de la Madre Mountains of mainland Mexico on the east.

It is recorded that about 4-6 million years ago, a segment of the East Pacific Rise split, separating Baja from mainland Mexico shifting the Baja and much of southern California in a northwesterly direction. Organisms flourished in the sea created and the Sea of Cortez is now home to at least 3,000 species of marine creatures. It is known to have the richest abundance of sea life of anywhere on the planet.

The Sea of Cortez was discovered by Spaniard Francisco Ulloa in 1540. He named it for Hernan Cortes and although its official name is the Gulf of California, it’s widely known as the Sea of Cortes, the original name given.

The Colorado River empties into the northern end of the Sea of Cortes. At this point the area is flat and shallow with tides that vary by almost a mile between highs and lows and a heavily silted bottom.

The lower portion of the Sea of Cortes is a deep trough between the continental blocks that comprise the American continent and the Pacific shelf. The initial drop is about 2500 feet but just south of Cabo the depth increases to about 4,000 feet. The waters are warm ranging from 65 degrees in the winter to 88 degrees in the summer.

Most of the shoreline of the Baja is inaccessible by road and largely uninhabited. There are rugged islands surrounded by pristine bays that dot the Sea of Cortez. Jacques Cousteau, how explored the region, referred to the sea as the “world’s aquarium.” The Sea is renowned for its sport fishing, diving, snorkeling, boating and windsurfing. The amazing bounty includes shrimp, yellow fin tuna, dorado, red snapper, squid, black and striped marlin, sailfish and a huge variety of tropical reef fish.

Catch and release has become more common than not and the Mexican government has made efforts to prevent this rich sea from being fished dry. Cabo Pulmo, located on the East Cape has been designated as an underwater national park. Divers and snorkelers are welcome but no one may fish in this area.

A variety of water activities are offered in Cabo and there are several weeklong adventure and wildlife cruises that depart from Cabo, going as far north as Loreto. Whether you enjoy the Sea of Cortez in Los Cabos or take a longer cruise, this body of water is worth the adventure.

****Photo: Punta Chivato near Mulege on the Sea of Cortez