Living In Baja Norte - Roy Warfield Realtor

The Case of the "Left Behind Sombrero!!!"

Recently my brother in law, Christopher visited us here in San Diego.  He lives most of the year in a home that he and my sister Laura built just east of San Jose del Cabo in Baja California Sur.  Unfortunately my sister Laura passed away in March 2011 due to complications from MS.

We spent a few days in San Diego and then he and I were off to Ensenada to see some friends and buy a new hat for a wedding that he was attending shortly after he returned to the San Jose area.  In Ensenada we found this great store on Calle Ruiz that had exactly what he wanted so he bought a very nice Stetson white cowboy hat.

The next day he was flying back to Los Cabos at 3pm and I had a business meeting in San Diego at 2:30pm.  I dropped Chris at the Tijuana airport at around 1:30 and said, "adiós cunado"...and he was off. A few minutes later he called me from his cell phone and asked, "where are you"? I told him that I was just about to get into the line at the Otay border crossing and asked, "why"?  He said that he had left his new hat in the backseat of my car and wondered if I had time to get it back to him.

I quickly pulled out of the line and onto a very busy street near the Otay border crossing.  I called Chris back and said that I don't think I have time to return to the airport and then be on time for my meeting in San Diego.  I told him that I needed a moment to think and that I'd call him back soon.

The street I was currently parked on was quite busy with three lanes of traffic going both ways...cars, trucks, buses, and taxis just whizzing by....wait...did you say "taxis"?  Hmmm...what if I hire a taxi to run the hat back to the airport....now that's an idea.  I called Chris to run my idea by him and he said, "go for it"....

I got out of my car and within three or four minutes a taxi pulled over and I shared with him my dilemma in Spanish explaining our situation and describing my brother in law so he would know to whom to give the hat. I also told him that Chris would be paying him once he received the sombrero.  He agreed so I gave him the hat and he was off to the airport.

I called Chris telling him that an orange and white taxi number 3710 was enroute to the airport with his new hat.  I, in turn, headed to cross the border because I still wanted to be on time for my San Diego meeting.

About ten minutes later my phone rang.  It was Chris telling me that he had gotten his hat back.  I asked him what the taxi driver charged him and he said, "I dunno....I just gave him a $20 bill".  I said that was very generous of you....what did he say?  Chris replied, "Feliz Navidad"!

Spanish company to build Baja California's first large desal plant

A Spanish company has been selected to build and operate Baja California’s first large-scale desalination plant, a reverse osmosis facility that is expected to supply drinking water to more than 96,000 people in Ensenada.

Efraín Muñoz, head of the Baja California State Water Commission, said in an interview on Friday that OHL Medio Ambiente Inima this week was awarded the contract to design, build and operate the $41.5-million plant.

The plant’s planned capacity is for 5.7 million gallons a day, and is expected to begin operating by the end of 2013. Inima built and operates the Los Cabos reverse osmosis desalination plant, currently Mexico’s largest, with a capacity for five million gallons a day.

The planned Ensenada plant, known as El Salitral, is to be located on state-owned property and would serve the community of Maneadero, located south of the port of Ensenada.

The cost of building the desalination plant would be shared by Inima and Mexico’s federal government. Under the terms of the contract, expected to be signed later this month, the company would operate the plant for 20 years. Muñoz said the state received seven bids for the project.

Planners have for years been concerned about the scarcity of water in Ensenada, which is supplied mainly by aquifers. “The aquifers are growing increasingly saline, and the availability of water in Ensenada is more and more limited,” Muñoz said.

In another measure aimed at augmenting and diversifying Ensenada's water sources, the state for the first time plans to bring water from the Colorado River to the city through the Guadalupe Valley. Muñoz said that the idea is to build a pipe that would lead from Tecate to the Guadalupe valley, then transfer the water to Ensenada through an existing aqueduct.

From the San Diego Union Tribune

Netflix Now Available in Mexico!

As of Monday, Sept. 12, Netflix was made available over the internet in Mexico.

It costs $99 pesos per month, about $8 USD.

The selection does not seem to be as vast as in the U.S., but it is still a welcome addition.

If you have a laptop computer, you can easily connect it to your HD TV with an HDMI cable.

First Disney Cruise Ship is Visiting Ensenada!

September 24th the cruise  ship "Wonder" of the Disney cruise line will arrive in Ensenada in what will be the first trip when it enters this port on a journey from Vancouver Canada,  the Ensenada Tourism Officer José Ángel León confirmed.

This visit falls on a Saturday, is provided by the tourism authorities and port of Ensenada a welcome reception at the captain and officers of the ship.

Disney's boat is one of the largest and depth that have entered the Port of Ensenada, which is feasible after the last dredging, which expanded the depth of docks and canal.

The ship "Wonder" Disney Cruise Line is a megacrucero of 294 meters (length) and 32 wide (wide).

Is a vessel according to the data sheet on the Internet the ship was built in 1999 and renovated in 2006 and navigates under the Bahamas flag

Its maximum passenger capacity is 2500 people with  950 crew members aboard.

The "Wonder" is a luxury cruise ship designed for family travel includes activities for children and adults on board.

The Disney cruise will be in Ensenada at noon until 18:00 hours.

Gourmet cheeses crafted in Baja's wine country

 

Gourmet cheeses crafted in Baja's wine country

Climate, location are ideal to produce exceptional taste

ENSENADA – Traveling two hours to taste cheese may seem absurd.

But don't tell that to Martín Hernández, who has spent 65 of his 80 years selling cheese in a downtown Tijuana market.

"The Ramonetti cheese is not only the best in the region, but also one of the best in all of Mexico," he said. "The flavor is unlike anything you have ever tasted."

Hernández is a connoisseur. He samples and sells the best Mexican cheeses at mercado El Popo, such as Cotija from Michoacán, dry cheeses from Guerrero, and specialties from Oaxaca and Chiapas. Of a visit to the birthplace of Baja California cheese he said simply, "You won't regret it."

That was the preamble for a trip to Real del Castillo, located in the area of Ojos Negros about an hour east of Ensenada. It's a tiny town of 2,474 residents living in a valley situated 2,200 feet high surrounded by mountains.

"It's a very arid place, with little water, and little employment. That's where you can find 30 craft cheese makers, from the same number of families. The very conditions of the place led them a long time ago to produce cheese," explained a state agriculture official, Marco Antonio Soubervielle.

Of all the producers, only Marcelo Castro has an expansive spread to showcase his cheeses. He has a farm with large, organic pastures and cattle raised without any hormones or additives. Then there's the cellar located some 12 feet underground with a capacity to store 10,000 cheeses. They are made using a secret formula that's one hundred years old.

The cellar offers cheese tastings for up to 30 people in a bohemian ambiance, at half-light. Guests are offered a glass of red wine from the Ramonetti 1911 label – which the house also produces from its vineyards in the Valle de Guadalupe – and samples of the seven cheeses the family produces.

Castro, 39, is the great-grandson of Pedro Ramonetti, a Swiss immigrant with Italian roots who arrived in Ensenada at the end of the 19th century and who the then-president of Mexico personally made a Mexican citizen in 1898.

The immigrant was famous for making fresh cheese.

"The taste of one of my cheeses is soft and creamy, with a tenuous acid aftertaste," said Castro standing in front a garden-restaurant, where a dozen people feasted on one of his dishes, part of the Baja Med cuisine.

Though his formula is secret, Castro said that the 30 craft cheese makers in Real del Castillo have "the same soul." That's to say, each family has their own recipe but they share the same personality.

That character is born from the area's water, which comes from the mountains; the pastures, which are not fertilized nor treated with insecticides; and the earth, rich with minerals. The dairy cows consume all of that and their milk is used to make the cheese, Castro explained.

In addition, he said, the region's climates help produce two types of cheese. In the winter, when the cold freezes the pastures and with it the proteins they contain, the cows produce thick milk that is used to make creamy cheeses; while in summer, when the pasture is shorter and the cattle drink more water, the cows produce thinner milk that yields drier cheeses.

According to the Baja California Agriculture Department, the town of Real del Castillo produces 24 tons of craft cheese a month, around 15 per cent from the Ramonetti house.

Castro explained that 85 per cent of his production is fresh cheese, while the rest is aged cheese that sits in his cellar between six months and two years; the latter are ideal with bread and a good red wine.

Most of his cheese is sent to gourmet restaurants in Mexico City, Cancún, Valle de Bravo, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas; in addition to the distribution in Baja California. All types of his cheese can be obtained in Tijuana, at Mercado Hidalgo, in the Río zone, and in Mercado El Popo, downtown.

Teresa Pérez, 72, has been selling cheese from all of the producers in Real del Castillo for 47 years from her grocery store Abarrotes El Crucero, on the outskirts of Ojos Negros.

"They are like wine, some have been aged longer, others are drier, other cheeses are fresher, have more whey or are a little saltier or creamier … but they all have the genius that comes from the earth."

The Ramonetti cheeses, she added, are sturdy, mature. They can be enjoyed in appetizers, in salads or melted over pastas and sauces, where all their exquisite aromas fill the air.

Much like Valle de Guadalupe, northeast of Ensenada where 80 per cent of the Mexico's wines are produced, Real del Castillo maintains an idealized air of country life, a world apart from the urban hustle and bustle.

After visiting there, the concept of enjoying together wine and the cheese from the same region makes sense. The experience is unparalleled and the trip to taste a cheese – actually 30 of them – is very much worth the journey.

From San Diego Red

 

Baja: One Man's Perfect Retirement Destination - from the Baja Times

My name is Peter Fowler. I`m from Honolulu, Hawaii, the 50th State of the United States of America. I`m retired and I live in Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico. I first heard about Mexico as a possible retirement destination for me about five years ago when I was watching the evening news by a well known commentator from the Columbia Broadcasting System by the name of Dan Rather. He said there was a lot of activity at the border. That was not news. We all know that. But then he said, the activity went both ways. He said Americans are flocking south of the border in big numbers to retire in Mexico. That got my attention. I decided to check it out so I headed south of the border, never to return. When I arrived in Mexico I realized there was some information I needed - very important information such as what to do if victimized; Mexican Real Estate laws if I wanted to rent or buy a home; visas and immigration so I would not be an illegal alien; bringing household goods across the border; auto insurance considerations; health care; the Mexican criminal justice system (one is considered guilty until proven innocent); banking; and importing prescription drugs. I did some research and started writing stories. I became a staff writer for the Baja Times where my stories were published. But I realized these stories would soon be forgotten, so I wrote a book, Good Info for Gringos Living in Baja. After living in Mexico for over five years and traveling throughout the country I find the culture and customs of Mexico vibrant in life and song, and brilliant in color, including buildings, inside and out. The many houses on the hills of Guanajuato, for example, each painted a different color, are truly a sight to behold. It is absolutely breath-taking Of possible interest is that Mexico has a long and distinguished literary tradition. Juan Rulfo wrote two of the most influential works in the history of Latin-American literature. Octavia Paz won the Nobel Literature Prize in 1990 for his poetry. The city of Guadalajara hosts the International Book Fair of the Spanish-speaking world. Mexico is synonymous with Diego Rivera, the world renowned artist, and his wife, Frida Kahlo. Mexico City, one of the most interesting in the world, is far richer in culture than most believe. The capital city is buzzing with 22 million people. Known for its restaurants, nightlife and traffic jams, it is surprisingly clean, dignified and gracious. I believe it has the richest cultural heritage in all Latin America. Mexico City has four cultural World Heritage sites - more than any other city in the world, with 160 museums. The National Anthropology Museum has Rivera`s studio, his paintbrushes, his first mural, and his wife's house. The Dolores Olmedo Museum has 150 Rivera works. Questions about safety inevitably come up and cannot be ignored. I wanted the truth. We joke about it not being safe to drive to Mexico if you`re driving through Los Angeles – that`s because the media dwells on the negative. I have never seen a gun, except on police and military personnel, heard a shot, or seen a dead body. The fact is, Mexico is one of the safest countries in Latin America, and by far it is safer than the USA. As a result of various foreign interventions in Mexican history, foreigners are forbidden from getting mixed up in Mexican politics. Violators can be deported, which happens occasionally. I say it`s a real good idea to respect Mexico and stay totally out of politics. Some brief points about the history of Mexico: For millions of years ethnic groups flourished in Central America. Each had its own language, customs and traditions. Then, in 1519, came the Spanish Conquistadors, first exploring, then conquering. They were occupiers. They ruled what is known today as Mexico for over 300 years. In 1810 there was a revolt against the Spanish and in 1821 independence from Spain was declared, celebrated in Mexico as Diá de la Independencia. Then came Santa Ana and the Alamo, and Maximilian, and finally Benito Juarez, who, with great moral courage and honesty, upheld civil law and opposed the privileges of the clerics and the army. He declared the independence of the state from the church. He became a hero and in every city you will see a Benito Juarez Boulevar. I live on Boulevar Juarez in Rosarito Beach. Then came the Mexican Revolution of 1911, and Pancho Villa, and ultimately a constitution was approved in 1917. and elections in 2000 brought Vicente Fox who was followed in 2006 by Mexico`s current president, Felipe Calderon Mexico is the perfect destination for retiring Americans and Canadians. Come on down and test the water. It`s a safe and comfortable place to be. (from the Baja Times)

Group Plans to Build 193-slip Marina Victoria in Ensenada

By: Capt. Pat Rains | Wednesday, June 22, 2011 11:33:00 AM (The Log)

ENSENADA, Mexico -- Ensenada's port administration has awarded a 30-year contract to a multinational group to build and operate Marina Victoria, a 193-slip marina in Ensenada Harbor.   Photo by: API Ensenada Coming Soon -- Marina Victoria will provide 193 new slips in Ensenada's harbor. The footprint of the project includes waterfront parks, restaurants and at least one hotel.   Licenciado Juan Carlos Ochoa Morales, the port of Ensenada's trade development manager, said Promotora de Baja California will begin construction of the new marina and its adjacent property in February 2012, and it is scheduled to open in March 2013. The new marina will be located between Cruiseport Village Marina and Baja Naval Marina, in the tourist section of downtown at the foot of the giant flag on the pedestrian walkway. The project's footprint on land and sea encompasses about 23.5 acres. "The project is named Marina Victoria after the name of the ship in which the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered the Bay of San Mateo" in 1542, Ochoa said. That bay is now called Ensenada de Todos Santos, and the port of Ensenada lies at the head of the bay inside two large breakwaters. Ochoa said the new Marina Victoria will focus on sailboats, powerboats, mega-yachts and sportfishing vessels -- not cruise ships. He said the new marina will provide docking services, maintenance and minor repairs afloat, a fuel station, power, water, waste collection and sewage disposal, among other services. A marine hardware store, tackle shop, food and beverage area, Internet café and harbormaster service will be part of Marina Victoria. Public walkways and green areas around the marina will have restrooms and children's playgrounds. "An exciting feature of Marina Victoria will be the slip mix, targeting the attraction of mega-yachts," Ochoa said. He added that 27 percent of the slips will be built for mega-yachts 90 to 125 feet in length and 38 percent will be for yachts 60 to 90 feet in length, "keeping 36 percent for the traditional market of (boats) up to 50 feet in length." Promotora de Baja is a consortium of Mexican and U.S. businesses, Ochoa said. Besides the marina, their contract with the Authority of Integrated Ports (API) calls for the development of a 50-room business-class hotel, a health and beauty spa, restaurants, a pharmacy and a tourist information center with tour sales, Mediterranean architecture and an acoustic shell for music and dining events -- such as Ensenada's annual wine tasting and culinary festivals. Ochoa said Promotora de Baja California is a successful partner in another popular marina: Isla Navidad Resort and Marina in Barra Navidad, Jalisco. He said the consortium has "a solid background developing and financing infrastructure projects in Mexico" and a good network of contacts in the marina industry along Pacific Mexico and Southern California. Ensenada, 60 miles south of the border, is the primary arrival port for U.S. and Canadian yachts entering Mexico, thanks to the Central Integrated Services (CIS) office that provides streamlined international port clearance. The only other CIS office in Mexico is located at Cancun, on the Caribbean coast. About 800 slips of various sizes are found in the Ensenada area at La Salina, Hotel Coral, Baja Naval, Sergio's, Banditos and Cruiseport Village. However, at times of the year, many of the existing marinas have been filled, and long-term overnight anchoring is not allowed inside the busy harbor. Last week's announcement of the new marina contract culminates three years of requests for proposals and refinements. For more information in English about the new Marina Victoria project in Ensenada harbor, visit puertoensenada.com.mx/English.

Center for collection and distribution of fish in the Northwest Mexico

MEXICO
Wednesday, June 29, 2011, 04:10 (GMT + 9)

The authorities of Sonora, Sinaloa, Baja California and Southern Baja California signed a historic and unprecedented agreement to create a National Fishing and Aquaculture Collection and Distribution Center in the Northwest Region.

Through this center, the authorities intend to take advantage of the 6,500 kilometers of coastline shared by those states near Mar de Cortés.

The collection center will be located in the city of Tijuana and the idea is to make it similar to the Spanish market Mercamadrid, which was visited last week by a delegation from Baja California led by its Governor, José Guadalupe Osuna Millán.

According to the governor of Baja California, Mercamadrid is a benchmark for the distribution and marketing of seafood products sold in the European market.

During the visit to Spain, the Mexican delegation was received by the director of Mercamadrid, Antonio Roldán Bonilla, who explained the business model, and hygienic practices and market rules in operation since 1973, El Financiero reported.

Fish market. (Photo:Luis Eustaquio, FIS)

Those who traveled were the Secretary for Economic Development, Alejandro Mungaray; the Secretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Carlos Fernández Ruiz; the representative of the Government of Baja California in the European Union, Rocío Amador; the Secretary of Agricultural Development, Antonio Rodríguez Hernández; and the Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare, Renato Sandoval Franco.

Osuna Millan stressed that the northwest region concentrates 55 per cent of the national coastline, 75 per cent of fish production and 65 per cent of all aquaculture production.

He also recalled that last May, authorities of the four Mexican states agreed to develop specific agreements and to work on issues connected to economic development, security, social welfare and public works, among others.

Besides the creation of the collection center, the parties agreed to promote the strengthening of Mariculture and Seed Production, to create the System of Artisanal Fishermen and to strengthen the exchange of information to harmonize the development of aquaculture and fisheries in the region.

The agreements were signed by Mario López Valdés, governor of Sinaloa; Osuna Millán; Marcos Covarrubias Villaseñor, from Southern Baja California; and Guillermo Padrés, from Sonora.

Baja Revisited!

I often get questions about the safety of the Baja region.  In answering I feel I can only share my direct experiences which have all been very positive.  I have been working in Baja for more than four years now and I haven't had one single problem. The people are friendly and really appreciate me being there.

This article appeared in this week's addition of the San Diego Reader.  It's another mans view.

 Baja Revisited!

By Brandon Walter | Published Thursday, June 2, 2011

San Diego Reader

Recently a close friend and I embarked on a two-week road trip that took us from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, the tip of Baja California, Mexico.

We’d been discussing such a trip for weeks on end. We fantasized about the uncrowded waves we would score and delicious seafood we would eat in abundance. The two of us recounted several stories from past trips we had taken in Mexico and about how great those experiences had been. Stories about friendly, laid-back locals, fun, uncrowded surf, and hanging out on the beach sipping on cold cervezas.

Despite all the good times we’d had in the past visiting Baja, we were still quite apprehensive to take such a trip and visit our infamous neighbors to the south. After all, living in San Diego, there’s no shortage of horror stories about what happens in Mexico: everything from tales of bribery and drugs being planted on tourists to stories about decapitations and how children's freshly killed carcasses are used to smuggle drugs across the border.

These days the stories are predominantly linked to the recent activity with the drug cartels. You read these stories and hear them on the local news, but mostly you hear seemingly exaggerated accounts of what goes on – through acquaintances, whose sources are unknown. Regardless of your level of skepticism, it’s difficult to not feel a little "sketched out" when thinking about traveling across the border these days.

So after serious consideration on driving into Baja, which neither of us had done in at least four years, I began to do some research. Mostly reading articles and threads on online forums. What I found out did not surprise me; however, it did enlighten the subject. Here are a few key points that I found reassuring:

First, the majority of cartel-related crime takes place in the border cities. This meant as soon as we were out of T.J we would be fine.

Second, among those crimes, those involved almost always were either members of the cartels or government officials or family members of either. Good for us we don’t fall into any of those groups.

Third, and probably the most astonishing (or not), is that the American media over-dramatizes what’s taking place in Mexico. The stretching of facts and the lack of journalistic integrity do not portray an accurate picture of the situation there. Furthermore, both the L.A Times and the Union-Tribune are notorious for re-printing old stories and embellishing the truth about cartel-related news. Presumably their reason could be competition over tourist dollars – cause if they're not spending that money in Mexico, they're spending it here.

So after much thought we decided to go for it. We loaded up my buddy’s old Volkswagen Vanagon with surfboards and camping supplies. We bought our Mexican insurance and picked up our recommended tourist visas.

The trip was nothing short of awesome – aside from some pretty brutal "topes" and the starter dying in the van, we encountered no problems. We did not even have to bribe any cops. I can honestly say I felt totally safe the whole trip. Our van was searched several times (pretty much at every checkpoint). This is simply protocol, as the government is actually trying to do something about the cartels. The federales were kind, happy people to deal with and it was actually a nice break to get out, stretch your legs and talk to someone else.

The roads were not perfect but really not bad at all. They’re currently being upgraded to a four-lane system. Completion is expected sometime in 2013, and the progress can be seen best between La Paz and Todos Santos – that highway is as good as anything in the states.

We had a great trip and did exactly what we planned. We surfed uncrowded waves, ate plenty of amazing seafood, and of course drank a few cervezas. We were happy to spend our tourist dollars in a well-deserving place. Businesses are struggling down there; where most of them depend on tourists, this was sad to see.

Mexico is not the horrible place the media makes it out to be. Travel there is still safe regardless of the current "threat level color."

But this article isn’t about how you should go to Baja and spend a little time and money – even though you should. The point is that anywhere you go in the world, whether it be Mexico, Paris or just down the street, you should always keep your head on a swivel, always be mindful of possible dangers. And second, learn to think critically – don’t always take someone else's word as the end-all truth.

Go out and find your own truth!

Volaris, Mexico's discount airline will begin flights from San Diego to Mexico this summer.

I have flown on Volaris three or four times now.  Once to Mexico City via Toluca and the others were all to Los Cabos.   Each time I have flown on Volaris I cross the border at San Ysidro and take a cab to nearby Rodriguez Field, also known as Tijuana's International Airport. 

I have enjoyed Volaris because the flights are well priced, bags fly free ( with certain weight restrictions) and the cocktails are included.  The airplanes have been clean and modern Airbuses and have been operated right on schedule.  I am not sure if all of the above will be true when they start San Diego service in mid July to just two cities....Mexico City and Guadalajara.

But I can tell you right now that I'll be booking one of these flights....probably to Guadalajara....a very beautiful city.

You can read the entire article here: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/may/12/volaris-launch-flights-sd-mexico-july/ 

Pass the Salt Please!

March 23, 2011

If you've had the chance to read the previous post called "Reach Out and Touch a Whale",  then you'll know that I recently visited Guerrero Negro, Mexico to hang out with the gray whales in their winter breeding grounds. 

As it turns out Guerrero Negro is famous for three things:

    1. GN is home of the 28th parallel where the State of Baja California becomes the State of Baja California Sur.  Its the stateline.

    2. GN is one of the world's few breeding grounds for the gray whales.  The others are in Mexico as well!

    3. GN is home to the world's largest salt exporting company.

On our last day in Guerrero Negro, our tour coordinator and fearless leader, Tillie Foster of Ensenada had scheduled our group for an optional tour of the world's largest salt exporting company officially known as Exportadora de Sal, S.A., of C.V.  In English that translates to Salt Exporters, Inc.  I am so glad that I signed on to attend as I was very impressed by their operation. The company produces around seven million tons of salt per annum, exporting to countries including Japan, Korea, the US, Canada, Taiwan and New Zealand.

The company was founded by an American named Daniel Ludwig in 1957, however, in 1973 he sold it to the Mexican government  (51%) and the Japanese Corporation Mitsubishi (49%).  That successful partnership continues today!

This is an amazing operation because they use sea water as the raw material for their product while the sun does most of the work. All they are left to do is harvest the salt and ship it all over the world.  The sea water in this particular part of the world has double the salinity of most sea water, making this an ideal location to harvest salt.  We were told that the company owns 134,000 acres and 54 salt patties.  To be honest, I am not sure if "salt patties" is the correct descriptive term, however, they certainly reminded me of rice patties without the rice so for lack of a better term I am going to use "salt patties".

The salt patties are flooded with approximately three feet of ocean water.  Once flooded, they let nature takes its course and evaporate the water over six to eight months.  That leaves them with about a foot of salt which they then grade into furrows and harvest quickly.

This is a salt pattie:   These are flooded with three feet of sea water and then allowed to sit and evaporate.

A salt pattie up close following the six to eight month evaporation process:

Once the evaporation process is complete they use this grader to create the furrows:

Once the furrows are created, this mobile conveyor belt lifts the sand into this triple gondola.

Is it just me or doesn't it seem like it should be really cold here?  Yet, the temp was about 65 degrees....

Each of the gondolas hold approx. 120 tons of salt.  I am 6'2" and the gondolas dwarf me!

Once the gondola is full, it makes the short trip to the unloading dock where all 360 tons are dumped in less than 30 seconds.

The salt is dumped from the bottom of the gondolas onto a series of conveyor belts and given a quick rinse.

Once rinsed, the salt travels via a series of conveyor belts to this huge pile waiting to be loaded onto the barges.

It sort of looks like part of a snow removal project in Minnesota.....

This barge is being towed by a tugboat on the way to Cidros Island where the salt will be transferred to a cargo ship.

The trip between Guerrero Negro and Cidros Island is about 40 miles and it takes the barge approximately 12 hours to make the trip.  The barges are necessary because the lagoon waters are too shallow for the cargo ships so the salt must be transported to Cidros Island where the transfer occurs.

The company currently works around the clock, seven days a week, 24 hours a day while employing approximately 1,500 people.  The tour we enjoyed was the side of the company that provides world wide industrial salt.  In additon, there is division of the company that produces salt for consumption, however, tours were not available.

If you're ever in this part of Mexico and you have the chance to tour these facilities, I would give it a big thumbs up and say give it a shot.  It's quite amazing!

Reach Out and Touch a Gray Whale! Now with Video!

March 19, 2011

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of going to Guerrero Negro, Mexico to do a little whale watching.  Guerrero Negro is about half way down the Baja Peninsula on the Pacific side, and is the northern most city in Baja Califonia Sur.  Tillie Foster of the San NicoIas Hotel put this group of about thirty people together, twenty or so live in Mexico, and the other ten were from the states.  Our chartered bus left Ensenada at about 7:30am on Monday morning, March 7, and we began the eleven hour journey to Guerrero Negro. One of the reasons it took us about eleven hours is that we stopped for a leisurely two hour lunch at Mama Espinoza's in El Rosario where many in our group started lunch with margaritas and beer since we were in no hurry.  By the way, lunch was fabulous, especially the lobster burritos.

Here is our bus and driver Raul stopped at Mama Espinoza's for lunch.

We continued our journey south, and a little later we made a second stop in Cataviña.  Just so you know, it's a two lane highway all the way, so our driver Raul had to maneuver the bus carefully, and he was excellent at keeping things smooth through the hills and switchbacks.  The road itself was in great shape, but it is definitely a rural highway as we had to stop twice for cows on the highway. Cataviña is 118 kms or about 74 miles south of El Rosario and the boulder fields just north of Cataviña are some of the most spectacular in all of Mexico.  All types of cactus growing between the rocks adds to the beauty of this place.  We stopped for about 30 minutes at the La Pinta Hotel to stretch our legs, use the facilities, and admire the beautiful scenery.  Cataviña is part of the Valle de los Cirios.

I shot this photo from just behind the La Pinta Hotel.

We departed Cataviña and Raul drove us non-stop to Guerrero Negro, arriving at about 6:30pm.  Because we had crossed into the State of Baja California Sur, it was necessary for us to set our watches ahead one hour.  Time to check into the hotel, grab a shower, dinner, and get some rest for our first morning on the water with the whales. Most of the group stayed at the Los Caracoles Hotel, while a few others stayed at the nearby Cowboy Hotel.

Hotel Los Caracoles

The next morning, we were picked up at 7am from our hotels and whisked over to Mario's Tours and Restaurant.  This was to be our first morning with the whales, and Tillie had arranged a group breakfast and briefing so that we would know what to expect as we got out to the lagoons.  Breakfast was great and soon we were in the briefing room with Cynthia, who was telling us about the migrating patterns of the gray whales.  The gray whale migrates between its summer feeding grounds in the North Pacific and Bering Sea and its winter breeding grounds in the lagoons of Baja California, a round trip of 12,0000 miles. She shared with us that the gray whales have been visting the lagoons of Mexico for thousands of years, and that they begin arriving as early as mid December.  It's usually the males that go in first to scout out any trouble and take care of any problems, then the females and babies come in and stay until the end of March.  In late March / early April, they begin their three month, 6,000 mile journey up along the Pacific Coast to the Bering Sea of Alaska where they will feed for approximately the next ninety days, and around the end of September, they commence their journey back to the lagoons of Mexico and so the cycle goes year after year.  Cynthia also stated that these gray whales live to be 60-80 years old, and for the most part, the females calve every other year with the gestation period being 12 to 13 months. The gray whales feed in Alaska primarily on bottom zooplankton during the summer months, and although some instances of feeding have been reported during the migration route and in Baja California, it is believed that the bulk of their nutrition is taken in their polar feeding grounds. 

Our guide Cynthia in the briefing room

Finally, it was time to head for the lagoons.  We reboarded the same buses and took the quick twenty minute trip through the town of Guerrero Negro and the grounds of the world's largest salt exporting company to our launching point.  Once we arrived, everyone was encouraged to use the facilities because we were going to be on the water for the next three hours.  Each of us was also given a poncho or raincoat and a lifejacket before we boarded one of three different pangas, each with it's own Spanish speaking guide.

Our pangas

This particular morning was overcast, windy, and even a little chilly, so the ponchos and lifejackets were a welcome addition. The water looked a little rough and I thought, "Oh boy, I hope I don't get seasick," which I have been known to do, especially on the fishing boats off southern California.  It didn't take long to get going, and soon we were racing through the water, out to the Ojo de Liebre lagoon where we hoped to see and get close to many of the whales.  We weren't disappointed, and it wasn't long before nearly everyone in the boat was shouting and pointing, "There's one!  There's another one and her baby at 2 o"clock!"  They were just about everywhere.  I particularly enjoyed when it was quiet for a moment.  All of a sudden, we heard a whale breach the surface and exhale loudly, spraying water about ten feet in the air.  We turned to look, and many times, they were less than ten feet away, just sort of checking us out as well.  Several times the whales just came and hung along side of our boat, and let us pet them and touch them many, many times.  It was breathtaking!

Here are some shots of the whales that morning.

First touch

It's difficult to explain here in this forum just how exciting this day was, and everyone in the boats was smiling and happy.  Before we knew it, our time was up, and we were racing back to the launching docks.  The drivers headed for the coast of the lagoon where the water was much smoother, and we just seemed to skip along the surface.  If we saw something interesting, like a bird formation, sea lions basking on a buoy, or an osprey and babies in their nest, our guide always stopped the boat and let us view for a few mimutes before continuing the journey back to home base.

Some of our sea lion friends

An osprey with babies in the nest

Once at the docking point, we quickly jumped out of the boats and into the bus for the trip back to the hotel.  On the way back to the hotel, everyone was talking excitedly about their day with the whales and, in all of our opinions, it had been a wonderful success.  As an added bonus, I didn't get seasick and we still had another session scheduled for the following morning.  The rest of the day was ours to explore and do whatever we wanted.  We were scheduled to meet at 8am the following morning to head out to the launching point, and I was already excited about the prospect of another session in the Ojo de Liebre lagoon!

Wednesday morning was perfect.  The sky was an incredible blue with not a cloud in sight.  The winds were very calm...it was going to be a very good day with the whales.  Just as scheduled, we boarded Mario's bus at 8 am, and headed to the launching area. No need for a brief today, as we were now seasoned veterans. Right!  Again, they handed us ponchos and lifejackets, but because it was quite a bit warmer than the previous morning, I was able to peel a layer off, and leave it on the bus.  I wasn't going to need it today.  Soon we were once again racing out to the Ojo de Liebre lagoon, however, today the ride was much smoother, and it felt as if we were just hovering along the surface.  We quickly spotted the water spouts and again, they were everywhere.

Here are some photos from the second day on the water.

Here is a mom and baby

Toward the end of our session on the water, a mom and baby decided they wanted to hang out near our boat and get to know us a little better.  I just couldn't believe how much time they spent with us just going up and down each side of the boat letting everyone pet them numerous times.  It was just unbelievable how special an experience this turned out to be!

Our guide once again turned the panga towards home base, and spooled up the engine to begin our skim across the surface as we headed to shore.  We stopped to see more sea lions, and more osprey nests, but the most interesting thing to me was the sand dunes along the shore of the lagoons.  They were just beautiful.

Here's a photo of the dunes surrounding the Ojo de Liebre.

That afternoon, Tillie had scheduled us for a tour of the salt exporting company and that, in itself, was quite amazing....but that's a whole different blog.

New SENTRI office opens in San Ysidro

Even walk-in applicants are welcome at convenient location

Por: Leonel Sanchez 2 Marzo 2011 @ 9:30 am  San Diego Red

Long wait is over for big border expansion

 

Major construction set to begin next week at San Ysidro border crossing

 

Por: Leonel Sanchez 17 Febrero 2011 @ 4:21 pm

The expansion of the San Ysidro Port of Entry will increase the number of north- and southbound lanes. SanDiegoRed Services

 

The U.S. government launched the $577 million expansion of the San Ysidro Port of Entry more than a year ago when it began construction of a new pedestrian bridge just north of the busy land port.

 

The 800-foot bridge, which could open as early as next month, may seem like preliminary work compared with the projects the federal government plans to do over the next six years.

 

Federal officials plan to hold a groundbreaking ceremony Feb. 24 at the port of entry to call attention to the binational project.

 

Mexico is also developing new southbound crossing known as El Chaparral, which will cost more than $50 million.

 

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Baja California Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna and Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante are scheduled to attend the event, according to U.S. officials.

 

The expansion of the San Ysidro Port of Entry will increase the number of north- and southbound lanes and inspection facilities and make other improvements, all depending on available funding, to help accommodate growing traffic.

 

"The bottom line is to improve security and to speed up wait times," said Gene Gibson, spokeswoman for the U.S. General Services Administration, which is the port's landlord.

 

About 50,000 vehicles and 25,000 pedestrians pass through the crossing daily heading into the United States. Tighter security since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks have led to longer wait times to cross the border.

 

The San Ysidro port expansion has been in the works since the early 2000s when serious planning began to modernize, reconfigure and expand the world's busiest land port. When it is completed in 2016, it will be most expensive border project in U.S. history.

 

Much depends on federal funding however. The project is to be completed in three phases but only the first has been funded, Gibson said.

 

The first phase, which is to be completed by 2014, involves expanding northbound inspection facilities. Single booths will be replaced with "two-stacked" booths that will allow inspections of two vehicles at the same time.

 

The port will continue operating during this phase and booths may be closed at a time to allow construction, Gibson said. Work will be scheduled at night or during low-traffic hours to minimize disruptions, she said.

 

The federal government will work with Mexico, the City of San Diego and Caltrans on traffic issues, she added.

 

The number of northbound lanes eventually will be increased from 24 to 34 during the third phase of the project, she said.

 

The second phase involves improvements and new construction of pedestrian processing facilities, which are to begin in 2013 and be completed by 2016.

 

The third phase, which is to begin in 2014 and be completed by 2016, involves shifting Interstate 5 southbound lanes entering into Mexico to allow for expansion of northbound lanes and other facilities. The new lanes will connect to Mexico's planned El Chaparral port of entry.

Sweet spot in Mexico earns second look from investors

By Patrick Rucker

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's improving economic prospects, coupled with low inflation, are winning the country a second look from international investors and fund managers.

Investors see potential in Mexico's services sector and in enticing more companies to market, and are also bullish about new financial tools which could send billions of dollars into infrastructure and private equity deals.

Expected economic growth of about 4 percent this year, combined with inflation of about 3.5 percent, compares well to regional peers, many of which are tightening monetary policy to fend off surging prices.

"In our view, the Mexican economy is very much in a sweet spot," Lupin Rahman, senior vice president of emerging markets portfolio management at bond giant Pimco, told a LatinFinance summit this week.

"In terms of output, in terms of growth, in terms of inflation, all these dynamics point to a very positive 2011 for the Mexican economy."

Mexico's apparent comeback in the sentiment stakes follows several years in the shadow of Brazil, which weathered the global crisis better but is now wrestling with high inflation.

Emerging market investors surveyed by Bank of America Merrill Lynch in February put Brazil at underweight for the first time in the survey's history, while preferences for Mexico are increasing.

But Mexico still has some homework to do.

The economy depends heavily on manufacturing exports to the United States, and while the recovery in U.S. consumer demand has prompted economists to lift forecasts for Mexican growth, investors also look for diversification and for structural reforms.

"If Mexico can turn the engines and start opening its service sectors it will be a fantastic run for the economy," said Alfredo Thorne, head of global markets at Banorte bank.

"It can seriously not only grow at 6, 7 percent but actually perform much better than the BRICs." Brazil's growth is expected to slow in 2011 to 4.5 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Thorne estimates Mexico's drugs war, which has killed more than 34,000 people in the last four years, is cutting 1-2 percentage points from annual growth, but says it will be worth it. "If Mexico manages to win this war, it will be the most important structural reform," he said at the summit.

Luis Harvey, co-founder of private equity firm Nexxus Capital, said Mexico's service sector was underrated.

"You have a huge internal market which has a per-capita income twice as big as Brazil's," he said.

Leisure, health and consumer finance are some of the industries getting a lift from the expanding middle class and sectors where Harvey has put money to work.

Buyout firms typically drive their acquisitions toward a public offering and the Mexican exchange has room to grow with $550 million of shares swapping hands daily compared to the roughly $3.6 billion traded daily in Brazilian stock markets.

"You need to get more companies going to the market; more people investing in equities," said Harvey.

NEW FINANCIAL TOOLS

New financial instruments are also helping improve Mexico's reputation among global investors, after bureaucratic hurdles and inertia caused many to lose patience.

Brazil buyout firm GP Investments <GPIV11.SA>, for one, opened a Mexico City office four years ago intending to make a splash in Latin America's second-largest economy, but pulled out. Partners remember the attempt as a costly mistake.

Carlyle Group <CYL.UL> also retreated, leaving behind one money manager who has spent much of the last two years in a time-consuming effort to draw Mexico pension fund investment. Now he is finally starting to see results.

Mexico is rolling out new investment options, such as real estate investment trusts (REITs) and a hybrid security designed solely to serve the country's retirement funds.

Those Mexican pension funds, which sit on 1.4 trillion pesos ($116.5 billion) in assets, are expected to drop sizable investments into REITs. Joaquin Avila, the Carlyle veteran, expects his EMX Capital will soon win pension fund financing.

"It has been a tremendous amount of work. To some extent cumbersome and to some extent understandable," said Avila. "These are new securities to Mexico."

Local money managers say the new securities will bring welcome efficiency and competition to Mexican markets.

"Now we are seeing real sophistication in the financial marketplace," said Juan Alberto Leautaud, a local real estate money manager whose infrastructure investment plan recently won $220 million in pension fund cash.

New financing has drawn money managers like Paul Ahlstrom, who brought his wife and six kids to Monterrey in Mexico's north as he made a private equity pitch to the funds.

It took nearly two years, but Ahlstrom says a deal is near with his Alta Growth Capital that will blend pension cash with $75 million of outside capital.

"This deal will happen. It's just painful to be a pioneer," he said. "I hope we don't become the pioneer with arrows in his back."