Some Things Change, Others Endure

 A few days back I got disgusted with myself for continuously focusing on how things have changed.  Then I reminded myself of why we continue to return and it's easy to see that many of the things we love about the Baja are still here.

My view from the beach is what gets me started, so I snapped a photo and marked it up to illustrate the changes.  The thing is, the real  changes are not all visible but are things I notice in the changing vibe.  

View from the beach

The new buildings remind me of old gathering spots, replaced by rennovations , form and function.  Much of the building placement on each lot is the same, but the form and function is different.  The red arrow on the right in the above photo points to the now "uninhabitable" 5th wheeler parked on the beach end of our lot.  If you can zoom in on the photo, you might be able to pick out the roofline of our place marked by the orange arrow.  Since the 5th wheeler is empty, we have the place to ourselves, which is just fine.

The yellow circle marks the property next door to us which once held "The Surf Hotel," an odd collection of three cinder block buildings.  One, closest to the 5th wheeler was a self-sufficient little casita closest to the sea. Back toward the road was the main building consisting of a number of little rooms, some with stove and fridge, some with just bed and chair.  Upstairs was a bigger unit where the owner, and later, a manager stayed.  In front of the main building was a smaller one with a couple of apartments.  The lodging was basic and cheap.  Where there is now palapa-covered private pool, there used to be a concrete deck which functioned as a communal gathering area.  It was a favorite amongst visiting surfers and vagabonds alike. We stayed there twice and each time gained new friends and acquaintances, all bonded by the common discovery of life on the Baja. Hurricane Odile of 2014 all but flattened the place.  You can read about the hurricane damage to the Surf Hotel in a post from Feb 26, 2015 entitled "Hurricane Damage and Gifts"

In a post dated Feb 8, 2015 and entitled "Careful Beach Days" you'll find a brief mention of Dr Roberts.  He had what was called "Dr Roberts' Ocean  Oasis.". After the hurricane it was rebuilt as the compound marked by the blue circle in the photo above, although the main building with palapas looks much the same.    We did look at renting a room there once before Odile, but the communal kitchen/dining room in the downstairs of the main building was a deal breaker for us.  What you did get at Dr Roberts', however was a bit of the owner's contagious enthusiasm for the Baja lifestyle.  Indeed, hanging out at Dr Roberts' you couldn't help but notice the communal feel to the place and the people staying there: surfers and vagabonds.

The unmarked place between the Surf Hotel and Dr Roberts' was named "The Osprey" and has always been a non-rental, privately owned.  The wall bearing the name has been repainted and closed with a gate.  It no longer bears the name, so it must have a new owner.  We've never seen or met anyone staying at the place.

The grounds of both the Surf Hotel and Dr. Roberts were always open.  People often stopped in to visit.  Now, both places are walled and gated.  Both are private, non-rentals.  The Surf Hotel property has all new buildings.  Word in the neighborhood is that the owner of the ritzy and exclusive resort down the road, now owns what was the Surf Hotel property.

What has changed is the lack of comradery amongst strangers.  Where once this place was the favorite stomping grounds of travelling folks trying to get by "on the cheap" has become a playground for wealthy people.  There are still a few cheap places to rent (I can count 4, including ours), but now there are more wealthy people buying property and putting up homes that will sit vacant most of the year. (If you are not bored yet, you can read more about the building changes in a blog post from March 15, 2024 entitled "The End is the Beginning" )

We also miss many of the people we knew at the beginning.  Gary (see blog post dated Feb 3, 2014 entitled "Ode to Gary"), Thomas, Big Wave Dave and Chuck are all gone.  Dr Roberts fell victim to dementia and has moved along.  Last year and this we asked some Mexicans if they knew of Lupe, Gary's handyman and what had become of him.  Twice we were told he, too had passed.  I think of him this year whenever we walk the road and I miss running into him. (You can read a bit about Lupe in the blog post from April 16, 2014 entitled "Circle Closure"

What has stayed the same is the wonderful weather and the amazingly vacant beaches.  Even at peak hours of the cool of the morning and sunset we rarely see more than a dozen people on the beach at once.  

The Crowd at Sunset

Well, except on Sundays when many Mexicans have the day off and drive down the arroyo to set up a shade and lunch and spend the day.

During a walk at high tide I couldn't help but celebrate the things I love about this place.  The grandeur of the whales is a constant.  When they are close to shore and I can see 20' of rubbery skin above the surface and know there's another 4 or 5 feet just below the surface, it takes your breath away.  Sometimes we see them 2/3 of the way to the horizon rising mightily from the surface, head first, leaving only their tails in the water.  When the bulk of their body crashes back to the sea, a huge splash visible from miles away marks the place to watch.  Then, after the whale has disappeared from sight, I hear the loud plop of the behemoth returning to water!

At high tide, the ocean often slops over the beach's peak where we lie in the sun reading, watching for whales, smiling at the pelicans.

Our spot on "the peak"

Sometimes, between waves, I think I can hear the sand sucking in the frothy water left behind.  After the wave has dropped down below our peak, I have noticed dozens of little geysers squirting up from beneath the sand under the sea puddle where sand crabs hide.  Sometimes, as the waves lap over the top, they send spray several feet into the air.  One morning I watched a gringo fishing from the peak when one of those spraying waves hit, covering him with sand and water.  The surprise of it left him laughing despite the sand and salt shower.

I like the Spanish language, especially when spoken by a native with the typical lilting cadence.  Our housecleaner and her husband are amazingly patient with my lousy understanding and poor vocabulary.  But they've added three words to my vocab giving me the Spanish words for doll, dustpan and passion fruit.  I love hearing the workers in our neighborhood teasing and joking with each other as they stack new cinder blocks into place.  And always, there's Mexican music blasting from a passing vehicle.

We love waking to 68 degree sunny mornings, warming to mid-seventies by 10.  Bruce walks the beach nearly every day.  I join him on days I don't do yoga.  Sunbathing is always a pleasure to our aging Montana bodies.  (Please, don't mention skin cancer!). Hot afternoons on our shaded porch, wind chimes sing"I don't need no diamond ring" and a burbling fountain contribute to the relaxation of our grown-up Quiet Time.  We live in shorts, t-shirts and bare feet.

I like how sometimes, we glimpse scenes remincent of Old Mexico.  Somedays a group of Mexicans can be seen riding horses on the beach.  Yesterday we saw what Bruce called a one-horse tiller (his is an 8).  Yes, it was a hand tiller pulled by one horse.

By 4pm the palms shade our chairs in the yard.  With a table commandeered from the yard furniture of the 5th wheeler and a fridge full of limes, we're ready for Happy Hour, Baja style.  Sometimes Peter, whose son bought Gary's property comes by for a beer.

We've had a couple of (unusual) cloudy days which make for good days to walk to town.  Lately we punctuate our return trip with a late breakfast/early lunch.  Twice we stopped at a place run by Gary's Mexican friend Roserita and twice we stopped at a place staffed by Mexicans, but subject to what I call The Gringo Factor (designed to appeal to Gringos so the price tag is more like US prices). The food, however, is yummy and healthy and the portions are so big, Bruce and I must split one order.  The passion fruit smoothies there are the most refreshing thing I've tasted.  Perfect way to break up the walk on those warm sunny mornings.

On our most recent walk to town, Bruce and I had a surprise that kept us smiling all day.  (If you haven't  yet stopped to read "Circle Closure", second paragraph, please take a minut now). As a pickup drove toward us, I noticed the Mexican driver smiling at us.  I turned to watch him pass and told Bruce, "I think I just looked into the eyes of Lupe's ghost!". Once it came to a wide spot in the road, the truck pulled over and the driver climbed out.  I watched as he walked toward us and as soon as he got within hollering distance, he covered his heart with his hands and cried out, "Soy Lupe!" I wish I had a video of that happy reunion!