Destino Los Cabos Magazine

Majestic Copper Canyon Home of the Tarahumara IndiansExplore Sonora Stem Cell HealingTodos Santos Music Festival

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THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH2012

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The Lifestyle Magazine of Baja California Sur

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4 DESTINO LOS CABOS www.destinoloscabos.com

FROM THE PUBLISHER

DESTINO LOS CABOSs a de c v

San José Del Cabo, BCSPh (011 52) (624) 142-4949

email: [email protected] 48 Spring 2012

Printed in USA. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher.

© 2012 Destino Inc.

Numero 48 Primavera 2012Todos los derechos reservados por Destino Los Cabos prohibida la reprodución total o parcial del contenido sin previa autorización por escrito de los

editores.© 2012 Destino Los Cabos SA de CV

DESTINO: LOS CABOS welcomes all written andphotographic material. We cannot guarantee

return. Rights to publish unsolicited material are retained for 12 months.

Circulation throughout Southern Baja’ y Sea of Cortez. For advertising rates and placement,

Please contact: [email protected]

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Police 066Red Cross 065

Highway Service 074FIRE DEPARTMENT

Cabo San Lucas143-3577

San José del Cabo142-2466

In this Issue

Exploring Mexico

MOVEMENT... The Seven+ billion people on this planet right now don’t all have jobs. So what to do with their time? They can research and gather and talk and ques-tion the state of things, and compare opinions and look for the real truth. It takes time and energy and commitment to stand up to massive theft happening at every level of existence, world wide. What is the next move in the evolu-tionary social path of humans? wheww, makes one want to go on vacation! The region around the Mar de Cor-tés is easy to access, and full of places to discover and hang out and be with nature instead of the craziness of the world. The first adventure into the Copper Canyon Mountains is just a tickler to expose the rugged geography and inspire further study and travel to find its many wonders. So many people around Los Cabos shared their desire to visit the Copper Canyon area, I helped design the 6-day ideal “first taste” tour for Baja Sur travelers, that follows my personal experience. You’ll see it inside - Destino Magazine “Presents” Tours. Its a must do experience! This issue takes a drive around our Sea of Cortez neighbor, Sonora. A beautiful State with some gorgeous, re-mote beaches like Puerto Peñasco, and lush mountain areas like Pueblo Magico town Alamos. A center of Universities and Medical centers there is significant exchange of Baja residents with Sonora. A very exciting opening is the new Haima Stem Cell Therapy Center in San José. A successful center for re-generative therapy in Tijuana, a nearby tourist center was a natural extension! The influx of northerners over the years has evolved into the most amaz-ing charity fund raising events. The To-dos Santos Music Festival motivated by REM band member Peter Buck, rocked the town for 3 weeks raising $35,000 usd! The annual LigaMAC Jazzfest Late March with Martha and the Van-dellas, and the Lorena Ochoa charity

golf tournament in late April, will generate signifi-cant monies go ing directly to those in need. We are all in this community together! Susan Carol

Copper Canyon p.20 Magestic, mysterious, harsh and rugged. Home of the Tarahumara Indians.

Sonora p.30 A State booming into the future, with quaint towns, and remote beaches and northern factories attracted to cheaper educated labor.

El Fuerte p.24 Creel p.23The Town plaza of Pueblo Magio town is surrounded by stunning architecture of a palace, a church and many mansions.

The biggest town at the highest elevation in the Barrancas del cobre. The meeting place for tours into the wilderness.

Aging 101 18 Roberto Balderrama 27 Private Banking 38

Beach Map & Dive Chart 8 Baja Renaissance 14Mother-Earth Approved 16

Average Entree Price: $ =($1-5) / $$ = ($6-10) $$$ = ($11-15) / $$$$ =($15-20) / $$$$$ = ($20+)

SAN JOSE DEL CABO

Flora Field Kitchen $$$From the farm to the table. The restaurant serves healthy dishes with seasonal ingredients directly from their farm and from local farmers.

Deckman’s $$$$Chef Drew Deckman only chooses local sustain-able ingredients to create his culinary master-pieces. Live music! Costa Azul.

Habanero’s Gastro and Grill $$$The menu is extensive and the food consistently delicious. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

VV (Villa Valentina) Restaurante $$$Surrounded by Mexican fine furniture and art, this 2-story restaurant has ocean views on top, and Spanish influenced cuisine for 3 meals daily.

Passaparola Italian Bistro $$$Features some of the most creative Italian dishes a truly Italian chef can put on your table. T

7 Seas at the Cabo Surf Hotel $$$$Beach front dining. Creative menus with the freshest ingredients and excellent service. Live music, full moon dinner events.

CABO SAN LUCAS

Sunset Da Mona Lisa $$$$$The views over Cabo and the arch are unbeat-able. Italian chef Salvatore Messina will take you on a gastronomic adventure.

h12 Tribes Restaurant $$$$$12 Tribes offers a mix of flavors from around the world. Heaven for the Anthropologist of food.

Esquina Restaurant/Bar $$$$Chef Laurent Amaury Saussy only uses organic and locally grown produce and local fish for his exquisite international creations.

Los Cabos Winery/Bar $$$$Their own wine cellar with unique blends to accompany their fresh, creative presentations. Number 1 in Tripadvisor Seafood & Steak House.

TODOS SANTOS

Tre Galline $$$$A huge list of appetizers and soups, as well as fish, meat, poultry, and vegetarian dish-es. North Italian influence.

Zen Garden $$$Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and traditional Japanese dishes.

Local Favorites

Restaurants

For more details, maps, contact

info and photos Please visit

“Restaurants”

FEATuRESNEw STEM CELL CLINIC p.6

ROCk N ROLL rem style p.11

THE TARAHuMARA p.26

Susan Carol overlooking the Urique canyon in the Copper Canyon region of

Sierra Madre Mts

Destino Magazine “Presents”

Swim with sea lionsDay Tour

Snorkel with the Sea Lion Colony On Espiritu Island

Experience one of the most memorable days of your life!

Depart: dock in La Paz at 8:30 am One hour boat trip to Los Islotes,

a group of small islands at the north of Espiritu Santo Island, year round home to a colony of over

350 curious California Brown Sea Lions!The pups are playful and great fun to swim with!

You will see big schools of fish, reef fish, rays and more…!The site is home to over 4000 different marine species,

with occasional visits from Dolphins and Whales.

Swim: Boat to the beach on Isla Partida, for Snorkeling & Swimming with Sea Lions.

VIP Lunch..A bed of organic salad with a lobster tail, smoked salmon and shrimp with wine and soft drinks.

Collect shells, or snorkel off the beach

Return 3 pm

“After living in La Paz for over eighteen years, I always say “ to truly appreciate the true beauty of La Paz, you need to look beneath the surface!”To take the trip to the sea lion colony at the north end of the island of the “ Holy Ghost” or Espiritu Santo is just off the coast of La Paz and is simply breath taking where dramatic scenery of the desert meets sea views.The journey takes just over an hour to get there but once we do you know about it! The barking of sea lions and flocks of birds above makes one feel that they have landed in the Discovery Channel.We receive a short briefing from the guide and enter the waters to be greeted by Brown Californian sea lion pups ready for playtime.There are over two thousand marine species around the island so snorkeling or free diving is a must.Once back on the boat we go to the island for lunch and walk the pristine beach or even remain at the sea lion colony if you so wish.An experience of a lifetime and one that you will always cherish”.

James Curtiss/ owner The Cortez Club

Espiritu Santo island tour

RESERVATIONS

Destino Magazine “PRESENTS” TourCALL toll-free 855-BAJA-411 or 612-145-0087

(2252)

BOOK IT NOW!


Copper Canyon Tour“You are going to love this specially

designed tour” Susan Carol, Publisher, Destino

DISCOVER THE COPPER CANYON!6 Day Adventure from Cabo or La Paz!

First Day: Fly from Cabo or La Paz Los Mochis airport. Transfer by van to Pueblo Magico town, El Fuerte. 1 hourOvernight at Historic Posada del Hidalgo. No meals included

Second Day: Overnight at Mision Hotel07:45 Transfer hotel/ to train Station at El Fuerte 08:30 Train leaves to Bahuichvio08:40 American breakfast on board the train. (included) 12:30 Arrival to Bahuichivo and transfer to Cerocahui (45 Min) 13:30 Lunch at Mision Hotel Included. 16:00 Walking tour, visiting church and boarding school. 18:00 Happy hours drinks are not included (2 x 1) 19:00 Dinner at the Hotel (included)

Third Day: Overnight at Mirador Hotel07:00 American Breakfast 08:00 Tour to Gallegos Overlook point (3 hours) 11:30 Check out go to train station 12:30 Leave Posada Barrancas station 14:15 Arrival and transfer to Mirador Hotel (5 min) 14:30 Lunch at Mirador hotel (included) 16:00 Walking tour of the area of Copper canyon (1 hour) 19:00 Dinner at the hotel (included)

Fourth Day: Second Overnight at Mirador Hotel8:00 American Breakfast 09:00 Creel Tour visiting Arareko lake and San Ignacio Mision 14:00 Lunch at the hotel (included) Free afternoon: optional horse tour or Overlook Point tours19:00 Dinner at the hotel (included)

Fifth Day: Overnight at Posada del hidalgo 8:00 American Breakfast 9:00 Tour to Divisadero Overlook Point (2 Hour) Optional Tram & Zip Line adventure 12:45 Transfer hotel to train station 13:00 Lunch on board the train (included) 19:00 Arrival at El Euerte train station and transfer to hotel19:30 Dinner at Posada del Hidalgo hotel (included)

Sixth Day: American Breakfast (included) 13:30 Transfer hotel to international airport of Los Mochis.

COMPLETE PACKAGE Includes Round Trip Air*: La Paz - Los Mochis or

Cabo - Los Mochis First Class Train Tickets to

El Fuerte- Bahuichivo- Posada Barrancas - El Fuerte,

5 nights Hotel accommodations, 13 meals, all tours, all taxes, all transfers from airport, hotel and train.

Total: per person in one room (2 double beds per room)

Single $1710 Double $1240

A one hour flight across the Sea to the gateway of the Copper Canyon!

El Chepe is one of the most beautiful train rides in the

world!

Triple $1170 Quadruple $1135 Child (4 -11 years) $607

*Most flights leave daily, Train and land tours leave daily

RESERVATIONS:


(2252)

Informationwww.destinoloscabos.com

Announcing!Destino Magazine “Presents”

Tours!14 years we’ve experienced the great adventures

around Baja and the Mar de Cortés, and shared them on our pages. Now we’re offering them in special

tours with touches we especially like.Easy booking through online travel agency: Baja.com

Information at destinoloscabos.com

T’ai Ji, “the great ultimate of daily living”, is a physical and

mental art form that celebrates the connection of oneself

with the natural beauty and energy of the world around

us. As a moving meditation, T’ai Ji helps the practitioner

to recognize and cultivate ch’i within him/herself and in their

daily life. Chungliang al Huang

Full Day Class at: Raices y Brazos San José Saturday March 31 & Sunday April 1 10 AM - 5 PM Includes Lunch $1000 pesos 1 day - $1800 pesos 2 days

Spend a day learning Tai Ji wiTh ChriS Campbell

20 year TeaCher

RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY!

[email protected] 624 142 3794


by Susan Carol

This is exciting! Medical science has advanced to the level where we can recharge our aging bodies, rebuild our torn and dam-aged muscles and ligaments and strengthen our immune systems to aid healing from cancer treat-ment. Adult stem cells har-vested from our own bod-ies is the magic elixir of life! Haima Stem Cell Ther-apy Center and Cryopreservation Laboratories opened in Tijuana in 2000 to offer cutting edge medical technology and specialized treatments involved with harvesting and administering stem cells. They are the only stem cell culture laboratory of its kind in North America and have successfully per-

Stem Cell Therapy Now available in Los Cabos

(left) Dr Miguel Angel Rolón, Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, Dr. Jorge M Tagle, Medical

Director and Aesthetic surgeon and Dr James McAllister orthopedic surgeon.

formed over 2000 procedures. They have a medical team with experts in hematology, endocrinology, cardiol-ogy, neurosurgery, neurology, internal medicine, orthopedic, surgery, pedi-

atrics, autoim-mune diseases, chronic degen-erative diseases, pathology and cosmetic surgery who are all trained in the culture and handling of stem cells. The Tijuana clinic is boom-ing, so now is the time to expand, and Dr. Tagle chose

Los Cabos as the first location to bring equipment and staff! Its important to note, that the stem cell therapy offered is using each individual’s stem cells, not do-nor embryonic cells, receiving press in the USA. The procedure is relatively simple and custom designed for each

patient based on the type of stem cells needed for treatment. Cells are col-lected from the blood, the bone mar-row and the fat tissue. The various impurities are removed and the cells fortified for action then injected back into the body either locally in cases of specific injury or generally when im-mune system regeneration. Stem cells have the ability to recognize and replace deteriorated and damaged cells in the body. Their anti-aging treatment will result in new healthy cells creating a remarkable im-provement in the functionality of the patient’s organs such as heart, kidneys, liver, eyes, etc, as well as better and increased physical and sexual perfor-mance. Goodbye Viagra! In areas of sports injuries, stem cell treatments injected directly into the damaged areas have promoted tis-sue regeneration. The beginning staff for the San José stem cell center, Dr. Tagle, Dr. Rolón and Dr. McAllister all speak English well and are enthusiastic and accom-plished in their specialities. They offer free consultations in order to construct specific procedures for each patient. Their office in at Amerimed Hospital in San José and they have the stem cell processing equipment at this facility. For more information about Hai-ma Stem Cell Therapy visit their web site. wwwhaimastemcelltherapy.com.

Mexico’s Medical Tourism Industryby: Lisa Coleman

According to recent statistics, over 59 million Americans do not have health insurance. That said, there is obvious-ly a tremendous need for affordable alternatives for those requiring either minor or major surgery. Despite Mex-ico’s ongoing struggles, Mexico is feel-ing a positive impact from booming foreign investments while “Medical Tourism” is taking hold and bringing in

a new type of visitor and potentially millions of dollars to the economy. With the ease and afford ability of traveling south of the border, along with state-of-the-art facilities, current technology, US trained (English speak-ing) doctors and surgeons, and virtu-ally no wait times, Mexico is quickly becoming a leader in this fast-growing industry. A forecast by Deloitte Consulting projected that medical tourism origi-

nating in the US could jump by a fac-tor of ten over the next decade. The growth in medical tourism has the po-tential to cost US health care providers billions of dollars in lost revenue and bring those huge dollars into a host of other countries including Mexico. A popular web site: www.medtogo.com Medical tourism is quickly be-coming a safe, affordable option for thousands of patients, and Mexico is stepping onto the world stage as a contender. Elective medicine and den-tistry cost one third less in Mexico.

Events8th Annual Liga MAC charity JazzFest (March 23rd, 2012) On the beach at the Hil-ton Hotel, San José. 5:30-10 pm Headliner: Motown’s Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. Tickets: www.ligamacjazzfest.com Cost: US$150-US$350

Champagne Jam for Kids: Ray Thomas Foundation - (March 30) Casa Dorada

Tai Ji Classes - The path to health and balance with the ancient dance of Tai Ji! (March 31 and April 1) Full Days with Lunch. Raices y Brazos Center San Jose (624) 142-3794 Register: [email protected].

Cabo Celebrity Invitational Charity Golf event with Lorena Ochoa and Hollywood and celebrity sports guests! (April 26-28, 2012) Registration:www.cabocelebrityinvitational.com

Road Rally Mexicali to Cabo: NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally (April 28th, 2012) Drive the peninsula with a bunch of Baja lovers. Cost: US $1,600 per vehicle.

Roy Clark 11th Annual Billfish Tourna-ment (May 21-26) Palmas de Cortez Los Barriles, [email protected]

The Baja Bash: Baja is Back! San Di-ego, USA (June 2nd, 2012) Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, Wildcoast, the international conservation team, presents Baja Sur.

G20 World Event; (June 18th and 19th, 2012) New Convention Center in San José. The most important political, financial and economic international summit.

3rd Annual Cabo Marine Show (July 5th - 7th, 2012) Three days of concerts and cock-tail parties at the IGY Marina in Cabo.

Ensenada Wine Festival (August) 3 weeks, events, tastings, live music through-out the Guadalupe Valley, North Baja. Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tourna-ment (October 23rd - 27th, 2012) One of the highest paying fishing tournaments in Mexico, Cost: US $63,100 per boat.

XIX Annual Baja Haha (October 28th -No-vember 10th, 2012) A two-week boat cruis-ers rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas.Cost: Registration begins at US$325.

Todos Santos Music Festival January 2013. Art & Film Festival - February 2013 Mark your calendars!

For Further

Information go to “Events”

...

Cabo Celebrity Invitational Golf EventApril 26-28, 2012

Dream Homes of Cabo hosts Lorena OchoaWorld class golfers along with other sports and

Hollywood celebrities will gather at Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Marina Resort.

All proceeds from this charitable event will benefit the Lorena Ochoa foundation and various local charities.

To register for this fantastic event!www.cabocelebrityinvitational.com

As the Economy Lifts, So Do Wrinkled Faces

Plastic surgery is on the rise — and so is the economy, maybe. USA Today’s Healthy Per-spective blog has a story about an increase in breast implants, tummy tucks, face lifts, and the like. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates 1.6 million cosmetic sur-geries in 2011. Plastic surgery numbers may not be perfect economic indicators – but they are going in the same upward direction as the stock market and employment rate, after fall-ing during the recession.


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Destino Los Cabos S. A. de C.V. © 2010

BEACH MAPBAJA SUR

DIVING DESTINATIONSLAND’S END Intermediate-Advanced50’-60’ and just 5 minutes by boat you’re swimming with sea lions and moray eels. Also a sunken boat can be seen in the Falls.

SAND FALLS Beginners - Advanced30’-100’ Steep sand banks go down sharply into a canyon filled wit tropical fish. A short boat ride from shore, the canyon runs from the depths of Cabo San Lucas bay to within 30 feet of shore, making the Bay one of the deepest in the world.

PELICAN ROCK Beginners25’-80’ Just 5 minute boat trip to this large rock that attracts many tropical fish.

NEPTUNE’S FINGER Advanced80’-100’ Spectacular canyon wall dive.

CABEZA DE BALLENA Beginners20’-40’ 25 minute boat ride to dive through large boulders with lots of fish

SANTA MARIA CAVE Beginners20’-40’ 35 minutes by boat, or dive from the beach. The entrance to Santa Maria canyon has a huge vari-ety of fish who feed right from your hand

CHILENO TWIN DOLPHIN Beginners20’-40’ 35 minutes boat ride and a sandy and rocky bottom. PARKING Lots of turtles sited here, tropical fish, night dives DIVE CENTER • RENTALS • TRIPS

EL GAVILAN Intermediate - Advanced70’-100’ 35 minutes boat time. Rocky ledge leading into a canyon where groupers and larger fish are often sited.

BLOW HOLE Beginners – Advanced30’-70’ 35 minutes boat ride from San Lucas, or just 10 minutes from Chileno beach. Rocky valleys pres-ent a variety of fish.

LAS SALINAS Beginners30’-45’ 1.4 hours by boat from San Lucas, or 1 hour by boat from La Playita. A sunken Japanese fishing boat attracts a large assortment of fish.

GORDO BANKS Advanced110’-120’ 1 hour boat from La Playita, there is a seamount where you can see Marlin, Hammerheads, Skip Jacks and at times huge Manta.

CABO PULMO Beginner-Advanced30’-100’ 2 hour drive East of San José then 5 minutes by boat you’ll find the only living coral reef in the Sea of Cortez.

Note: travel time is from Cabo San Lucas marina


1st Annual Charity Fund Raiser Todos Santos Music Festival

by Tim DoylePhotos Susan Carol

As the final notes played the last song of the 1st Annual Todos Santos Mu-sic Festival, “a little angel” from To-dos Santos was prompted to pledge another “matching fund” donation of $10,000 usd for “One More Song!” from R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and friends! The grand finale confirmed that Todos Santos was truly a “Pueblo Magico” especially when Peter Buck signed a matching funds pledge check of $10,000 usd for charity. So marked the 1:30 AM ending of the highly successful fund-raiser with Peter Buck, the man behind it all. Residents and visitors were treated to twelve nights of incredible rock ‘n roll by some of the best musicians in the world! A special group of rockers that included English singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock, guitarist songwrit-er, Steve Wynn and his percussionist wife Linda Pitmon, versatile musician Scott McCaughey, R.E.M. drummer Bill Rieflin and R.E.M. bass guitarist, Mike Mills, all joined Peter Buck on stage. The introduction of new play-ers each weekend of the festival cre-ated an element of expectation and surprise. The afford ability of the con-certs attracted locals including Mexi-canos with attendance growing with each successive performance. All loved the contrasting guitar styles of John Ramberg, Fernando Vi-ciconte, Blake Sennett, Kevn Kinney, and Chuck Prophet. Many cheered for our local rockers from Flashback and the Guaycura bands. There were visitors in town from many locations, due to R.E.M’s web site. No one ever left a festival session disappointed, including the folks from England, Columbia, Belgium, France, Germany, and Mexico City who came to Todos Santos particularly for this event. The Palapa Society was the ben-eficiary of this festival. The funds will be used for educational costs, as well

as other projects for Todos Santos chil-dren. Three months of hard work from Palapa Society board members along with Peter Buck’s representatives and Hotel California management person-nel, paid off with a fantastic $35,000 usd raised! The faithful volunteers, Delegation of La Paz and Todos Santos, the Hotel California, as well as other individu-

als and groups along with Peter Buck and his generous musician friends will all be involved with planning for next January’s festival. This is a true music happening that is a “must experience” for rock n roll fans! The children need ongoing donations, so please contact www.palapasociety.org.

Peter Buck with Alejandro Blanco, director of Hotel California, the venue for most of

the Festival’s music performances

11DESTINO LOS CABOSwww.destinoloscabos.com

R.E.M with local musical talent rocks todos santos music festivalPhotos Calude Vogel

From the HeartInterview

Peter Buck, Guitarist REM

by, Nanette Hayles

Peter Buck came from a small town, Athens Georgia, in the southern United States. His small town sensibilities and upbringing would be the foundation of his life. He shared he “lived a life of fame, travel, financial security etc., but was never fooled by our mainstream cultural agenda”. He knows what truly matters in life. Chloe (Peter Buck’s companion), Alejandro Blanco of the Hotel California and myself agreed with Peter’s view that we all, at some time or another in our lives, fall victim to the indoctrination of popular Western cultural belief system that often dictates through the media what is important. Peter emphasized that he never lost sight of his childhood value of the importance of education nor of

one’s responsibility to family and community. Peter and Chloe also value and recognize that each person and their respective communities can define and assess their own needs for themselves and this is the driving force behind their humanitarian projects. Peter, as well as the other members of the REM band, has reverence for the “little assessments” as well as the big ones, which can make or break the happiness and well being of person and/or a community. These beliefs are further reflected in the projects they funded, from little league baseball uniforms and food for the homeless to legal advice for environmental issues. Peter stressed that ALL proceeds of his charities, as well as those of R.E.M., are to go directly to the person or group for whom they intended and not towards the intended group’s leader or treasury. Peter expressed “we are adamant about this”. Historically, based on REM research and You Tube interviews, these are the very reasons why their type of charity is respected

by the public. Peter’s philosophy and rock solid position of consistency in charity matters extended to Todos Santos. Peter explained his reasons for choosing the Palapa Society was for the very reason he chooses any beneficiary of his efforts, the funds will go exactly where it is needed. In this case for scholarship and other educational programs for the children and youth of Todos Santos. Peter and Chloe are already part of the community, not just because they gave benefit concerts or helped establish the Todos Santos Music Festival, or helped a local charity, but because they have bonded and made new friends. ALL this was accomplished because of a simple, old fashion, homegrown quality… kindness, something Peter proudly admits, he has never forgotten from his small town upbringing. In thinking back on that mellow evening with Peter, Chloe and Alejandro, I realized Peter’s true strength, is that he’s “from the heart”!

Gallery N.E. Hayles Introduces

New Artist - Azia Veteran resident Todos Santos artist N.E. Hayles

introduces her daughter Azia Elaine to her gallery. Azia has been drawing and painting since

early childhood. In her works, “Azia gracefully bridges a sense of the surreal with the real.

Her natural multicultural inclination, sense of color and articulation of “higher” meaning is

reflected throughout her works”.

Art ClassJoin us to learn the art of paper tile mosaic

FULL DAY CLASS with artist N.E. Hayles

Azia assisting In their lush sub-tropical garden studio Home made organic lunch included.

ART CLASS • Price $85 U.S. • Hours 9 to 5 Dates: April 21 and May 19.

Class is limited to 15. Book now! [email protected]


This project is for golfers only! A unique property offering by long term Los Cabos sales visionary John Parks created a high end luxury condo was built in the exclusive Casa del Mar beach and golf development on the corridor. When the economy took a downturn and all local sales stopped. John saw an opportunity and the Questro Group agreed. Los Cabos golfers could re-ally appreciate a luxury beach property they could purchase by the week that includes an attractive golf package. This is now called Las Residencias. The gorgeous architec-ture, 2700 - 3200 square feet of ocean vista space, quality furnishings, concierge ser-vices and all the Questro golf courses - Cabo Real and Puerto Los Cabos as part of the package. Over 65 con-tracts are already sold since opening October 2011. The Casa del Mar prop-erty, next door to famous luxury resort Las Ventanas, also includes the Zoetry boutique hotel and restaurant and bar, Sueños del Mar Spa, and a Private Beach Club. The rest of the buildings on the property are full ownership condos priced in the $500,000 - $6 million price range, so the opportunity to purchase a week or two per year, at a very low price in comparison, for 50 years and 12 rounds of golf per week for $25 is very attractive.

$25 GOLF?Las Residencias Golf Resort

by Christopher B. Mihm. Founder Cabo Recycles

Cabo is a unique place, and its diversity requires an equally unique company to lead the ever-evolving waste industry. As the inevi-table growth in Cabo continues, our objective is to provide the community with a sustainable recycling infrastruc-ture to keep the local environment clean. That is why we process the broadest spectrum of recycling in Los Cabos. Each month we manage over 20,000 pounds of clear and colored glass, plastics, paper, cardboard, metals, electronics, Styro-foam and edible oil. Who We Are:Enviromass was founded in early 2011 by Christopher Mihm and Todd Massey with the goal to provide a professional and consistent recycling service in Los Cabos. Chris has a Mas-ters Degree in Environmental Man-agement and over 6 years working on international environmental projects in Sri Lanka, Africa, and Mexico. Chris also brings a valuable connection with Balcones Resources, one of the largest recycling companies in Texas, who has advised Enviromass activities.What We have Acheived:In March 2011, Enviromass started the largest curbside recycling program ever in Los Cabos with over 160 homes in Villas Del Mar, Palmilla. We profes-sionally mapped out the entire Villas Del Mar community, and installed recycling bins for each home. Since then, our client list has rapidly grown to include other prestigious communi-ties like El Dorado, Querencia, Cabo Real, and Palmilla Norte. We also recy-cle with many businesses such as Baja Blue, Don Sanchez, Snell Real Estate, and Pez Gato Cruise Boats among oth-ers. We also offer Curbside Recycling to any house anywhere in Los Cabos for only $100 pesos per month. We understand that a success-ful recycling program does not begin and end with collection alone. What sets Enviromass apart is that we walk our clients through the process from A-Z. We start with an assessment of

our clients’ needs, make recommenda-tions, and set-up professional recycling programs, train staff, and monitor the progress so that each of our clients’ re-cycling programs start strong and stay strong. Where does it all go?One of the biggest disappointments is when we hear speculations that recy-cling just gets taken to the dump like everything else. Recyclable materials have an international market value. A successful recycling company must maximize revenues from the collec-tion or service fees as well as maxi-mize marginal profit from the sale of materials. So where does it all go? Plastic-Most of the plastic we collect is brokered locally, and sent to main-land Mexico or Northern Baja. A good chunk of that plastic ends up in China or Peru where it is “re-processed”, or turned into small pellets that make new plastic containers. Metals-Currently, all metals are being sent to Northern Baja and end up be-ing reprocessed in the US. Paper and Cardboard is also primar-ily sent to paper mills in Northern Baja and Mainland and is used to make new products like paper towel, newspaper, paper bags, egg cartons and more. Pa-per constitutes about 40% of the av-erage waste stream and it takes trees to make paper, however it is one the hardest materials to manage. So for us creating a proper system for paper and cardboard recycling has been very im-portant. Glass-Clear Glass is recycled lo-cally in the hand-blown glass factories. Colored glass is recycled in Mexicali, Mexico and used to make fiberglass. Styrofoam-Is Recycled locally in a fac-tory who manufacturers internal wall structures. Recycling has helped Enviromass set the foundation as a Green Com-pany in Los Cabos. We are currently expanding our operations in line with our long term vision. Enviromass is proud to announce the establishment of Enviromass Consulting, a concept that bridges Waste Management, En-ergy Conservation, and Waste Water Treatment to implement the highest level of Environmental and Social Re-sponsibility in the Resorts and Com-munities of Los Cabos. Please contact us to take the next

step in Keeping Cabo Blue:[email protected]

Facebook Group: CaboBlueFoundation

Enviromass is Dedicated to a “Blue” Cabo


by Jim Pickell, CEO Baja.com

2012 marks the end of the Mayan calendar for Baja’s indigenous neigh-bors. This timely transition neatly marks the blossoming a new era for Baja California. The region is under-going an explosion of creativity and innovation. This is Baja’s Renaissance, being led by a diverse and eclectic group of Baja denizens, collaborating with pilgrims from the international community, many discovering and re-discovering this Mecca. Baja has a re-newed lease on life, and there’s a tanta-lizing possibility that this one will not be fueled by an un-sustainable bubble of cruisers and spring-breakers, but rather led by visionaries and philoso-phers, poets and professionals, artists and scientists, with the only common thread being their efforts to weave the Baja lifestyle into their vision. Approximately 7.5 million people around the world Goggle the word “Baja” each month. What are they searching for? Baja is experiencing a renewed interest in its landscape, arti-sans, its environment, its lifestyle and how its citizens achieve wellness. It’s touching the entire peninsula. The in-terest in Baja is reminiscent of the Ar-abic folktale, “The Man Who Became Rich through a Dream”. The protago-nist traveled on a worldwide quest, on the faith of a dream, searching for riches. Imprisoned, broke and penni-less, a sympathetic policeman gives him money to return to his home. It was there he discovered a great trea-sure, one that had always been buried beneath the fountain in his own garden Look to the city many would per-ceive to be the least suspecting candi-date, Tijuana. The world’s busiest bor-der shapes the views of more visitors than any other region. Artistic murals are now being installed over the graf-fiti. Much like the flower became a symbol of peace in times of war; could this gateway one day reflect what Baja has to offer? Within Tijuana proper, restaurants the likes of Mision 19 have captured international acclaim, as Mexican food is becoming one of the world’s favorites. Right beneath our palettes, Tijuana is becoming to food what Seattle was to grunge music, with rivals in other Baja regions. The

city now boasts its first LEED c e r t i f i e d b u i l d i n g , drawing in-ternational a t t e n t i o n with its

“ b r i d g e s and skylights, a vast airy central chamber, and an aluminum skin to filter out ultraviolet rays.” And the Business Innovation and Technology Center launched several months ago, promising a steady stream of thought leaders. The world is taking note. At the other end of the peninsula, San Jose del Cabo hosting the G20 this summer, a landmark event for Baja. While it may be a political ploy to send the mes-sage that the coast is indeed clear, the fact is, it just may work since the coast is clear. But behind any smoke and mirrors, some-thing real is happening and it’s a people’s movement. California, long viewed as forward-looking in protecting the environment, is now finding itself struggling to duplicate the ground-breaking

success that Baja California Sur achieved in recovering the sen-sitive marine zone at the Cabo Pulmo Marine Park. There are ef-forts in both Tijuana and Los Ca-bos to develop some of the lead-ing stem cell centers in the world, promising the fountain of youth that many have believed could be found in Baja for decades. Out of necessity, Baja is home to among the most advanced drip irrigation in the world. And among the next generation, many “entrepreneurs by necessity”, there are new con-cepts surfacing in marine biology, LEED certified development, or-ganic farming, experiential travel, voluntourism, nomadic schools, agrotourism, medical tourism, and yes, even novel ways of mak-ing us love fresh roasted Mexican grown, organic coffee. Baja is a lifestyle brand but it’s so much more. Baja living is the caveman diet of life. And this is what attracts these creative forces. At its core it’s about sim-plicity and authenticity, remind-ing travelers why they travel in the first place. People who can think out of the box have learned

Jm Pickell


Swim with sea lionsDay Tour

Snorkel with the Sea Lion Colony On Espiritu Island

Experience one of the most memorable days of your life!

Depart: dock in La Paz at 8:30 am One hour boat trip to Los Islotes,

a group of small islands at the north of Espiritu Santo Island, year round home to a colony of over

350 curious California Brown Sea Lions!The pups are playful and great fun to swim with!

You will see big schools of fish, reef fish, rays and more…!The site is home to over 4000 different marine species,

with occasional visits from Dolphins and Whales.

Swim: Boat to the beach on Isla Partida, for Snorkeling & Swimming with Sea Lions.

VIP Lunch..A bed of organic salad with a lobster tail, smoked salmon and shrimp with wine and soft drinks.

Collect shells, or snorkel off the beach

Return 3 pm

“After living in La Paz for over eighteen years, I always say “ to truly appreciate the true beauty of La Paz, you need to look beneath the surface!”To take the trip to the sea lion colony at the north end of the island of the “ Holy Ghost” or Espiritu Santo is just off the coast of La Paz and is simply breath taking where dramatic scenery of the desert meets sea views.The journey takes just over an hour to get there but once we do you know about it! The barking of sea lions and flocks of birds above makes one feel that they have landed in the Discovery Channel.We receive a short briefing from the guide and enter the waters to be greeted by Brown Californian sea lion pups ready for playtime.There are over two thousand marine species around the island so snorkeling or free diving is a must.Once back on the boat we go to the island for lunch and walk the pristine beach or even remain at the sea lion colony if you so wish.An experience of a lifetime and one that you will always cherish”.

James Curtiss/ owner The Cortez Club

Espiritu Santo island tour

RESERVATIONS


(2252)

BOOK IT NOW!

Baja Renaissance

continued on next page

3 Meals per day (except Monday)

9 am - 3 pm Breakfast and Lunch •• 5 pm - 9 pm DinnerBRUNCH on SUNDAYS 10 am - 3 pm

Reservations: 624 355 4564 or www.flora-farms.com

HOME GROWN FOOD!


You can’t get much closer to the beach than the Cabo Surf Hotel. A gem of a property tucked un-der the sharpest curve on the highway, right on the surfing beach next to Palmilla point in San José is one of those “finds” that travelers search for. Offering consistently special quality food at their 7 seas restaurant, and open to the public especially for their music events like every full moon. A spa and surf lessons too!

Cabo surf Hotel Expands

Shore Villas Luxury Suites

There are now 14 new beach front units (on the right of the property) designed by the owner Mauricio Balder-rama with luxury details including Jacuzzis, special lin-ens, creative woodwork, stunning vistas and the crashing waves from their premier surfing beach.

Mauricio Balderrama is standing on the balcony in one of his new Shore Villas that boasts Palmilla point vistas. He is from a family of hoteliers, has an engineering degree and started his career in investment banking before choosing the hotel service industry life style. He developed the Cabo Surf Hotel to the destination location it is today. He designed and oversaw all the details of the new luxury rooms and is ac-tively involved in the daily aspects of his operation. The hotel boasts one of the best restaurants, the 7 Seas, in all of Los Cabos, with famous full moon music events every month!

what Baja has to offer beyond the all-inclusive resorts and beneath the sandy surface and that’s the draw. Baja has long been the benefactor of the worldwide brain drain of creativ-ity, an exodus of artists that have left their homes for Baja. Artist Charles Stewart of Todos Santos (may he rest in peace) was one of the founding fathers of this movement in 1985. Now Baja California is becoming a gastronomical geo-center for food-ies and wine connoisseurs around the world. TV Travel channel chef Anthony Bourdain recently referred to Baja as “the new Tuscany” at a re-cent speaking engagement. Almost 90% of Mexican wine, many vin-tages and varietals winning awards around the world, come from the Guadalupe Valley and surrounding region, an area still untainted by the commercialism found in other wine regions. In Los Cabos, art walks and organic markets are now common-place, with the once little known Flora Farms becoming an epicenter.

“[There’s some awesome shit going on down there right now. They got tired of waiting for the Americans to come back and just started mak-ing really great, really creative food. . . . Something amazing is happening” said Anthony. Ultimately a big component to the direction this takes comes down to tourism. Contrary to assumptions one may draw from US headlines, Mexico was recently ranked the 10th most traveled country in the world. It’s also the second most rapidly growing country in Latin America, even while weaning off its GDP’s de-pendence on oil. And as impressive as Mexico’s rise through the ranks, Baja is one of its fastest growing regions in Mexico, whether defined by tourism or industrialization. Historically Baja California has been more integrat-ed with the United States than just about any region in Central America. And while there’s no dispute that travel from the US has declined in recent years, the rest of the world is largely ignoring the US media. Travel from Canada grew over 50% in the last five years. More rapid growth is being experienced from

Baja RenaissanceContinued from previous page


Photos & story By Brenda Thompson

Gloria and Patrick Greene are the heart and soul of this unique field-to-plate organic farm restaurant. Located ten minutes norh of old town San Jose del Cabo, this jewel is becoming a not-so-well kept secret of the area. One is never truly ‘inside’ while at Flora Farms. The large restaurant area, farm bar, and organic market share a roof, but no walls, lending a feeling of truly being in the midst of the garden. My first order of business was to have lunch before meeting Gloria for our interview. The menu board has some-thing for everyone, from vegetarian fare to a serious chop steak and fries to satisfy a man-sized appetite. All their foods are organic and sustained by the property. I would soon learn Gloria’s adage: “from the farm, and of the farm, with a mindful accountabil-ity to Mother Earth”. Gloria Greene is the founder and visionary and hands on manager of the entire operation. Originally from So-noma Valley, California, Gloria found her love of cooking during her univer-sity days. While studying for her bi-ology degree, she put herself through college working as a sous chef. The Greene family has been a part of the community of San Jose del Cabo since the 1970s, so when Gloria

Flora Farms and Flora’s Field Kitchen

A Mother-Earth-Approved Gastronomic Experience

and Patrick married, they decided to relocate here as well. Originally, upon settling in the area, Gloria started an organic restaurant in the town of San Jose del Cabo, called Flora Café. Flora Café (as in flora and fauna) had a vegetarian focus, but finding or-ganic vegetables during those years was impossible. This was the impetus for starting the kitchen garden, the origi-nal land plot which is still gated with a charming picket fence in the middle of the property. The acreage where Flora Farms now sits was discovered during a horseback riding excursion. Once purchased in the mid 1990s, the kitch-en garden was planted to service the restaurant in town. During these early years, she also co-founded the weekly San Jose Organic Market, as well as the Humane Society for rescuing and relocating unfortunate animals. No empire is built overnight, and this is true for Flora Farms as well. The 15 acres have evolved gently

over as many years. It started out be-ing a bare stretch of land with a wa-ter source. Enter the kitchen garden, and the hosting of the weekly organic market, with local produce from other farmers, arts and crafts, and breakfast cooked by Gloria. It was common for her to serve 150 breakfasts to visitors on these Saturday mornings. All this activity took a toll on the physical land so she moved this event into town, and she could develop her property to another purpose more suited to what the soil craved, which was to cultivate beautiful food. The Facility: The large, yet cozy and welcoming, kitchen features chef-worthy stainless appliances. During the beginnings of the Flora Farms proj-ect, local clients and friends attended her cooking lessons. Now its a regular school, drawing international corpo-rate interest while becoming a perma-nent entry on employee agendas as a perk while traveling for business to the Baja. Companies like Pepsi, Nike, and Caterpillar have the cooking school booked through to 2013. Behind the culinary school sits the Greene’s residence. A Yurt with 3 bedrooms, houses the family comfort-ably while keeping in tune with the environment. Guests of the Greene’s stay in the nearby Teepee, complete with rugs and furniture; electricity and internet; a divan bed with Ralph Lau-ren linens. There is an outdoor amphitheater; sculpted terraces in the ground and covered in plush grasses, with regu-

lar concerts under the stars at night. Nearby is a small clearing featuring a shrine sculpture as the focal point. Often used to host weddings at sun-set. The most recent addition to the property is the Field Gallery and Gift Shop featuring unique exhibits from local artists. The Operations: The romance of this property doesn’t happen by ac-cident. There are 30 employees han-dling a wide variety of functions. The farm property is closed for September and October each year, then re-opens in November with the first crop of the season. Only heirloom seeds are used, meaning seeds which are non-hybrid-ized original seeds. Organic certifica-tion is not currently regulated by the government in Mexico. At this point, it is left to the individual farmer to self-

Gloria & Patrick Greene

Continued on next page


direct their systems, but Gloria is try-ing to change that. She is on a board whose goal is to design and implement policies for the future of organic farm-ing in the area. Through the kitchen to the cold storage, Gloria explained that they used straw bale construction which provides eco-friendly insulation for the two monster walk-in cold rooms. The bale walls are roughly a foot thick and completely sealed. A climate-con-trolled grain room keeps dried goods at optimal temperature to ensure fresh-ness. An outdoor clay oven for bak-ing artisan breads and pizzas means there is no culinary feat that Gloria can’t master on site. The operation emits a casual and relaxed experience. She still offers an organic market with tables of inviting produce and herbs. Fresh meats and poultry in the cooler display, eggs collected that morning, and home preserves all from the farm. Gloria shared that she’s “amazed it actually took off”. While she built Flora Farms on a concept that she loves, she wondered: “just because I love it, will others love it too”? Glo-ria’s passion for food and sustainable ecology has produced a culinary mar-riage which we can all enjoy. Brenda is a LAM (Reiki-based) Practitio-

ner & Trainer and Freelance Writer www.HolisticHormone.com www.WriteSlice.com

Flora Farms & Gloria Greenecontinued from previous page

Gloria Greene, center with artist Azia and friend Douglas at artist reception at

Flora Farms gallery.

Artist N.E. Hayles at the opening of her art show at the gallery at Flora Farms. There is a

new showing every month! In front of her paper Mosaic art of George Harrison and Nicola Tesla,

electrical engineer, pioneer in wireless communication starting with radios.

www.loscaboshumanesociety.com

TODOS SANTOS HWY 19 CABO SAN LUCAS

PACIFIC OCEAN

PLAYA LOS CERRITOSsurfing, swimming

PLAYA SAN PEDRITOsurfing

NORTH

PLAYA LAS PALMASswimming, hiking

PLAYA PUNTA LOBOSfishing boat launch

KM64

KM59

KM61

KM57

KM54

Pacific Coast

Look for obvious dirt roads heading toward the ocean


G


FREEZE YOUR FATA new, non-invasive fat remov-al technique called CoolSculpt-ing by Zeltiq is replacing the painful liposuction procedures for fat reduction. Freezing fat cells with cryolipolysis which freezes the fat cells without damaging the skin or tissue, is non-invasive with few side ef-fects. It takes up to 4 months to fully show effects. It works best for those already physical-ly fit, but with some fat pock-ets. One treatment produces 20-40% bulge reduction.Cost $700-1000 per treatment

All stories & photos by Susan CarolEditor, Destino Magazine

For many years I’ve heard about the Copper Canyon, but was too busy dis-covering all the wonders of Baja Sur to take the trip. I’ve worked with a family of hoteliers for many years, the Balder-ramas (in Los Cabos they own the Cabo Surf Hotel), and they regularly encour-aged me to visit this Mexican treasure. After my road trip through Sonora last summer I became more intrigued with the Sierre Madre Mountain region and finally decided my first activity of 2012 was to spend the week experiencing the famous train (El Chepe) tour to the Cop-per Canyon. It’s actually many canyons lumped under one name. I had no idea I would find such majesty and absorb into my spirit the beauty and tranquility of this region. But that was after a few days of travel, so let me start at the beginning. The best-kept secret in Los Cabos is the existence of Aereo Calafia airlines. Serving the smaller airports in the Sea of Cortez region for many years. This is the easiest way to fly to Sinalao and Sonora. There is free parking from their base at the Cabo San Lucas airport, and no se-curity hassles short of passing your lug-gage through a machine…you don’t even have to take your electronics out. Their planes hold around 20 passengers, and as we were boarding someone said the front

Discovering a Jewel of the planetCopper Canyon – Barrancas del Cobre

THE TOUR!seat with the pilot was open, so that is where I sat, of course. Los Mochis, Sinaloa is the gateway city to the moun-tains, and the flight was just one hour. Climbing to only 10,000 feet it was also a great sightseeing ride, flying over the resorts, then out the east cape and over the sea greeted by Topolobambo natural ocean bay and port, and then landing in Los Mochis International airport. I booked a 7-day tour, and was met at the airport and driven to the Pueblo Magico town of El Fuerte for my first night before the 8:30 am train trip the next day. What a nice discovery was El Fuerte! It is an inviting river town with unique architecture, a beautiful town square, a fort, which is now the Casa de Cultura and my destination, the stun-ning Hotel Posada del Hidalgo. A com-bination of three private mansions, this hotel is a museum with many stories and legends, including the birthplace of “El Zorro” (see a sidebar about this story) who visits the hotel every night to the delight of the guests, especially me who has fond memories of the TV series Zorro when I was a child. He was so dashing and mys-terious and different from anyone I ever saw growing up in Minnesota, he defi-nitely caught my attention! I enjoyed a fantastic dinner of langonista, small river lobster, and nestled into the elegance and comfort of the governor’s suite. El Chepe, the train from Los Mochis

to Chihuahua is comfortable, scenic with big windows and the route an engineering wonder. Many tunnels and bridges, and many visionaries and financiers were involved build-ing this rail line, which opened up the Sierre Madre region in 1961. After 4 hours, my first stop was Cerocahui and the Mision Hotel, which was a 45-minute drive on a dirt road from the train. Another one-hour drive on a dirt road to a pinnacle point high up, you can see the canyon village of Urique and get your first taste of the magnificent scenery of the canyons. They also offer a wine tour and tasting, with grape vines all around the hotel, a tour of the mis-sion and a visit to the local Tarahu-mara girls school. The mission was built by Jesuit priest Juan Maria de Salvatierra, who is also known as the Jesuit who built the first mission in Baja Sur outside of Loreto. This area has perfect climate for grow-ing grapes, but the Spaniards made the missionaries destroy the vines they had nurtured so that Mexican wine would not replace the Spanish wines. Luckily a local saved some of the vines, and they now have about 4000 vines in the area. The Mision Hotel was so cozy and the employees were so genu-inely nice. The rooms are all deco-rated with typical, colorful Mexican bedspreads and wood stoves for the cool winter nights. I love fires in my rooms, and needed the warmth in January. The food was tasty and nur-turing and you could get variations on their fixed menu. My fellow trav-elers were all Mexican, with a few Europeans as the North American business has fallen off completely due to the weak economy and the fear of banditos. The Copper Canyon area is to-tally safe, as is all of Mexico really, and in the 14 years I’ve lived and traveled in Mexico, often alone, I’ve never encountered any problems. North Americans should listen to fellow travelers versus the media, I believe. Mexicans love tourists! It was so tranquil in this remote village, it was hard to leave, but off to the train after just one night with 2 hours of travel, to a higher and more dramatic place….the actual Copper Canyon area and the Mira-dor Hotel. I am so glad that I had three nights in this gorgeous place, as I experienced nature and quiet and the bigness of the mountains, at

Every room at the Mirador Hotel has a balcony looking out over miles of silent canyons and mountains. Perched at 8000 ft (2400 meters) ,the sky is endlessly clear! It’s absolutely spectacular!

a whole new level. The full moon, rising over the mountains, and spectacular sunrises that color the sky, hours before the actual sun is visible, are visual eye candy! The Mirador is perched on a canyon wall, and there is nothing between your balcony and the mountains. It’s really absolutely spectacular! Hiking from the hotel is in-viting, with big vistas all around. Horses are available for exploring the rugged paths, and they even of-fer hummer tours. There is also a fun park with breathtaking zip lines high above the canyon floor and a tram that carries you to perches where you’re totally surrounded by mountains with even better views of the three canyons in the region, with Copper Canyon one of them. The Tarahumara Indians are pres-ent everywhere you travel in this area with women and children in their colorful traditional cloth-ing selling their handcrafts. You can also spot their small villages in remote mountain areas only ac-cessible by foot. They are famous runners and have rich and colorful customs, especially during semana santa (easter). I spent a half-day touring the area around the closest town, Creel. We stopped at a typical Tarahumara cave, where the family lives during the summer because it’s cooler, but in their brick home with tin roof the rest of the time. Cave living is fairly typical with these indigenous people, who shun materialism and the modern civilization. The gon-dola passed over a remote ancient cave used as a burial ground. I also saw this in China. The town of Creel has a typical town square with two churches, and a very in-teresting museum about the Tara-humara culture. The descriptions were in Spanish and English, so I learned their rituals, use peyote to connect with their spirits, and the value of the family unit. A man and woman can become boyfriend and girlfriend only with permis-sion of the community elder. Then they are observed over some time to see if they are truly compatible before marriage. This seems like a good idea! The women all wear traditional clothing of bright col-ored skirts, shawls and even socks and are in charge of cooking, car-ing for the children and develop-ing their hand crafts for sale. The

men work in typical hand labor jobs like ranching, mining and road building, and are in charge of building their homes. The community pools their resources, and family is the center of everything. The men are world famous runners, of-ten barefoot or with thin-soled sandals, and have regular races when someone is inspired to set the date and course. Reluctantly I left the mountain rim and the lovely Mirador Hotel with three meals prepared for me daily, and boarded the train for the 6 hour ride to El Fuerte, and private van for the one hour ride back to Los Mochis, and landed at the modern – TV’s and Internet – Santa Ani-ta hotel in the heart of the city, where dinner was waiting for me. After a good rest I boarded the late afternoon Aereo Calafia flight back to warm, sea level Cabo San Lucas airport. I enjoyed every-thing on this Balderrama tour – the train ride, the accommodations, the food, the tours – and was moved by the tranquil-ity and grandness of the tiny area of the mountains I experienced. Winter is a popular time for travel to the Sierra Madre Mountains and Copper Canyon. as there is no rain and the tem-peratures are cool at the top of the moun-tains, but comfortable and temperate on the lower levels. Easter week will have the most crowds, with Christmas week pretty busy as well. Spring and Fall it can be hot, in the 80’s at the top and 10-20 degrees warmer at the bottom. The rainy season is June – August, and Sep-tember can be the most gorgeous month if there have been significant rains. The waterfalls are running, and everything is blooming. This is the time people in Los Cabos want to flee the heat, so this is the place to go! Next time I go back, I plan to hire a guide and hike down to the tropical can-yon floor that always includes overnight camping. There are no paved roads down to any canyon floor. There are guide ser-vices for everything you may want to do in the Sierra Madre and the best place to find them and coordinate special trips is through the department of tourism in Chihuahua; phone # from Mexico 01-800-508-0111, email [email protected], or from outside the coun-try + 52 614-429-3300 ext 11111.

SPECIAL NOTE: After this trip, I con-structed a special 6-day “Destino Pres-ents” tour for Baja Sur people featuring the stops and tours I liked the most, The tour has flights leaving from Cabo San Lucas and La Paz. Just go to our web page: destinoloscabos.com and click on the Copper Canyon tour and the online web travel agency Baja.com will handle your reservation. You will love it!

Tram into the Copper Canyon region


COPPER CANYON is what the

GRAND CANYON wants to be when it

grows up!The entire Sierra Madre Occidental region contains a much smaller re-gion known as the Copper Canyon or Barrancas del Cobre and is one of the most spectacular places in the world. The incredible engineering feat called El Chepe – Railroad Chihuahua- Paci-fico, is a wonder to travel on and is one of the more important railroad proj-ects in recent times. It crosses the area called the Sierra Tarahumara, with im-mense, long tunnels and bridges wind-ing through one awesome vista after another. What is interesting is this huge mountain region had a spectacular be-ginning all due to a super, volcano. The Copper Canyon forms a re-gion containing the largest canyons in the world! It is just a small part of the greater Sierra Madre Occidental which is 932 miles long and 93 miles wide, covering 11,554 square miles and runs from its most northern point, the Grand Canyon in Arizona through Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Nayarit and Jalisco States in Mexico and joins a transverse volcanic region covering area to Taxco, Guerrero. This is 1/6 of the territory of Mexico! The highest point is 9842 feet at Cerro Gordo in Durango. 33 Million years ago this region was under the water of the ancient Cretaceous seas and began to emerge due to volcanic activity caused by tec-tonic plate movements. A large plate called the Farallon went under the North American plate and the result-ing friction called subduction, con-

sumed part of the Farallon plate. The effects of this pressure combined with the heat of the earth melted rocks and the material came to the surface as lava, ash and aerosol, creating volca-noes that began to form and island arc, similar to the Lesser Antilles today. With volcanic activity and falling sea levels the area began to emerge higher forming the Sierre Madre Oc-cidental (SMO). A remnant of this activity is located in Yellowstone Na-tional Park in the USA. The boilers of the park are the result of actions under the ground, known today as the Juan de Fuca plate, which is the balance of the giant Farallon plate. With no lava flow, there is a build-up of gasses that explode from the earth’s core, versus flow and spread, like the Hawaiian Is-lands. This makes them very dangerous. Throughout the SMO are volca-noes that have left huge areas of rhyo-lite material, which is a rock rich in silica, and formed by violent eruptions of magma to the surface. The SMO is the world’s largest outcrop of this rock material that has low flow viscos-ity, which is not found any place else on this planet and causes much more explosive volcanoes. The formation of this Sierra is an example of the fiercest volcanism on the planet, forming giant

volcanoes throughout the SMO. To understand what “super” means…the Mt Vesuvius volcano in Italy buried the city of Pompeii killing 25,000 people in 79 AD and created a high speed pyroclastic avalanche of hot ash reaching 1472 F and measur-ing 49 feet high. This ash welded to create very compact and resistant-to-erosion rock called ignimbrites. The eruption that occurred in SMO 33 and 20 million BC, was similar to Mt Vesuvius but much larger in scale cre-ating extremely hot ash to the heights of 1640 feet! Of course this was be-

fore human existence on earth. How were all the canyons then formed? Today, staggered plateaus at a variety of heights surround all the canyons. During the giant volcanic ac-tivity there were glens and riverbeds surrounding the various volcanoes and the ignimbrites and ash accumulated in them creating solid molds that were stronger than the walls. Over time the glens collapsed and the volcanic rocks left, created walls up to 500 meters high resulting in the many plateaus around canyons throughout the Sier-ras. It is estimated that during the 15 million years of volcanic disruption, 3,000 conduits were formed. Wind and rain erosion over the years deep-ened the river valleys forming the can-yons we now see today. The incredible volcanic activity also created an area rich with minerals. The friction of the plates created such high temperatures and pressure that the first things to melt were metals that were then injected into the fractures that occurred during this activity, creating veins that are being mined today.

THE CANYONS There are seven can-yons along the El Chepe train route that comprise the Copper Canyon re-gion. Urique Can-yon can be viewed near to the town of Cerocahui, as well as from the Divisadero station area, and is the deepest canyon

The Train route from Los Mochis - Chihuahua

in Mexico at 6164 feet. The Cop-per Canyon was named for a vein of copper found in the canyon, which is 4265 feet deep. Sinforosa Canyon is called the “Queen of the Canyons” with spectacular cliffs, and beauty and the 2nd deepest at 6003 feet. Baropi-las Canyon has a town on the canyon floor that is 1476 feet above sea level. There is a huge brick church, old brick ruins, lovely architecture and water-falls. Candameña Canyon at 5741 feet is located inside Basaseachi Waterfall National Park and 171 miles west of Chihuahua City. Chinipas Canyon is the most remote canyon at 5249 feet deep with the colonial town of the same name at the bottom of the can-yon, which is the oldest in the area, and the most well preserved. Otero Can-yon at 4986 feet deep can be reached from Divisadero and San Rafael train stops. How does the Copper Canyon region compare to the familiar Grand Canyon in the USA? The Copper Canyon region is longer and deeper, but the singular Grand Canyon is more extensive than any of the specific canyons in the SMO. Another differ-ence is the Grand Canyon has about 40 floors of geological ages that have existed on the planet, while the SMO there are about only 4 or 5. Both are natural wonders of North America!

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CREEL MexicoThe easiest to reach town in the Cop-per Canyon area, Creel is accessible by the El Chepe train and by a good paved road from Chihuahua City. It has a small town center plaza, a cou-ple of ancient brick churches and lots of stores for food and supplies and a bank with ATM machine. This not something you see in the area too of-ten. It is populated by many Tarahu-mara Indians and has a very interest-ing museum about their culture and traditions. The museum display starts out: “the Tarahumaras say that have al-ways been here”…… The town is a strategic point to visit many famous sites like Basaseachi with one of the highest drop water-falls in Mexico (807 feet). Also close by are the rich mining towns of San Rafeal and Batopilas and Guacho-chic, an important Tarahumara center. There are many rich wonders nearby the town like unique rock forma-tions with names like; ”Las Ranas” the frog, “Los Hongos” the mushrooms, “Las Chichis” the breasts which were formed by wind and water erosion. Seven miles west is a mysterious val-ley called Bisabirachi of Valley of the Elephant rock

Tarahumara Cave


Copper Canyon Tour“You are going to love this specially

designed tour” Susan Carol, Publisher, Destino

DISCOVER THE COPPER CANYON!6 Day Adventure from Cabo or La Paz!

First Day: Fly from Cabo or La Paz Los Mochis airport. Transfer by van to Pueblo Magico town, El Fuerte. 1 hourOvernight at Historic Posada del Hidalgo. No meals included

Second Day: Overnight at Mision Hotel07:45 Transfer hotel/ to train Station at El Fuerte 08:30 Train leaves to Bahuichvio08:40 American breakfast on board the train. (included) 12:30 Arrival to Bahuichivo and transfer to Cerocahui (45 Min) 13:30 Lunch at Mision Hotel Included. 16:00 Walking tour, visiting church and boarding school. 18:00 Happy hours drinks are not included (2 x 1) 19:00 Dinner at the Hotel (included)

Third Day: Overnight at Mirador Hotel07:00 American Breakfast 08:00 Tour to Gallegos Overlook point (3 hours) 11:30 Check out go to train station 12:30 Leave Posada Barrancas station 14:15 Arrival and transfer to Mirador Hotel (5 min) 14:30 Lunch at Mirador hotel (included) 16:00 Walking tour of the area of Copper canyon (1 hour) 19:00 Dinner at the hotel (included)

Fourth Day: Second Overnight at Mirador Hotel8:00 American Breakfast 09:00 Creel Tour visiting Arareko lake and San Ignacio Mision 14:00 Lunch at the hotel (included) Free afternoon: optional horse tour or Overlook Point tours19:00 Dinner at the hotel (included)

Fifth Day: Overnight at Posada del hidalgo 8:00 American Breakfast 9:00 Tour to Divisadero Overlook Point (2 Hour) Optional Tram & Zip Line adventure 12:45 Transfer hotel to train station 13:00 Lunch on board the train (included) 19:00 Arrival at El Euerte train station and transfer to hotel19:30 Dinner at Posada del Hidalgo hotel (included)

Sixth Day: American Breakfast (included) 13:30 Transfer hotel to international airport of Los Mochis.

COMPLETE PACKAGE Includes Round Trip Air*: La Paz - Los Mochis or

Cabo - Los Mochis First Class Train Tickets to

El Fuerte- Bahuichivo- Posada Barrancas - El Fuerte,

5 nights Hotel accommodations, 13 meals, all tours, all taxes, all transfers from airport, hotel and train.

Total: per person in one room (2 double beds per room)

Single $1710 Double $1240

A one hour flight across the Sea to the gateway of the Copper Canyon!

El Chepe is one of the most beautiful train rides in the

world!

Triple $1170 Quadruple $1135 Child (4 -11 years) $607

*Most flights leave daily, Train and land tours leave daily

RESERVATIONS:


(2252)

Informationwww.destinoloscabos.com

Nueva Direccion: ¡¡Ahora mas céntrico y con estacionamiento.

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monks. There is a collection of huge columns between 131 and 164 feet high. Lake Arareko is a popular vaca-tion spot, with hot springs located a few miles away. One of the most vis-ited places in the area is the cascade of Cusararé with a 98 foot high horsetail waterfall surrounded by a beautiful of pine and oak trees.


RICH HISTORICAL TOWNEl Fuerte, Sinaloa was an early Spaniard Capital

El Fuerte, about one hour due east from Los Mochis, Sinaloa is a Pueblo Magico town, and it immediately cap-tures your attention due to the dis-tinctive architecture and welcoming ambiance. Its history is rich, including an important chapter in the Mexican story of the country’s development. The modern history story starts with the Spaniards arriving in the region in 1530 lead by the President of the first Spanish government in Mexico, Captain Nuño Beltrán Guzmán. He led an army of 500 soldiers with 250 horses, guns, cannons and a few thou-sand Indian allies. At that time indige-nous tribes speaking different dialects, fought constantly with each other, and lived on the shores of eleven riv-ers throughout the province. Some were Nahuati origin (same race as the Aztecs) and left numerous petroglyph cave paintings throughout the area, including El Fuerte. The region is fer-tile with river and sea fishing, fruit and seed harvesting as well as cultivation of corn and squash. In 1532 Hernán Cortés sent the first mariner to venture onto the Sea of Cortés, Captain Diego de Mendoza who was seeking pearls, and attempt-ing to arrive in Sinaloa before Nuño Guzmán to gain advantage over his en-emy. Unfortunately when approach-ing a coast to seek food and water the ship wrecked on the shores of Sinaloa and the Indians attacked it and killed everybody. The Guzmán expedition discovered the remains. One day 1536 in El Fuerte the Spaniards came upon Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca and three Spaniards and a black slave thought to be dead in a shipwreck on the Florida coast eight years earlier. Amazingly their dramat-ic odyssey is part of American history. These men wandered completely lost, facing thousands of perils through the States of Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico then into Chihuahua and Sonora where they saw etched on the collar of a Yaqui Indian the clasp of a sword, and they knew white men were not far away. They finally came across four horsemen a few kilometers from El Fuerte. Along their journey they had attracted a large group of In-dians , so impressed with their journey and bravery they called the men their healers. They all stayed and founded the town of Barnoa, which still exists

today. The founder of El Fuerte, which was originally called San Juan de Car-apoa, is credited to a very young and financially well-connected explorer, Captain Francisco de Ibarra. He crossed the Sierra Madre Mountains and was lucky with the Indian tribes he passed during his exploration. He found the Carapoa river valley to be very fertile for crops and grazing and abundant with wildlife and settled the village in 1563. The Spaniard pres-ence in the area did not stick, with hostile Indians driving them all out by 1600. The next chapter in the his-tory of the region starts with the ar-rival of the Jesuits who set about the task of the spiritual conversion of the Indians in Chihuahua, Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California in Mexico and Ari-zona, Texas and New Mexico in the United States. (all Spanish territory at the time) Over a 200-year time these stoic men colonized and civilized the barbarous lands. In 1608, a brave Spanish Captain, Diego Martinez de Hurdaide, son of an Indian mother and Spanish father de-cided to build a fortress in El Fuerte in a strategic place on the river to protect the Jesuits. It was a large rectangular building with towers on each corner and 17 rooms for cavalry and cattle corrals, henhouses and a garden. He named this fortress El Fuerte de Mon-tesclaros. By 1758 there were 1880 inhabitants in this village with the Jesuits introducing the alphabet, arte-santry and cattle ranches. All expedi-tions to colonize Sonora, Arizona and California passed though El Fuerte. Mining further expanded the popula-tion of the region making it even more important in the growth of Mexico. In 1775 Captain Juan Bautista de Anza prepared for an expedition to San Francisco California and recruited miners and colonists in Sinaloa, Ala-mos, Buenavista and El Fuerte. The names of these people are now famil-iar in that area of the USA: Robles, Verdugo, Pico, and Vega were all in-volved with the gold discovery. By 1848 the population of towns like El Fuerte dropped significantly when many migrated north to participate in the California gold rush. Gold and sil-ver discoveries in the region, and the opening of the first stagecoach high-way in 1852, brought new importance

to towns on the route: Mazatlán, Culi-acán, El Fuerte and Alamos. The Independence of Mexico from Spain in 1821 created El Fuerte as the capital of the new Western State that encompassed El Rosario to the south and to Tucson and the Grand Canyon in the north and called Oc-cidental. This vast State was divided in 1831 into Sonora and Sinaloa, and El Fuerte remained the capital for the district stretching from Ahome to Choix. During this time very wealthy families; the Ibarras, Alamada, Gaxi-ola, Delgados and Vegas, displaced the politicians and took over the area. In the early 1900s Don Rafael Alamada built the majestic Municipal Palace

Vista of the El Fuerte town plaza from the fort on the hill

still the pride and center of the town. Don Esteban Nicolas de la Vega from Portugal spent half of his wealth build-ing the church and he is buried on one side of the high altar. Families of these early founders still live in El Fuerte carrying on the family name but not the vast wealth. The mansions built by these wealthy families are still part of El Fuerte today. The quality and gran-deur of the design of these buildings are treasured historical sites giving El Fuerte its Pueblo Magico designation. The most beautiful “Casa Habatación” built by Don Rafael J Alameda was purchased in 1968 by the Balderrama

The ornate municipal palace next to the central plaza park

continued on page 28

The town fortress, then jail and now the Casa de Cultura.


The heart of the Canyons

CEROCAHUIThe best view of the deepest canyon, Urique, is most accessible one hour from the ejido village of Cerocahui. A four hour train ride from El Fuerte, and 45 minutes on a dirt road from the train station to the virgin land-scape setting in the middle of Tarahu-mara Indian country and on the rim

of the Urique canyon. The 900 local residents are involved with forestry, ranching and farming. The first visitor to the area in 1679 was a Jesuit priest, but the Indians were not too receptive.

The next Jesuit to arrive a year later was father Juan Maria de Salvatierra. This enthusiastic Italian built the mis-sion church and stayed in the area for 10 years before moving on to Loreto and founding the first mission in Baja California Sur. The Jesuits continued in the area until 1767 when the Span-ish king recalled all the Jesuits due to political differences. During their stay, the Jesuits also cultivated vineyards, with the land and temperatures well suited for good wines. When they were forced to leave, they were ordered to destroy the vines so Mexican wines would not compete with Spanish wines in Mexico. Locals kept some of the vines, and today own-ers of the Mision Hotel have grown the wine industry locally with about 4000 vines and market their wine under the “Mision” label There is no more recorded history of this area until 1936 when the Je-suits returned. Padre Andres Lara re-built the mission and finally opened it in 1956, and also started a Tarahumara Indian boarding school. The Tarahu-mara live in the mountains, far from town, so to educate the children they need to spend the week away from home with their teachers in town.

This school still exists today, specifi-cally for girls, and is part of the tour offered when in the area. The remains of Padre Lara are in the walls of the mission church. In 1961 with the opening of the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad (Chepe) the first ever public transportation to Ceroca-hui opened the area to visitors. The Mision Hotel, next to the church, built by Roberto Balder-rama, opened in 1968. This place is a center for eco-adventures, with a number of in-teresting hiking trails to places like the Huicochi waterfalls (5 miles), the old Sangre de Cristo

The Mision Church, the heart of Cerocahui

The first stop of El Chepe in the mountain region to explore is Cerocahui

gold mine (3.5 miles), Las Cascaditas waterfalls with swimming holes (2 miles), the lookout point of La Valle de Leon (2 miles) and a bus ride to Cerro del Gallego Urique Outlook…a sweeping view of the mining town of Urique and the deepest canyon in the mountains. (3.5 hours). You can visit Urique and discov-er that the canyon floor elevation of 1590 feet produces tropical fruit, corn, peanuts and coffee. There is a youth hostel in the town for overnights, and bicycle riders from England said the dirt road from the canyon floor to the town of Cerocahui was the most dif-ficult they have ever climbed.

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The indigenous Indians known as the Tarahumara (Tara-oo-mura) or Ráramuri which means “barefoot run-ners:, have occupied the Sierra Madre mountains - always. They have pre-served many elements of their ancient culture, preferring to live in remote caves or small rock homes, and are very close to nature. They have ex-traordinary skills weaving basketry still maintaining a pre-hispanic style. Luckily they sell their wares through-out the tourist region. The women al-ways dress in their traditional clothing of brightly colored skirts and dresses, and are the merchants of their wares. The men work in ranching or mining. They have blended their rituals with Christianity resulting in some very in-teresting and colorful ceremonies at Easter and Christmas. They have their own language, and the Mexican gov-ernment has built a number of board-ing schools for the children who live in remote parts of the mountains to stay during the week to study and learn Spanish and Mexican history. The Tarahamuras are famous for their running speed and are said to be the healthiest and most serene people on earth and the greatest runners of all time. (see book “Born to Run”by Chris-topher McCougall) They have regular cross country races when someone is inspired to organize it. No regular schedule for these, but sometimes they run, non-stop for 2 days running hundreds of miles! Few have seen the Tarahumaras in action, but stories of their super-human toughness and tran-quillity have drifted out of the canyons

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for centuries. One explorer swore he saw a Tarahumara catch a deer with his bare hands chasing it until it dropped dead from exhaustion. Another ex-plorer spent ten hours climbing up and over a Copper Canyon mountain by mule; a Tarahumara runner made it in 90 minutes! In Tarahmura land there is no crime, war or theft. There is no cor-ruption, obesity, drug addiction, greed, wife beating, child abuse, heart dis-ease, high blood pressure or carbon emissions. They don’t get diabetes or depressed or even old. Fifty-year-olds can outrun teenagers and eighty-year-old great granddads can hike marathon distances up mountainsides. Their can-cer rates are barely detectable. They have a one-of-a-kind financial system based on booze and random acts of kindness; instead of money they trade favors and big tubs of corn beer. The Tarahumara are industrious and inhu-manly honest. One researcher specu-lates that after so many generations of truthfulness the Tarahumara brain was actually chemically incapable of form-ing lies. They are the kindest and hap-piest people on earth and are super-humanly serene but very tough with incredible tolerance for pain. One outsider who was lucky enough to witness one of their raves said the par-tiers got so blitzed that wives ripped each other’s tops off in a bare-breasted wrestling march. Cabo Spring break is nothing compared to the Tarahumara under a harvest moon! They eat very little protein with their favorite food ground up corn spiced with their favorite delicacy, Bbqd mouse. They don’t rebuild their bodies between runs or work out or stretch or warm up or wear running shoes. Just thin sandals or barefoot. They just laugh and banter before a race, then run like hell for 48 hours. They have no injuries or knee prob-lems and their legs are tougher be-cause they have been running all their lives. They seem to be the opposite of the health advocated in the west-ern society. How can this be? Is it a coincidence that the world’s most en-lightened people are the world’s best runners? The Tarahumara have perfected being invisible. One Norwegian ex-plorer walked though and entire vil-lage without detecting any homes. Many who live on cliffsides, climb up a long pole to their homes then pull the pole up!

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As the story goes, Zorro was born in El Fuerte at the place that is now the Posada del Hidalgo ho-tel, just off the main plaza of El Fuerte. He was

born Don Diego de la Vega in Casa Viejo, which was constructed during the 17th and 18th centuries. Actu-ally it was the first garrison in the area, strategically placed in front of the old fort constructed on Carapoa Hill.. It was a stone compound with small iron doors that housed crooks and enemies of the Spanish crown in the back from 1650 – 1750. When the Spanish au-thorities shut it down, Don Alejan-dro de la Vega remodeled it into his mansion. He was a Creole (child of Spaniards but born in Mexico) born in 1775 during the colonization of Alta California and was married in El Fuerte to a Mestiza (Spanish-Indian mixture) woman in 1795. She gave birth to Diego in the mansion in 1804. Don Alejandro had some bad luck

The Legend of Zorro

with mining, and then his wife passed away. He decided to seek new hori-zons in Alta California in the Spanish town of Los Angeles. He joined the Verdugos, the Robles and the Picos to find adventure and colonize the new land taking his son Diego with him. Rumors began to reach El Fuerte about the hero/bandito of California who defended the cause of the poor against Spanish rule. The intrepid and romantic horseman called himself “el Zorro”: the fox. People in the town quickly identified him as Diego. An unknown chronicler wrote, “in that house on the hill roams the ghost of De La Vega and there…in the corner room on the darkest and most silent nights, one can hear the cracking of a furious and righteous whip. It is the spirit of El Zorro to rest in the same place where he first drew his first breath”.

Zorro appears nightly at the Hotel Posada del Hidalgo to the delight of Susan Carol!

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by Susan Carol Editor Destino

Roberto Balderrama has a twinkle in his eye and a fond-memory smile as he remembers the start of his hotelier career. In the late 1950’s Mexico announced funding for a tourist train from Chihuahua City to Los Mochis, Sinaloa, through the spectacular Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon) area, due to open in 1961. Roberto’s father, a very successful Los Mochis merchant decided he would be the one to build a first class hotel in downtown

Los Mochis to provide the destination hotel for the tourists who were sure to arrive. Having five sons, he gave them all equal interest in the venture and set about the construction of the Santa Anita hotel in 1957. A few years later when the hotel was near completion it was clear among the family that nobody was trained to run a hotel, so it was decided that Roberto, educated as a lawyer, and just 23 at the time, would be the one to go to a school to learn how to manage a hotel. He focused on learning the daily needs of a successful hotel operation. Back in those days there were no schools in Mexico with specific courses in hotel management, so he searched the USA and found just a couple of them with multi year programs, but he didn’t have time for that. He and his brothers had all studied in the USA, so he knew some English, and

finally found an eight month program at the Rosslyn Hotel in downtown Los Angeles run by a woman from the cruise ship industry. This hotel still exists with artsy people now it’s tenants. He lived right at the hotel where a room cost $3.00 per day and a radio an extra 50 cents per day. No TV. He laughs about how confused he was in the beginning, with daily classes conducted in English, but he buckled down, studied nightly, picked up a lot more English and received his hotel management certificate and headed back to Los Mochis to manage the Santa Anita hotel. His oldest brother was already running things, and Roberto recalls his mother actually had to intervene to prevent sibling rivalry and the conflicts two managers

can bring to a business. She diplomatically decided that Roberto was better trained and more temperamentally suited to the hotel business, which turned out to be true. He was given the “hotelier of the year award for 1995” from the hands of Ernesto Zedillo, president of Mexico. To date he has seven successful hotels: Santa Anita and Plaza Inn in Los Mochis, the San Luis in Culiacan, the Cabo Surf Hotel in Los Cabos, and three along the El Chepe route: Posada del Hidalgo in Pueblo Magico town of El Fuerte, the Misión Hotel in Cherocahui and the dramatic Hotel Mirador in the heart of the Copper Canyon. His four sons today manage all of his hotels.

The train called the Chihuahua al Pacifico (El Chepe) opened in 1961 using well-built Italian cars, and was an immediate success. For the next twenty years the Sierre Madre opened up to the adventure travelers and the need for further hotels in the mountains became very apparent. Then the government took over the train line, and tourism dropped and the train schedules became less reliable. Finally a private company, Ferronales, purchased the railroad line 1997 and invited Roberto’s hotel group to take over the dining and the bar car. Today it is a comfortable ride with constant gorgeous vistas and good food and even a beverage cart cruising the aisles offering snacks and drinks while relaxing music plays in the background. A very pleasant and visually exciting ride!

(right) Roberto Balderrama, the first generation of family hoteliers and his son, Bernardo Balderrama the

Director of the hotels in Los Mochis and the Copper Canyon. His other three sons run a variety of hotels

in Sinaloa and Los Cabos.

A FAMILY OF HOTELIERS

Continued on page 32


Summer Road Trip

Sonora Mexicoby Susan Carol, Editor Destino

I arrived in the middle of September after crossing the border at Mexicali Baja California, I was ready to be in the middle of nowhere after 2 months of road travel in the hectic USA. Flying from Los Cabos to Minnesota to pick up my last USA possession, a 1990 Chrysler Lebaron convertible I trav-eled 5000 miles in the USA, I made stops in Gold Beach Oregon to study Tai Ji for a few weeks. and three stops in California to see friends, while en-during the bad roads, and of course like most people traveling north from Mexico, went shopping many times. What great plazas full of enticing goods did I see….. After 2 months on the road, and driving through the San Diego black-out (surrealistic all those people, the highway and all surrounding areas…black). The full moon helped me that night. How could one cut line in Yuma Arizona blacken all of the greater San Diego area and Tijuana too? I finally crossed the border at Mexicali and onto my vacation in Puerto Peñasaco. Just 2 km into town, my A/C sys-tem went out. It never even occurred to me to drive back to the USA for re-pairs. After 4 service stops I finally found an english speaking mechanic who could fix it…the next day. So he helped me find a hotel in this huge city. Turns out, Omar was deported from LA, even though he was born there but his hard working mom never filled out the right paperwork to be-come legal. He got in some petty trou-ble, with no legal advice or help and he was kicked out of the country. He has an American wife and 3 children who are with him and they cross the USA border daily to attend school. He did great work on my car, had his son help so I could travel that day, and charged me a very good price. The USA lost a

good worker and his family, so I hope Mexico absorbs this talented, English speaking mechanic with open arms. I saw Mexican trucks lined up for many miles at border crossings, all to satisfy American security. When I was finally on my way out of Mexi-cali on Hwy 2 traveling through the Sonoran desert and close to the USA border, I saw the fence….the one the Arizona people demanded. The one that goes for 80-100 miles across the middle of the most desolate, windy, hot desert I have yet encountered, surrounded by rugged mountains. I thought any Mexican who wanted a job bad enough and the courage to cross this desert on foot is someone I’d hire. What a waste of taxpayer money, and what paranoia from Arizona. Seems to me the economy would be helped

if more shoppers were in the USA, in-stead of building a fence to keep them out? However in Mexico, migration is flowing south at a rapid pace because Mexico is welcoming visitors and even have “hassle free zones” for US people and vehicles close to the bor-der towns like San Diego and Tucson. Furthermore, the Mexican economy is growing with intense highway and infrastructure construction through-out the country in order to keep the people working and prepare for future growth. Migration north has now basi-cally stopped and crops in the fields of

many USA States, especially Alabama are dieing on the vine. Why work for people who don’t want you? Sonora is a booming State! Its capital Hermosillo is a culture and business center with over 650,000 people. The Ford auto plant employs over 12,000 people and is known in the world as Ford’s most productive plant! I spent days in the seaside areas of Bahia de Kino and San Car-los, which are inviting, inexpensive and attractive winter destinations for North Americans. In search of good food, I headed into the mountains to Pueblo Magico town, Alamos, and was instantly attracted to the inviting, historical town center. There are 188 buildings that are National Historic Monuments. Throughout eastern So-nora there are quaint, historical towns to explore, rivers to swim and fish and eco tours in a variety of areas. There is a historic Ruta de Misions between Nogales and Hermosillo and the Ruta de Playas that include Puerto Peñas-co, Bahia de Kino and San Carlos to explore. There is a major zoological center south of Hermosillo including a theme park and the Ruta Álamos which covers the historic towns of Guaymas, Cocorit, Cd Obregón Nava-joa and Alamos.

There has been a migration of Baja people to Sonora for years to attend universities and re-ceive medical treatments. and enjoy the larger cities for shopping and culture. Many Sonorans migrated to Baja Sur with the tourism boom. Shar-ing the Mar de Cortés region, Baja, Sonora and Sinaloa share their history and are inviting to

explore and easy to travel to. I traveled back to Baja Sur after my long road trip by way of Baja Fer-ry, which is a ship designed to move trucks, cars and people in relative luxury, across the Sea of Cortez. For about $190 my car was secure in the lower deck, while I had a private room with bath, on the higher deck. The ship to La Paz leaves at 12 midnight, and I slept the entire 6 hours across the sea to awaken to the beautiful sun-rise at the port of Pichilingue, south of La Paz. Want to know more? Visit www.sonoraon.com

The fence across the Sonora / Arizona border

Gomez family, who has Choixian, Fuertian and Alamoan roots. They transformed it, adding two other man-sions into the gorgeous Hotel Posada del Hidalgo. In 1910 El Fuerte received, with great jubilation, Don Francisco I Madero, initiator of the Mexican Rev-olution. In 1913 illustrious Don Ve-nustiano Carranza, Baron de Cuatro Ciénegas and the Sonoran General Alvaro Obregon met in this impor-tant town. These three men went on to become Presidents of the Repub-lic. El Fuerte was also the scene of a cruel and bloody battle when armies of Carranza and Francisco (Pancho) Villa clashed with a disastrous defeat for Villa and the end of his push for a divided North. 1952 brought a big change for the region when the Miguel Hidalgo Dam was begun, to provide water to the val-ley of El Fuerte making it the center of agriculture and the support for the city of Los Mochis. In 1965 the Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez Dam was built, expanding greatly the arable soil of the valley and increasing the prominence of its farming economy. Tourists are attracted to this re-gion for it’s colonial attractions and the abundance of black bass fishing and white dove hunting. There is a thermal hot spring at Jipago, near the Hidalgo Dam and the El Fuerte river offers canoe and rafting trips. This river has flowed continuously for a millen-nium and covers 450 kilometers and eventually flows into the Sea of Cor-tés. Archeological sites, including 200 ancient petroglyphs are 12 miles from El Fuerte in the Máscara Mountains, which is the land of the Mayo Indians. A major birding hotspot there are reg-ular sightings of rare species like lilac-crowned parrot, squirrel cuckoo, soli-tary eagle, social flycatcher and happy wren. It is also a popular boarding station for the El Chepe railroad that takes tourists to the Copper Canyon area, or travelers to Chihuahua. El Fuerte is easy to get to with a major highway to Los Mochis, and connected by a dirt road with the Pueblo Magico town of Alamos, Sonora. A paved road has been funded by the government and will be open in the next few years connecting these two prominent, his-torical Pueblo Magico towns.

El Fuerte, Pueblo Magico Town

continued from page 24

www.aereocalafia.com.mx01-800-560-3949

Fly to Cabo San Lucas ª San José del Cabo • La Paz • Hermosillo • Los Mochis • Mazatlan • Puerto Vallarta • Cd Obregon • Guaymas

• Culiacán • Constitución • Loreto • Guerrero Negro • Isla de Cedros • Tijuana


Exploring Sonora: The Beaches story and photos by Susan Carol

Puerto Peñasco

People in the USA call this area Rocky Point, probably because of the large rock formations the town is built around. Discovered in the ‘60s by young people from California and Ari-zona , just a few hours away, looking for a party on a beach, the town today still bears their influence with restau-rants named “Wrecked on a Reef”, “Boo Bar” and “Capone’s”. Puerto Peñasco, at the very north end of the Mar de Cortés, became part of the Nautical Ladder plan initiated during the President Fox era in 2001, that was designed to expand nautical tourism in the region and received sig-nificant federal money for infrastruc-ture. An entire beach was filled with low cost condos, and those grown up party lovers, driving distance away, purchased them. Major developers like Mayan Palace and Homex pur-chased huge tracts of property and began resort construction. The Mayan property has a golf course, time share condos and a beach resort that is one of the best properties I’ve experienced! I stayed 2 weeks! Sales and development have halted due to the negative USA press about Mexico, so there are extremely low prices for beach front condos now. The downtown is funky, and the marina area has good restaurants and bars. The Mexican flavor is prominent with all national holidays celebrated in the colorful, traditional way. They have vehicle events like “Thunder on the Beach Raceway”, Monster Truck exhibition and all-terrain pickup race.

Bahia de Kino San Carlos

The 40 foot extreme tides daily makes Puerto Peñasco a unique beach on the planet.

Mayan Palace Beach above, marina area below

Low cost beach front condos above, and sculpture on the downtown seaside plaza.

Located just 2 hours from downtown Hermosillo, Bahia Kino is a laid back beach and fishing community. The Seri Indians were the first inhabitants dis-covered by missionaries in the 1600s and were never conquered. They fi-nally integrated with other Mexicans around the 1950s, motivated by eco-nomic trading needs. There is even a local museum that nicely presents the Seri lifestyle. Funky wooden shacks make up the original beach town founded around 1920 by Mexican fishermen catching the abundant Totoaba fish around the huge close-by Tiburón island. In 1953 the road to Hermosillo was paved stim-ulating commerce in fisheries products. The State put aside 245 hectares to develop the town, and 868 hectares to develop lots for tourist infrastructure and recreational use of Mexican na-tionals. The 1970s saw a boom in Mexican investors, and scallop fisheries opened, and later shrimp and crab operations developed. Today there are 5000 - 7000 residents in the town, including a small, active group of foreigners. There is a Kino Viejo, the old town site and Kino Nuevo the newer homes north of town.

Kino Nuevo bay

Seri Indians

San Carlos is the beach front subdivi-sion within the important port city of Guaymas on the Sea of Cortés. Some-times referred to as Nuevo Guyamas, located just 250 miles from Noglaes on the Arizona border. This seaside com-munity is an area where three former Presidents of the Republic of Mexico were born. This easy to reach community is a winter mecca for North Americans set-tling into the numerous RV parks. In the mid-1950s Rafael Caballero pur-chased 3 large ranches and planned the tourist development of San Carlos., in-cluding a 18 hole golf course. In the 1960s this picturesque area caught the eye of Hollywood and fa-mous films like Catch-22 (Alan Arkin Orson Wells) The Mask of Zorro (Anto-nio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Cath-erine Zeta Jones) and Lucky Lady (Liza Minnelli) were all filmed in this town. Its also the main setting for the 2010 award winning book My Bad Tequila by Rico Austin. Known throughout the Mar de Cortés region as a fantastic diving local, it attracts a significant number of div-ers to explore the waters year-round. Visibility is over 100 ft and sometimes exceeds 200 ft at dozens of island and cove locations. A natural inlet marina attracts fish-ing and pleasure boats, and water sports are a big activity in the calm water of Guaymas bay. Kayaking, water ski-ing, sail boarding, jet skiing and speed board spectator races keep things lively. There are natural reefs and tide pools that are inviting to explore, and a 330 foot damaged ferry boat was sunk for the enjoyment of scuba divers.


Exploring Sonora: CULTURE story and photos by Susan Carol

I liked this town the minute I drove through their welcome gates!

I was even more impressed driving toward the mountains into the lush green with foliage and colorful with flowers road to the town center. The narrow cobblestone streets and white buildings with arches and colonial style pulled me toward the grand town pla-za. I stopped at the first hotel I found close to the center and checked in. There are many, many hotels in this town of about 10,000 people, and

Alamos

HermosilloAfter 2 weeks on the beach in Puerto Peñasco, it was shocking after a full day of driving to enter a busy city of over 600,000 people. Hermosillo is the capi-tal of Sonora, over 30% of the people in the entire State live there. Industry and

Cathedral de la Asuncíon

varying in prices from $60 usd to $400 usd per night. There is an international airport in town, so the many private planes from the north can clear cus-toms in Alamos versus larger cities. Silver was discovered in 1663 at Ad-uana, a small village a few miles west of Alamos. By the 18th century the mines had attracted 30,000 people to settle in the area. Architects and mine supervi-sors sent from Andalusia, Spain, built palatial Spanish colonial-style homes. One legend states a local silver baron laid silver bricks at the entrance of his home to celebrate his daughter’s wed-ding. The town attracted the wealthiest Spanish settlers and at one time in the early 1800s became the capital of the territory of Occidental (Sinaloa, So-nora, Chihuahua, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona). They even minted coins used throughout the territory. The women wore Paris fashions, and the so-cial scene was as vibrant as any town in Europe. A well stocked museum on the town plaza presents this era of mining and upscale people. By the 1880s the value of silver fell, the mines no longer profitable and

the prospects for the town plummeted. The riches of the town attracted ban-dits and Indians during the Mexican Revolution in the early 1900s, with Pancho Villa and in the 1920 and 30s much of the town fled, leaving their extravagant mansions behind. After World War II the town was re-dis-covered by the Hollywood actors like

Carroll O’Connor, Rip Torn and Mary Astor, all who restored existing Span-ish colonial buildings. When writers, artists and entrepreneurs trickled back, one historian stated, “there is a ruin for

every budget”. Alamos has an abun-dance of 200-300 year old buildings that had only 3-4 owners. One fantastic property restora-tion is now the Hacienda de los San-tos. I ate two meals at this gorgeous historical site, a combination of three haciendas with 27 luxurious, inviting rooms with private patios, fireplaces and fine linens. The food was fantastic, and they have a menu of hundreds of Tequilas! Alamos is the northernmost co-lonial town in Mexico as well as a Pueblo Magico town that hosts mu-sic, art and theatre festivals. I’ll go back for sure!

The Plaza de Armas is the center of town ac-tivities with the beautiful Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion Catholic cathedral,

and still ringing bell tower built in 1786.

manufacturing employ over 68,000 people with the rest in supporting com-merce. Ford Motor plant is the largest employer with 12,000 people and elec-tronics and IT industries employ tens of thousands. Other than cars, prod-ucts manufactured there include televi-sions, computers, food processing, tex-tiles, wood products, printing, cellular phones, chemicals, petroleum products

and plastics. The munici-pality has twelve industrial parks, which house over one hundred smaller manufactur-ing enterprises. I was excited to find the Museo de Sonora with interesting displays of the State’s culture and history. The Plaza Hidalgo was also impressive hosting regular weekend events like concerts, art exhibits and live theatre. The architecture of the gov-ernment palace with its ionic columns and the neoclassic style of the cathedral is quite impressive and grand. It took over 100 years to build with its neogothic decorative ele-ments.There are 18 higher learning

centers and Universities in Hermosillo, and a professional baseball team called the Naranjeros de Hermosillo (Orange Growers) founded in the 1950s and is quite popular. This city is surrounded by the So-noran desert so it is hot all year!

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Roberto opened the Copper Canyon Lodge (1965) in the only real town and most accessible in the Canyon area, Creel, and operated it for 20 years before selling it. The lodge was popular as it looked like the “Old West”. Water was pumped from the creek and most employees were Tarahumara Indians. In fact, back then the drums from the Tarahumara could be heard every night from the mountains nearby. He purchased a ranch in 1986 on the rim of the Copper Canyon, about one hour from Creel, and in 1994, built the spectacular Mirador Hotel. All balconies and windows are cliff-side, with panoramic views of three canyons. (see page 20) This hotel has won numerous awards for the spectacular mountain and canyon vistas and remote setting. Next to the hotel, the Mexican government recently invested $30 million in a Swiss made tram car for tourists to appreciate the beauty of the canyon. It was and still is a total challenge to run a hotel in this remote area, due to the lack of any locally trained people,

like plumbing or electrical repair, tour guides, front desk managers, waiters and chefs. All these people have to be recruited from Chihuahua or Sinaloa and agree to live on-site doing shifts at the hotel, then go to their city homes every few weeks. Roberto is clearly an explorer and enjoys adventure. As he learned more about the Copper Canyon region he discovered the village of Cerocahui four hours drive and just one hour by train, and 45 minutes on a dirt road from his Mirador ranch. There was a rich history with the mission church and wine growing and close proximity to the deepest canyon, Urique. In 1998 he built Hotel Mision right next door to the church from an old convent in ruins and maintained its original zen architecture. This inviting small hotel features wood stoves in every room and a 100 year old orchard and vineyards. Both hotels, the Mirador and the Mision are in the heart of the Tarahumara country. The region has had a drought that caused the Indians to forego their parcel’s annual corn and bean crops putting them in a difficult

situation. Roberto´s son Bernardo, has stepped into using their logistics to help the people in Mexico reach the Tarahumaras, a beautiful ancient tribe The best way to start the canyon trip is driving from Los Mochis airport to El Fuerte, a quaint colonial town funded by the conquistadores in 1564. The train goes by El Fuerte before starts its climb of the Sierra Madre towards the Coppen Canyon. In El Fuerte, Roberto bought a turn of the 19th century colonial mansion that has the look of an old hacienda. The building was reconstructed and added another jewel into his collection. He brought the legend of El Zorro back to life as he honored the De La Vega family who resided at the old mansion before moving to San Francisco Even though, there has been a lot of concern about security in mainland Mexico in the years past, the canyon trip is isolated from violent incidents. The Balderrama’s tour package starts by picking you up at the airport and ends dropping you back there to maintain the whole trip in safe hands. “Visitors relax as they realize and perceive that the tour is safe: the train trip, the hotels, the canyon lands… H e is a sportsman and in the 70s brought black bass fishing and duck and dove hunting to Sinaloa. His son Roberto Jr now operates the hunting hotels. For Bass fishing, Roberto has recently expanded the La Estancia fishing lodge at Lake Huites. There at the foothills, the mountains granite walls drop in the intricate lake such as the fjords of Norway and New Zealand. During the time he was building hotels in Sinaloa and Chihuahua he took a family trip to Los Cabos (1969). His older children were quite young, and Los Cabos hotels included just the Palmilla, Cabo San Lucas Hotel and the El Presidente. He laughs about a particular trip in the summer, where in those days the summers were so quiet most places were closed. At the Palmilla he talked

with a young man, Enrique Silva (now of Tequila Restaurant fame in San José) who told him about a deal on a property near by. Back in those days, everyone was in the real estate game, as there were few formal realtors, and people just “knew” somebody with property to sell. Some Americans wanted to sell a run down beach house property next to the Palmilla, and after long negotiations over title, price, etc this property was secured for the Balderrama family, and over years was fixed up slowly to become the stunning Cabo Surf Hotel that now exists there today. (see Mauricio’s Project story) Roberto is retired but still vary active and the hotel and tour business es are run by his 4 sons.

Balderrama Family of HoteliersContinued from page 27

20

[email protected]


Paulina Guitierrez started her home design business in Los Cabos almost 20 years ago and has furnished and designed many, many homes in Baja Sur. Her style is personal to her clients, and her sources eclectic and var-ied from cities throughout Mexico. She loves color and balance and has developed her talents throughout the years that stretch from classic hacienda Mexican style to Modern and Contemporary and more recently to organic style using natural materials and earthy colors. She just opened a store at Shoppes of Palmilla to complement her Plaza Paulina headquarters in downtown San José.

HOME DESIGN

PAULINA’S STYLES

It was tricky to start a business in 2009, when the entire tourist market fell off with a thud, Just about the time he opened in February, hotel occupancy dropped to less than 10%. Planning to open a winery and sell wholesale to restaurants, Robert Turnage now laughs about the variety of things he did to survive. Not able to sell wines to hotel restaurants, he started his own Label inside the Winery complex. He lowered prices on his wines to just above wholesale, and then started serving tasty tapas and full meals at very reasonable prices. The Winery offered wine tasting before your meal so you could enjoy a bottle of your favorite, with the meal. He started a wine club offering 15% discounts to regular clients who returned often for the high quality wines. Robert is intimately involved with all aspects of his now, thriving business in Cabo. The Winery is a few blocks up Francisco Villa road behind the Cabaret Sports Bar, across the street

Wines made in Cabo

Los Cabos Winery A Destination

from McDonalds. Many resort people walk to this “find’ and nestle into the cozy leather couches and art filled atmosphere with live music most evenings. For a treat, dine in the wine cave surrounded

by barrels of aging wines. Open 7 days a week 5:30-10:30 for dinner. Over the years, the many reviews with travel sites like Trip Advisor, puts them at the top of the list, voted #1 Cabo restaurant in the Seafood and Steakhouse categories. Their chef uses only the freshest ingredients. and their sea bass and shrimp have wonderful flavors. Also tapas sizes.

Robert Turnage the founder of Los Cabos Winery says he acquired his

talent for blending wines by tasting it


By Marilyn Johnstone

Daycare for low-income, single-par-ent ent families has not always been available in Los Cabos. For years, many children were left on the streets, in the care of only slightly older sib-lings, or with what may or may not have been trustworthy neighbors. But when Herminia De Losada discovered a father of seven young children, left by his wife, who needed to work, she

took the children into her own home and cared for them. She realized that many others were also in need. Thus was born the day care centre, Niños del Capitan in Cabo San Lucas. Today, they harbor 100 children from the

ages of 18 months to five years, as well as 30 more primary students who ar-rive after school for activities and help with homework in a safe environment until their parents finish work. For her work, Herminia was honored as Wom-an of the Year in 2005. Margarita Hernandez and Lotti Gessner of San José del Cabo worked with Herminia and they opened a sim-ilar day care center in San Jose. called Ayudando a Mama A.C. - Helping Mom! They adapted a small house and with four children opened. It is important to note that these day care centers are not “charity,” because their philosophy is: only by paying for their child’s care is the parent made respon-sible. The payment is small, but the single parents often just make the minimum wage of $5 US per day. Now, Ayudando a Mama cares for twenty children and the full-time staff of five split the 25,000 pesos budgeted

Helping momsAyudando a Mama

for salaries - under $400 US per per-son. To help, Soriana’s donates discard-ed food weekly. This food is sorted by volunteers; some for the cooks to feed the children nutritious food, some to the workers to supplement their in-come, some is packaged and sold at low prices from the Bazaar, and the rest is for a local rancher for his cows. “Por las vacas!” is cheerfully sung out by the volunteers, as they sort through the boxes of fruits and vegetables. Financial patrons are needed to cover their day-to-day expenses! The San José community is asked to donate used-goods for their Bazaar, and donated money for the children’s care. Their house is located at Calle Barlovento (north end of Piscador on the right), Col. Rosarito. To visit or donate articles or money contact: Margarita: Cel: 624 192 3166 English: Lotti: 172 8220. Your donations are important!

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Baja shakespeare in Plain English!

one can forget our Merry Wives of Windsurf – sun, fun, bikini clad women…what more can one ask for? This year, they give the same treatment to a magical fairy tale. Directors, Bob and Lesley Cur-rier, of Marin Shakespeare fame, are promising a 2012 show that is sure to be a masterpiece! The cast are all local thespians: Fairy Godmother– Susan Evans

Cinderella – Camilla FordFirst Fairy – Heidi Ford

Baron Hardup – Greg KitchelButtons – Kim ScholefieldBritney – Bobby Bowman

Whitney – Ron WeberWithers – John Herschleb

Dandini – Ron HeinenPrince Charming – Allen MasonQueen – Roxanne Rosenblatt

Fox – Ana PimientaStepmother – Clarence Moyers

Show March 22- March 25th

Rancho Buena Vista, East Cape

Bar opens 6 pm, show at 7 pm. Ticket prices $20.00 /260 Pesos. Will Call: [email protected] or ph. 624 142 8008.

by Roxanne Rosenblatt & Anne Herschleb.

There can be no excuse to miss the 12th Season of Baja Shakespeare. Cinderella, a British-style Panto with a Baja twist, is great for grown-ups and kids alike. British Panto-mime or “Panto” is defined as “probably the noisiest, row-diest sort of theatre you can attend, taking familiar fairy tales and injecting a vaudeville sensibility with contemporary reference double entendre and audience participation to create a raucous entertain-ment”! Baja Shakespeare is known for presenting Will’s comedies with shtick, song and dance exploited for the unique, local audience. Past BS productions have followed the Panto theme: Comedy of Errors was set in Texas for a chaotic, country-western feud; Twelfth Night spun a psychedelic tale inundated with 60s and ‘70s rock ’n roll music and characters; And no

STEAKSSEAFOOD

WINES TAPAS

OPEN 7 PM - 1 AM

Upstairs Dining on the Outdoor PatioDowntown Cabo

Located across the street from McDonaldswww.mariasgrillcabo.com

624-143-5370


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Downtown Cabo

Marias Grill

A new and unique restaurant just opened! The two partners who creat-ed Marias Grill have years of operating restaurants in both San Francisco and Cabo San Lucas. This newest creation is an open air dining experience that offers true “Dining Under the Stars” in a very comfortable setting with great people watching and a view of the lo-cal Cabo action.

Marias Grill features 4 large TVS set to receive all the Sporting Events, with Mexican, American and Cana-dian Satellite dishes. Some weekends they will feature live entertainment after 8 pm. The menu at Marias fea-tures charcoal grilled steaks and fresh seafood as well as great salads and tra-ditional mexican food. They have an open kitchen where you will see and smell the food being prepared. You’ll find some great wines at Marias as well as tapas and appetizers. This Restaurant also has the clean-est washrooms you have ever seen and the servers are very professional and well trained. Marias is located on the second level above the street on the main road into town directly across from Cabo’s only McDonalds restau-rant and the Cabo Fire Department. If you’re looking for a fun and happy Restaurant that has no Time Share promotions and features delicious food at very fair prices then try Marias Grill. They also have valet parking.Note: If you want a new experience, stop by the Cabo Fire Department for a visit. They offer free tours of the Fire Sta-tion and they also have a Fire truck that has been converted into a sightseeing vehicle. The local Fire Men and Women also have a great souvenir / gift shop that helps support them.

Average Entree Price: $ ($1-$5) - $$ ($6-$10) $$$ ($11-$15) $$$$ ($15-$20) - $$$$$ - ($20+)

EL TRIUNFOCafe El Triunfo $$The best pizzas in the region, prepared in a traditional wood burning oven. Motorcy-clists love this watering hole between the East and West Coast of Baja. Well known Chef and owner Marcus Spahr.

LA PAZBuffalo BBQ $$$$$Choice steak cuts and seafood is as fresh as it gets, a diverse menu . Malecon

Cafe Milano $$$$A unique authentic Italian experience on the Malecon. Open kitchen, hand-made pastas and freshest ingredients.

Tres Virgines $$$$$A great mixture between flavor and flair. Athoughtful marriage of taste and art. truly great vintage wines.

Trocadero $$$$$Means “a good meal, a good wine, good music”, designed to create a “bon vivant” atmosphere. Diverse menu, Baja local.

Azul Marino $$$$Waterfront, outside seating. Fresh fish items or pizzas.

EAST CAPERoadrunner Cafe $$Entrance of Los Barriles Plaza del Puebo fa-vorite hangout for espresso drinks and chai teas, a large variety of breads and sweets

Apostolis $$$$$Diverse menu of Greek favorites and some great Italian creations. Italian wood-burn-ing oven for their baked creations..

Bay View Restaurant $$$View of the ocean. The menu features inter-national and Mexican dishes.

Campestre Triny´s $$Mexican and Seafood dishes. Fresh with a little extra Mexican “oomph”.

El Barrilito $$Fresh fish daily from the local fisherman and prepared Baja style and sushi.

Tio Pablo´s Bar and Grill $$Originally a hotdog stand in 1991. now a full service restaurant and bar.

Local Favorites

Restaurants

For more details, maps, contact info and

photos please visit

“Restaurants”


by Susan Carol

“I’m excited to to be living in Los Cabos and launching the new Private Banking department for Baja Sur”, ex-claims Monica Balbontin Agu-irre. This new d e p a r t m e n t in Los Cabos, is a result of the growing population of wealthy people investing in the area. Wealth creation in Lat-in America has enjoyed some of the highest growth rates in the world, and Los Cabos, Baja Sur is now in that club. El Grupo Financiero BBVA Ban-comer (GFBB) is a Spanish Institution founded in 1932 and is the largest private banking institution in Mexico with deposits over $548 billion pesos. GFBB is a holding company subsidiary of Banco Bilcao Vizcaya Argentaria

BBVA Bancomer Bank Announces

Private Banking in Los Cabos!

The new Private Bankers Investment Management for BBVA Bancomer group (left) Gabriela Gutiérrez, Monica Balbontin Aguirre, Susette Fenech Vizcaino

(BBVA), one of the largest financial groups in the Euro Zone, with about 47 million customers worldwide and there are over 112,000 employees operating in 32 countries.

The Nation-al Bancomer P r e f e r r e d c u s t o m e r unit, former-ly headed by Ms Balbon-tin Aguirre is unique in Mexico as its designed to cater to the needs of foreign-ers. Their new Private

Banking Investment Management unit, located at the Bancomer office at the Shoppes of Palmilla in San José are attracting new Private Banking clients, mostly foreigners from North America looking to invest in the ever growing, and strong financial market in Mexico. The women comprising this unit, Monica Balbontin Aguirre, Gabri-ella Guitiérrez and Susette Fenech Vizcaino have completed extensive training and certification programs in all financial products, and have the backing of a huge, central asset man-agement department based in Mexico City. Gabriela states, “our hundreds of experts make sure that our clients have the healthiest, best growing and financially solid funds and stocks for their portfolios”.

The Mayor of the Los Cabos mu-nicipality Antonio Agundez Montaño named Jacobo Turquie the new direc-tor of tourism in March. Jacobo has been the Baja State tourism director and an active member of CANIRAC

and other local business organizations over the many years he has lived in Los Cabos, and has a clear understand-ing of the need to develop a bond within the community, which will affect the future tourism in the area. “Most people living here today are from someplace else and have no idea who their neighbor is or the history of this great State of Baja Sur”, express-es Jacobo. “The Mayor wants all the citizens of Los Cabos to share in the tourism industry so I’m looking at a program to build support for our local organic growers”. Only about 20% of the restaurants in town buy from the local growers, choosing more low cost, mass produced goods from mainland Mexico. Jacobo plans to educate these users not only on the health benefits from using organic produce, but on the support it gives to all of us locally by expanding this industry. Part of his plan includes tours to the farms and the addition of more outlets for purchase, which will in-crease jobs and our knowledge of the abundance available in our own mu-nicipality. In addition to the planned support for the local farmers, Jacobo knows there is an opportunity to share the State’s attractions beyond the beach-es, golf and good weather. “The whale migrations, Sea of Cortez explora-tions, mountain treks and hot springs, the cave paintings in the north and the mission routes” are Jacobo’s topics!

Jacobo TurquieNew Director of

Los Cabos Tourism

Jacobo Turquie, the new Los Cabos Tourism Director is the owner of La Panga Restaurant in downtown San José.

by Dee Dee Sjogren

Within 24 hours of our son, Bo’s, arrival in Los Cabos he was hit by a jet-ski and the right side of his face was shattered! He was brought to Hospital de Especialidades in San Lucas for treatment. Bo spent 5 days in the hospital where he received excellent care. He had 2 facial surgeons perform a 4 hour operation where they replaced his eye socket with titanium mesh, fixed his broken jaw with a titanium rod and screws and rebuilt his crushed sinus with plastic. Dr. Macrina Bustos was able to do this procedure leaving no more than a 1 1/2” scar along the jaw-line and no nerve damage! She and another facial surgeon did most of the operation from inside his mouth, including the draining of the bone matter and blood that filled his eye-socket and sinus. Dr. Jose Rosales was Bo’s attending Physician and he assisted in the operation as well. Dr. Rosales was our saving grace as he spoke perfect English and he had such an upbeat, loving manner that we allfelt that everything would turn out alright. The biggest stress was with our Insurance Company that insisted we put Bo on a plane and fly him to Canada for the operation. It took several hours of arguing that he was deemed unfit to fly due to the amount of facial damage and that any air pressure change or mobilization to and from the airport was risky. The Insurance Company continued to insist even though they did not have a bed or a Surgeon lined-up to operate on Bo when we arrived in Canada.We had no choice but to approve the operation in Mexico and forego the possibility of coverage. Fortunately, a couple weeks after the operation the Insurance Company agreed to pay the expenses because the Hospital and Doctors all went to bat for us! Our family will always be grateful for the amazing care and results that we received in the hands of these talented, compassionate Doctors and the staff of Hospital de Especialidades!

Hospital Especialidades

Good Medical Care

Dr. Macrina Bustos, Bo and Dr. Jose Rosales

Enjoy our new beach club and see the prepa-

ration on the 40-acre site of Cabo Riviera. The 5

Star International Resort and Hotel will bring

unparalleled luxury living

to the quiet shores of Cabo Riviera.

YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE INVITED FOR LUNCH

Enjoy our new beach club and see the prepa-

ration on the 40-acre site of Cabo Riviera. The 5

Star International Resort and Hotel will bring

unparalleled luxury living

to the quiet shores of Cabo Riviera.

Please make reservations:[email protected]

YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE INVITED FOR LUNCH Enjoy our new beach

club and see the preparation on the 40-

acre site of Cabo Riviera. The 5 Star International

Resort and Hotel will bring unparalleled

luxury living to the

quiet shores of Cabo Riviera.

Please make reservations:[email protected]

YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE INVITED FOR LUNCH

Ph. (624) 105 1005 (624) 130 0303www.caboriviera.com.mx

Destino Los Cabos Magazine

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