Issue 71 April/May 2015 by christine courtright

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

Free / Gratis

What is the Asociacion de Artes Up To?

April/May 2015

Issue No. 71

By: Christine Courtright Asociacion de Artes, the producer of the great East Capers Magazine is a Mexican Non-Profit and are the folks behind many of the long time great activities in our Eastcape area. As the ‘high season’ comes to a close, we are looking towards our next activity, the Curos deVerano (summer school program) that we help produce for the LB students. As a member of the Asociacion, I am a little biased when I say, this is a great program and one that offers a variety of volunteer opportunities, most of which does not include a huge commitment of time or energy! The following is a recap of our latest activities and the ones to come. Spring Art Festival

We just finished out Spring Art Festival at Palmas, and what a great success it was! We had many new artisans and all our favorite were there also. The entertainment on the main stage was great and we were so pleased to have Bluz Explozion on stage. There was great food and drink for all and plenty of shade.....since summer started that day! Our silent auction and raffle was a great success, bringing us a great return! And if you did not get your festival shirt - you missed out as they were great! The Art Festival is the biggest fund raiser the association does each year. The funds generated go to supply funds for the Cursos de V erano (the Summer art & sport program) for LB kids and school supplies for 9 schools in the greater Eastcape area. The Asociacion de Artes depends on the support from the artisans and patrons that attend the festival - we are grateful for the artists that sell and the patrons that buy! We strive to continue to bring a quality art festival with the majority of the vendors being true one of a kind artists. Each year we do a better job weeding out the production vendors, and we do appreciate your patience with our diligence on this job. We do try to remember we are in Mexico, so we need to have some of the Mexican art represented at our show! So mark your calendar for the 2016 festival, which is March 20th. We hold the event every year the Sunday BEFORE Easter Sunday. Hopefully we are after the hard wind season and before it gets too hot! Festival directors can control lots of stuff, but we have not figured out how to control Mother Nature – and a voo doo earth does not work! A chance to sit and enjoy the food, music and drink!

Vendors, shoppers and sunshine!

Continued on page 3

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Advertising in East Capers Advertising in the East Capers gets the word out about your business AND your ad money supports the 3 week 'Cursos de Verano' summer school, for over 120 local children and provides art supplies for 18 East Cape public schools. In addition to space in the printed version, your color ad appears in the online version at no additional cost. You can download the 2014/15 Advertising Kit by visiting our website at: www.eastcapearts.com.

East Capers Periódico Publisher Asociación de Artes del Mar de Cortez A.C., Los Barriles, BCS, Mexico Editor Christine Courtright

The Asociación de Artes del Mar de Cortez A.C., Los Barriles, B.C. Sur, Mexico is a legal non-profit Mexican corporation not affiliated with any other organization, association, club or business.

Contributors Holly Bergin Urmas Kaldveer Tehroma Lask Mark Rayor Connie M. Heinen Kathleen Bulger Gary Graham Ann Hazard Renee Lagloire Emma Nicholson Jorge Bergin Larry Epstein Chris Courtright Steve Reed Emma Nicholson Alexandra Delis-Abrams Susan Ackerman Russ Hyslop Christine Courtright Hank Darlington

Volunteers Needed! The Asociación de Artes needs volunteers to help support their programs that bring the arts to the local communities and the schools. To learn more about these programs, visit: www.eastcapearts.com. If you would like to volunteer, send an email to: eastcapearts@gmail.com.

Call for Articles East Capers is looking for fiction and true stories about our region and items that affect our residents. If you are interested in submitting articles, recipes, stories or your personal experiences in Baja, email your 1,000-words or less article to: eastcapersmagazine@gmail.com

What are "free radicals"? Free radicals are molecules that have lost an electron. They are highly unstable and reactive molecules that can damage all living things. They can disrupt a cells ability to function properly resulting in permanent damage and aging. Free radicals are on a mission to destroy anything in their paths, including vital parts of the skin, such as lipids (essential fatty acids) protein (collagen & elastin) and DNA.

Circulation Brian Cummings Advertising Kathy Obenshain Denise Linnet

Free radicals attack and snatch energy from other cells by stealing electrons from neighboring cells causing imbalance which leads to more damage. If free radicals simply killed a cell it wouldn't be so bad. The body can generate another one. The problem is that free radicals injure the cell, damaging the DNA. When the DNA is damaged the cell becomes mutated. It grows abnormally and reproduces abnormally and quickly. Once a free radical is formed it is similar to a small fire that begins to grow. These small fires can cause damage to the cells, tissues and even organs eventually leading to premature aging and disease. They are one of the main culprits involved in the rapid aging of the skin. Free radicals destroy collagen. The skin structure breaks down and loss of elasticity and wrinkling result.

Printer Imprenta Ciudad Los Niños, La Paz, BCS, Mexico To learn about Ciudad Los Niños, visit their website at: http://ciudadninoslapaz.org/english/home.htm ——————————— The opinions expressed within the articles in East Capers are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Asociación de Artes del Mar de Cortez A.C.

How to fight free radicals Free radicals worst enemy are antioxidants. They are molecules that protect the cells from oxidative stress. Antioxidants work by neutralizing dangerous free radicals. Oxidative damage in skin cells is caused by cumulative sunlight. Exposure to sunlight is known to lead to oxidative destruction of the skin, including increased incidence of skin cancer and the destruction of collagen causing wrinkling.

collagen production. LED photo rejuvenation. Collagen Induction treatments and glycolic peels to name a few. These treatments along with the use of Vitamin C serums and creams will greatly improve your skin. Connie Heinen is a state board licensed paramedical Esthetician since 1992 and has had extensive training in acne, skin disorders and chemical peeling. For more information about the treatments that I provide please visit my website. www.solutionsdebelleza.com For an appointment call Connie 141-0422 or email: permsolutions@aol.com

Vitamin C is a powerful, potent antioxidant and a necessary component of tissue collagen production. Vitamin C protects collagen in the skin and is necessary for new collagen production and wound healing. Since Vitamin C is water soluble it is able to destroy free radicals before they can reach the cellular membrane. Vitamin C and Vitamin A can reverse skin changes in photo aging and chronological aging.

Newsletter Email Address eastcapersmagazine@gmail.com

Thank You! This publication is possible with the help of the board members of the Asociación de Artes and members of the community.

Free Radicals And the effects they have on the skin. By: Connie Heinen

Copy Editor Pako Ford

Tax-deductable Contributions to the Asociación de Artes

The Asociación is in full compliance with the terms of the NAFTA agreement of January 1, 1994. As such, contributions made to the Asociación de Artes are tax-deductable in the United States, Mexico and Canada. For more information visit: www.eastcapearts.com or the NAFTA Website at: http://www.ustr.gov/trade-agreements/freetrade-agreements/north-american-free-tradeagreement-nafta.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

There are therapeutic treatments that can also stimulate April/May

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

Paying your Telmex Bill The first time I came down after getting my phone installed left me a great surprise. I came down to no dial tone…. the person who was to pay my bill didn’t. So now off to Telmex and pay the fees and wait – it took about 3 weeks for me to get re-hooked up. It was at this point I learned about TelmexUSA. This is the only way I suggest to pay this bill. You sign up at www.telmexUSA.com or 800-290-1649. You will need our original paperwork and a customer number – which they can give you if you cannot find it. You will be speaking to agents in California and they speak English. Your bill will be charged to a credit card on a monthly basis. You also get a statement each month to your home address – but it is in Spanish. If the statement looks different, than it probably says your card is expiring…..as what happened to me and it was easily fixed by a phone call. I still get my bill/invoice here in Mexico so I can see the breakdown charges. I have used TelmexUSA since 2008 and never have I had any unwanted extra charges. It is such a quick and easy way to ensure that your bill is paid on a timely basis and puts you in control – without a lot of effort on your part. I like the ‘brain dead’ aspect of it. I can see each month the money is taken out and I come down to a dial tone! But, there is also the other option…. Pay Dennis!

Asociacion de Artes Happenings Continued: Cursos de Verano -

Summer Arts and Sports Program for LB students Cursos de Verano is the summer vacation art and sport ‘summer school’ that is put on by the Asociacion de Artes and others in our community. Frances Olachea Carrillo and the DIF ladies have been our primary organizers for the last several years, and they do a great job. The students will do art projects, swim, play different sports and learn new skills and make new friends. It is an important part of their summer giving them something to do while out of school. The summer school runs 3 weeks in July. It takes a lot of volunteers and money to provide a successful summer school, and that is where we put a much of the funds we raise throughout the year. If you are around this summer and want to do something fun (even in the heat!), please come out and help with the Cursos de Verano. Saturday Crafts

April 18 was our latest Saturday Craft with rubber band jewelry making. We had a smaller group than normal, but what fun the kids had. Each student learned how to create 3 different styles with beads and charms imbedded in the bracelet. We were able to send the students home with a small ‘loom’ and supplies for making more. The students are so excited when we can send them home with supplies to make more and continue with what they learned. It is part of our mission to do projects that they can reproduce at home- teaching them a skill they can use again. Our next craft Saturday is May 9th 1:30 – 3pm. We will be making a project that they can give as a Mothers Day gift. Saturday Arts is a big part of the mission of the Association… bringing art to the kids of the community. This will be our last craft Saturday until October. You know we are doing the right thing when the kids come and give all the volunteers a hug and say “nos vemos el próximo mes” (see you

We left with him the equipment to have a team – with uniforms coming down when I return in the fall. They continue to practice at the field (which has a back stop) weekdays at 4:30. Oscar’s goal is in line with our goal of starting youth baseball teams in the communities in the Eastcape. There are already 3 communities forming teams; Campamento, LB and Sanitago! Just think how great it would be to have our own Cactus League in the Eastcape! We would have great entertainment following our favorite teams. We are asking that as you go home, that you continue to collect equipment – including uniforms from your Northern towns, and bring it down to us to get to the various communities. A great place to start looking for equipment is your local little league organizations. That is a natural place to get used mitts, bats, balls, etc and uniforms. It is such a great resource for jerseys – teams often change out yearly or biyearly. If you can get the kids to give the jerseys to our cause instead of taking them home to sit in a drawer, that is great! If all of you bring just one or two things down each time you travel here, then we can supply all communities with gear and uniforms for teams of their own. Our next camp is the Saturday before Thanksgiving weekend – that is November 21. So mark your calendar for this four hour commitment. Watch our facebook page for details: www.facebook.com/beisbolcampoeneastcape

next month). Baseball Camp

Sawyers Baseball Camp #2 was held March 21 in Los Barriles. We had about 50 players – with 13 coming from the El Triunfo team. Once again, we saw a lot of raw talent and skill in kids that have very little experience (some for the first time) playing the game. We had great coaches and assistants. The kids were very attentive soaking in all they could learn and they loved playing the scrimmage game at the end. At the end of the camp, we were able to present the kids with team hats from the SD Padres farm team called the Chihuahuas. The kids loved the hats- probably because of the team name! The Los Barriles building inspector, Oscar, is a great baseball fan and even started team practice Monday following the camp.

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

The Story Behind Joe’s Deli & Mart By: Hank Darlington If you like a really good human interest story, I believe you’ll enjoy this one. It’s about Joe’s Deli and Mart, the owner’s of this unique business and how it’s become the “go-to” store for specialty baked goods, soups, salads and more. Let’s start with 38 year old Jose (Joe) Guzman, the owner of Joe’s, and his round about trip to our great area. Joe was born “ in Mexico. His folks migrated to the USA in 1985 when Joe was eight ending up in Winters, a small town in Northern California. Joe’s dad and mom operated a deli called Kountry Kitchen…and Joe and all his siblings worked there as kids, and becoming citizens of the United States after 7 years. When Joe turned 18 he was ready for college but, the cost of schooling in the US prompted him to migrate back to Mexico so he could attend college in Ensenada. While going to school he worked part-time for a small farm that sold produce to high-end grocery stores (Whole Foods, Trader Joes etc.) in southern California. Joe became sales manager with his English language being a big help in dealing with the buyers of his products. Because the growing season was shorter in northern Baja, Joe and his company found sources for product in the La Paz area. For three years Joe lived four months in Ensenada and eight months in La Paz. While getting gas at a Pemex, Joe met a young, cute, shy employee by the name of Isela. Isela was going to college in La Paz and working at the Pemex part-time. Yep, you get the picture. Friendship grew into love and Isela and Joe were married in Ensenada in 2003. An excessive seven day a week work schedule and having no days off made Joe realize he needed to make a change. Joe’s father-in-law in La Paz was a builder and remodeler and Joe learned the trade from him and eventually became a partner in the business. How about “Yesman Construction” – for the name of their new business. The business grew very fast and by 2008 Joe had 115 employees. Almost overnight the economy crashed and Joe was down to one employee: himself! By now Joe and Isela had a son of their own named Joe, of course!

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

Joe had met a gringo who said he had a ‘big project’ and Los Barriles was the destination. Joe and family moved here only to find out that there wasn’t “big money” to go with the “big project”. Joe and Isela are people of faith and they knew that the Lord would look out for them. Once again, Joe being the ultimate entrepreneur looked around town and recognized that there wasn’t a true customer friendly pet store in Los Barriles. There was a heck of a lot of dogs, but no place to buy a variety of products in any quantity you wanted them. Joe sold a truck and with 4000 pesos started a pet store on the north side of where the fruit and veggies ladies are today. Enter my friend Jay Valentine. Jay and Joe became good pals. Jay knew that Joe made several trips a week to La Paz to buy food and supplies for his pet store. One day Jay asked Joe if he could pick up some specialty food items while he was in La Paz. Joe did! Word got out and Joe started doing this for other folks too. Jay started making the trips to La Paz with Joe and together they got the idea to start putting some popular food items on the shelves in the pet store. The people food items became more popular than the pet products and “wa-la” - Joe’s Deli and Mart was born with the official opening in the fall of 2011. Business grew and Joe moved to his present location on the south side of the fruit and veggie ladies.

On the many trips to La Paz, Joe and Jay stopped at the El Triunfo Café and bought fresh baked breads to sell at his store. It was such a success that he decided to incorporate a kitchen into his new store. Joe gives Jay Valentine a lot of credit for being a great friend and a great mentor. Joe wanted to do his own baked goods and other handmade specialty foods and that’s when he found Jill Brossard working in the kitchen at the Hotel Pescadores. What a great find this was! Jill manages the newly built out kitchen. The deli has a large variety of daily food offerings, but Jill will do special orders at your request. All the equipment in the kitchen is from Joe’s mom and dad’s deli in California… a true family business. Next time you pay a visit to the store take a look at the painting on the wall of the front of the store. You’ll see Joe, Isela, young Joe (who the store is named after), Elias and baby Emma. You will find some or all of them at the store much of the time. I asked Joe what his plans were for growing the business. I wasn’t surprised to learn that they had opened a second store in La Ventana in 2014 and are planning on a third store in Todo Santos in July of this year. Joe’s brother, Danny, is helping with the business and Joe’s mom and dad are planning to move to La Ventana to run that store. Yes, this is truly a family enterprise. As if this isn’t enough, Joe acts as a construction consultant on new homes and remodels. Once again his perfect English helps him in this area. I like a nice glass of wine in the evening so I asked Joe about adding wines to his offering. I wasn’t surprised when he said it was in the planning stages. Good news for us wine drinkers. A lot of the success of the business has to go back to when Joe was working with Trader Joes, Whole Foods and other specialty food stores. He recognized the special niche that they are filling Continued on page 5

April/May

Atavist By: Jorge Bergin I don’t want to run too far back into archetype imprinting but I’ll go a little ways in honor of a rare encounter with my long gone ancestors yesterday while I was out fishing. We know we are all walking archives of our past lives and science can show us how far back. People in deep insulin shock (on purpose), when brought back up from the verge of death, begin to swim like fish, their toes grasp some eons old invisible branch to remind us of our beginnings. I took yesterday to fish in a boat because right here, right now there’s usually no wind in the mornings. When the land heats up, about mid-day the burning sand sends up an unseen pillar of warm air, leaving behind a place the surrounding air wants to fill, then it gets windy, the sea choppy and often downright dangerous. The water temps must not be quite right for good fishing and we spent the morning trolling but with little luck. We saw lots of sea life – whales, sea lions, swordfish, sea birds and turtles. Unwilling to go home without dinner we stopped and fished the rocky bottoms in deep water at a time when the sea was a chrome mirror without a hint of breeze. It took over an hour to make our dinner, moving and testing until we found some productive sea mounts. We would motor about, turn off the motor and let the baited hooks fall nearly 300 feet in some areas. As we jigged

and reeled the calm was eerily silent and the sounds of whales breaching and blowing would have us staring at the horizon but the sound traveled farther than our visible horizons. I began to wonder if I was hearing things – was it just wishful thinking? Not a ripple anywhere but suddenly the blowing would come out of nowhere. I felt a sense of foreboding, a feeling that I should be prepared to move, to act, to row or harpoon or do a dozen flash-sudden things my forebears had done while hunting the great beasts. The sound spoke to me as it must have spoken to them thousands of years in the past; not a siren song but almost a call to battle, a challenge. I might have asked my fishing pals if they heard the sounds but before I could think more about it, the east wind came around, gathered up the waves and sent me bouncing back to shore at the helm while Leornardo cleaned our meager catch. I guess you can add to the insulin things the hair standing upright on my arms and neck like so many wind-burned soldiers at attention all the while the calm enveloped our small boat, while that strange and haunting sound took me back to the clan.

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Whales Continued from page 31 Then I began swimming around the Mobulas to aid in the hunt. Then three females swam by me in close formation with four very young Orcas. As the group swept past me I had the funniest feeling that the mothers had brought them close to me in order to make sure they knew I was not part of the menu. Back in the middle of the pod again I felt like part of the family and was visited by a number of the Orcas as they continued their activities. It had been a long time since I had been so elated. Truly a swim of a lifetime. I am available for lectures. A $5.00 donation requested

Shakespeare in Eastcape 2015 By: Larry Epstein Once again Baja Shakespeare brought down the house; that is, the Convention Center at Buena Vista Beach Resort. For six shows in March 2015, “Shakespeare’s Robin Hood Or A Funny Thing Happened On My Way Through Stratford Forest” brought 600-some theater goers to their feet in thunderous applause. There was universal acclaim as our enthusiastic cast and crew regaled the crowd with song, dance, laughter and drama. Once again local playwright Larry Epstein and co-writer Jill Broussard delivered a clever and thoughtful world premiere. Our fledging director and long-time cast member Camilla Ford brought life to the script with humor, skill, encouragement, endless patience and determination. And our musical director, Jeanette Grittani, and her musicians added another dimension, leaving the audience humming show tunes for days.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

schedule, helped us learn our lines and supported us in ways too numerous to list. Yes, it takes a village to keep a community theater troupe alive. And Baja Shakespeare gives back to the community. This year at each intermission, there was a raffle that raised money for six local non-profits: the East Cape Guild Scholarship Fund, the East Cape Health Center, East Cape Recycling, The Arts Association and Amigos de Animales. We also supported 48 East Cape businesses from whom we bought supplies, props, food and drink. And we coordinated with the Asociacion de Artes art Festival to make a weekend destination for visitors. Who knows where 2016 will take us? We hope that whatever we do, you will be at our Buena Vista Beach Resort theatre to join us. Mark your calendars for March 11, 12, 13, 17, 18 and 19, 2016. Onwards to year 16! We welcome anyone to join us. Perhaps 2016 will be your year to become a member of our close-knit family of cast and crew members. Maybe you will be on-stage reciting Shakespeare, telling jokes, singing or dancing in green tights or a grass skirt. Or maybe you’ll be off-stage painting or moving sets, sewing or applying make-up and styling hair, or writing dialog and press releases. The list of possibilities is endless, as is our need for new talent --even if you don’t know that you’re talented. Watch out when the theatre bug bites! It’s infectious! But it’s one of those good infections. Come join us next year and feed your need.

.Joes Deli Continued from page 4 and he is trying to emulate their successes into his business. As you can tell from this short story, Joe and Isela have had some pretty nice “highs” and even a few “lows”. But, as Joe told me “life keeps coming around… and we’ve learned to turn adversity into an advantage”. With their great outlook on life, their faith and their continued combination of hard and smart work I’m pretty sure that Joe’s Deli and Mart will continue to become a “must- go- to” place for our specialty foods. If you haven’t paid them a visit, stick your head in the door and say hello.

Early Hurricane Season! From The National Water Commission La Paz, Baja California Sur (BCS). The National Water Commission (Conagua) reported that the tropical hurricane season begins on May 15th and ends November 30th. The forecast states that in the Pacific Ocean there will be at least 19 tropical cyclones - 8 tropical storms, 7 strong hurricanes (category 1 & 2) and 4 intense hurricanes (category 3,4, & 5). It was also reported that this is an El Niño year. Some of the names of tropical cyclones this year will be: Andres, Blanca, Carlos, Dolores, Enrique, Felicia, Guillermo, Hilda, and Ignacio, among others. Remember that in September of last year, hurricane Odile hit the Baja Peninsula, doing great damage as it moved north, over Los Cabos and the East Cape. It

How is it that Baja Shakespeare has thrived for fifteen years with more than 100 present and former cast members and crew?

started as a tropical depression south of Mexico and quickly reached tropical storm strength. After moving erratically for several days, Odile began to move northwest and intensify to hurricane strength before reaching its peak as a category 4 hurricane on September 14th. The hurricane weakened slightly before making landfall near Cabo San Lucas, with maximum sustained winds of 200 km/hour.

Keep up to date on the hurricanes at: http://eebmike.com/

First and foremost we have our loyal audiences to thank, for many of you return year after year as we offer fresh, hilarious, musical comedies with a unique Baja twist. Then there is the “Friends of Shakespeare,” our local Patrons of the Arts who supplement the revenue from tickets sales so that we can continue. Ticket sales alone only begin to cover the many costs of production. Thank you to our “Friends.” Then there are the many volunteers behind the scene and the husbands, wives, parents, children and friends, who kept our lives going during the rigorous rehearsal

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

The Intimate and true Adventures of “El Ballanero” By Urmas Kaldveer, PhD Episode 9: My swimming companions begin to vary One day in March we were returning from the south end of our research grid when Vicente spotted a dorsal fin in the water some 50’ to starboard. Vicente identified it immediately as a whale shark. He sounded so certain of himself and since I had wanted to swim with a Whale Shark ever since I read about them, I donned my gear and was overboard within a minute.

The Richness of Mexican Culture (From Mexico.com) The Mexican culture is perhaps one of the most fascinating cultures worldwide. The mixture of strong native legends, artistic expressions and Spanish culture elements make the Mexican culture unique. Being proud of their native heritage, Mexican people have preserved many of their ancestors’ traditions. Many of them are present in Mexican music, which resembles the music produced by the ancient Aztec’s drums and ceremonies. Mayan traditions are present in the Mexican culture as well, and maybe the biggest forms of expression that represent the Mexican pride on those traditions are the paintings. As the greatest exponent of the Mexican art, paintings have achieved a well-deserved popularity outside Mexico. It is interesting to see how ancient traditions evolve through time instead of disappearing like in other cultures. Many Mexican legends are quite famous too, like the legend of “La llorona” (“the weeping woman”), a woman whose spirit still cries for her lost son, or the legends of the Sacred woods of Chapultepec, where Aztecs emperors had their effigies sculpted in order to achieve immortality. But maybe one of the most important legends present in Mexican culture is the legend of the god named Quetzalcoatl, the most important figure of the Mexican cosmogony. It is said that Quetzalcoatl, while searching for bones which he needed to create mankind, 5

gets to the Mictlan (“the region of the dead”), where the evil god Mictlantecutli tries to prevent him from collecting what he was looking for. Aided by his sacred bees and worms, Quetzalcoatl finally is able to get the precious bones and uses them to bring the human kind into the world. People who are interested in Nordic, Japanese or even Greek mythology will definitely find that the Mexican culture can compare to them, as there are many stories that, as the one I mention above, are filled with poetic beauty, and have nothing to envy to legends and stories from other cultures from different parts of the world. Without any doubt, Mexican culture deserves to be known, and you certainly will enjoy knowing it.

April/May

Whale Sharks are true sharks not whales. They are the biggest shark in our oceans today. They are also totally benign and without teeth - they just happen to be very large (up to 45’ occasionally). This one was cruising just below the surface so I began to leisurely swim closer to him. He was moving very slowly and dove a bit deeper for a moment and then began to rise again. As he did I realized he was going to come up right next to me...I mean right next to me. It was then I realized just how big he really was. This one was a good 30-35’ in length and massively built. We continued swimming together for a few more minutes, once coming nose to nose for a close look and then he dove and was gone. Perhaps my greatest swim with the critters of the sea however was in 2011. By that time I had swum with humpbacks, blues, bryde’s whales, a whale shark, a white tipped reef shark, three different species of dolphin, innumerable Mobulas, cow nosed rays, spotted eagle rays, sea lions and turtles...all “up close and personal”. On Jan. 31st of 2011 I was taking my neighbor’s two daughters, Lexie and Tyler Cook out to search for whales. One of Vicente’s friends radioed us and said he had seen a humpback mother and calf near la Ribera .

April/May

We hustled down there but she was gone when we got into position. A bit disappointed but we had the whole trip back to spot another whale or two. Around Punta Pescadero Vicente spotted some blows northeast of us, they were good sized blows but too small for humpbacks and to large for dolphins. As we closed on them Vicente said, “Orcas”! It was a good sized pod of about 10-12 females, some calves and one male. There was lots of thrashing around and when we got near the pod we could see that they were hunting Mobulas. The Mobulas took advantage of our panga and hid underneath, every now and again darting out when it got too crowded only to be grabbed by an Orca. We were all taking pictures and then it crossed my mind that I had always wanted to dive with Orcas (not sure as to exactly why but I can say without hesitation that it has nothing to do with “machisimo”) and here was my chance. I hesitated until Tyler said in a soft but clear voice, “isn’t this what you always wanted, Urmas”? I asked Vicente to get me nearer to them and by the time I had my gear on, he had us in the very middle of the hunting group. I dropped over the side and swam into the melee. There were Mobulas all around me and then a fast, dark Orca would pass by, giving me an inquisitive look. At one point I dove just as an Orca had captured a Mobula in it’s mouth and suddenly saw me no more than 10’ away. The look she gave me was so comical because she literally spit the Mobula out of her mouth, tilted her head and gave me a “bug eyed” stare that made me laugh. It was then that I decided that this was my opportunity to play the part of Farley Mowat in the true life movie, “Never Cry W olf”. Instead of helping the wolf pack hunt caribou, I was going to help the Orcas hunt Mobula. I dove under the boat scattering all the Mobulas into the Orca pod. Continued on page 32

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

The Roosterfish Foundation ….tagging, the next step By: Gary Graham

Here are some reasons that Los Barriles may be the place just for you! By: Kathleen Bulger .............the locals are wonderful and love it if you speak only a few words of Spanish! .............beer is always available and COLD .............you never have to hurry ..............the weather is great! .............fruits and vegetables are FANTASTIC and FRESH! .............most gringos are tolerable unless they are ugly Americans .............you want to be creative and learn some cool stuff .............you love the beach, boating , margaritas, fishing and other fun stuff ............you don't need to shop in "yuppieville" ......... ..you don't have to wear designer clothing ............haircuts are cheap and you get what you pay for!!! ............Mexicans love almost any reason to celebrate ............Mexicans have souls and hearts and believe in the human spirit and put family FIRST!

............Mexicans have a fierce faith in God and Our Lady of Guadalupe ............Mexicans are proud of their heritage ............Mexicans are generous souls and will treat your friendship as gold ............Mexicans sing while working, partying, praying or grieving! ...........Mexicans consider it a privilege to be alive on a day to day basis and no matter how humble their abode. The saying holds true when you hear, "Mi casa es tu casa". ............you want to feel accepted and part of a community! ...........the beaches in Los Barriles are never crowded. ...........you love Mexican food! ...........you like to go to garage sales to socialize with other gringos

April/May

On my very first trip down Mex 1 with friends in the early 1970s, we camped on deserted beaches, awaking before dawn and savoring that first hot cup of coffee, we paused for enough light to begin fishing. I realized that this was a special time and place. Since that first trip, a huge part of my Baja Experience has always been fishing from the shore. Times changed and my wife and I settled in at East Cape where the beach became the cornerstone of our fishing; one of our prime targets became roosterfish … dark shadows that would cruise slowly along the surf line searching for food – their tantalizing combs (dorsal fins) high in the air. Many afternoons, while sitting on our long porch overlooking the Sea of Cortez after an exciting day of pursuing these exotic creatures, someone would speculate about where they go when they disappear in the fall. We all had theories. But the bottom line was that no one had a clue. Inevitably, the idea was tossed out that tagging the fish to find out more about their behavior was the answer. Eventually, that discussion was followed up by the action of many interested anglers. Now, roosterfish tagging has become a reality. Ed Kunze, International

April/May

Game Fish Association Representative living in Zihuatanejo, and a fishing guide who has long been interested in the roosterfish, has invested his own time and money to establish The Roosterfish Foundation, an ambitious undertaking that will encourage both the tagging and releasing of roosterfish to provide more research and information about these magnificent fish. Early last week while in Southern California, Ed and I spent nearly an hour on a conference call with Jason Schratwieser, Conservation Director at International Game Fish Association, regarding advice and direction for the foundation. Jason was equally excited about the prospects of developing a far reaching program that would stretch from Baja to Panama and perhaps deploying a few satellite tags as time goes on. Then, a few days later, on March 18, Lance Peterson, Baja flyfishing guide and longtime friend living at East Cape, posted the following message on his Facebook page: "I'm excited to announce that I placed my first Roosterfish Foundation tag in a solid 35-pound specimen of Baja grande." This was the first tag for the foundation deployed in Baja Sur. To be sure, there have been a few other roosters tagged. Steven Perna in 2010 south of Puerto Vallarta tagged several; Russell Weaver and Keith Paul in late 2013 with Kunze in Zihuatanejo and I'm sure there have Continued on page 8

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Roosterfish Continued from page 7 been a few others as well. Judging by Peterson’s post that had several hundred responses, I think the genie is out of the bottle and roosterfish tagging will grow exponentially. Of course, there are many moving parts to a project of this nature, just as there were in the early days of billfish tagging which was initially met with skepticism by many, yet now billfish with satellite tags are frequently being tracked thousands of miles. Tagging techniques, tag recovery and reporting and then assessing the information compiled for roosterfish will all take fine-tuning for optimum results. As Peterson commented in his report, "The entire tagging process took just under a minute. The fish swam away – strong, albeit a bit tired – and sporting Roosterfish Foundation tag #79. Our objective with the tagging project is to gather

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

information on this poorly understood species: lifespan, migration patterns, growth rates...very little if anything is known about the life and habits of these amazing gamefish. Hopefully, gathering this data will lead to a better understanding of the species and ultimately to a greater appreciation of the importance of roosterfish to sport fisheries throughout the Eastern Pacific."While our home, Rancho Deluxe and its wonderful porch, is long gone, victim to a failed development, it is exciting to imagine that what we thought was an idle discussion then has become a reality now. To learn more about the Roosterfish Foundation visit www.roosterfish.org. Lance Peterson, Baja flyfishing guide living at East Cape, prepares to place the first "Roosterfish Foundation" tag #79 in a Baja Sur roosterfish

Bridge the cultures! Learn some Spanish! By: Kathleen Bulger Learning to speak another language can be very challenging. The very best way to learn a language is through IMMERSION: living in total immersion in a Spanish speaking home for a period of time using ONLY SPANISH! Of course, that may not be for everyone and may not be possible. The next best thing is to take a class that allows you to learn the language in a non-intimidating way and encourages face to face communication and interaction. Or you can use the internet or any number of learning programs that are available (i.e Rosetta Stone). There are many approaches to learning a language and finding the right one to “fit” your style can also be a challenge. In the meantime, here are a few words that may help you in your endeavor to speak Spanish. Your Mexican counterparts will truly appreciate your efforts! They will never put you down if you make an error, but rather, will compliment you and encourage you to continue your learning. And doing so will help bridge the gaps between our cultures and promote international brother/sisterhood! (I know that you all already know the “important” words: beer, bano etc…..). Word of caution: Yes, there are online translators, but they regurgitate some absolutely hilarious and often embarrassing tidbits!!! Alto: Stop as in the stop sign. PARA is the wor d used to stop a person/thing

April/May

Trabajo: Wor k…..seems we all need to know this! ¿ Cuánto: How much? Asking for quantity ¿ Cuándo: When? ¿ Dónde? Where? ¿Cómó? How? ¿Por qué? Why? ¿Quíen? Who? ¿A qué hora? At what time? Quiero: I want…. Necesito: I need…. Ayuda: Help Como/Tomo: I eat/dr ink Tengo hambre: I am hungr y Tengo frio: I am cold Tengo sed: I am thir sty Tengo calor: I am hot el medico: doctor Restaurant Vocabulary Words: Me gustaría: I would like La servilleta: napkin el vaso: glass la taza: cup el plato: plate la cuchara: spoon el cuchillo: knife el tenedor: for k el menú : menu Por favor: please la propina: tip el café: coffee los refrescos: sodas/cold dr inks la cuenta: the bill

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

THE EARTH UNDER OUR FEET BY RUSS HYSLOP

Let’s talk about volcanoes! The Baja Peninsula has about a dozen identified volcanic areas, or regions, or fields. The most familiar is TRES VIRGENES, which we pass when traveling on Mexico Hwy 1 between San Ignacio and Santa Rosalia. According to Jesuits records this volcano was last visually active during the sixteen hundreds. This area is still active because a thermo / electrical facility is located at the foot of TRES VIRGENES and is producing hot steam water to drive a generation plant for electricity. In addition to these volcanic regions there are many fault zones where seismic activity can occur from time to time. Long ago the east pacific rise sub ducted the mainland of Mexico and created the Sea of Cortez also known as the Gulf of California. As a result of this geological event the subduction of the Peninsula transformed a series of faults which now exist in the waters of the gulf and connect to the San Andres fault zone of Alta California at the head of the gulf. So we who reside here are actually moving NNW at a rate of approximately 2 inches per year! What a ride! Hang on! The Baja Peninsula has many volcanic areas. Areas, for now, at least, are inactive and will probably remain so. Some of these volcanoes are:  ISLA SAN LUIS  SAN QUINTIN VOLCANIC FIELDS  LA REFORMA (NW OF SANTA ROSALIA)  EL AGUALITO (NE OF THE TRES VIRGENES)  BARCENA (ISLA) SOUTH OF CABO SAN LUCAS  ISLA SOCORRO  ALARCON RISE (SUBMARINE VOLCANO)  PICANTE PEAKS (NEAR THE HEAD OF THE CORTEZ)  ISLA TORTUGA (A SHIELD VOLCANO OFF SHORE OF SANTA ROSALIA)  CERRO PRIETO (N. BAJA W/GEOTHERMO PLANT)  EL VIEJO, EL AZUFRE, (TRES VIRGENES)  STACKES AT LANDS END (CABO SAN LUCAS) Sources: DISCOVERING THE GEOLOGY OF BAJA CALIFORNIA By Markes E. Johnson, 2002. ROADSIDE GEOLOGY AND BIOLOGY OF BAJA CALIFORNIA By John, Edwin, Jason Minch, 1997.

“If you keep asking for a dog, they’ll get you something easy like a new smartphone.?

San Antonio Community Center The Art (SACC) center in San Antonio, which is ran by Maryzonia Diaz has some needs, that we hope some of you can help with. The center located across from the old church and works with both children and adults. The SACC is ran mostly on donation, store sales and sometimes funds from the La Paz County. Right now, they are in great need of some of the following items: Toilet paper Paper towels Hand soap Cleaning products – dish soap, bleach, etc. A printer – color or black and white If you have any craft, sewing, paper, weaving, jewelry, art or clay supplies, (to name a few) your donation of these supplies is greatly appreciated. They make use of all supplies that are donated. They day I dropped off supplies, they were working on Mother’s Day presents that the kids sewed! The center is open Tues – Saturday 9am – 3pm and Sunday 9am – 1pm. Maryzonia teaches kids and adults a variety of crafts, weaving, pottery, sewing specializing on traditional Mexican crafts. Summer is busy for the center with kids out of school and needing to be kept busy. If you can donate any of the above listed items please give Marizonia a call at 612-1197668 or email creazonya@yahoo.com. If you have never been to the center, make sure you go and bring your guests. San Antoino is a great day trip!

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

150 Dogs Can’t Be Wrong!

Treasures and Trifles

By: Emma Nicholson

By: Jorge Bergin

Wow – what can we say?! The inaugural Los Barriles Dog Show was a true community event drawing over 500 doggies, owners and spectators from La Paz to Cabo. The volunteers at the Baja Kennel Club were delighted with the event, and we would like to thank all of the sponsors, vendors, veterinarians, display dogs, volunteers and visitors on the day that made this all possible. The Hotel Palmas was the perfect location, and a special thank you goes to the Van Wormer team for all of their help and support for this first dog show. Here are some of the highlights of the day… if you were there, we hope it will put a smile on your face and if you weren’t there (why?!), we hope you will get an idea of what you missed!  150 dogs registered for the event or came with their owners to watch.  A great performance by Tracey and her volunteer team who organized the agility events so professionally – even though we sprinkled it with our own Baja magic dust to make the judging a little different this year!  The impressive Schutzhund team and especially the little black pit bull that wouldn’t let go because he was enjoying his time in the spotlight too much.  The remarkable array of costumes created; from the stunning butterflies and Badger the bug/spider, to the clever little deer and the winning Buddy who was totally at home in his Harley gear.  The lovely Peso dashing through the tunnel and then rushing out into the audience and disappearing - much to the delight of everyone!  Fabian and his amazing disc dog entering the ring and giving us the most wonderful show using just three Frisbies and an incredibly agile performance from both owner and his canine friend.  The Baja Kennel Club t-shirts that sold out in under an hour with an order list as long as Kareema’s arm!! (Kareema our fantastic t-shirt designer).  The 24 beginner dogs that started their agility training in January, and then performed on the day like true professionals. A big hi-five to all the dogs and trainers for their commitment and dedication to the agility event.  The veterinarians who kindly donated their time to give rabies and de-worming medicine to the community’s deserving doggies.Our fabulous commentators Duke and Theresa who managed to hold the show together so well in both Spanish and English; never work with children or animals – isn’t that the advice?!  The many judges who helped us out and made difficult decisions – especially when neighbors, friends and family were the ones being judged!The little boy who decided that it was more fun to climb over the agility course equipment than sit with his family, and who really didn’t want to leave (well done Mary-Jo!) 

I’ve never been acquisitive. Maybe if I had been, desired the finer things in life, I might have had a more passionate work ethic. My childhood was all about forests and streams and snakes and toads and beaches and trees – everything else was a tool, a toy or furniture. Can’t remember anything I kept and polished and cherished, thought of as my pride and joy.

Oh, I’ve had some nice firsts; guns, cars, bikes, motorcycles that I took extra loving care with but over time they fell into the tools, toys, well, you get the idea. So over the decades the tools and toys and furniture broke or wore out and were replaced again and again. I never gave it much thought but now as I watch television shows like American Pickers or Hoarders or Auction Kings I begin to see how I’ve set myself apart from millions out there who find wonder and incredible value in so many things. As a result of the show, two spay and neuter clinics have been organized by SNAP and ALMA with more to come. Your money has been well spent, and it will continue to work hard for the welfare of our local dog population. So… after many, many requests, we have penciled in Sunday 28th February 2016 as the 2nd Annual Los Barriles Dog Show. Get the date in your diary and we will let you know about agility training and what you might expect at the next show very soon. emma@bajakennelclub.com. www.bajakennelclub.com.

April/May

It is hard to imagine a single thing those people can’t find some beauty in; the ancient lamps or knives or rusty old contraptions are things they desire, value, celebrate and venerate. The acquisition, restoration, storage and sale of uncountable antiques is a major corner of commerce all over the globe and rivals even the sale of first run innovations of every kind.

It’s just that I wouldn’t set the acquisition of such treasures as a goal, wouldn’t make it my life’s work even if I had the luck or talent to become rich even now. Some agree with me – Frank Lloyd Wright once told me “Many wealthy people are little more than janitors of their possessions”. Maybe an agrarian life in the old log cabin might have let me understand the importance of the tools of survival, taught me to have and to hold, to mend, repair and protect those indispensable things farmers and hunters can’t live without.

I can offer no real good excuse. What others see as a lack of values are days and nights open to take in and explore all the treasures of the world that one can’t hold, polish, place in a strongbox --- the joy of music, owning lovable pets, enjoying nature, traveling, writing, fishing, cooking and enjoying good food and fine wine, ageless literature and art. I can’t think of a thing on the planet more graceful and delicate than the paper nautilus I sometimes find when walking the beach near my home. I marvel at the things until some guest visits, then I give them away. Aren’t they lucky they stumbled on the shack of such a witless dreamer who would never think to hoard, not share, one of mother nature’s treasures.

In all of this I don’t see myself as some unfeeling slug. I do admire all the great museums of relics from the past, all the wondrous works of art and fashion, literature, sculpture so carefully preserved and displayed around the world.

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

Mag Bay Chronicles - Who invited her? By: Mark Rayor We just got back from our annual camping trip to Mag Bay. In all my travels worldwide I can't recall visiting another place with more sea life or bird life than Mag. It is one of the most spectacular places on our planet.

It has never been hard to find a wide open bite in the mangroves and clamming for chocolate clams has always been easy and very fruitful. We can buy all the fresh shrimp and crab we want from the Mexican fish camp nearby and order lobster if we desire. The place we camp is near the southern end of the bay. It is 20 miles off highway 1 down a horrible washboard road. The reward of taking the beating on the road has always been worth it. This year the road was in exceptionally bad shape and we suffered several challenging breakdowns. Heading North outside of La Paz it started to rain. In more than 20 years we have never encountered a drop of rain on this trip. In fact it has probably been 20 years since I needed wipers on our motorhome. Flipping the wiper switch the blades swiped the windshield one time and I could hear the linkage that drives them fall

April/May

apart. Now, stuck in the rain on the side of the road, it took about 45 minutes for me to cobb up a half baked fix so we could continue. It wasn't the best way to start the trip but no harm no foul and we made it the rest of the way to our camp without incident. We weren't as fortunate on the way out. My coach sputtered and quit after a short time. It turned out to be a clogged fuel filter which made good sense after the shaking we had taken. Almost to the highway after 20 miles of hell I had to change the filter again. Pulling next to our friend John I noticed he had shredded a tire on his trailer. After the repair another traveler, Rick, pulled up next to me and noticed my trailer had a broken leaf spring. Now this looked like it could be a real disaster until the last in our caravan, Clifford, pulled up and just happened to be carrying an extra spring. Now on the highway it looked like smooth sailing but we couldn't catch a break. Clifford had a flat tire on his 5th wheel. It looked like an easy fix until discovering his spare was the wrong bolt pattern. All is well that ends well. We are back home now and like I said the trip is always worth it. We have learned no matter how we prepare there will always be curve balls. On a high note, after having to call a tow truck 2 years in a row, Rick was the only one to not suffer a breakdown .... although he traded his motor home for a tent!

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Son of the Beach By: Gary Graham Most visitors who arrive in Cabo San Lucas expect to fish during their stay. In the past, their choices were basically inshore or offshore … in boats of various sizes. For most, the beaches of Baja were for sun bathing, shelling, people-watching or strolling along, waiting for that perfect sunrise or sunset. These days you'll find anglers racing back and forth on coarse sandy beaches with twelve-and-a-half foot rods and huge fast-retrieve spinning reels with a variety of shiny lures gleaming in the bright sun chasing hungry fish that are clobbering balls of frightened bait. Sounds like something you might see on an East Coast beach during striper season? Possibly, but one of the components of this scene that might convince you it's definitely not the East Coast is that most of these anglers are dressed in swim suits or shorts, and the weather ranges from slightly warm to hot for the year 'round fishing. One of the best known of these 'Sons of the Beaches' who loves fishing in the surf these days is Wesley Brough. For Wesley the beach is an attractive option for anyone who wants to fish with their feet planted on a little more solid surface than a boat.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

photos we let it go. When I showed the picture to Minerva, she pointed to the rod with the 12-pound line and said that she didn't think a rooster had ever been caught on 12-pound and she was right. That fish would have been a line-class record! I have tried since then to catch a big one on that tackle and it usually lasts about 10 seconds before I'm spooled." Since then, Wesley has truly become a "Son of the Beach”. Guiding for the past seven years and honing his skills as he goes, he has explored the west side of the Baja Peninsula all the way up to Punta Gasparino as well as the beaches up in the Sea of Cortez. This easy-going, 6' 7" angler has adopted his own style of fishing to his guiding … a style one could also classify as easy going. "I believe in letting my clients have as much freedom as they want or need. If it’s a group, I spread them out for 100 yards along the beach. I find that many of them learn how to cast better on their own, enjoying the lack of pressure without someone watching their every move. If they want some good casting tips, I can sure help them; but if they want space, that’s okay, too. The other day I had a woman who hadn't cast the long rods we use on the beach very much. She was unable to get past the waves to begin with but after a few tips, she worked on her cast, and by the end of the day she was out-casting her husband."

"Suddenly a school of mullet appears out of nowhere with some huge roosters tearing them up. Steve hands me a ranger which I tie on my light outfit. First cast, one of the roosters inhales the fluttering ranger and the fight is on! I was lucky -- instead of heading out to sea the fish swims down the beach with me in hot pursuit. It took more than an hour to bring that fish to shore! After a few

LaPaz Continued from page 24

is in order. Here you’ll find an eclectic crowd of local Mexicans and Americans, along with a few fortunate tourists. As the evening progresses, so does the action— here and in every other nightclub along the malecón. Next morning it’s time to explore the city. Your first stop is Ibarra’s Pottery, a family-owned operation that produces some of the most exquisite, colorful handpainted pottery you will find in Mexico. After that, drive a few blocks to the Museo Regional de Antropologío y Historia (Regional Museum of Anthropology and History) where you’ll view exhibits showing Baja California Sur from prehistoric to missionary to colonial and recent times.

Wesley has lived in Baja all of his life, much of which has been spent exploring Baja's beaches. "I caught my very first big roosterfish when I was 14 off the lighthouse beach at Cabo Falso. "My friend, Steve Murphy, came to my house and suggested -'Let's go down to your beach. I hear the big roosters are biting.' - The two of us go down; I have a small rod with light line that I usually use to fish off the rocks and catch small perch, pompano and what not."

La Balandra, Malecon at sunset, Tres Virgenes, Tecolote Beach, Hotel El Moro

to explore, restaurants to peer into and of course, the malecón beckons. Again. Before you plan a visit to La Paz, I recommend you spend some time on tripadviser.com and other sites that list its restaurants and attractions. When I was there recently with my friend Colette, we planned to stay two nights and ended up staying three. We still did not get our fill of La Paz, but we enjoyed every minute of the trip.

A few blocks away is the Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de La Paz (Our Lady of La Paz Cathedral). Built from 1861 to 1865, it is the city’s spiritual center. Across the street is the main town plaza, founded in 1876 and named Jardín Velasco after the then mayor. La Paz is famous for its ice cream, so this is your chance to enjoy This easy-going, 6' 7" 'Son of the Beach' has adopted his own style of fishing to his guiding, which one could also classify as "easy going."

Judging by Brough's Facebook page, Cabosurfcaster, the number of comments by excited clients about their trips and the number of photos of their memorable catches of yellowtail, roosterfish, jacks, pargo, grouper, sierra, even sharks -sometimes longer than the anglers are tall -- this 'Son of the Beach' is well on his way to becoming a member of a very select group of Watermen of Baja. He can be reached at his email address: cabosurfcaster@yahoo.com. April/May

one on a bench under a shade tree admiring the gardens, the church and the fountain depicting La Balandra. Just behind you is the former government house and the city theater and art gallery, definitely worth checking out. Our last official stop is the Mercado Municpal Madero, ,just a few blocks to the south. You’ll know you’re close when you see people loaded down with bags of good ies—everything from fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and fish to clothing, watches and CDs. This is a colorful, lively place with friendly vendors. From this point on, I just recommend wandering around. There are shops April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Let’s Do La Paz! By Ann Hazard

I can’t tell you how many people are intimidated by La Paz. After spending time in Los Barriles/Buena Vista, the traffic is downright daunting. There are stop lights—lots of them. There are stop signs, one way streets and six lane roads! If you’re like most people, you go for dental or doctor visits, vehicle repairs and perhaps some big box store shopping. Maybe you take time for tacos, a quick stroll down the malecón and an ice cream before heading back home. But, honestly, that isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. How about planning a mini-vacay and taking a couple of days to get up close and personal with a real Mexican city. It is, after all, the capital of Baja California Sur, and to me it’s a thoroughly enchanting city. Its heart and soul lie in the malecón—that stunning oceanfront promenade that stretches nearly five miles along the edge of a deep-water bay—from the original La Paz Marina on the southwest to La Concha Resort and onward to the new waterpark on the north. But there’s so much more to it. Discovered by Cortez in 1535, La Paz didn’t become a permanent Spanish colony until 1811. Its rich oyster beds lured fortune seekers in the early days, and its deep harbor was a haven for Spanish galleons. Pirates like Sir Frances Drake hid out in its coves, waiting for the opportunity to pillage and plunder. La Paz is a perfect place for sailing, diving, fishing and kayaking expeditions. Snorkeling with those gentle giants—the whale sharks—has become quite popular. Renowned for its dramatic skyline and spectacular sunsets, its aquamarine water, diverse, excellent restaurants and authentic Mexican nightlife, it’s an exciting city—one that can grab you and never let you go. It’s common to hear people say with a sigh after visiting, “I love La Paz.” It sounds even better in Spanish: “Me encanta La Paz.” So, let’s visit! I’m sure you know the way; it’s less than two hours north of Los Barriles on Mex 1. When you get into La Paz, turn left at McDonald’s onto 5 de Febrero. Follow it down to the Pemex station and make a right onto Topete, which becomes Obregon once you reach the malecón. Prepare to have your breath taken away. Park and stroll, or check into a hotel along the malecón. There are several lovely ones to choose from, and they’re all on hotels.com or tripadviser.com. My favorite has always been El Moro, on the north end of the malecón. I love its peacefulness, its Moorish architecture, and the fact that my room always overlooks gardens with palms, flowers, fountains, palapa and pool, and that there is a side view of the bay. The staff is friendly and helpful. There is a restaurant for breakfast and lunch and a great little bar. In fact, grab a city map from Carlos when you check in.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

You’ll need it for your tour. Today you’re doing the beaches; tomorrow it will be the city. Take a right and head out of town along the coast. You’ll pass Marina Palmira, La Concha Beach Resort before reaching Marina Costa Baja—with its new, upscale marina, lovely Fiesta Inn, condos, restaurants and shops. There is a dramatic, relatively new Gary Player golf course. If you’re a golfer, take your clubs, schedule an extra day and play it. It’s inexpensive and the views … well, you just have to see them to believe them! Pull in, park and take a look around. If you’re hungry, choose one of their world class restaurants and enjoy lunch while admiring the yachts and the swooping pelicans. Afterward, continue north past the Pemex plant to Pichinlingue. This busy port is where ferries from Mazatlán and Topolobampo dock, carrying a few tourists, but mostly semis bringing goods from the mainland to the rapidly growing state of Baja Sur. There are breathtaking beaches all along the road to La Balandra, where you’ll turn left and pull into the parking lot. La Balandra is a famous natural monument shaped like a mushroom on a very skinny stem. It has been knocked off its precarious perch by storms more than once, and has been painstakingly restored and shored up in recent years. To find it, you have to walk around the corner to your right and walk along a pristine, deserted beach. At the end of this beach is the mushroom. The water in this entire bay is a miraculous shade of pale jade green, and at low tide you can walk almost all the way across the bay. Nowadays there are kayaks and SUPs to rent, along with snacks and drinks to buy. You could spend the day here easily, tucked under a palapa in the shade. Tecolote Beach, just a few hundred yards away, is a local’s favorite. Facing north toward Isla Espiritú Santo (Holy Spirit Island), the beach is long, wide, with spun sugar sand and more of that pale jade green water, framed by jagged mountains. There are four or so restaurants there, my favorite is Palapa Azul. The seafood is the freshest, the menu extensive and the margaritas delicious. Palapa Azul rents kayaks, banana boat rides, jet skis and offers tours to the island, where you can fish and even snorkel with sea lions. Other restaurants do this as well. It’s another place you could linger all day. But, after you’ve had enough sun, it’s time to head back to the city, shower up and get ready for the evening. A sunset stroll along the malecón is mandatory. La Paz sunsets are breathtakingly beautiful. Afterward, take a taxi (they are abundant and cheap) to Calle Revolucion. All the best restaurants are in this historic district. I recommend trying Las Virgenes, for upscale cuisine in a historic old Mexican colonial home. After dinner, a visit to the Tequila Bar and Grill for a nightcap—or for some serious night clubbing— Continued on page 25 April/May

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

Spay and Neuter Continued from page 22

Club Rotario of Los Barriles Cabo Este

to your friends and workers and explain the benefits of ‘fixing’ their pets, and help them get their pets to the clinics. So next time you walk by the concha, early in the morning, and hear happy barking, drop in and see what you can do to help or drop a few pesos into the donation jar. It was a great day for me and a great day for the lucky pets who will have a longer healthier life from this one simple surgery.

By: Steve Reed

There's something magical happening on East Cape. It's happening quietly without much fanfare and most people who live or visit here are unaware. It's about hands reaching across borders to help those most in need rather than pulling rabbits out of hats.

Many of us up North have heard of Rotary International but few can articulate just what it is they do. Fewer yet know a small chapter meets every Wednesday morning in a small town called Los Barriles in Baja California Sur. The first Rotary Club in Los Barriles was founded nine years ago and boasted just 21 members. This small group had to hit the ground running when Hurricane Juan laid waste to East Cape with a level of devastation not seen in recent times. Over the next three months they pursued relationships with Rotaries in the US and Canada and were able to raise over $60,000 for aid to the area. In the aftermath of the storm Rotary rebuilt over 100 homes and developed a lasting relationship with the local community. But the impact of Hurricane Juan continued. Dengue fever soon ravaged the population so the young Rotary created a mosquito control plan and took to the streets for hundreds of hours spraying to control the epidemic. Juan was over but the little Rotary in Los Barriles was just getting started. With the help of partnering grants they helped fund a local medical clinic and dental clinic, where health and dental care are free to every child in need. Diabetes prevention and treatment programs were developed and implemented, as well as programs for health and dental screening, all free for both adults and children alike. Recognizing health and welfare must include improvements in education, the LB Rotary developed a technological center where children can use computers and the internet to assist their studies and broaden cultural exposure. Today students in Los Barriles have spent over 100,000 hours working on homework at the new Centro de Technologia.

Today they support The East Cape Medical Clinic and Dental Clinic, diabetes prevention programs, the Centro Technologia center, and even maintain the fountain found at the entrance to the town. Raising funds to achieve community goals is a large part of Rotary’s agenda. Donations help but the greatest amounts come from benefits they sponsor, like the annual

A Successful Season at the Los Barriles Community Market By: The Community Market Volunteers

With the fourth season behind us, the Los Barriles Community Market has once again come to an end…. Success, good food, entertainment, and meeting and seeing anyone that you can imagine is all part of the market. We had several new vendors join us this year, as well as many returning favorites. None of the entertainment would be there if it wasn’t for our good friend, Dale. Dale is the President of the Asocicion de Artes. The Asocicion de Artes allows us to use their sound system equipment to provide the musical entertainment.

Just sleeping it off after their surgery

The market was created so we could have a friendly meeting place along with the advantage of one stop shopping for your weekly needs and special gifts. Participation is not required weekly. Anyone that has anything that would be beneficial to the community, is asked to join. Too many avocados, oranges etc. on your trees, bring them down for a Saturday!! You don’t have to be a professional to participate. We request that second hand merchandise stay at home. This is a community market, not a segunda. It takes all of us to keep it going and moving forward. Can’t wait to see you next season! Same place…..same time…..same fun!!! Need information? Contact:

Lord of the Wind wind surfing and kite boarding competition. Competitors come from around the globe to compete and all funds raised go to support Rotary’s efforts to improve our community. Another source of funding comes from other Rotaries. Some Rotary grants are participatory as well as funding, where members of clubs outside Mexico come to lend muscle and expertise to projects. Just this year the LB Rotary has received aid from eight different clubs in the US in support of clean water and improvements for local albergues in two pueblos neighboring Los Barriles, as well as the ongoing needs of the technology center. Albergues are dormitories which house primary grade students who commute from the surrounding countryside to towns to attend school five days a week and return to their homes only for the weekends. In February a team of Club Rotario of Los Barriles members worked with local volunteers to install a UV filter, repair the pump and clean the pila for the water system serving the albergue in La Ribera. The team also constructed a cement covering for the filtration system and replaced a freezer serving the kitchen which had been a casualty of Hurricane Odile. The same team visited the worked with the director at the Continued on page 15 April/May

The market charges a nominal fee of $50 pesos per Saturday. The fee goes toward cleaning and supplying the bathrooms, advertisements, and community improvements. At the end of our third season there was a donation of $500usd. That money went towards the funding of the three week program of summer school, Cursos de Verano, here in Los Barriles.

Losbarrilescommunitymarket@gmail.com

“Why do you always disagree with

me when I tell you you’re wrong?

April/May

A good time at the market on the end of season Saturday

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

What going on at the Concha?

A spay and neuter clinic, that’s what! By: Chris Courtright Today on my morning walk, as I pass the Concha across from Palmas, I hear the happy sounds of dog barks, lots of barks. Now this is the second time this has happened in the last several months. What is going on?! I just had to come back and find out and I was pleased to see it was another ‘spay and neuter’ clinic put on by Los Cabos Humane Society (LCHS) and many dedicated local animal loving volunteers.

I wandered in and spoke with Linda Toan and Sheila Pierson, two of the volunteers for the clinics. That day, they had 47 cats and dogs (10 from Campamento and 37 from LB, San Bartolo or El Cardonal), and 53 volunteers – with about 10% being the local Mexicans. The crew from LCHS was 4 doctors, and several vet tech’s, and also one local retired veterinarian. The set-up was impressive, blue tarp floors, covered with lines of crates, with foam beds next to the crate (their room) and lots of blankets and towels. Each crate has a name tag taped to it, and one volunteer ‘nurse’ for each pet. The operating room was in one area, with only authorized personnel allowed. The dogs and cats would get signed in, about 8am, get a crate/room and a name tag and off to their ‘room’ and volunteer ‘nurse’. Once the pet was well relaxed, they would be prepared for surgery and off to the cleaning station for a scrub and shave and then to the operating table. Once the procedure was over, they were

back to their room be pampered and watched by their volunteer. The volunteer ‘nurses’ get training of what to do, what to watch for and when to start waking them up. I was very impressed with the entire process. It was efficient, orderly and sanitary. Pick up time is 2pm, yet some owners decided to stay with their pet and be their personal ‘nurse’. For one lucky dog, it was a family affair with its owner and his two children there to see their dog through the process. When it is time for the pet to go home, the owners are carefully instructed with the care, given a written instruction sheet which includes an emergency phone number if problems arise. When speaking with Sheila and Linda, I was stunned by the statistics of why it is so important to have these clinics; Two dogs over a period of 6 years can through chain reaction, 67,000 dogs. Worse yet, cats, over a period of 9 years, create 11,606,077 cats. Feral cats are a universal problem. And the life expectancy of the dogs and cats who are not neutered, are just as tragic! If you have been coming to Los Barriles for a while, you will remember the days, only a few years ago, where stray dogs wondered the streets and beaches. It was a very sad sight, and often dangerous. It is not that the Mexicans are not having pets, the difference is the education and the free spay and neuter clinics that are provided that has made the difference. Those of us from the upper Americas, take it as a given that we will ‘fix’ our pet. But, here, it is different. There is always the ‘machismo’ thing and then the cost and it is just not something put on their ‘pet to do list’. Education is the key. Helping them understand the benefits will help them change their ‘pet to do list’. The great need here, for the Spay and Neuter Clinic is nothing that money and education can’t cure. The clinic is free to the owners, but it still has costs. There is the cost of the medicines and supplies, as luckily most doctors volunteer their time. Donations are accepted, but in reality, most of the funds come from the dedicated volunteers. You can all help cure that by donating a few bucks! You can make your donations directly to the Los Cabos Humane Society – make sure you note it is for the Los Barriles Spay and Neuter Clinics. http:// www.loscaboshumanesociety.com – the paypal donation button is right at top! We can see the difference in LB after the clinics started, of not seeing the starving, matted and sick animals all around town. It used to break my heart, but I could not adopt every stray I saw and the animal adoption organizations do a great job finding homes for many of the animals -when it is a manageable number. You can additionally help when the next clinic is scheduled, talk Continued on page 23 April/May

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

“Being” in Baja

Rotary Continued from page 14 albergue in Santiago replace the water pump damaged in Hurricane Odile. Later the same month a team of La Ribera citizens teamed with Friends of Club Rotario to prepare the La Ribera girls albergue for painting. In March the Truckee California Rotary Club sent thirteen volunteers to paint the girls’ dormitory in La Ribera, and built and installed new lockers in the both boys’ and girls’ dormitories in Santiago. They additionally donated over $7,000 to cover the cost of materials as well as school supplies and sports equipment. Later in March East Cape Community Urgent Care Clinic’s founder, Charlene Wenger organized her staff and eleven volunteers from Rotary Clubs in Mt Bachelor and Bend, Oregon into teams to provide free health, dental and optical screening for residents of El Cardonal, Buena Vista and Los Barriles. Between the 20th and 24th of March the teams screened 250 elementary and secondary children, and 62 adults from three towns. Wenger contacted all the schools involved in the screening and has received permission to bring the children in class by class for more comprehensive physical examinations utilizing ultrasound equipment where warranted, and oral hygiene (teeth cleaning) with restoration or extraction if necessary, with the primary focus on education and prevention. All at no cost to the children or their families. April 22nd Club Rotario of Los Barriles hosts a community clean-up for Earth Day. Members join with local citizens to hike the highway and side streets picking up litter and trash to clean up our community. The next day, April 23rd, volunteers from the Rotary in Nevada City, California arrive to help paint the boys’ albergue in La Ribera. On Friday, April 24th, East Cape Community Urgent Care Clinic hosts an Open House from 4pm – 6pm. All events are multi-cultural with the intent to benefit our local community. Our mission is to help find and fund better health and education for everyone.

Club Rotario of Los Barriles meets every Wednesday morning at 8am in the Plaza del Pueblo across from the Fountain. Or you can stop by our website:

http://losbarrilesrotaryclub.org/ are always welcome.

Visitors

By Susan Ackerman Making the transition from a “doing” life in the US to the laid back lifestyle of Baja has its rewards and challenges. We may wonder who will we “be” without our careers, extended family, house and other external signs of achievement that measure and define our value. When asked by my wellmeaning friends from the north what I “do” in Baja, I am often quick to defend the many activities and projects that make for a full and rewarding life here. The US culture rewards action, proactive behavior, paid work, planning, organizing, results, efficiency and material signs of success. However, the lure of Baja is the opportunity to just “be”, the resting, waiting, playing, learning, healing, nurturing, feeling and reflecting. Is there a way to find balance? Many of us who are retired or semi-retired have the opportunity to explore and grow into a more internal and “present moment” life. If my goal is to “do” less and “be” more, can I also learn to “be” while I “do”? This is an eternal human conflict the “doing” vs “being” that has captured the hearts and minds of philosophers, writers, and Zen Masters. As a mental health professional I know more “being” can reduce stress and anxiety and enhance personal wellness in our everyday lives. A few years ago I was diagnosed with a chronic health condition and started Mindfulness Meditation and bumped up my yoga practice. Both have taught me the value of living more in the present moment and less in the past and future. In Los Barriles there are many opportunities to embrace the “being” in our lives. We have yoga, walking on the beach, playing in and on the water, fishing, art, bird watching, spending time with family and friends, watching the sunrise, watching the night sky, sweeping patios, gardening, and meditation. Obviously we can’t be totally idle or shirk our responsibilities and ambitions but we can bring more consciousness and value to the state of “being” into our “doing” world. Just watch my dog! She is ruled by instinct and never has a “to do” list. Sometimes I enjoy watching her throughout her day, napping, roaming around without an apparent destination, joining me to SUP or walk the beach. Can I find the “pause” in my day? The “pause” between thoughts, the space in which everything comes and goes? The stillness and feelings that underlie all my activity? Deepak Chopra on You Tube says: “As I was waiting at the train station in Barcelona, I noticed that the person next to me kept looking at his watch, even though he knew what time the train was coming. It made me contemplate how we have become human doings instead of human beings”. So the next time someone asks me “what do you DO down there in Baja” I might just try responding “I just BE”. Susan Ackerman, holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work and offers personal counseling services in Los Barriles.

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

First Annual Subasta for New Creations Orphanage in La Paz By: Alexandra Delis-Abrams

A win/win after an event is considered a good thing, yes? But what about when it’s a win/win/win/win/win/win? - where everybody who participates wins? I’d say it would be something like a windfall, which is defined as a piece of unexpected good fortune. Win #1: New Creations orphanage received a check for 104,781.71 pesos, once a few checks had cleared. Jose Guzman, of Joe’s Deli, and I delivered it to Roberto, Director of the organization the end of March. Win #2: The children won: the kitchen is getting revamped into an environment that is clean and functional, the carpentry shop is being completed and making clocks to sell, big improvements to the laundry room, a water tank redesign, with a to-do, as well as a monthly expenditure list that was established during our visit. Win #3: The donors won: “The best part of the day was looking at those smiles on their faces. The kids loved riding on the quads.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

How poor yet how much joy they showed. I’m going to give even more next year. ” Paul DeSmit, PauloLoco. “Hutch,” owner of El Geko Beach Club, thanked me for approaching him about a donation, “I look for opportunities to be of service. It’s so natural to do something like this.” Gift certificates were honored in exchange for meals at local restaurants, pedicures, quad rentals and many more outstanding items. Win #4: From what I understand it was a vintage day for Rexe Martin, owner of Lazy Daze, the venue location of the event. Win #5: The individuals who came won as they bid for the 46 items auctioned off, brilliantly by auctioneer, Paul Bland. HUGE thanks to Paul and his auctioneering skills. Win #6: All who attended and thoroughly enjoyed the music of The Lack Family won. Not a beat went by before Scott Lack said “Y ES” to my inquiry asking them to perform, contributing their services with their open loving hearts. Although some expressed concern about whether or not folks would actually show up on the sand for the event, because of the dog show, I knew it would work. And that it did. My heart grew with gratitude as I watched more and more folks showing up after the dog show. A visual held in my cellular memory.

A meeting was held the following week, as a ripple effect of the auction, between me and Emma Nicholson, organizer of the dog show. We initially wanted to choose dates that did not “conflict”, until we realized that kids and dogs go together. It’s a natural. Let’s do a strategic alliance in 2016 with the two events. And so it was birthed. Mark your calendars for the last Sunday of February or the first Sunday of March. For sure to be an even bigger success. So this gig is a wrap--put to bed as they say in showbiz. I welcome any feedback, comments, support, donations, anything: adabornfree@gmail.com Gracias to East Capers for inviting me to write these last two articles. Los Barriles is truly a unique little spot on the planet

April/May

IN THE GARDEN By Holly Burgin

I am an organic gardener. I wasn’t always, but just as I started making adjustments in my eating, consuming only what I purchase on the perimeter of the grocery store (i.e. fresh food), I also began to think about that food and how it was produced. What else besides the food itself was I consuming? Does it hurt you, help you, or not make any difference at all? Well, don’t get me started…everyone has to take their own journey, but suffice it to say that I concluded that I want to limit the chemicals that I eat, put on my body and am otherwise exposed to. When we moved to Los Barrlies, in all its pristine beauty, it was the first time I had the time and space to have a real vegetable garden. I decided that there was not a better time or place to ‘just do it,’ go organic, and keep our garden as pristine and free from chemicals as when we arrived. Despite all that it has to offer, in many ways, our environment is hostile to successful vegetable gardening. So it will not surprise any of you who know me, I immediately turned to books to see how I should tackle my organic garden project. Lucky for me, I found a terrific resource in Extreme Gardening by Dave Owens. Owens, an organic gardener, wrote this book for gardeners in the desert Southwest of the US; and while that area has greater temperature extremes than we have here, I found this book to provide great organic gardening information. It is easy to read, being well organized and comprehensive. He has advice about everything from choosing and planting the best crops for our conditions, to the principles of creating a polyculture in your garden…and how to do it. Owens describes a polyculture as an environment that encourages plants, insects and animals to strengthen one another and the soil. Each has something to contribute to the others; harmony, without synthetic chemicals, extermination or waste. This is exactly what I wanted for my environment and I have used this as my guidebook to very happy results. As I discussed in the last East Caper issue (“It’s the Dirt” in East Caper Issue #70 - http://issuu.com/losbarriles/docs/ issue_70_feb_-_mar_2015_online_pdf), the first step to a great garden is the dirt. It is a process to build great soil, but with persistence you will do it. It took me about three years of progressively improving the soil, and every year I help it a bit more. I have found that in building my soil each year, one of the best fertilizers are worm castings, which I add before I plant; but I have also had great success making my own organic mix (following recommended proportions on the labels on the boxes) of Blood Meal, Bone Meal, Bat Guano and Sul Po Mag (Sulpher, Potassium, Magnesium). These organic fertilizers come in breakfast cereal size boxes and weigh around 3 lbs each. I bring them from the US when I drive to Baja. I have recently learned about a store in April/May

Centinario that sells a variety of organic fertilizers (although not Blood or Bone meal), so I may not need to “import” these in the future. I add the mix to the soil a couple of weeks in advance of planting to avoid the soil being too “hot.” For me, getting the soil ready is the most difficult part of gardening. But I figure, if I am going to be digging anyway, I might as well spend a little more time (and money) so that I end up with really happy and healthy plants. Once this sweaty work is completed, comes the fun part, choosing which plants to grow and how to plant them to help create my polyculture. This is where I learned the benefits of Companion Planting. There are some plants that protect their neighbors from insects, by emitting a scent that insects try to avoid; and some that attract insects, so the insects leave the other plants alone. Companion Plants also include plants that influence and enhance the growth of nearby plants (“The Mexican Kitchen” in East Caper Issue #62 - http://issuu.com/ eastcapers/docs/eastcapersissue62), by supplementing the soil with needed nutrients, providing shade and wind protection, or being a barrier against weeds. Conversely, some plants should neither be planted together nor follow one another because they deplete the soil of the same needed nutrients or they are susceptible to the same diseases. No worries figuring this out, Owens provides a great reference list for Companion Planting. I have been successful in controlling most insects (including the dreaded White Fly) with regular and frequent spraying with my homemade concoction that is based on one of Owens’ recipes. I blend two habenero chiles with two full heads of garlic (paper and skins removed) and ¼ - ½ cup of water. I judiciously strain the mix so I have only a watery juice (any pulp will clog the sprayer). I mix a couple of tablespoons of this mix with a gallon of water, two tablespoons of Neem oil and a squirt of liquid detergent (biodegradable) and spray my garden weekly at the first sign of any insect issue. Be careful not to spray when the wind is blowing and wear protective clothing and eye covering...those chilies are powerful. My garden is not insect free, but controlled sufficiently, so that I have a great crop of vegetables (with only a few insect nibbles on the leaves). There are suggestions in Extreme Gardening for other organic means of controlling ants, cockroaches, crickets and mosquitos (but I call Troy of G&T Pest Control for most of these… he will spray organically). The great part about a vegetable garden is that you replant every year. It is sort of like a bad haircut, it grows out and you can cut it again. Every year you get a new opportunity for a great vegetable garden. If you didn’t do well one year, you get another chance to make adjustments and do it again then next year. And even better, when everything is working…all you have to do is wait for the right moment and go pick your fabulous crop. It is your reward for creating harmony, without synthetic chemicals, extermination or waste.

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Wild Baja Pacific By Megan O’Leary

ExotiKite Kiteboarding The thermometer reads 90 as we barrel up Highway 1, the main highway running the length of Baja California. We are headed to Abreojos, located on the Pacific Ocean, 2 hours south of Guerro Negro. About 30 minutes after you take the turn towards Abreojos, the temperature drops and the crisp smell of salty ocean permeates the air. Soon, you can see the Pacific and hear the waves crashing.

We pull into our camp spot for the night, nestled between two sand dunes. After a long day on the road, we fall

____________________________ “We are a Family Company working in the Eastcape area since 1998…”

Jorge Ayala, Jr Architect since 2006 Prof Lic # 5832089 Cell Ph # (624) 348-5607 ljacompanylb@gmail.com

Jorge Ayala, Sr Civil Engineer since 1984 Prof Lic # 1356247 Cell Ph (612) 348-8417 losbarrilesdesigns@gmail.com We can provide you the following services: Architecture from the Concepts to the Final Drawings in Cad system, including the services in 3D renderings. Civil, Structural & Mechanical Engineering. Construction of any type of Building Systems such as Foam Panels, Cement Blocks, Post and Beams, Concrete Insulated Forms, Rammed Earth, Etc… Our Main Office is located in downtown Los Bar r iles on the main drag, next to La Fayla’s Supermarket. Office Ph # (624) 141-0155 Email: losbarrilesdesigns@gmail.com www.losbarrilesdesigns.com

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

asleep to the crashing waves and cool breeze. In the morning we wake at sunrise. I turn on our camp stove to make coffee and look up to see a seal sunning himself on the beach. Just off the rocky point there are dolphins playing in the waves and whales breaching. I feel like I am on a set of National Geographic with this morning symphony of wildlife. It is absolutely stunning. Abreojos and the neighboring La Bocana are traditional Mexican fishing pueblos with about 3000 residents between them. Almost everyone in town works or has worked in the fishing industry. The rights to the fishing territory is owned by a few families in each town and almost all of what is harvested has already been bought on the international market. They catch, and sell, everything from abalone and lobster to yellowtail and flounder. These fishermen know what they are doing and are fierce about maintaining sustainable fishing grounds. Speaking with one of the many enlightened fisherman, he said the importance of quotas and licensing was so there would be fishing around for his children and grandchildren. Fishing was their life, a passion beyond just a job. We travel to Abreojos and La Bocana for the climate, waves and wind. Typically there is wind everyday, kicking in around 1pm and blowing until sunset. That leaves mornings for lingering cups of coffee, surfing, stand up paddle boarding, fishing, good books and long walks on the pristine beaches. Once the wind starts in it gradually builds creating what any seasoned wind sailor would refer to as epic, and at times intimidating. Mix the rolling swell in and you have a wind seekers dream. La Bocana, a quick drive, 10 miles north, over salt flats, is a bit tamer. It doesn’t appear to be as developed as Abreojos, but has very good accommodations with attached restaurant and a large super market. So if you’re not into roughing it, camping in the sand, this is a great option. The wave and wind in La Bocana are also smaller and not as forceful. It is a perfect place for beginning to intermediate wave riders to gain some confidence before attempting the point at Abreojos. This is where ExotiKite Kiteboarding has set up our summer time Pacific wave riding camps. We have about 4 sessions a summer and take anywhere from 2 to 6 students to enjoy learning to ride waves with style and ease. The cost is only $1250 and this includes accommodation, instruction, equipment, and food (alcohol not included). Transportation is optional for an additional fee.

Healing Winds Holistic Center By Tehroma Lask Usually, when April comes to an end, so do the offerings at Healing Winds, until fall rolls around again. Not this year… Starting May 5th, Sukhasana Yoga and Pilates Studio will offer Multi Level Yoga Classes with Tehroma, Tuesdays and Fridays 8am to 9:15am. We don’t have A/C, so it could get warm in there. Please bring a towel and come to class well hydrated. Victoria will continue to offer Latin Dance classes for those who wish to continue dancing with this wonderful, energetic and enthusiastic dance teacher. For class schedules May through October, please check in regularly and view the following Facebook community page: Healing Winds Holistic Center, as well as, the Baja Pony Express. We would love to take this opportunity and give a huge warm welcome to Kim Scholefield, who has moved her practice into the Center and joined our team! When I asked her if there is anything she would like to say here, I received this enthusiastic reply, “Just that I am THRILLED to be joining the fine folks at Healing Winds, inviting all of my clients to join me in "the green room". We are thrilled, too! You can find Kim in t he lovely studio space adjacent to Sukhasana Yoga and Pilates Studio. Our yoga and Pilates studio enjoyed another successful and vibrant busy season under the continuing knowledgeable leadership o f Jackie Reeves. Upon leaving yoga classes t hroughout the season, there were many times someone would say to me, “we need a bigger yoga studio”, as classes were often full. We hear you! In lieu of knocking down any more walls or creating a larger space to practice yoga, we plan to continue offering more yoga classes. Inspired by our recent trip to New Orleans and attending a Bhaktimmersion Yoga Retreat, Jackie plans to offer a Bhakti Yoga Class, Sunday mornings, only for the months of December, January and February. For those of you who enjoy asana, poetry, music and relaxation – this class just might be for you! Stay tuned for more details about Bhakti Yoga as fall approaches. It was inspiring to see so many lovely people coming and going to the variety of classes offered last fall, winter and into spring: Intermediate Yoga, Advanced Beginner Yoga, Beginner, Beginner Yoga, Meditation and All Levels Yoga

with Jackie; Pilates + with Anne; Strength Training with Annalisa; Ball Blast, Pilates, Tone Fusion and Mambo Hustle Muscle with Sefi; Latin Dance with Victoria and Salsa with Neil – thank you all! Libelula Art Studio held a wonderful variety of classes this last busy season, including: Women’s Wisdom Circle, Collage Workshop, Drawing Class, Watercolor Basics, Art Journaling and Open Studio Times. Libelula held its first studio tour last winter, bringing in over eighty people to view the studio, art work and inviting courtyard. For more information and updates, please Like our Facebook page: Libelula Art Studio at Healing Winds Holistic Center. And, this isn’t set in stone yet, but there is a possibility of a local artist holding a workshop in the studio this summer. We shall see, please stay tuned! Thank you Cheri and Josefina for all your wonderful inspiration and creativity. I would like to send a shout out of gratitude to Jules Harris for her work in The Sanctuary, offering Rolfing (structural bodywork and functional movement) and Hakomi Bodywork. Another shout out to Susan Ackerman, to thank her for offering Personal Counseling in our space. We value your work immensely. Every season we try different classes, treatments and offerings – our aim is to offer a broad variety to our community, hopefully something for everyone. Part of the vision is to continually bridge the predominant cultures in our area, making us very happy to have offered Spanish Classes for Beginners, held in our inviting courtyard by Julia. Stay tuned for more language classes in the future. Feel free to enjoy our welcoming, open air courtyard. Have a nice lunch after class or enjoy a cup of tea while reading a book from our lending library. Next fall, we plan to offer informational talks and demos. If there is a subject you are interested in learning more about that pertains to any of our offerings, please let us know. Don’t miss our evening events: True Stories feels magical under the star glittered night sky. The question I often hear is, “What happened to UVERDE?” In a nutshell, our non-profit grass roots organization has matured and now functions primarily as the sponsor for Healing Winds Holistic Center. UVERDE, A.C. has been dedicated to raising awareness through various venues Continued on page 18

Whether you are fishing, surfing, kiteboarding or just exploring, Abreojos and La Bocana will not disappoint. Even if you only want to relax and beachcomb you will find iridescent abalone shells, scallop shells and sand dollars. It is our summertime haven. This year we will bring our kids, and cannot wait to show them the wonder of the wild Baja Pacific. For more information on our Pacific wave camps please contact us at kiteboarding@exotikite.com

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Healing Winds Continued: since 2007. We started with simple, yet efficient town cleans ups, hauling away truck load after truck load of old litter that had accumulated along the road sides throughout our beautiful town. We offered Environmental Awareness classes through our non-profit organization, working with the local school children, spanning Kindergarten through 12th grade, from 2007 to 2014. UVERDE also sheltered the first Recycling group in our community from 2009 to 2013, a group that stands strong continuing to work hard as they organize, encourage and inspire recycling throughout our community. After taking a school year off from working with the local community regarding environmental awareness, UVERDE is now offering Yoga Classes in Spanish, at Sukhasana Yoga and Pilates Studio, at an accessible rate for the local community – a wonderful way to raise awareness on a broader spectrum than our original grass roots initiative, continuing to bridge the predominant cultures in our unique and magical community. Many thanks to our entire team at Healing Winds, especially Jackie Reeves – thank you for all your time, energy, coordinating and care!!! A HUGE shout out to our amazing community: our Center would not thrive without all of you. Thank you for your continued support. Questions, comments, feedback – please do let us know! Tehroma Lask romalask@prodigy.net.mx, Owner, founder and collaborator. Healing Winds Holistic Center, sponsored by UVERDE, A.C. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi

Crunchy Fabulous Carnitas By:Renée Lagloire and Denise Elliott Buen Provecho Mexican Culture and Cooking Classes, San Bartolo

Carnitas are amazingly simple to prepare, and offer a seriously satisfying burst of flavors, especially when combined with the usual salsa, diced white onion, avocado, refried beans and tortillas. Translated, the word carnitas means “little meats”, that is because the meat, typically pork, is chopped into smallish bits to be eaten on their own, or as an ingredient in other foods. Given that pigs were introduced by the Spanish conquerors, carnitas were not eaten in Mexico prior to contact. Carnitas were first made in the state of Michoacan, and while they are cooked throughout Mexico, those from that region continue to have a reputation for being the best. Today, carnitas are offered in menus in restaurants and at food stands throughout the republic. Fundamentally though, carnitas are a celebratory food in the Mexican culture. They are typically featured in menus at quinceañeras, weddings and holidays.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

While carnitas have traditionally been made with a fatty cut of pork, such as a shoulder (pork butt), in modern times they are sometimes made with lamb or veal. The meat is first braised then fried in its own fat (with more fat added if a lean meat is used.) The result is a deepfried deliciousness in the form of tender and slightly crispy morsels of meat. Carnitas are eaten on their own, but are also used as fillings in tamales, tortas or tacos. We invite you to experiment making carnitas in your home and offer the following recipe from our Buen Provecho Mexican culture and cooking classes. Carnitas Estilo Michoacano Michoaca Style Pork Carnitas 4 pounds of pork butt (shoulder), with fat (untrimmed) 1 1/3 cups orange juice Juice from 4 limes Water 2 ½ teaspoons of salt ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (optional) Slice the pork butt into strips about 3 inches by 1 inch. Place them in a large heavy pot. Add the juices, salt and cumin, if using, into the pot with the meat and give it a good stir. Add just enough water to barely cover the meat. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 ½ hours, without stirring or bothering the meat! After 1 ½ hours have passed, turn the heat to mediumhigh and cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the pork fat has rendered. Turn meat carefully every so often until it’s browned on all sides. The goal is to get the meat as crispy and brown as possible. There will be liquid fat in the bottom of the pot. Add some olive oil if more fat is needed Remove and serve immediately or cool completely, refrigerate and re-crisp at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Crunchy Fabulous Carnitas By:Renée Lagloire and Denise Elliott Buen Provecho Mexican Culture and Cooking Classes, San Bartolo

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Wild Baja Pacific By Megan O’Leary

We pull into our camp spot for the night, nestled between two sand dunes. After a long day on the road, we fall

____________________________ “We are a Family Company working in the Eastcape area since 1998…”

Jorge Ayala, Jr Architect since 2006 Prof Lic # 5832089 Cell Ph # (624) 348-5607 ljacompanylb@gmail.com

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

First Annual Subasta for New Creations Orphanage in La Paz By: Alexandra Delis-Abrams

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

April/May

IN THE GARDEN By Holly Burgin

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

What going on at the Concha?

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

“Being” in Baja

Club Rotario of Los Barriles meets every Wednesday morning at 8am in the Plaza del Pueblo across from the Fountain. Or you can stop by our website:

http://losbarrilesrotaryclub.org/ are always welcome.

Visitors

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

Spay and Neuter Continued from page 22

Club Rotario of Los Barriles Cabo Este

By: Steve Reed

A Successful Season at the Los Barriles Community Market By: The Community Market Volunteers

Just sleeping it off after their surgery

Losbarrilescommunitymarket@gmail.com

“Why do you always disagree with

me when I tell you you’re wrong?

April/May

A good time at the market on the end of season Saturday

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Let’s Do La Paz! By Ann Hazard

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

LaPaz Continued from page 24

La Balandra, Malecon at sunset, Tres Virgenes, Tecolote Beach, Hotel El Moro

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

150 Dogs Can’t Be Wrong!

Treasures and Trifles

By: Emma Nicholson

By: Jorge Bergin

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

THE EARTH UNDER OUR FEET BY RUSS HYSLOP

“If you keep asking for a dog, they’ll get you something easy like a new smartphone.?

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

The Roosterfish Foundation ….tagging, the next step By: Gary Graham

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

How is it that Baja Shakespeare has thrived for fifteen years with more than 100 present and former cast members and crew?

Keep up to date on the hurricanes at: http://eebmike.com/

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

Asociacion de Artes Happenings Continued: Cursos de Verano -

next month). Baseball Camp

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

East Capers Periódico Publisher Asociación de Artes del Mar de Cortez A.C., Los Barriles, BCS, Mexico Editor Christine Courtright

The Asociación de Artes del Mar de Cortez A.C., Los Barriles, B.C. Sur, Mexico is a legal non-profit Mexican corporation not affiliated with any other organization, association, club or business.

Circulation Brian Cummings Advertising Kathy Obenshain Denise Linnet

Newsletter Email Address eastcapersmagazine@gmail.com

Thank You! This publication is possible with the help of the board members of the Asociación de Artes and members of the community.

Free Radicals And the effects they have on the skin. By: Connie Heinen

Copy Editor Pako Ford

Tax-deductable Contributions to the Asociación de Artes

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

There are therapeutic treatments that can also stimulate April/May

April/May

Recycle and share with a friend or return to the Eastcapers Rack.

Read the color version online at www.eastcapearts.com

Free / Gratis

What is the Asociacion de Artes Up To?

April/May 2015

Issue No. 71

Vendors, shoppers and sunshine!

Continued on page 3

April/May