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Hola amigos! Bienvenidos!
Enjoying a wonderful spring-time in the Puertecitos area.
It was a quiet Christmas in Puertecitos. Unfortunately there are landlord- tenant issues in the little port and
several more long-time residents received "eviction" notices at Christmas time. I was one of them.
Needless to say, we are all very sad to see the direction things are going. The attorney's are still trying to
sort things out in court. It is my intention to avoid political debate on this web site. I believe that
politics, religion and business should be left out of social interaction. The divided community and conflict of ideas
serves no benefit to Americans or Mexicans. I am confident that there will be an amicable resolution in the near future.
That said, we had a nice Christmas party at the Cowpatty. Everyone enjoyed good food and good friends. Thanks
to Marion for helping with the decorations and food.
It has turned out to be a beautiful spring! On March 15th the San Felipe 250 racers turned north out of Matomi
wash. An avid group of race fans gathered there to enjoy a warm, sunny race day. Check out the SCORE website for
more details of this race!
Prem's son took some awesome photos over Thanksgiving. I'll be adding some of them to the web site. You can
see the complete album if you stop by Prem's house.
The annual swap meet was held on the basketball court so all could attend.....Lot's of swapping going on! Beth led her 1st annual hike into the desert this spring. A surprising number of locals showed up to take a trek
in the desert and observe the beauty of it all. Kudos to Beth for taking the time to share her intimate knowledge of
the area! I will be posting some photos. Stop by the Cowpatty to see all of them if you get a chance. Friday's
are still a fun time.
March Birthdays were celebrated at the Puertecitos Community center on March 8th. Marion Stephens and her "crew"
put on a great party for the birthday guests.
The new road above Puertecitos is almost complete. It goes up and behind the town. Lots of activity
in town with the road crew staying at the motel. I am in search of pink flamingos to complete the landscape motif.
Panama "Jay" has been busy during the spring break. He successfully helped the Huerfenito residents get their well
back in shape. I sure missed a photo op of his helmet and chair lift used for the project.
Corky's daughters, Lora and Chris, along with Barb and Gloria spent a week enjoying the nice weather. We took a
trip to Bahia de Gonzaga to do some clamming. The Fernandez family were gracious enough to provide a room so the girl's
didn't have to drive all the way back to Puertecitos. The thrill of the clam kept them going until dusk......
We got to see a great Russian aircraft when it landed in Puertecitos. Doug and Jeanne dropped in and
looked around on their way north from Punta Final. The interior is decked out like an RV. The plane was painted
with graphics to make it look much older.....it will be featured in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie.
FAQ's
Yes, the road from San Felipe to Puertecitos is paved and in good condition.
No, it is not safe to do 70 on the road.
No, the road is not any better from Puertecitos to Gonzaga. If anything it is worse.
No, the gas station is not open Puertecitos.
Yes, the airstrip is open and usable.
Yes, there is a tire shop in Puertecitos.
Yes, there is a mechanic in Puertecitos.
Yes, the motel is open and the restaurant has been serving food.
Yes, there is a fee to enter Puertecitos to use the Hot Pools as well as a boat launch fee.
Yes, the gate into the east area of town is locked at 10pm.
Yes, there is gas at Rancho Grande (Gonzaga). Also a tire shop, grocery store and liquor store. Palapa
camping spots are also available.
Yes, there are rooms and food available at Punta Bufeo.
Yes, you need a tourist visa. If you rent property you need at least an FM-3.
No, you don't have to open a Mexican bank account. You can verify your income and bank account in the US.
Yes, you need Mexican insurance when you drive in Mexico.
Yes, the total eclipse of the moon was spectacular!
I've been asked to do the Puertecitos newsletter. Be sure to email me if you want to get on the mailing lists.
More info to follow in the coming weeks.
Hasta la Pasta
Cowpatty
PS: No beer license yet........still being positive. Thanks for everyone's support!!!!
PPS: Leon recieved serious injuries in a quad accident last month. He is hospitalized in Palm Springs.
I will try to get an update on his condition within the next few days. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family.
Many thanks to Bombero for all his help.
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November 2002 As the Baja 1000 race day nears I find myself thinking about how I got to Puertecitos 25 or so years ago. Tumbleweed had just purchased a Cessna 182 and I was nearing my time for a private pilot check-ride.
We were invited to provide air support for our friends from Torrance CA who were racing in a Class 10 that year (Dave Stevenson
and Andy Pembroke). The course went through Puertecitos and we knew a fellow pilot with a house there (Chuck and Annie
Sisto). This would be our maiden flight to Mexico and the excitement and anticipation level was high. I drove
with the chase car crew to Ensenada the night before the start. Tumbleweed and the pilot (Ken Jamma) of the driver's
plane missed each other (they waited for hours at different ends of Torrance airport). Tumbleweed was still at
the Tijuana airport at sunset so he elected to wait until morning rather than risk violating any nighttime flying regulations.
Of course the ground crew and the other pilot had no way of knowing what happened to him which made us all quite nervous.
I had never been to an airport with soldiers who had guns and pointed them at you...By sunrise, with little sleep, we still
had no word of Tumbleweed. Everyone, except the racers, went to the airport in the morning to look for him. Our
racers were the only ones who had to push their own car at the start line and didn't have a cheering section!! We did
finally find Tumbleweed surrounded by soldiers at the Ensenada airport. He hadn't slept well either--not wanting
to risk losing the race parts or perhaps damage to his new plane, he chose to sleep underneath the aircraft at the Tijuana
airport. He learned why pilots always say to not sleep under the fuselage if you want to stay dry. The old truck and camper didn't steer well and the c- clamps bounced like they would come off at any
moment. We made it to San Felipe and the check point to see our guys go through. The chase car drivers were having
a blast and I don't believe we left any tequila in San Felipe. The guys all piled in the chase car to go to town looking
for excitement....Tumbleweed only came back with a new hat so I guess the excitement wasn't that great. Of course none
of us spoke more than a few words of Spanish. This was my first night to sleep on a beach in Mexico--I watched
a helicopter doing spectacular aerobatics overhead, fireworks everwhere on the beach and then fell asleep. I heard
dogs and realized I had five dogs laying in a circle around me. Of all the things I had worried about being afraid of, I hadn't
thought about being attacked by dogs. The largest dog growled when I started to get up so I decided to lay down, cover
my head and wait until they left. At sunrise the dogs left without a trace.....Another long, sleepless night. The ride to Puertecitos is what convinced me to get my check ride as soon as we returned to the States.
It took 4 hours over an extremely rough and dusty road. I didn't drive again until the road was paved. Our drive stopped in Puertecitos. The pilots went on to pick up the drivers in La Paz and go to
the big party. We spent three wonderful days in Puertecitos,kissed the mayor (Marvin Gardener) and danced the nights
away at the old cantina. Raphael was very kind to us. Pepilo made us laugh. We slept on North
Beach and promised ourselves we'd be back to spend our winters there. So it began. |
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JANUARY 2004
WOW! It's a new year and I haven't posted since September!!
Marci and I hosted a first time group to San Felipe and Puertecitos
over the Shrimp Festival in November. Brian, Robin and Christian and Monica spent a perfect weather weekend in Paradise.
Many thanks to Mr. Marschke who shared his boat with Brian and Christian for a full day of fishing with the pros (BudLight
was there to keep him tame).
The girls and I had non-stop visitors and enjoyed Baja recreation
to it's fullest.
Thanks to Bill and Juanita for giving me a quiet get away during
the festival.
My next trip was in January with pilot Mike (first driving trip)
and Candy Man Duane. We re-discovered the driving trip south. I even found some new spots and treasures in our
own back yard. Thanks to these guys for giving me a kick-back trip to be a passenger.....
Panama seems to be making progress on his shop with some help
from his compadre Ann. Who says a woman can't make a difference!!
Glad to hear that Bud and Jeri Coleman made it in for a visit.
It's nice to have them back!!
Not much news about the road, it's still bad after Doc Lopez's.
Many thanks for my neighbors Don and Marion who graciously chauffeured
me around town! A visit to the Shores for laughs and fun, then to Marias for extraordinary comida and finally the COWPATTY
for more good times with folks I haven't gotten to visit with for a while.
Enjoyed belated Christimas tamales with Cecelia and the kids
at Campo Cristina. We are planning a DIA DE MUJERES sometime in February or March.
If you haven't stopped by Alfonsos Christy Piano Bar in San Felipe
do so next trip. He makes a wonderful Margarita!!! Tell him Cowpatty sent you.
Marci and I are off to join Carl in Laughlin this weekend for
Superbowl--first visit since Halloween so we are ready to enjoy some fun in the sun! Some day we might even
settle down and live in the same place.
Hasta Luego
Cowpatty
Pete Martina celebrated his 80th birthday in El Huerfanito with a party hosted by good friends and neighbors, Frederico and Elisabeth. About 50 friends attended and enjoyed carne asada, birria and a Dolly Parton birthday cake. Happy March birthday to Mary Hester and Wanda Buta! The Matomi Strippers Qult Guild held their first quilt show at the Community Center on February 14th --along with arts and crafts and a bake sale followed by a great chili dinner. Get well wishes to Lorna Clay, Don Trunnell, Mary Dotinga, Suzanna Lynch and Maria Romo. Bobby Calderon and Sid Dotinga brought in lots of goodies for the annual Easter event. Nice to see Bud and Jeri Coleman and Adrian and Gail Ledbetter in for a visit! John Williams muses over what the radio protocol is in the south campos and invites comments from the "Happenings" readers. Flying for Jesu missionary organization headed by Joe Vaine has been disbanded after ten years of ministry to our area. Plans are in the works for a full-time doctor in the community.
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