Where In The World Is Nellie?

Thunder, Lightening, and finally Rain in Loreto! What a wonderful gray day. This morning was the usual hot humid 95 degrees, but as the afternoon approached there were more dark clouds gathering in the sky. All of a sudden around 3 pm there were rumblings of constant thunder and all were looking to the skies to see if we would really get some serious rain. The winds were whistling through the houses and blowing about the debris, plastic, and anything else not easily weighted down. The dust was blowing so hard everything was gray and gritty, and the palm trees appeared to be dancing a hula as they swayed in the wind. Lightening came in short streaks, and then all of a sudden the rain came pouring down. Now if you have ever been in London England or the West Coast of Canada, this would seem like a trickle on a summer’s day. However, for Loreto, it was an absolute down pour. The workers all lined up for their buses early at 4:30 and traffic ceased to and from town. It was a great...

More full time residents in Loreto We have another brave family that is going to live here full time, for a while anyways. This is Stuart, Sarah, and their children, Lizzie, Carlie and Clayton. They are shown here with their architects, the Lew Brothers from Mexico City, Bernardo and Jose, who are working on several of Loreto Bay custom homes. If you would like to contact Stuart and Sarah about their experiences, or get together on your visit, please contact them through the www.myloretobay.com home owner website. Stuart and Sarah will be watching their custom home being built on Lot FN18 and focusing on experiences with their children. Their children started school and on the second day told Sarah that they “love it here”. What a joy to be with people that take the leap of faith down an unknown road with the knowledge that there lies a more full and balanced life. This is the main reason I love the Baja, and particularly Loreto. It is full of mavericks, adventurers, and opport...

New Businesses in Loreto The entrepreneur spirit is alive and growing in this little town of Loreto. I got the biggest kick out of the little boys selling frozen popsicles from their cart for 5 pesos. His smile was worth the big tip and I wonder how successful he will be before he’s ten years old! He and his little brother are braving these hot humid days pushing their full cart around the different contractors’ sites. It was only 98 degrees today, but with 60% humidity … it feels like 120 degrees. Yes, I finally admit that this is HOT!! I think twice just going out to my courtyard to walk up the stairs in my Casa Chica, let alone be out all day long. Feels too much like freakin Arizona! There are lots of Mexicans selling orange juice, tamales, and other snacks from their cars. They show up around 1 pm and there is a silent message that ripples through the site as workers make their way towards their favorite vendors and wait patiently in line. The canteens are popular as well...

3 hour Loreto Cruise on the El Don I was fortunate to be invited to join some of the Mexican families on a 3 hour cruise aboard the El Don. This was organized by Walter, Rodolfo and Gabriela of Owner Services and included many people from Accounting and other local departments. Here’s Jose from IT with his family; and Gabriela with her extended family. Being on the water is the best place to be anytime for everyone. We came loaded with drinks and bags of chips, guacamole and spicy tuna dip, chicken, and other goodies. Everyone had their turn at the bow being “King of the World” and the kids were full of energy and laughter. We saw a school of dolphins racing with the boat, and jumping around us. No matter how many times I see them, there are always squeals of delight when they jump 20 feet from the boat. Janet’s dream is to own and operate a panga boat and this is the first step towards her reality. Walter aspires to something a little larger, complete with crew. All I want is a...

Mexican House Party! I was invited to the home of Donella and Brad from Loreto Bay Construction. They have recently acquired a 9 unit motel on a great piece of property in downtown Loreto. They are slowly renovating each of the rooms with care and attention to detail. I can tell that it will not take them long to realize their investment and make this a fun profitable business, as well as their happy home. Friday night always sounds good for an impromptu party and they said to come around 7’ish. This really means 8’ish, but since I’m not Mexican and neither are Donella or Brad, I figured 7:30 was reasonable. People started rolling in about 9 or 9:30 with their drinks and bags of chips. It’s very relaxed and greeting each and every person is very important to the culture here. Everyone was waiting for Cesar to arrive as he’s the Master BBQ Chef. You will notice that he has two beers going; one for him and one for the grill. This is one of the secret ingredients. Watching him ...

Party Time at Lot 300 Loreto Bay! Mick and Joyce had their house warming party a few days ago. They have a Casa Alta which means the main living area is the second floor, with a third floor bedroom and patio area. They have views of the mountain and golf course on their large back deck, as well as a small patio out front to watch the world go by on the Paseo de Mision. Best of both worlds and lots of privacy. It’s really wonderful to see these houses transformed into homes with furniture, lighting and personal touches. Mick and Joyce upgraded to granite counter tops and travertine floors, so their kitchen is a delight to be in. We were standing in line patiently waiting for a fresh brewed espresso from their Italian coffee machine. It’s a beautiful home and you can tell that all the pieces were carefully thought out and made to measure. Joyce had some great blue wine glasses with silver stems, and hand crafted ceramics from Tlaquepaque. Mike is the new Commercial Construction ...

No 4 Legged Animals this time to La Paz! I drove to La Paz yesterday for a meeting. Four hours each way is a long day, but it is never uneventful. Always amazed at the lack of safety issues here, especially when I was following this flatbed of people up the long winding mountainous roads. This truck was going well over 100 km/ph. The riders in the back didn’t seem at all nervous and were having a great time watching me try to take their picture while driving with one hand and one eye on the road. This picture demonstrates just how narrow the road is, and the truck seems a foot from the edge of the cliff. It may be slightly more, but not by much! I did get stopped at the entrance to one of the smaller towns along the way. It is common for different organizations and fundraisers to stand in the middle of the highway with large cans wrapped in white paper. This is the collection tin, and I’m never sure what the cause is, but when I drop a few coins in worth 10 pesos, they seem v...

Most Patient Loreto Bay Home Owner of the Month! Lynn and Sharon Feenaughty brought Lot 325 on the second launch of February 2004, because they fell in love with the vision. Now, where have I heard this before?? Waiting very patiently for over two years, their house was finally ready. They sold their home in Phoenix after 25 years, and moved here full time a few weeks ago. Their furniture was enroute and it could take a few weeks. They slept on an airbed in a house with no other furniture or bedroom lights. Although the Road 9 staff on the ground attempted to get them telephone and internet for the last two weeks, they were not successful. So not only did they have no form of communication, they had no knowledge of Spanish and were unaccustomed to the peso. Yet, through all this, they were patient and laughing. They had each other and what a better place to while away the days than bobbing about in the Sea, while intermittently cooling off under a playpa by the beach. Last Su...

Northern Baja Real Estate Opportunities My friends John Newton of FN46 and Tracy Collingridge of FN494 arrived today for the weekend. They are both fellow Canucks from Victoria. John brought at the same time I did in November 2003, at the very first Sales Event. He has one of the few Village Homes with a pool. We hung out at John’s home drinking beer until it got too hot, then headed down to the beach. The water is the best place to be anytime! Another hot and sunny day! Later, John impressed us with his cooking skills and he makes a wicked martini. It’s my first martini since I’ve been here. Not really a Mexican summer drink ... but very delicious. Can’t have just one … but then who cares, I’m only 3 houses away! Even a little tipsy, I’m aware not to go near the nonexistent railing where I could plummet to the gravel below. We swapped stories, laughed and had a great day visiting until the wee hours. They love it here and I am happy they will be back often. I mentioned Tra...