Election Season In Mexico (Baja Sur Too!)

February 6 is statewide election day here in Baja Sur. It’s also Superbowl day. Normally liquor sales are severely restricted before and during election day but exceptions have been made for tourist bars/restaurants in the past. It remains to be seen if they will be made again. One possible way for a bar to serve liquor during the Superbowl is to claim they are hosting a private party.

I certainly hope that the Sandbar gets their act together in time for the big game. They have two issues, the liquor one and getting an English language feed for the game. The Spanish language feeds have completely different ads and what fun is it to miss all the crazy Superbowl ads?

The state of Guerrero just had their elections and an unusual coalition of center-right and leftists defeated the PRI candidate. You can read more at this link from the Miami Herald : Mexico Election Results Hurt PRI’s Comeback Bid

One last thought: most of the publicity for candidates here in Baja is done through radio, newspapers and signs since we have no true on air local TV stations. Here’s a photo of the stoplight corner in Todos Santos, in full regalia for election season.

Todos Santos Baja Mexico Election Signs

Vista Gold In The Canadian Press

Vista Gold Corp. may or may not eventually obtain permits to pursue open pit mining in our Sierra de la Laguna mountains but they aren’t just sitting back and waiting. We get a good deal of mostly negative press about them here in Baja Sur, but their PR machine is hard at work up north too. Read more at the link below:

Vista Gold Hits Back

Art Festival Issue Of El Calendario Online Today

The newest issue of El Calendario will be arriving from the printers many days in advance of expectations and should be on the street by Thursday/Friday. You can view it on the web now by clicking on the cover below:

Art Festival 2011 Issue El Calendario de Todos Santos

More Sea Of Cortez Development

But on the other side! Looks as if Fonataur will be building yet another “Los Cabos” resort/marina complex but in Sinaloa this time. The part that interested me the most was about light rail lines from Mexicali/Nogales to Guadalajara.

Read all about it, courtesy of Mexdata.info at the link below:

Major Sea of Cortez Marina and Resort Projects Underway

More Gold Mining Protest Activities

There was a huge protest against all the proposed mines at Playa El Tule in Los Cabos on Sunday. Below is the first info that I have received, this courtesy of La Paz Gringos mailing list.

January 28th

Caravan – March – Concert – Expositions – Information

The SOS mining protest at Tule Beach in Los Cabos was a brilliant success with over 9000 participants. The next day the Director of SEMARNAT (Environmental Protection Agency) announced that the government will not be approving the Concordia/Paredones Amarillos mining permits. However, he would not address the huge Pediment Gold project (112,000 acres). We still need to pressure the government to approve the new environmental laws that will prohibit toxic mining in Baja California Sur.

January 28th is the next big protest event.
We will make a great caravan that will travel from San Jose to Cabo San Lucas to Todos Santos and on to La Paz where we will deliver our petition to the Governor and the Congress demanding legislation that will prohibit toxic mining in BCS. The Caravan will then continue on to the Kiosko in the Malecon for a waterfront Concert. Let your voice be heard. Everyone is welcome.
San Jose: The Caravan will leave the Mega Comercial Mexicana at 9:00 am;
Cabo San Lucas: Sendero Plaza (Soriana) at 11:00 am;
Todos Santos: Los Pinos Park at 1:00 pm
La Paz: Blvd. Forjadores (in front of the UABCS University) at 2:00 pm
La Paz: Palacio del Gobierno and Congreso del Estado at 2:30 pm.
La Paz: Bravo and Malecon at 3:15 pm
Arriving at the Kiosko at 4 pm.
If you plan to join the Caravan at any of these points please arrive an hour before the departure time to register and position your vehicle.
If you have a boat in the La Paz bay be sure to sign up for the boat regatta that will parade the bay at the same time as the caravan enters the Malecon.
The waterfront concert will include music, drama, expositions, and information.
Everyone is invited.

More Press For Rancho Pescadero

The good press coverage seems to never end for Rancho Pescadero – felicidades to Lisa, George, Christine, Josh and all the staff. They know how to do it right.

Sign At Ranch Pescadero Entrance

Rancho Pescadero takes #7 in Huffington Post’s Best Travel Finds Of 2010.

Todos Santos Baja in The Week Magazine

<I should have cut and pasted the part about Todos Santos as The Week magazine has changed the status of the story from free to all to viewable only to paid subscribers. Sorry about that, I won’t make the same mistake again. I’ll leave this post active in case they change the article status in the future.>

Todos Santos is getting a lot of good press this year. Why? Maybe because Baja Sur is one of the safest travel destinations around, especially in Mexico. The Week magazine has a short travel story and it includes a hefty paragraph about Todos Santos. Read it at the link below:

Getting The Flavor Of … Baja

Since the link might not work, a friend sent me the part about Todos Santos:

Getting the flavor of …

January 21, 2011  The Week

Baja California’s sleepy beauty

The Mexican town of Todos Santos is not a place to go seeking an action-packed holiday, said Christopher Reynolds in the Los Angeles Times. Unlike Cabo San Lucas, a former fishing village to the south that’s been transformed into a “raucous” tourist retreat, this 18th-century Baja mission town “is still drowsy at most hours.” But if what you’re after is “desert vistas, fresh food, and a seriously slow” getaway, this oasis wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains “might be your place.” When not enjoying the empty beaches—many of which are “assaulted by waves so wicked” that the surfers must proceed with caution—you can buy “fresh catch” from fishermen as they “drag their boats ashore” or sample the chilies, mangoes, and papayas grown nearby. While Cabo may give you the spring break “you won’t remember,” Todos Santos promises a holiday “you’ll never forget.”

Black Sea Turtles Released In Todos Santos Baja

Part time resident, photographer/journalist Sara Gay Dammann recently published a piece in Sailmagazine.com about Black Sea turtles being released on Todos Santos’ beaches – you can read it at the link below:

Black Sea Turtle Release in Todos Santos Baja

8th Annual Todos Santos Film Festival Schedule

This just received from Leonardo Perel, one of the festival organizers:

Marzo/March 4 – 7, 2011, Teatro Manuel Márquez de León (Todos Santos):

Viernes / Friday 4 – Apertura Del Festival / Opening Night -
14 Hrs.	Programa De “Jovenes En Video” / “Youth In Video Program”
18 Hrs.	Cinco Dias Sin Nora / Nora’s Will 92′ México -Mariana Cherillo Precedida Por Desastre En Oaxaca 12′ México/Rusia -Sergéi Einsenstein. Invitado Especial / Invited Guest Ivan Trujillo Bolio
Sabado / Saturday 5 -
17 Hrs.	Los Herederos / The Inheritors 90′ México- Eugenio Polgovsky
19 Hrs.	Viaje Redondo / Round Trip 102′ México- Gerardo Tort Precedida Por Los Trashumantes 19′ México- Federico Cecchett
Domingo / Sunday 6 -
17 Hrs.	La Clave 80′ Cuba- Mariella Sosa
19 Hrs.	La Pantera Negra/The Black Panther 105′ México- Iyari Wertta Precedida Por 5 Recuerdos 12′ México- Alcaine & Márquez
Lunes / Monday 7 -
17 Hrs.	Oveja Negra / Black Sheep 85′ México- Humberto H. Ozcariz Precedida Por La Nuera De Don Filemón 10′ México- Gabriel Guzmán
19 Hrs.	Memorias Del Desarrollo 114′ Cuba – Miguel Coyula Memories Of Overdevelopment

Marzo/March 12 -14, 2011 – Teatro De La Ciudad (La Paz):

Sabado/Saturday 12 -
18 Hrs.	Cinco Dias Sin Nora / Nora’s Will 92′ México -Mariana Cherillo Precedida Por 5 Recuerdos 12′ México- Alcaine & Márquez
Domingo/Sunday 13 -
18 Hrs.	La Pantera Negra/The Black Panther 105′ México- Iyari Wertta Precedida Por Lupano Leyva 13′ México – Felipe Gómez
Lunes/Monday 14 -
18 Hrs.	Oveja Negra / Black Sheep 85′ México- Humberto H. Ozcariz Precedida Por La Nuera De Don Filemón 10′ México- Gabriel Guzmán

 

The Baja Love Ride

There is a 16 day bike ride planned for Feb 14 – March 1 down the Baja peninsula. Proceeds will benefit local children’s charities including Hogar del Niño orphanage here in Todos Santos.

You can read more here: Baja Love Ride

Visit the Love Ride’s website: www.bajaloveride.com