Originally Published the Week of Jan. 26, 2022 in Western Outdoor Publications
Well…check any source and you’ll find that the number one travel destination since covid started is (drumroll)…MEXICO!
This is not just for Americans. It’s apparently the top spot for the whole world.
It’s pretty easy to get to, especially for Americans. There’s lots of flights. Or you can drive or jump a cruise ship.
It’s pretty economic. Foreign currency against the Mexican peso is pretty strong. For Americans, the dollar is huge. It’s 20 pesos to the U.S. dollar. International money goes a lot further than in many other countries.
It’s easy to come home. That’s pretty important. When you’re ready to come home…you come home!
Your chances of getting stranded there are pretty slim because of Covid. Your own country might put the pinch on you, but not Mexico.
In fact, there have been some new changes in Mexican restrictions.
As of this month, Mexico has completely dropped all entry requirements. Gone! Deleted! You are welcomed with open arms.
You can argue whether that is good or bad, but it is what it is. I make no judgements. Don’t kill the messenger.
However, borders are now open. In fact, many would ventur that they were never really closed at all. It was pretty leaky.
You also no longer have to fill out either the paper or digital health-care form to enter Mexico. This was the form asking thing like whether you had been in contact with a Covid person or whether you had Covid.
I always thought it was silly. I mean…who is going to answer “yes” on the way to their vacation? Who wants to get told they have to go in the little back room for secondary questioning when the tour bus to the hotel is waiting outside and your luggage is spinning mindlessly on the carousel?
Additionally, Mexican President Obrador has said he doesn’t plan to ever ask for proof of vaccinations.
But, there’s a small caveat.
Individual states, areas or businesses like restaurants, bars and casinos might ask for your vax card. However, according to sources, it’s just like many places in the U.S. with masks. It only applies if the rule is enforced and no one seems to really enforce it.
In lieu of that, proof of a negative covid test within 48 hours will also work. Jalisco is one of the states that recently implemented the rule about showing a vax card.
So, basically, it’s time travel. Mexico is back to pre-covid 2019 in terms of travel.
As of right now, the only real bump in your travel road is coming BACK to the U.S. or entering the U.S. if you’re a foreign national.
The U.S. requires that within 24 hours of your flight back to the U.S. you need to take a rapid Covid test. And, of course, it has to come back negative.
The test takes 15 minutes and you get your results usually within the hour on your cellphone. The airports all have facilities as do many hotels. Or the hotels will have someone come to the hotel.
There are also a plethora of labs that sprang up all over the place understandably.
This applies whether you are vaccinated or not.
If you are a foreign traveler headed to the U.S., the new rules mandate that you must show proof of vaccination now.
Stay tuned. The picture changes all the time!
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
Someone had a dream at one time…or at least a good idea!
DESERT GHOSTS
Originally Published the Week of Jan. 12, 2022 in Western Outdoor Publications
I’ve always had this weird (not creepy) thing about looking at (and into) people’s houses.
At the time I’m writing this, we’re driving across country to the fishing and hunting shows in various cities around the western U.S. We’ve exhibited at these shows from January to April for almost 30 years to talk to folks about fishing with our company in La Paz.
We have our booth packed up and are on our way to the Wild Sheep Foundation Show in Reno, NV. Over the past 3 days, we’ve driven across Texas, New Mexico and Nevada.
My wife Jill is driving and I’m tapping out on my laptop.
And looking at people’s houses.
I like to guess what they do. I’m intrigued by their story.
Why they happened to plant themselves in this particular area near that particular town.
Or in the middle of nowhere.
I look at what’s in the yard. Kid’s toys? A rusty swing? A bunch of old cars? An RV? Five later model cars and a mini-van? Or 5 cars on concrete blocks?
Is the yard done? Is there even a yard or just tumbleweeds and a cotton field in the back.
There’s a washing machine on the front porch of a single-wide modular. Or is there a swimming pool out back?
You can tell a lot.
Driving up and down Baja, I have that same fascination.
But, it’s not the occupied homes that I focus on.
It’s the empty houses.
Empty buildings have a story as well. And sometimes they talk.
These are the abandoned homes and buildings standing ( or leaning) in the middle of the Baja landscape. You find them built on the side of a hillside. Or they are tucked onto the bank of an arroyo or still standing observant by the side of the highway.
Dilapidated. Wind, sun-baked and weather torn. Collapsing roofs and leaning walls. Warped and sandblasted wood. Maybe some leftover traces of color or paint.
The Baja is not kind to old buildings left unattended.
Fascinating head-scratchers. I wonder about those stories.
Why here? It’s the only house for miles. What were they thinking?
No obvious source of water. No towns or communities nearby to drive to…or if the house is that old… nothing nearby to walk to…or ride a cart or burro to.
Is this as far as the got? Is this where the donkey cart finally busted an axle?
Maybe the few small tree trunks stuck in the ground at crazy angles are evidence of an old corral.
Stone, bricks and adobe are handy.
How did the even get the wood to build? It’s not like Baja has a lot of treeworthy lumber around. Did the haul it here? From where?
Baja isn’t exactly known for its forests.
Occasionally, you find a small cluster of buildings. Or what’s left of them.
Perhaps an extended family. Again, why here? And what happened to them.
Maybe as often happens, parents settle. Raise kids in the hardscrabble environment. Kids move on as they grow up. Parents pass.
Or the parents pass and the dream of living in the middle of nowhere is not the dream of their progeny. They move on.
Buildings are abandoned.
I’ve never trespassed, but if it looks like it doesn’t matter, I like to stop. Normally, it’s not like anyone cares. There’s no one around for miles and I doubt the tumbleweeds or jackrabbits care.
But, poking around old buildings…they sometimes talk to you if you look.
A blackened brick outdoor firepit. A sign that there was probably no electricity when these folks lived there. They cooked outside.
No signs of plumbing of any kind.
Rough carpentry. Uneven door and window frames. No signs that glass ever filled those windows.
Old uneven hammered rusty nails protrude from splintering dried wood. These didn’t come from Home Depot. They look like tiny sharpened spikes…handmade. Probably pretty precious back in the days.
In fact, there are signs that furniture and parts of the buildings may have been bound together with what remains of rope or old leather strips.
I find an old bent spoon in what would have been a dirt floor.
I have found an old coin or almost rubbed smooth and largely unidentifiable.
There are dark patches along walls where perhaps candles or old fuel lanterns once burned.
I found lots bleached fish bones around the back of one building. They ate fish? We were 10 miles from any body of water.
I once found two old crosses and a weathered upright stone marker side-by-side. They were in the shade of an old scrub tree back behind what may have been an old shed or barn.
Nearby the remains of a cracked clay vase that long ago may have held desert flowers. A family cemetery?
Whoever lived in these places are long gone and forgotten. But, there was a story here at one time.
I think in some sense, moving through these old living spaces makes them somewhat more real. A reminder that real people and families once lived here. Had dreams here.
And moved on. While the desert moves back to reclaim everything.
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
Originally Published the Week of Jan. 3, 2022 in Western Outdoor Publications
Back in the day when I lived close to the somewhat remote East Cape area of Baja, I loved getting invited to someone’s house for dinner. It was a special treat.
First and foremost, it sure beat the one-pan meals I would usually cook for myself. The food at these gatherings would be simple, but they were always the best-of-the-best spread they had to offer and tremendously delicious.
I remember barbecued meat or fried fresh fish. Often it was something they had caught or one of their own animals.
I was a grateful beneficiary to the sharing of the largesse.
Of course handmade tortillas, beans and rice and maybe grilled vegetables or fresh cheese! Dang. I secretly always hoped there would be that fresh farm cheese.
Plates and cups never matched. Lots of well-used plastic. The cups seemed to be those indestructible plastic/ acrylic things we all had in our cupboards back in the day. Free with a fill-up of gas (or a steak knife) or were bought from the neighbor’s kid raising money for school.
Somehow, those same cups magically migrated to Mexico!
Silverware was burnished and scratched. No big thing. Lots of paper napkins. No matter.
These folks might not have much, but everything was always spic-and-span and pridefully clean in the home.
It was not only a treat, but an honor to be invited to the family home.
Often, there might be another family or two… or extended family member at the table as well. A few cousins. A tio or tia (uncle or auntie). Maybe some neighbors.
Again, sharing the wealth.
It was typically a pot-luck kind of affair from what I could tell.
Cousin Jose and his family might bring some fresh ceviche. The neighbors ferried over a Tupperware of salsa fresca.
It seemed the uncles would ALWAYS bring beer. Always welcome and they seemed to drink the majority of it!
After dinner there was always talk.
Just fun and interesting conversation and b.s. directly dependent upon the level of beer consumption taking place.
My Spanish at that point wasn’t full-speed, but it was enough to participate and I often became the center of the chit-chat. It was usually something of an enjoyable question-and-answer session.
Parents…well, the moms asked about food and markets and clothes. Dads would talk about fishing or travel.
Politics were big. So were sports. The New York “Yonkeys” and the Los Angeles “Doyers.” Andale!
Recently, I was thinking about some of the great conversations with the kids.
The younger girls would ask about celebrities, fashion and movie stars.
Did I really see movie stars all the time and every day?
What is Hollywood like and tell them about a shopping mall.
The boys naturally wanted to know about American cars. American music. Of course…American girls.
Remember, these were the days before the internet was rampant and everyone had a cell phone. Often folks didn’t even have TV’s back then out there.
I was sort of the welcomed travelling bard. Folks were anxious to hear what was going on “out there.” Tell us some news. Tell us a story.
With the kids…
Often, we’d get into the typical, “What do you want to do when you get older?”
At the time, it was just fun conversation, but looking back, the responses were really eye-opening.
American kids talk …doctors…lawyers…executives…business owners…teachers…travel…own a ranch…own a sportscar…be a firefighter…engineer…computers…be a rockstar…attend a great university…be a pilot…marry a rich doctor…lawyer…blah blah blah!
For these, mostly rural Mexican kids, the bar wasn’t quite so high.
Most wouldn’t get past the mandatory 6th grade. So, like all kids, many were eager to “get outta school” to go to work.
Not so much to be independent like American kids…move out…have a car…get an apartment.
These Mexican kids were eager to work so they could help the family.
The aspirations weren’t so lofty.
“I will help my father catch fish for the market.”
“I will go to work at the farm picking vegetables.”
“I would like to move to the city. Maybe work at a restaurant or a hotel. Maybe clean rooms or wash dishes. I can stay with relatives.”
“I have a boyfriend and we will get married and have kids. He has a good job driving a truck for the market.”
The ambitions were much more tempered. Perhaps much more pragmatic in the big picture.
The big difference is that these are somewhat the kind of jobs American kids might do “on their way” to do something else. Like while they are in school.
Or a summer job.
Or for some pocket money.
For these Mexican kids, they are not jobs before they move onto something else. These are their CAREERS.
This is what they will most likely do for the rest of their working lives.
Forty or fifty years from now, it’s very likely, many will still be washing dishes or cleaning someone’s hotel room. Some will still be trying to catch enough fish to sell to the market and feed the family.
That fruit or vegetable farm still needs laborers.
That girl wanting to be married has raised another generation herself.
These “occupations” are the end game. There is no “glass ceiling” because there is no glass. That solid ceiling they see is the height of ambition and opportunity.
I’m trying to imagine some of the summer or school jobs I took in younger days. Could I have worked in a warehouse the rest of my life? Or driven a taxi? Or sold vacuum cleaners door-to-door?
Nothing wrong with good honest labor.
For Americans, we have the ability to envision better things. We can hope that around the corner our ship will come in. We have that ability to dream. It may never happen, but we can strive and hope.
Our end game has continuum.
For these youngsters, their aspirations are limited to immediate and restricted finite opportunities. The end game is for life.
Do not pass GO. Stay in the same square. Repeat.
That’s my story
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
Originally Published the Week of Dec. 27, 2021 in Western Outdoor Publications
I’m a chips and salsa guy.
I go into a Mexican restaurant and I look forward to ruining the rest of my meal filling up on the chips and salsa that get plopped in front of me.
In fact, I judge the restaurant based on their chips and salsa.
It’s the opening round. First impressions are everything. Usually, the chips and salsa are a pretty good reflection on the rest of the meal-yet-to-come.
The problem is that in most Mexican restaurants in Mexico, you don’t get chips unless it’s a tourist place or you ask for the chips. And, even then, chances are you definitely don’t get the typical big basket.
You get a little bowl. Like a peace offering of chips!
But, there’s still the salsas. And every place worth it’s chili peppers makes their own.
I’m not talking about stuff you pour out’ve a bottle like Tabasco, Cholula, etc. Those are hot sauces, not technically salsas.
That’s for a different column. If the salsa comes out’ve a bottle or jar, move along. Those places don’t last anyway.
I have a rule or two when I hit a new place and try their salsas.
First, just because it looks mild doesn’t mean anything. Conversely, a very tasty benign salsa could appear like Satan’s own brew.
Even at a regular place that you visit often.
Their homemade salsa can change from day-to-day. That’s because the quality and flavor of the ingredients can change.
For example in our restaurant in La Paz, we would make green salsa verde from green tomatillo tomatoes. One day the salsa would be sweet and mild.
The next day, it could be very bitter and we would have to adjust the recipe. That’s because the quality and taste of the tomatoes would change from our delivery guy.
All tomatoes are not created equally. Nor or chilis or onions.
So, as a rule, no matter what the salsa looks like, I put a little dab on the tip of my little finger and taste it. Or on the edge of my plate.
Knowledge is power and better to know up-front before I slather my taco with a sauce that I won’t like or will cause me physical damage!
There are several main salsas to keep an eye-out for. They’re the standards at most any restaurant or taco cart you visit in Mexico.
SALSA FRESCA/ PICO de GALLO– Usually pretty mild and can surely vary from place-to-place. Usually bright red and green.
Typically consists of chopped red tomatoes, onions, salt, cilantro and fresh jalapeno or serrano chilis. This is the universal salsa. Stuff it in a taco. Divebomb it with chips. Spoon it over your huevos rancheros, fish or steak.
SALSA VERDE/ TOMATILLO SAUCE – Made from green tomatillo tomatoes, this can range from tart to sweet and savory. If the tomatoes are first grilled, roasted or boiled, then blended with the other ingredients such as the chilis and onions, you get a bolder full-bodied salsa. In fact, all of the ingredients are sometimes cooked then blended together.
Using uncooked ingredients produces a salsa on the tart side. Not necessarily a bad thing. Just deliciously different.
AGUACATE – This is avocado salsa. My personal favorite.
I can put this on everything in sight. Remember, the “taquitos” they sold at your little league games as a kid and the green sauce that came out’ve a plastic jug? Aguacate is a 5-star creamy upgrade.
It’s got the coolness of avocado blended with cilantro, a bit of lime, salt, onion and garlic contrasted with the serrano peppers. It also has tomatillos in it very often.
Guacamole…another favorite for other reasons…isn’t so creamy and is primarily avocados without the tomatoes and has a thicker consistency.
SALSA ROJA – This is often the signature sauce at any local dining spot. I’ve encountered places that guard “grandma’s recipe” like Colonel Sanders safeguarded his finger-lickin’ good chicken recipe.
The main thing is roasted or boiled chili arbol. It’s got more kick than other salsa chilis and cooking brings out spicy smokey flavors and deep red colors. It’s then blended with the onions, garlic and other ingredients and can be served hot or cold.
This is definitely one you should taste ahead of time before spooning it on your food. Sometimes, a little goes a long way.
Everyone makes their salsas differently and part of the fun of eating in Mexico is sampling all the different types.
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
Originally Published the Week of Dec. 13, 2021 in Western Outdoor Publications
Christmas time in Baja.
Specifically, here in La Paz where we live and have our businesses.
On so many levels, the air is definitely different this year. And, on so many levels, it’s easier to breathe.
It’s palpable
Practically speaking, masks are pretty much down. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale again. It’s been awhile.
You can probably relate. Feels pretty good not to talk through a piece of cloth. Or trying to figure out what you were saying to me!
I have a hard enough time understanding Spanish or trying to make sure my Spanish was correct. Let alone trying to do it through a mask!
And hey! That’s a smile under there. I was tired of just looking at your eyes!
The pandemic hit Mexico especially hard. It whacked Baja really hard, especially for an economy that depends so heavily on tourism.
Seventy percent of the population lives hand-to-mouth. It’s a cash economy. No one is on anyone’s books.
If you have a job, most get paid in cash or what you can sell. Conversely you pay cash as well.
Cash. No checks. No credit card. No bank account .
What’s in your pocket at the end of the day is how you feed yourself and your family. And back home, that could be a lot of folks living in a small space.
No school. No computers. No Netflix. Beaches closed. Stores closed. Restaurants closed. Curfews enforced. Entire areas completely off-limits.
Sit and stare at the rest of your family for days-on-end.
If you were actually on someone’s payroll and that business closed it’s doors during pandemic, that was just tough luck.
No feel-good stimulus checks. No unemployment checks. It doesn’t work like that in Mexico.
No money . No food . Simple as that.
Last Christmas, there wasn’t a lot of hoo-haaa.
So much lingering uncertainty . Many places and events still closed. Even churches were closed.
Fast forward to Christmas 2021.
This year, most of Mexico is now in the green level. It’s been a long transition from being in the red.
In our city of La Paz, I’ve heard it’s got one of the highest levels of vaccination. Something like 85% of the population has their shots.
Tourists are flocking to Mexico, in general, and Baja, in particular. It’s a quick hop from the U.S. No need to quarantine or prove you’re vaccinated to enter.
The dollar is strong. Mexico wants you. Mexico needs you. There are deals to be had. The world is figuring out Mexico is a good value as well.
The border is “officially” open now. Technically, it’s been closed since early 2020 although it was easy enough to drive across. But, it deterred many visitors from…well…visiting!
So, there’s a reason for optimism in the air.
You can just tell walking around town.
It’s good to see decorations and lights again. It’s good to see people in the stores and restaurants.
There are actually real live people hanging out on the beaches again. Not just police shooing people away or giving out tickets.
Even Mexicans are travelling. It’s OK this year to go see family and friends.
The surest sign of hope and optimism…I saw a wedding and a baptism at our local cathedral.
And that’s the difference. There’s a subtle sense of joy in locals and visitors alike. They’re enjoying themselves! Not looking over their shoulders or over masks.
Yes, people are gathering.
We may have this virus with us for a long time. Things will probably never be like it was, but there’s an actual air of hope.
You can feel it. You can breathe it.
It probably makes the health officials cringe. And government officials cautiously tippie-toe on eggshells hoping the other shoe doesn’t drop on the merriment or economy.
But, for now, it’s a good time to enjoy the smiles.
A good time to appreciate the moment. A time not to be taken for granted. A time to appreciate each other again and how precious simple freedom is to each of us.
It can be fleeting. As we saw only a year ago. Poof…gone!
I’m not talking about political freedom.
It’s even more basic.
The simplicity of walking where we want to walk. Taking a big unhindered breath. Going where you want to go. Shake a hand. Give a hug. Eat dinner with the family.
Hold a child.
This is the precious air you can gratefully breathe this Christmas.
May it wrap and surround you and yours.
Revel in it. Amen.
That’s my story! May you and yours be blessed this holidays and Christmas.
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED the WEEK of Oct. 9, 2021 in WESTERN OUTDOOR PUBLICATIONS
I am often asked about renting cars or just driving around Baja in general.
Or there are folks who tell me they are going to make some grand “Banzai” run from the border all the way down to Cabo. They tell me they drive wide open and non-stop like race car drivers.
They ask me for advice.
Having been down here almost 30 years and also having driven the Baja over a dozen times top to bottom and back, I mostly have one rule.
Do not drive at night.
Frankly, it’s dangerous.
When I tell folks that, I see their eyes go wide.
No, it’s not the banditos.
Some cartel is not going to grab you and run away with you.
The legendary chubacabra (vampire bat/dog) is not going to suck your blood and leave you in the desert.
It’s much more simple than that.
You have a great possibility of bumping into something at night in Mexico. Or, even missing something completely!
I don’t care how careful of a driver you are.
Mexican road are notoriously bad. You are probably already on an unfamiliar patch of highway or road.
A foot-deep pothole can suddenly shred a tire or bend an axle. Not to mention shake your dentures.
Also, consider this.
The Mexican road construction guys just LOVE to install speed bumps of all kinds. If one speed bump works let’s install 5 more just for fun!
At one point, in the two miles from my home to my office, there were 36 speed bumps along the way. You’ll hit them at the strangest places placed there for no apparent reason.
Some would give an Abrams battle tank fits. Others are spaced just enough so it’s like driving over a washboard. Others will literally launch your car airborne if you hit it at just the right speed.
Also, driving at night, you put on your headlights, right? Don’t assume other drivers will also have their headlights on. In fact, don’t assume other drivers even have headlights or taillights or brake lights for that matter.
Oh, and if they have headlights, they like to drive at you or pull up behind you with their bright hi-lights on.
Assuming again that you’re on unfamiliar roadway, things aren’t always well marked. Street signs can be non-existent, broken, hidden behind bushes and even hidden behind other signs.
This includes stop signs. Street lights. Street names. Detours. Warnings about potholes and speed bumps coming up…SOON!
Street lights often don’t work or are non-existent.
Therefore, all things considered, you have a great possibility of getting LOST. Or getting a traffic ticket. Remember, you’re in a highly visible rental car or a car with non-Mexican license plates.
I see it happen all the time.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of folks dress in black at night. I don’t know if it’s a fashion thing, but they’ll dash across a street. Walk through a crosswalk without looking. Jog and bike rider right in the traffic lane too!
Out in the country side, you have a whole other set of things to be concerned about.
Often, there’s debris on the roadway. Rocks. Parts of trees. Trash. Things that have fallen off other trucks or cars. Even on the best highways, there is always that danger.
I’ve seen it all. I’ve hit them all!
Even moreso, the biggest danger is hitting animals.
I’m not talking cats and dogs. Domestic street animals are usually pretty smart.
I have seen wild pigs and deer that occasionally cross a highway.
However, it’s the cows, burros, horses and goats you need to watch out for. Mostly, they are freerange animals left to wander a the countryside by a land owner.
They can be grazing on the side of the road. Often, at night, they will lie on the pavement for warmth. They can suddenly dart out’ve the bushes across the road.
In the middle of the night on a long lonely stretch of desert a herd of goats suddenly were in our headlights as we rounded a corner. We were already half-dazed from a lengthy drive.
Our big pickup with dually-rear tires ripped right into the herd. I would swear that I saw two bodies fly up and over our windshield and cab and our tires rapidly went “bump-bump” over others several several times.
Oops! No way to avoid them.
Even worse, I’ve had friends hit larger animals like a cow, or a burro. Not only is there extensive damage to the vehicle, but on several occasions, the animal is now the ranchers “most prized” and expensive piece of livestock.
Or course, it is.
Even if it was really nothing more than a scrawny range animal wandering the property.
The rancher now wants BIG MONEY.
So, drive in the light. Stay safe. Take your time.
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
WHY MY MEXICAN FOOD TASTES BETTER THAN YOUR MEXICAN FOOD
Originally Published the Week of Oct. 2, 2021 in Western Outdoor News
As the owner of a restaurant here in Baja and having hosted thousands of visiting fishermen, tourists, foodies and locals, I have many interesting conversations with our patrons. I think the “social aspect” of owning a restaurant is one of the great reasons many folks do something crazy… like opening a restaurant.
Something I hear a lot is, “Man, the food just tastes so much better down here!”
Yea, there’s something to that. Maybe you’ve said it yourself on a journey south of the border. Food just tastes better down here.
It could be the shrimp or the steak or even something as simple as a taco, guacamole or salsa. There’s just “something” about the food in Mexico that’s different.
I mean, it’s not like you’ve never had a taco or shrimp before. It’s not like you’ve never dive-bombed the salsa or guacamole with a crispy tortilla chip.
Heck, even the chips taste different!
I have to agree.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I do love my Mexican food back in the U.S, but there’s something about the food down here that sets it apart.
For one, it is indeed “local” in every sense of the word.
Of course, speaking very generally and with exceptions to every rule, you’re probably gonna find the good Italian food in a place named “Gino’s” and a bunch of Italian guys are working in the kitchen. Or Gino’s mom is back there herself making the sauces or slinging pasta.
Chinese food? Personally, I’d probably duck into a place called “Chin Wah” than “Joe’s Chop Suey Express.”
In Sacramento on business once, I asked for the best Mexican food in the neighborhood and was directed to a local eatery that had 4 stars online. OK. Sounds good. I was excited.
As I entered the restaurant, we walked by the open kitchen so I stuck my head in and waved, “Hola! Que pasa?” A whole bunch of Asian guys (I’m Asian) turned around and looked at me puzzled as if I was speaking Martian.
Oh boy. The food reflected it. Barely so-so.
My point being, that local ethnic food made by locals is probably going to be a notch above. Most restaurants down here are mom-and-pop operations. Dad, mom, the kids…all working. Probably using the same family recipes used for generations.
When we opened our restaurant, we asked our employees what was their family known for in the kitchen? Salsa? Grilled fish? Rice?
We got their recipes and then took the best and adapted it to our restaurant and our menu. We’ve kept our menu very local and held to those same recipes for over a decade.
It sound cliché, but Mexican food made by Mexicans is a great start.
Secondly, a big reason Mexican food tastes different than in the U.S. is that pretty much of American-made Mexican food is pretty much the same. You have the chain fast-food places. Then, you have the chain restaurants. Then, you have the local places.
But, mostly all of them cater to American tastes. Understandable. Of course, I’m again speaking in broad generalities.
However, here in Mexico, there are so many incredible culinary regions, that grilled fish in Cabo San Lucas will taste completely different in Veracruz. Ceviche in Puerta Vallarta might have completely different ingredients than in Cozumel. Chorizo made in Puebla is different than chorizo in Toluca.
Mole…a big favorite salsa used on chicken, pork and beef has something like 28 different ingredients like chocolate, chile, peppers…it will taste different all over the country. Even beef and pork will be different from region to region.
Speaking of ingredients, that’s a big plus as well.
Here in Mexico, storage is expensive. Labor is cheap.
Vegetables and fruits are actually allowed to ripen in the sunshine and in the soil. They don’t ripen at the grocery store or some warehouse or shined-up to make them look juicier.
Limes, avocados, onions, mangos, cucumbers are often in the store the same day they are picked. When you bite into a red tomato, it actually tastes like a juicy fruit that it is. The oranges are sweeter. The aroma of cilantro can fill a room.
It’s no wonder that your salsas taste so much better and your drinks (if made fresh) don’t taste like they are made from a mix.
Beyond that, real Mexican food has all those “fun things” that taken in abundance would make a nutritionist or doctor cringe.
Salt. Check.
In fact, please pass the salt shaker. My chips could use a bit more!
Sugar. Check.
Ice cold Mexican Coke is popular because it has real Mexican cane sugar in it! Same with Mexican ice cream that’s growing in popularity north of the border.
Fat. Absolutely.
Why do you think the tortillas taste so good. They use real lard to make them! Fried things? Sure…fry them in more real lard! Makes all the difference.
Salt…Sugar…Fat! It’s the un- holy trinity of things you should eat in moderation. It’s also why diabetes and heart disease are so rampant in Mexico. But, if you’re on vacation, a little indulgence is part of the fun.
Enjoy the culinary ride down here. You can go back to eating at Whole Foods and granola with almond milk when you get home. Or the fast-food taco chain drive through.
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
What a long-strange trip it’s been. Me selling fishing trips in the street circa 1995. Only thing I could think of doing.
WISH I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW
Originally Published the Week of Sept. 24, 2021 in Western Outdoor Publications
Looking back on almost 30 years here in Baja, I was thinking of what an incredible and improbably journey this has been. It’s been the trip of a lifetime.
I’m grateful. What was supposed to be a one-year exciting hiatus from practicing law turned into an unexpected and (initially) unwanted and scary realization that I couldn’t leave.
After almost a year, folks I had gone to work for fired me. A long story for another day.
However, when they chased me off, they refused to return my passport and had never filed my work papers! They also owed me several months of pay.
So, I’m illegal and broke! And I’m stuck.
I had no visible or viable means of support, income, housing or food. I’m in a foreign country where my Spanish pretty much consisted of Spanish expletives and fishing terminology.
“Vamos por cervezas” (Let’s get some beer!) wasn’t going to get me far.
But things turned out. It’s that saying about God closing windows and opening other doors. The good Lord busted my butt in so many ways, but he opened a huge door for me to step through.
I was hungry and didn’t really have a choice. I had to figure a way to eat and I couldn’t sleep in my van forever!
But looking back, I wish I knew then what I know now about so many things. I made a list of some of them.
For one. I realize you can get by with very little if you need to. It doesn’t take much. It’s nice to have a full pantry. It’s nice to have amenities.
But, it makes you grateful for many small things and also humbles you thinking about your Mexican friends and acquaintances. They can get by a lot better than most Americans I know.
Almost everything is negotiable. Except for grocery stores and gas stations, pretty much everything else from services to goods is negotiable.
The price is what whatever the seller is willing to accept and you’re willing to pay. Trade has worked more often than I can remember. Win-win for both sides.
“Manana” does not always mean “tomorrow” when it comes to business or social commitments. Manana could mean “3 days from now.”
It could also mean “later.” It could mean “whenever I get to it.” It could also be a polite way of being told, “It ain’t gonna happen so don’t count on me.”
Speaking of “later,” most everyone is late. I’ve come concluded that Mexican driver speed because they are late.
After running businesses for almost 3 decades, nothing I do can force my employees to be on time. No amount of penalties, bonus pay, threats or jumping up-and-down will get them to be on time. So, accept it and deal with it as best you can.
“Guarantees,” “Warranties,” “Contracts” usually aren’t worth the paper they are written on. New roof collapses. Too bad.
Car stalls in the desert. Hope you brought water and a cellphone. They raised the cost of something before the contract expires? What will do you…file a lawsuit? You’re on your own.
Water is precious and not to be wasted. Electricity is something not everyone has so don’t take it for granted. It makes EVERYTHING better. Air-conditioning is the greatest invention since duct tape.
If something breaks, we think we must find a specialty part or store. Home Depot. West Marine. Walmart.
Mexican people are some of the most innovative and inventive I’ve ever seen. If they can fix or jury rig something out’ve wire, rope or scrap, they will. And it will work. At least until it breaks again.
Along those same thoughts, if something can break, it will. If you lend it out, it will probably get broken. Thing you never ever thought someone would break, will break.
How does one snap something so solid as a hammer or screwdriver in half? How does a power drill suddenly not work after 10 years? How does a blender or microwave only last a month? How does someone drive a truck into the ocean or a boat into the docks full speed?
You will always get a shrug when you ask how that could have happened. No se! (I don’t know!) “It must be defective!”
Some things can’t be jury rigged.
And some things never change.
For instance, never turn down an offer of a home-cooked meal. Especially by someone’s mama. The world over, if someone’s mama offers to cook you dinner, you’re a fool to decline. Best food ever.
Gringos drink tequila. I don’t know many Mexican friends that actually drink tequila as a first choice if something else is available. They smilingly watch the gringos knock back tequila drinks. The locals that come to our bar prefer beer, whiskey and pina coladas.
Here’s a big one. One persons idea of “corruption” is another person’s idea of “culture.”
Earlier, I stated that everything is negotiable. A good example is bribes. Against the law. Bad stuff. Here in Mexico it’s more like “tipping.”
I’m not talking about getting ticketed for no reason by bad cops.
I’m talking about getting tickets for failing to stop; speeding; bad parking or going down a one-way street. It happens. Not the end of the world. You get a ticket.
I hate to say it but “tipping” the cop to just give you a warning is right up there with tipping the waiter for an extra cup of ice or onions-on-the-side. Or your boat captain for a good day. Or the mechanic for a special job.
I’ve had many a gal tell me she doesn’t think twice about batting her eye lashes and flirting to get out’ve a ticket back in the U.S. I don’t have eyelashes or anything that a cop would think attractive.
But, I do have some extra pesos I keep in my ashtray. And it works.
I was in the wrong. I deserve a ticket. The cop wants some beer after work. Here’s some pesos. He tells me be more careful next time.
It’s win-win and we both smile. Just the way things work.
Lastly, no matter how hard you try, things do not and will not happen fast here. You are way ahead if you get just one thing done per day. You can’t make a “to do” list here in Mexico.
Do some banking. Pay a bill. Get to the grocery store. Wash the car. If you accomplishe one thing, don’t even try for the other things on your list.
Crack a beer. Day is done.
Just how things are down here. I learn more every day.
That’s my story
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
Originally Published the Week of Aug. 22, 2021 in Western Outdoor Publications
I’ve been watching fishermen (of both genders) for almost 50 years now.
Working as a guide; a deckhand; on TV shows; as a fishing instructor and as a fleet owner now in Baja for almost 30 of those years, I’ve seen a wonderful lot of folks with rods and reels in their hands.
It’s great going out on the water with fishing veterans. Anglers know their stuff. It’s well-oiled fishing.
Lots of muscle memory. Gear is locked in. Technique is dialed-in. No wasted motions. Let’s just fish!
But then there’s the really fun fishing for me.
And that’s with first timers or folks who really don’t have that much experience.
It’s often a day of tangled lines and too many thumbs. Backlashes and upside-down reels. Too much intensity and lack of intensity.
Lots of anxiety and, unfortunately, sometimes lost fish. Too much expectation or not knowing at all what to expect.
But, for me it’s fun! It’s the best time.
For these folks the bar isn’t set that high.
It’s often their first time or a rare time and they just don’t have other experiences to compare this to.
I won’t hear about how the fish are bigger in Australia or about all the fish they caught off the Grand Banks. They’re not going to compare fishing here to battling giant lake trout in Canada.
Nah.
By the same token, they’re not going to compare me to their fishing guide in Argentina or that grizzly old-timer on the flats of Key West. I’ll have to be really bad to look like a doofus in their eyes.
They just wanna have some fun in the sun.
Almost any fish will be their biggest or the most. Or the funnest. Or even the funniest!
When a fish is hooked it can be all “arms and elbows” and “get outta the way!” with lots of laughs and big eyes and straining arms. Lines going every-which way and lots of “coaching!”
“Follow your fish!”
“Keep the line tight!”
“Turn the handle!” (The OTHER way!)
“Lift the rod!”
Sometimes everyone is yelling at once and I often feel sorry for the poor angler be it a guy, a gal or a kid . They’re holding on for dear life and trying to process all the information. All while trying NOT to make a mistake or lose the fish.
It’s sometime just too much!
I’ve noticed that kids are very coachable. Wives and girlfriends are more coachable than their husbands or boyfriends. They are even better when the husband or boyfriend is at the other end of the boat and not watching them so closely.
Guys can be a little different. Sometimes they go all “macho” and figure they can just overcome any fish with brute strength and muscle. Guys can be less inclined to listen to any instructions. They will “bend the fish to their will” and “beat the fish into submission!”
It’s a guy thing! Just the way we are.
Even some anglers that I see year-after-year can need a lot of coaching and instructions.
Things that veteran anglers take for granted often continue to be lessons in frustration year-after-year for some of the regular anglers we see.
Things like tying a hook correctly or using a bait.
Things like properly winding the line on the reel or keeping lines directly in front of them.
Or the proper rhythm of fighting a fish. Lifting the rod then using the reel to wind down as the fish comes up. Just using their gear and technology to their advantage.
I give them all credit for trying and just being out there and still enjoying the heck out’ve themselves. It makes it some of the most enjoyable of times for me to be on the water.
But one of the best rushes is that “Ah-HAH” moment.
It’s when it all comes together. For some it happens pretty quickly. For others it takes awhile. Sometimes years after grinding.
The important thing is they kept at it.
You remember.
It’s that feeling when your dad finally let go of you and you realized you were peddling your bike by yourself down the street.
Or you realized you were driving on the street all by yourself and not thinking about it anymore.
It happens when someone learns to play an instrument.
Or your two left feet disappeared and you’re actually dancing.
Or you watch your kid suddenly realize he or she is reading.
And they realize it too.
Or your toddler is running and not all wobbly and clumsy across the living room floor. So THAT’S what these legs are for!
It suddenly just all comes together. And it can happen at any moment.
No more over-analyzing. No more over-thinking. Pure muscle memory and enjoyment.
It’s when the “student” realizes, “Hey, I got this!”
It’s like that with fishing and I see it all the time and it’s great.
Yea…you got this!
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
Originally Published the Week of Aug. 11, 2021 in Western Outdoor Publications
In Spanish, the word “Esperanza” generally means “hope.”
It can also connotate “promise,”
And “confidence.”
And “faith”
And “expectation.”
And “possibilities.”
Like a lot of kids in the U.S., Dayana just graduated from high school. Like a lot of kids, the last year or so was especially tough.
She has not been in a classroom in 16 months as schools remained closed. No proms. No dances. No sports. No activities.
Like a lot of kids, she’s headed off to college next semester.
But, Dayana isn’t like a lot of kids in the U.S. You see, she’s not in the U.S. She’s in Mexico. In fact, she’s in Baja. La Frontera. The Frontier.
You see, unlike kids in the U.S. education here in Mexico is only mandated or required until the 6th grade. That’s it. That’s as far as you go.
If you even get that far.
And unlike U.S., the family must pay for the kids to go further.
And unlike the U.S., if a family can afford to send a child further, it’s usually the boy that gets the nod. Girls will go to work.
Or stay home.
Make babies. Marry. Make more babies.
That’s the thinking. For girls, no education needed beyond rudimentary reading and writing.
So, education is wasted on the girls. Or, even if not, it’s simply not affordable.
And that would easily have been Dayana’s “happily-ever-after-future” into the abyss of life.
But, she’s headed in a different direction. She’s going down the “road less traveled” because some few with generous hearts took an interest.
And made a difference.
Even in impoverished areas, we see American kids wearing $300 Nike Jordan basketball shoes. Or carrying $500 smartphones. A different outfit every day. Name brand clothes and backpacks. School lunches. Transportation. Real books.
For the past 6 years, Dayana has moved forward. Because for her, $300 per year wasn’t used to buy the latest shoes or a smartphone.
The “monumental” amount of $300 a year kept her in school.
For a lot of us, that’s a concert ticket. It’s a steak dinner. It’s 5 minutes in Vegas. It’s a hotel night in Puerta Vallarta or a night of clubbing in Cabo San Lucas.
And yes (cringe)… It’s the cost of YOUR kid’s shoes headed to school this fall.
A special program here in La Paz, where we live and run our fishing business, allowed many of our anglers to donate towards keeping a kid in school.
Five bucks…ten bucks…a hundred bucks. Little-by-little. Poco a poco.
Hit $300 and another kid stays in school.
Three hundred bucks goes a long way.
For Dayana, each year, it purchased her books. It purchased her uniform. It got her transportation to school; as well as breakfast and lunch.
And this was no free ride for her either.
She had to maintain her grades.
Forget dances, sports, social events, day trips and extracurricular activities. No time for that.
She was also required to do community work. She was also required to mentor other students and pay-it forward.
And from year-to-year, there was no guarantee that her benefactors would sponsor another year. Or that there would be enough money.
It could have ended at any time, but for the big hearts of certain individuals.
It could easily have been a trip back to that happy-ever-after dead-end future that befalls so many of her friends.
In the barrio. In an un-ending circle of. . .whatever.
So, she graduated. High grades. She reads and writes fluently English and Spanish. Most of us can’t even do that.
And she’s moving on.
And up.
A full scholarship to the military university in distant Mexico City for 4 years then onto officers-training school and hopefully an engineering degree.
Oh…and an anonymous benefactor also paid for her braces!
It calls to mind the story about the hiker walking along the seashore after a storm. He sees many starfish washed up stranded on the beach.
The hiker starts throwing the stranded starfish back into the ocean. Hoping to save a few.
A bystander says, “You’re wasting your time. You can’t save them all. There are miles of beach. You can’t make a difference.”
The hiker smiles. He picks up another starfish and tosses it back into the ocean and says, “It makes a difference to THAT starfish!”
I’m writing this column because Dayana wrote a letter…in perfect English mind you…probably better than some of the writing I’ve seen from other high school students…just to say thank you.
Thank you to sponsors and benefactors named and anonymous.
“…and to all those people who make the dream of many young people possible, to improve ourselves, study, pursue a career and achieve our goals; blessings for all.”
Her words. Not mine.
Grateful for “Esperanza.”
Hope.
Promise.
Confidence.
Faith.
Expectation.
Possibilities!
That’s my story
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
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That's My Story 