Some High-Fives are gratuitous and don’t mean much. There are other High-Fives that mean everything!
HIGH FIVE and WELL DONE!
Originally Published the Week of April 4, 2022 in Western Outdoor Publications
Last week, my wife, Jill and I were in Denver.
We’ve been on the road 3 months doing the fishing and hunting expositions across the western U.S. promoting our fishing operation in La Paz as well as tourism in general to Baja.
Each week a different city. A different show.
In our booth four or five days for 8-12 hours-at-a-time. Meeting and greeting. Shaking hands and socializing.
We’ve been doing it every January to March for almost 30 years. It’s fun. But, it can also be wearing.
Long hours driving. Different hotel rooms. Too much fast food. Packing and unpacking all the booth and gear. Convention centers with thousands of people packed inside.
So, we’re at our last show in Denver. As often happens, rather than look for parking in a major downtown metro, it’s often easier to take Uber from our hotel to the respective convention center.
Dial up Uber. He’s on his way. Meet out front on the sidewalk.
It’s early. We’re half-asleep, but we gotta get to the expo. It’s show time.
Our uber driver today is Haani. He has a white Toyota Camry.
He pulls up. Good-looking pleasant young man. Swarthy. Cleanly dressed. He helps us with all our briefcases, backpacks and other things we need to drag to the show each day.
We climb in. Bonus points, the car is spotless and he’s got some light jazz playing. Nice music for the morning.
We make the usual conversation.
Jill asks, “Are you having a busy day?”
He says cheerfully, “I’ve been working all morning and usually work the whole day. But, today, I have to take a break in the middle of the day.”
“For lunch?” asks Jill.
“No. Not today! Not for lunch. Today I have a special service to attend!” replies Haani.
“A special service?”
He smiles and turns around towards us in the backseat and says proudly, “Today I will become a naturalized American citizen!”
A pause as Jill and I wrap our collective brains around that for a moment.
“Oh my God! That’s awesome!”
“Congratulations!”
“This is the best news of the day!”
Jill and I are both yammering out loud at the same time from the backseat as we lean over towards him.
We are spontaneously shaking his hand; playfully punching him in the shoulder and giving him high-fives from the backseat. I’m shaking him by his neck. It’s like he just shot the winning basket…scored the 4th quarter touchdown…touched all the bases in the World Series.
For indeed he has!
He is laughing and trying to keep the car on the road!
He is beaming and his proud smile fills the rearview mirror as he watches Jill and I bounce around his backseat pumping our fists in the air!
Haani is from Afghanistan. He has been working hard on getting his citizenship for six long years. He says it is the hardest and best thing he has ever done.
He and his wife work two jobs. Two young kids in school.
He tell us what a great country America is. He could not be prouder. Or more grateful.
Neither could we. He dropped us off and we all laughed and we wished him well with one last handshake and high-five. It made our day.
Welcome to America, Haani.
We’re gonna lift up a cold one to you and your spirit to luck and a better life!
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 Mar. 26, 2022 in Western Outdoor Publications
Living in Baja, visitors often ask me some suggestions of where they can “see the real Mexico.” They’re not interested in finding out where to go zip-lining or the cheapest place to buy a hammock or sarape.
They want the genuine article. The real deal. Something not “touristy.”
I tell them to head to church. Preferably on a Sunday or a Saturday afternoon.
After a momentary quizzical look, I explain that they’ll see a part of Mexico…a part of the community…a lot of history and a lot of culture if they make a visit to the local church.
Every city or large town has a Catholic church.
Since the earliest days of the conquistadores and missionaries, you can pretty much find a Catholic Church somewhere in the area. To this day, Mexico remains largely a Catholic country and the church is still the center of life…even if not everyone goes to church all the time.
Nevertheless, the church is still central to so much that goes on in a Mexican community. Obviously, it’s a spiritual and religious center.
Architecturally, it’s usually in the center of town or in a town square, park or pavilion area.
Socially, it often remains the place where life’s milestones still take place. Start to finish…baptism…confirmations…quincineras (sweet 16 presentations)…weddings…more baptisms…and funerals.
So, I tell folks to head to the local church.
Outside, there are often street vendors in the larger cities. It can be a hub of activity.
Our own cathedral in La Paz is in the town square and adjacent to the town park. There are often musicians playing. Families picnicking. Impromptu karaoke and bingo games. Old men playing chess or checkers.
Stand outside.
If it’s an old church, take in the architecture. Admire the craftsmanship. Many of these churches weren’t made with modern cranes, bulldozers and electric tools.
Old-fashioned human labor with hand tools. Sweat equity for credits in heaven. Pride in details that were meant to last for decades or centuries.
Handmade brick and quarried stone transported maybe from many miles away with carts, wagons and mules. In some cases, the very wooden beams inside the structure as well as the window glass was transported from Spain, not to mention statues and religious artifacts and furniture.
The bells may have come from some faraway forge as well. Most likely yes.
If there’s an old cemetery nearby, well worth it to trace the history of the former priests, padres and parishioners. It was a hard life.
You’ll often see short life spans. Children and babies who died early. Many deaths close in date could indicate a communal epidemic like measles, smallpox, dysentery or a simple flu.
Step inside. Remove your hat. There might be a Mass or other event taking place. Even if not, remember it’s still a house of worship. Be respectful.
If nothing is happening, wander and gaze. Statues, the alter, the stained glass, the wooden pews, paintings and artwork may date back decades or centuries. They may have travelled thousands of miles to find their forever homes in this church.
The craftsmen are long gone, but their work remains. It’s better than any museum.
Imagine today, we go to Home Depot. Get our materials. Build a bookshelf for your home. Never in a million years would we expect it to last for decades. Not like these old artisans.
I’ve been in old Mexican churches where the walls and ceilings are still covered with the dark soot of a century or more of burning votive candles.
A close examination of the area around the alter shows inset graves of the old padres who once serviced their community. The tiles show their names.
It’s a testament to their dedication and commitment that many of them travelled from Spain or other places in Mexico to find their final resting place in the arid hard-scrabble frontier of Baja.
If there are services taking place, many times, there can be multiple events transpiring since often, there’s only one priest or padre. In some instances, the priest is a travel-priest doing services from town-to-town to tend to his parishioners.
But, if you’re visiting, that’s where you’ll see the culture.
I once came for Mass. It was followed by a baptism. Followed by a wedding. Followed by a first communion of 8 and 9 year-old-kids in their little white shirts and puffy dresses.
The whole gamut. Proud families. Happy couples. Nervous youngsters. Big days in life. Big days in the community. The circle of life. The cycle of life.
All in one place. Just follow the sound of the bells!
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 Mar. 20, 2022 in Western Outdoor Publications
My wife, Jill, and I have been on the road now for the better part of three months. Every year, we drive all over the U.S. doing fishing and hunting expos drumming up business for our fishing operation in La Paz.
We set up our booth and join many hundreds of other international outfitters, fishing guides, hunting guides, gear retailers, RV and boat sellers and others in the modern day version of the fur trapper rendezvous.
It’s definitely a “gathering of tribes.” Over the course of 4 or 5 days, often tens of thousands of attendees fill the aisles. It can be quite an event.
As of today, we’ve been over a dozen states now. A few more still to come.
We’ve been through huge cities and the smallest of towns. Towering skyscraper skylines to one-horse crossroads. I believe we’ve already logged over 10,000 miles driving. (Not so fun watching gas prices blow up, but that’s another story!)
In previous columns, I’ve documented the distressing amount of crime, vagrancy, squalor and trash we encountered in so many cities. Especially along the west coast.
Friends and other outfitters were victimized by burglaries and outright thefts of their vehicles, trailers and rigs. One friend was carjacked at gun point by a guy running from a murder.
Our own rig was rendered undriveable by a break-in where the bad guys completely smashed not only our rear glass, but the whole liftgate.
We joke about the “Zombie Apocalypse,” but many a night none of us would leave our hotel/ motel rooms because of all the homeless folks wandering outside; sleeping in the bushes; panhandling; hustling; partying; defecating and more.
Some of our most beautiful and favorite cities broken, ruined and abandoned except for the tattered, the homeless, the lawless, the disenfranchised of the streets. It’s an urban landscape straight out’ve an “end of the world” sci-fi flick.
After several weeks in these areas, it was more than disheartening and depressing. I wasn’t alone in my assessment.
Other outfitters, local residents and law enforcement friends echoed the same sentiments in these areas.
There was a tacit resignation of spirit that THIS is what it’s come to. THIS is where WE are. THIS is how it will always be and only get worse.
And not a thing we can do about it.
The whole country to hell-in-a-handbag.
But wait…
Then our show schedule took us inland. Smaller shows AWAY from the big cities. We passed through and spent more time in smaller cities and neighborhoods.
Back to the countryside. Little pink houses. Denny’s diners. Swings and slides in town parks. Crossing guards at the elementary school. There’s a banner about a pancake breakfast at the church. The VFW Hall has a bunch of pick-up trucks parked outside.
Went into a grocery store in Central Oregon. A 9-year-old boy held the door open for me and said, “after you, sir!”
Shock and awe.
In little towns in Washington and Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas and Wyoming, we got “sir” and “ma’am” a lot. And not just from kids.
Adults you run into in the street in the normal course of a day or at our hotels addressed us similarly. Just the way things are. Courtesy and hospitality, that was rarely found in the big cities.
We had become so callous to common civility and comity that it seemed like people were going out of their way to be amiable. But, it’s just the way people are in different spots of the country. Or how they are brought up.
I was brought up addressing others like that as well. Just how I was taught. However, when I use “sir” or “ma’am” I often get a quizzical look as if I was speaking Greek. Some folks get offended as if I was calling them “old.”
In these small towns and open spaces, I got a nod and smiles and friendly responses instead.
At the shows themselves, it’s a different crowd for sure.
At the start of the show before they let the crowds in, they play the Star Spangled Banner over the loudspeaker in these expo centers. Everyone stops what they are doing and puts hand or hat over heart and faces the flag.
Many people sing out loud. You can help smiling. You stand up a little straighter. I catch myself singing as well.
When the crowds come in..
Again, I’m often addressed as “sir.” After chatting with someone at our booth, it’s not uncommon for someone to thank me for taking the time to answer their questions.
Are you kidding me?
I hear the word “please” a lot .
The adults/ parents are much more blue collar. Yes, there’s a lot of pick-up trucks and suburbans in the parking lot . A lot of baseball hats, blue jeans, camo vests and work, hiking or cowboy boots. Men and women alike.
Some look just like they just took off the gloves and came to the show from the ranch, farm or mechanic shop. Moms look like they just grabbed the kids from school and are trying to get through the show before they gotta race home to cook dinner.
In the meantime, a beer or Coke and a bag of popcorn will do, thank you very much.
But in talking to adults and kids alike, they sound like they can fix cars and boats. They can take out an elk at 500 yards AND carry it out on their backs. They can run tractors and they tell you they can only come visit us in Mexico AFTER the crops come in but BEFORE hunting season starts.
At one show on a Sunday, a family apologized to me for coming so late to the show. Because they were at CHURCH!
I felt like giving them all a high-five!
At one show, I was next to a sporting goods outfitter.
The men, women AND kids knew how to handle guns and fishing gear and were as at adept and knowledgeable about fishing and hunting, camping and boating and off-roading as any expert.
It was refreshing. It’s not hopeless. It’s not as depressing as it seems.
It’s not a Normal Rockwell painting, by any stretch. All places have their issues and problems. I realize my view was only a tiny miniscule slice.
But, all is not lost. Faith renewed.
Yes, Sir. Yes, Ma’am.
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 Feb. 22, 2022 in Western Outdoor Publications
As many of you know, my wife Jill and I are “on tour” criss-crossing the U.S. from January to March in our rig. These are the months when we’re exhibiting at the fishing and hunting expositions with our booth on behalf of our Tailhunter Fishing Operation in La Paz and generally just trying to be good ambassadors for both the U.S. and Baja.
We’ve been on the road now for 6 weeks. At last count, we’ve been in 11 states.
I can’t begin to tell you every city and town we’ve stopped in. We’ve had shows in Reno, Sacramento, Seattle, Salt Lake City and, most recently in Portland.
So, almost everywhere, there are now mask mandates. Hotels, restaurants, stores, gas station, fast food joints. Signs are pretty much everywhere. I get it.
Some are enforced more than others. Most really aren’t enforced much at all. When we go into a place, we look around. If others have masks on or are giving us “stink eye” (pretty rare) we pull up the shields.
And pull them back down when we are clear.
Just part of life these days.
However, we just finished a huge show in Portland, Oregon.
Now, Portland is pretty strict about their masks. Everyone one is pretty tight about it. Right or wrong, it is what it is. I don’t make the laws or rules.
But, at the 5-day show we attended called the Northwest Sportsmens Expo, some interesting things happened.
First, the city of Portland and the managers of the gigantic Portland Expo Center told the show producers that there would be strict enforcement. All vendors and attendees MUST have masks on all the time.
Whether walking around; in the booths; or in the bathrooms. Cover up!
Or, the City was gonna shut down the show!
Everyone also had to keep social distancing when talking to each other.
So, I heard there were about 500 booths and vendors. Grizzled hunting outfitters from the northern woods and plains of the U.S. and South Africa, Asia and South America. Weathered cowboys running pack operation in the mountains. Former military guys representing gun and archery manufacturers. River guides and bush pilots. Mountain men and charter boat skippers.
And then there were about 10,000 attendees walking through the place and trying to talk to vendors and outfitters.
These aren’t the kinds of folks who seem to be too accustomed to being told how and what to do. It’s a rather self-sufficient and independent crowd.
Get my drift?
So, the first day of the show, we got constant booming announcements over the P.A. about keeping our masks on at all times.
Green-jacketed “mask cops” also walked around telling you to pull up your mask or telling folks to step back from booths so that we were 6 feet away from each other trying to do transactions.
Oh, and they were also taking names and there were threats of citations.
We kinda bristled. When you’re right in the middle of talking to a prospective client and told you gotta step back, its impossible trying to talk to each other from 6 feet away with a mask over your face.
And the ambient noise of several thousand folks also trying to talk and shout at each other through masks doesn’t help.
Being in Mexico most of the time, this was really the first time I’ve been in a “mega event” where masks and other protocols were being enforced.
We all got to be like little school kids seeing what we could get away with.
We’d signal each other when a green-jacketed mask police was coming down the aisle. Or, we’d suddenly grab a drink and pretend we were eating or munching on something.
And we’d smile and wave at the mask police officer!
Quite telling was what happened during the Star Spangled Banner.
Every morning at these expos, the Star Spangled Banner is played just before they open the doors to the public. All of us several hundred vendors and outfitters stop what we are doing.
We all silently face the flag on the wall of the facility with hands and hats over hearts…as it should be! It’s a moving red-white-and-blue moment every morning.
But, one of the first mornings, right in the middle of the solemnity of the flag salute, they broke into the anthem and stopped the music. Over the P.A, they reminded us all in no uncertain terms that we MUST wear our masks.
Simultaneously, the green-jacket mask police walked up and down the aisles. Not even saluting the anthem or the flag they brislkly trotted up and down the aisles taking names and telling vendors to pull up their masks.
There was something really wrong with that. There was a disturbance in the force and a number of other outfitters expressed the same sentiment. It grated on alot of us.
Imagine at a sporting event like a baseball game where they stopped the playing of the national anthem to remind everyone, “Now that we have your attention, we remind everyone to wear their masks or you will be thrown out!” We now return to the music!
As one outfitter later commented, “That was the current state of the U.S. in a nutshell.” Another said, “It felt anti-American.”
Over the next 4 days, I noticed a silent smirking revolt.
None of us wore our masks anymore. Fewer and fewer of the attendees were wearing their masks.
Neener neener to masks. Up yours (with a smile).
The mask police retreated little-by-little. They actually started gently apologizing for asking folks to wear masks. And smiling. I guess they didn’t exactly like their jobs either.
Or they simply began to recognize the futility of it.
When you have several thousand people thumbing their noses at the mandate, what were they going to do?
They eventually gave up. Even some of the mask officers stopped wearing their masks. The last few days of the show, most folks didn’t have masks unless they wanted to wear them.
Laws have no teeth if no one enforces them.
It reminded me of the Greek god Sisyphus who was cursed by the other gods to roll a huge boulder up a hill for all eternity. When he got to the top, the boulder just rolled back down the other side.
Agree or disagree with masks, but it was interesting to watch the transition.
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. 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!
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 Nov. 9, 2021 in Western Outdoor Publications
For years, I’ve been telling folks about the Cross Border Express bridge (CBX) at the border for flying to Mexican destinations from Tijuana.
Mexico has a brand spanking-new air terminal now in Tijuana that’s as nice as many and perhaps nicer than many in the U.S. Indeed, Tijuana is quite a hub for air travel.
Many Americans over the years, especially from Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and even Utah found it much easier to cross the border and fly from Tijuana to places in Baja like Loreto, Cabo and La Paz and other locations in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and others.
For one, it’s often much less expensive. From Tijuana, domestic flight instead of an international flight. Statistics show, it’s as much as 50% cheaper flying to Mexican destinations than from U.S. airports.
Lately, it’s been especially conducive with Covid since international travelers returning to the U.S. must obtain negative Covid tests before their flights. Domestic flights do not have that requirement.
However, back in the day, flying from Tijuana required actually crossing the border by driving, a shuttle, a bus or taxi. Or a generous understanding friend or family member.
It required navigating the maze of Tijuana streets and traffic to get to the terminal. Plus, it included the added anxiety and potential delays of just getting through the border check-point.
Those are huge deterrents to travel, especially for folks who don’t like the idea of driving through or into Mexico in the first place. Additionally, there’s the sheer nervousness and likelihood of getting lost on a Tijuana border street.
Not to mention, your Spanish is limited to ordering chalupas at Taco Bell.
Oh, and you have a plane to catch.
I’ve known many folks who missed a turn or two and ended up back on the U.S. side or got lost miles away from the terminal. Miss a turn, miss your plane!
To that end and with rare foresight, the CBX bridge was built several years ago. I’ve been touting it for years. Clients and friends rave about it.
Essentially, it allows travelers to park on the U.S. side of the border. Or shuttle/ taxi there. You then simply walk across the bridge right into the Tijuana terminal. No fuss. No bunched underwear getting lost.
It’s a game changer!
But, I had never taken it myself. It’s like telling someone how good Italian food is, but never having eaten it yourself.
So, this past week, I had the opportunity to go to San Diego for a few days with Jill, my wife. She remained, but I had to get back to our home and business in La Paz.
Booking was easy on Volaris Airlines. It’s a newer and increasing popular airline choice for Mexican air travel. It was $85 for a less-than-two-hour-flight to La Paz and the jet was completely full. About 1/3 were gringos.
She also booked me my ticket to use the CBX. Easy online for $16.
Dropping me off at the curb in the early morning hour to catch my flight, I was greatly surprised.
I mean, I expected a BRIDGE. Y’know…like a big span or girders or something.
On the contrary, it was like being dropped at a regular modern airline terminal. The CBX is, in fact, more like a giant causeway than an actual bridge.
Architecturally, rather beautiful.
I walked right up to an uncrowded airline counter and checked in. I could have opted for automated mini-kiosks as well.
I then walked over to an immigration counter to digitally fill out and print my immigration forms. Everything was computerized. There were helpful staff assisting folks.
Again, very easy. And off I went.
Through the gates and down several well-lit modern corridors. Signs and arrows were easy to follow.
I did one stop for them to take my temperature for Covid. Another short stop to have my luggage x-rayed. A short walk to another Volaris counter where I dropped off my luggage (There are carts available, but I was travelling light).
Another short walk and bam…I was in the new terminal. Starbucks…Johnny Rocket’s Burgers…convenience stores…cosmetics…clothes…a few sports bars.
And easy-to-find -boarding gates.
I had something to eat for breakfast and made my flight with plenty of time to spare. It was a no- brainer and could not have been easier.
The entire walk was maybe 100 total yards. Much easier than driving through the border and all over Tijuana.
I traveled light this time, but there are carts, luggage porters and wheelchairs if they had been needed.
For sure, two thumbs up 5-star rating in my book.
A couple of notes:
You can also park your vehicle in secure parking on the U.S. side. It’s a big bonus.
It’s as little as $18/day. In fact, you can reserve parking ahead of time online. Cost is about $25/day and guarantees parking even if the other lots are full. There is also valet parking.
If you’re coming the other way, car rentals are also available as are shuttle services from cities like Los Angeles and San Diego and cities in between all the way up to Sacramento. Plus Uber and Lyft.
There are discounts for families travelling together plus luggage porters and wheelchair assistance. There is assistance for minors travelling alone. You will also find scales, currency exchange counters as well as duty free shopping.
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 http://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. 24, 2021 in Western Outdoor Publications
In the several decades that I’ve been writing fishing articles and columns for magazines and newspapers, I don’t think I’ve ever tackled this subject. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because it’s just something I don’t think about much.
For what we do down here, it’s just not much of an issue.
However, it’s come up several times in the last few weeks with regards to our panga fleet here in La Paz.
One was a legitimate question about bleeding your catch.
Two of them were complaints of sorts from first-time anglers who had never fished in Mexico and had also never fished in a panga.
Let me explain.
The process if “bleeding” a fresh-caught fish can really be beneficial. It’s not that difficult to do, especially after you’ve done it a time or two.
It involves taking a catch just out’ve the water. While the fish is still flapping, quickly cut to it’s heart and the main artery right behind the gills. You let the heart pump out the blood. Easy.
All fish are a bit different, but you can Google up the specifics.
By, the way, I’m all for a quick dispatch of any catch. The quicker you do any of this, the better for the fish rather than let it flip around in a fish box, bucket, ice chest or kill bag.
But, it can be messy. I mean, “all-over-the-deck messy” especially for really dense muscled fish like a tuna or bonito for example.
Therefore, if you can, let the blood pump out while holding the fish over the side, if possible and practical. Or, hold it in or over your bait tank. If you can’t do either of those, at least do it away from everyone else.
And be prepared to clean off the deck rapidly.
Then, get the fish chilled on ice.
The whole idea, as explained to me by a marine biologist many years ago is that when a fish, or anything dies, it immediately begins to decompose. Makes sense. No vital organs are working anymore. Blood, nerves, brain function, etc. are all flat-lined.
Blood left in the fish is also logically decomposing.
By getting rid of the blood, you can really help improve the flavor of the meat by leaving you with cleaner and better tasting fillets.
That’s the theory. And it works!
The reality can sometimes be different which brings me back to the complaints I received this week.
When I worked on big private charter boats, it was relatively easy to bleed-out a fish. I was a deckhand.
Or there were other deckhands. Even if there was a lot of activity on the deck during a bite, usually someone could bleed fish.
Unless it was really crazy.
I’ve worked on party boats and multi-day charter boats and ultimately, you’re dealing with a lot of fishermen. There’s simply too much happening.
A bunch of folks are trying to catch fish. Fish are biting. Lines are all over the place. It’s frantic.
We’re tying hooks; gaffing fish; untangling lines; tossing bait; bagging and tagging fish…and more. It’s full-speed turbo.
There’s hardly time to take one person’s fish and bleed it in the middle of the chaos. It is what it is.
On a panga like we have here in La Paz, sometimes it’s possible to bleed a lone solitary fish. Sure. Let me get right to it.
Here’s the dilemma.
There’s one captain and there 2 or 3 anglers.
The captain is the one-stop, driver; guide; deckhand and navigator. He’s got his hands full. It’s kind of a small, efficient but ultimately croweded working platform.
The fishermen are out there to catch fish. The captain’s job is to facilitate that event.
Bites can happen in a frenzy. Two or three fishermen with bent rods and slinging fish in a small boat is fun and exciting and can be a blur of motion for the captain. However…
If he stops to gaff, cut and bleed a fish…
The whole process comes to a standstill.
He can’t re-rig your lines or the lines of your buddies.
He can’t be baiting hooks.
He can’t be untangling your backlash.
He can’t drive the boat.
Your buddies might be pulling in fish at the same time.
Or losing them.
The fish school could disappear.
It’s a pragmatic issue. The anglers need to weigh taking the time to bleed solo fish versus all the other things that can happen in the interim.
I think most would rather be catching fish than watching the school disappear.
Simple as that!
That’s my story!
Joanthan
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 http://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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