I went camping/surfing at Salsipuedes this past weekend. It’ll probably be the last time. The bulldozers are on their way. I guess you can’t stop progress. I’m going to miss that place.
Our campsite, shown below, was the one closest to the cliff.
Sad to see mate,
When someone here wants to stop a big company from developing land etc, they find an endangered species on the site or a something of historical significance…
These range from orchids, mites, small furry animals, aboriginal artifacts, turtles…
Go and find something really rare and put it on site…
That’ll fix em…
Quote:
Sad to see mate,When someone here wants to stop a big company from developing land etc, they find an endangered species on the site or a something of historical significance…
These range from orchids, mites, small furry animals, aboriginal artifacts, turtles…
Go and find something really rare and put it on site…
That’ll fix em…
Things work differently in Mexico.
American cash greases the right hands.
A great surf break is identified. Surfed by millions of Americans and Mexicans for years.
The land is sold. Construction approved. The walls and fences go up. Either you buy or rent a house within those walls, or you do not surf there anymore. At first it was just K38, but now virtually every classic Baja break is moving towards a pay-only model.
And it is all caused by American surfers who want to shut out other American surfers.
Same thing for Scorp, when I was down for the infamous labor day swell 2 years ago I camped at 6th point.
One of the “New Locals”, a guy named Lynn from Bend, Oregon said he and his friends had bought up the land along that stretch af beach and were closing of the road to camping. There would only be 2 foot trails to the outer point area.
The cantina has been sold to developers, so that takes care of camping at 2nd point.
Part of a surfing experience is the getting there part, days of dead end roads, Federale check points, stealing what you weren’t watching over, dusty wind blown campsites and the comradry of a few dedicated pals sharing the bullshit stories and a cervesa at the end of the day.
The man I have been building the wood boards for, for the historic movie, wants no part of off road, roughing, sleeping bag, whore bath, camp fire cooking to complete his film. No Scorpion Bay, Matachen Bay look alike for uncrowded Malibu. For him it is a Hilton or no deal, coming soon to your favorite surf spot
Here’s another one:
San Miguel point, near Ensenada, is going to become a boat harbor.
http://www.savethewaves.org/miguel.asp
Baja is changing so fast now. On the one hand I am glad that they are seeing some economic development, since there has historically been so much poverty. On the other hand, it is painful to watch all the unplanned destructive development.
There are a bunch of others.
I was offered “Get in at the ground level” at Abreojos. All of the south facing beach there, point to cove and then some, will be a closed off gated community. Even the dump is moving. I told them I didn’t agree with that development and definitely would not be part and parcel to the privatization of surf breaks in Baja.
pulled this quote from the link in the first post:
“The first phase of five is called “The Village.” It consists of a boutique hotel and a mix of condos, homes and estate-size lots plus a commercial village with stores, cafes and restaurants. When completed, Salsipuedes will become a retirement or vacation haven of 2,680 residences and guests in the five planned village hotels — so much beauty for so few.”
my biggest wish for all of these type of communities would be for the toxic soup produced in Tiajuana by the “1st World Corporate Conspiracy” and spewed into the ocean be piped directly into the ocean in front of their private paradises…
gringo exploitation of mexican and central american coastal properties, ah guess I’ll have to fight them too!!!
gated exclusive properties suck! anywhere. period. jaded gringo ex-pat “locals” suck too!
ymmv, Oso Rojo
anybody up for some Earth First radicalism?
Dude, you are bringing some other issues into this thread. Why would you ever wish for the ocean to be polluted? Also, I don’t think that the ‘G’ word is appropriate here.
Howzit Jim, I knew they were selling lots at Scorp for years now but buying the whole 6th point area is just unreal. At least it's the one point that gets blown out the worst. What I don't understand is why somebody buying the cantina closes off second point from camping. I have a few friends who have houses close to town and have been there quite a few times back in the 80's and 90's. Remember the days before Haime built the cantina when there were no bathrooms or showers and the only place you could buy a meal was at Virginias Casa. I understand Haime is selling land there but in the land contract he puts a clause that if you want to sell he gets the listing. Back in 94 (last time I was there) I helped Haime make the cantina more profitable by doing some restaurant consultation for him. He really didn't have a clue about running it. Did fix his ice machine a couple of times so I got a lot of free food and beers. What a shame to see such a great place go the bigger developers. Another fond memory down the tubes. Aloha,Kokua
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One of the “New Locals”, a guy named Lynn from Bend, Oregon said he and his friends had bought up the land
Jim,
I grew up in Bend…Same thing happened there. Lynn is most likely a “NEW LOCAL” up there as well, sold his property in SoCal and moved to the resort retirement land of Central Oregon, AND CLAIMS being from BEND. It ain’t the same, but if you build it and market it and make it easy for the masses, and place a golf course nearby that seems to be the formula for the darkside to rule.
Quote:
Here’s another one:
San Miguel point, near Ensenada, is going to become a boat harbor.
http://www.savethewaves.org/miguel.asp
Baja is changing so fast now. On the one hand I am glad that they are seeing some economic development, since there has historically been so much poverty. On the other hand, it is painful to watch all the unplanned destructive development.
There are a bunch of others.
It looks like San Miguel isn’t going away as apparently the marina is 3 miles south of the point.
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=23330&page=2
I’ll miss Salsi terribly though. The only way to access it now will be by boat, as the road a mile or so south is also being developed.
Maybe due to the stores in the village there will be provisions for parking and surfing?
The people of Baja need jobs and a better economy and if you oppose all development it’s like opposing a better way of life for them.
It’s just a shame they don’t realize that development with fair access to the ocean can mean so much economically.
We have the same kind of thing happening here. A pretty well known spot south of shellharbour, used to be private propery, some bloke owned a farm that has a very nice wave, its basically between 2 headlands, but still gets good waves. Anyway, ( THis happened a while ago so i may be slightly off )he sold the land, and it became a state recreation area ( ?? ), but now, the neighbouring clone city oops i mean housing estate, is building almost up to the gate, and the only access now is through that same estate. It really sucks, i mean the housing estate was close, and that was cool, but now, its basically going to be a selling point of the estate, you know “you’re own private beach etc”, and every tom dick and harry with a mercedes and an inflated opinion of themselves is gunna move in. I also saw in the paper the other day, developers are trying to set up an “eco tourism park”, yeah right. Progress hey?
We were one of the first gringo familys to own (99 year lease) beach property in North Baja. La Mission beach, Stockard / Blackstone family, we were down there since 1957 we sold out 8 years ago just because of whats been going on. Crime, Drugs, development, just an all round bad vibe. The one thing that is going to bite all these developments in the ass is Water. There isn’t enough fresh water in Northern Baja, let alone enough to flush that new tiolet into the Pacific Ocean. Build, build, build. But without water pressure you ain’t got shit…literally. They will just keep on building structures without any though to the infrastructure.
K 38 was the first, but you can still paddle and surf there if you just start out a bit further north. Those who know do. And I wish every surfer in So cal would go invade those K 38 pricks. Calafia is the same way, 25 years ago they built that dam resturant. But with a little effort you can get out there too. Long past are the days of blowing up crap with M80’s, having roman candle fire wars, or just getting ripped sitting on the cliff above 38’s with a huge bon fire burning…waiting for the federale to come and shake you down for a few bucks.
Mexico is becoming a toxic place, there isn’t a really good “non toxic surf spot” from TJ to Ensenada. San Miguel…that place better be firing to get me in that toxic soup. Have you ever seen the sewage outfall pipe in Ensenada bay? Have you ever seen a sewage treatment plant in Ensenada? Where do you think all that crap goes? Do ya think they pump it all the way to Todos Santos?
Mexico is changing, but Mexico changed 20 years ago…better for the second home gringo that just like to look at the ocean, worse for the surfer that actually has to use the ocean.
I haven’t been down there surfing in years. It’s changed.
here it is 2007, I’m shocked it took this long for the strip (TJ to Ensenada) to be fully built up. from a building perspective Salsupeded sucks, not much land, and what is there the beach is all rock. Not much for the vacationer from Arizona to shell collect on?
Is the Mexican destroyer still washed up on the rocks there?
-Hose A
Howzit resinhead, At San Miguel just check the runoff on the other side of where the old southern end rock pile was, the s#*t just runs right into the ocean or at least it did last time I was there in 94’. Aloha,Kokua
2 excellent books that relate directly to this topic:
Kem Nunn’s “Tiajuana Straights”
Alan Weisbecker’s "Can’t You Get Along With Anybody? Alan’s book is highly controversial right now, only 1500 advance copies printed and no more on the horizon at this time…get a copy from somebody and read it, check his website
some might want to do some research on the “alternative building materials/methods” communities popping up in the desert SW here in the states… where the lack of water and retaining the beautiful natural environment are first and foremost in the minds of those living there
green, sustainable living is a reality, get on board asap in any way you can, every little bit makes a difference.
thx for the bandwidth! oso rojo
the evidence of the geometric population progression
in this here 21st century
is getting real.
ignoring these
developmentz is
only a shok if you have chosen to ignore them.
the FRONTEIR saftey valve
that has been taken for granted
for well over two centuries
is evaporating.
jed smith’s ‘‘wow you gotta see this new place’’
thesis has become a hackneed burnt out theme
billy congolium and the feral dog pack
from o-county
are the reason
there will be a rest stop
built on every remote
stretch of coast world wide.
this is not new
this is an old template
we are all products
of this same
population explosion.
not one in twenty of us was raised
in a house that was built on old inhabited land.
gringos gated communities?
aristicraticos de las Mexicas
have been in charge of the elitist attitudes for centuries.
private police private armies
private access
are control facilities handed down from the spanish.
as we approach middle age
the apparent slide into hades
while riding in a handbasket
alibit from home depot
is looking back at us from the mirror.
too late ?
yep.
go surfing at your fave spot
sooner than later it will be glaringly apparent
the best place to hide will be in plain sight.
third world invasion by the you missed it
lemmings will slowly but surely
reduce the natural surface of the planet into
a continious wave of development to slum wave
progression.
move into a slum
make it better
and get the getto to yourself
before the yuppie puppies
get back from disapointment
in the over developed third world.
alas the future is grim.
we are the grim reapers
harvesting the crops
seeded by our ancestors
my ancestors crossed the plains in a covered wagon
I drove to baja in a 57 chevy nomad
with seven guys to camp at three m’s
and raouls and stagger back to camp after
yolanda served our 15 year old asses margaritas.
hide from the world in plain sight
they will never find you.
…ambrose…
the last guy to find swami’s
takes the stairs for granted
richard henry dana
couldn’ find
the point
if he showed up
today
old news
is the same old
bad news
how bout the walmart in tijuana?
or the cost co in ensenada?
or the macdonalds in rosarita?
or the discount drug store’s
we are the benificiaries of survival.
Ambrose,
nice poetry. unfortunately tainted with smugness when I read it for the 3rd time to make sure my feelings are accurate…
not to say you don’t make many vaild points, and yes I hide in plain site every day…
but I also feel that there are solutions and alternatives available, and will continue to work on/with them…
have you ever read or heard of the book “The 100th Monkey?”
reminds me of that old saying “you’re either part of the solution of part of the problem” so while I may be a child of the latter I work hard to create a future of the former…
maybe it has to do with my teenage kids, trying to show them the options available to them as they grow up… kids see things differently… youthful optimism does not always have to give way to jaded resignation…
YMMV, oso rojo
You guys act like this was your land.
My family leased beach front property on Oahu from one of the sugar plantations from 1939 till the 80’s.
When the sugar industry started it’s plans to close down they decided to sell the land to a developer. We had 4 1-acre lots right in front of a beautiful left. My grandmother’s brother had a lot of valuable land elsewhere that he was willing to sell to buy the beach front land, but he wasn’t offered the chance.
Today my brother and I have to park a mile away and walk if we want to surf the spot we grew up at.
One day in the near future, it will be a club house for a marina that is being built.
There are many families like ours that have been displaced by big money. The whole north shore was once just a few scattered old houses, now the whole coastline is developed. All the smart locals who have been living mauka, can’t get to the beach except through a right of way. Same story on almost all the islands now.
Enjoy what you can now, because you can’t stop the developers.
you don’t have to be an American to be “the ugly american”.
“but, i have lot’s of money and i’m entitled.”
all you have to do is have this attitude and you’ll fit right in
at any local exploiting surf “camp”, 5 star luxury
beachfront cottage, or exclusive (meaning you can’t surf here
if you didn’t pay big bucks) big ticket boat trip.
doesn’t matter if the local culture gets screwed as long as i get shacked
8 hours a day every day. and who are you to tell me i can’t. i
didn’t come here to learn about another people. i just want to
surf my brains out, party, and act like a total rockstar/jerk. plus i want all
the comforts of home. it’s gonna be “so sick bro”!
“just because we can doesn’t always mean we should”…
words to live by.
whatever happened to taking only pictures and leaving only footprints?
the solution is often the problem
smug? perhaps contented in cynical pessimism
alternatives to exploding competitive population?
good luck,short of pestulence and war and disease…
teenage kids?teach them well which dream will they pick?
the timeshare developers are somebody’s kid
perhaps raised on rightous ideals
or sugar free gum
or in a commune
my parents were responsible and civic
and the city gov copped their rightous plan
and built a golf course in
the wilderness park inside the city limits
baptised in resignation
living in grace.
…ambrose…
god bless and protect the Baja.
no 100 monkey
but I did read vonnagut’s last book
wwwaazat smog?
or just an old realist