Pearls, Pirates and Padres
There are few lands with a more colorful or varied history than Baja. And particularly Los Cabos. Pirates, missionaries, writers like Steinbeck and Hammed, explorers, and adventurers, have all tried their hand at describing the allure of the land and the people.
But first…… where is it? Grab an atlas……. Run your finger down California to the peninsula below the border. That is Baja California. Keep running your finger down to map until you get to the lower half of the peninsula, that is Baja California Sur (South). Keep going until you reach the bottom of the land, that is Cabo San Lucas, the “land’s end”. Now look at the beach o the Sea of Cortez side. For 45 kilometers north, it is called Los Cabos (the Cape). About half way up the Cape is San Jose del Cabo, and that’s where the action is, and was.
Most of Baja is a curious hostile, particularly beautiful desert, with mountain ranges, snaking down the center like huge sleeping serpents.
Underneath the desert are mysterious undergrounds rivers, born in the belly of the mountains. On their trip to the sea, they hide beneath the sand and cactus, only to bubble to the surface at the coast.
The San Jose river is among the most famous of these “now you see me, now you don’t” streams. When it reappears at the coast it forms a huge fresh water estuary, a world famous watering hole for over 200 species of migratory birds.
Pirates replenished their water supplies here for over 350 years. It was a favorite hide-away for ships waiting to pounce on the treasure laden Spanish galleons, bound from Manila to México.
While waiting for the galleons the pirates would cruise up the coast to raid and pillage La Paz for their famous pearls and pretty Indian maidens
Navigators appreciated San Jose del Cabo because it was so easy to find. There’s a red granite mountain about three miles south of the estuary, and that made a perfect landmark. (Incidentally, Red mountain is supposed to have some magical powers, a mysterious energy that increases psychic powers).
How many Dutch and English pirates came to visit? Hard to say, but one missionary, describing the Indians, suggested they looked more like Englismen and Duchmen than aborigines.
Back in the 30’s Hollywood discovered Baja, the fantastic sport fishing, claimed to be best in the world, was the lure. Bing Crosby and his pals staked it out as a private preserve, and it stayed that way for decades because the only way to get here was to fly or come by boat. As a result, even today, you will see private airstrips all up and down the cost.
It might never have changed except two things happened to jolt Los Cabos into the 20th century.
First, NASA started taking pictures of the world from the space. People who saw the pictures became curious about this 800 mile finger of land, practically untouched by man.
Second, after years and years of promises, a two-lane highway was carved through the granite and sand from the US border to the tip Baja.
And the people started pouring in. earliest arrivals were the campers. They came in caravans, picked out a gorgeous virgin beach, set up camp, fished and loafed for months on end.
They are still here of course, but most of them stay in convenient trailer camps where there are showers, electricity, television, restaurants and a bar.
It is hard to imagine, but all this happened in the las 10 or 12 years, there was not any land or condominiums to buy …….. It was against the law.
About this time Fonatur, an arm of the Mexican tourist department, took a look at the tourist pouring in and decide to develop San Jose as a resort, like they developed in Can Cun.
Fonatur built a hotel, a golf course, paved the roads, beefed up the utilities, and brought San Jose out of the past and into the future.
To make it possible for foreigners to invest in property and homes, the Mexican government passed a regulation allowing Mexican Banks to hold property in trust. It is similar to a system used in Hawaii.
Originally the trust was for 30 years, however recent changes allows for 50 year perpetually renewable trusts.
In the last several years Los Cabos was changed forever. A dozen luxurious hotels condominiums, hundreds of luxurious homes, and an international airport were built to accommodate the half million or so visitors per year.
Meanwhile the San Jose river still ducks beneath the sand, then bubbles up to attract birds to the estuary.
Fishermen in yachts go out to catch Marlin and trophy game fish.
Women shop in quaint San Jose where 200 year old buildings crowd the sidewalks.
At night, some say, the spirits of pirates, padres, seamen and adventures hover around Red Mountain. Why not? There is no more beautiful place to be. |