Here’s to the New Year – Baja Style
Looking back on 2009: What I consider the Year of the Empty Tourist Town. The biased USA media finally placed the last knife into the Baja Tourist industry in 2009. Those who remain are those who understand the region and need for an escape is greater than the media’s output. Real lives are affected by the tourist down turn and the need is greater from those of us who can give back to the community at large. Yet, we remain. We head into town, walk the streets, take in the smells, the vistas, the people, the events and admit we do enjoy the shorter line at the border. We made some friends, we lost a neighbor, we gathered and we were missed. The people who send us newspaper articles about the violence in the region were genuinely concerned but should take us up on our weekend invitations in 2010. I promise you will be just as safe or not safer in Baja that your own city. Hopefully, I taught but mostly I learned. I learned to admire the weird, strange, and to listen to the music. We felt the local vibe, complete strangers acknowledge we were strangers and made us feel at home.
Cheers to all of you who have joined us in 2009.
2010 is well on its way.
Filed in Uncategorized 2 Comments so far
The Real Tijuana on 20 Jan 2010 at 7:14 pm #
Since we are toasting the new year with Liceaga merlot, we may as well take a moment to remember don Eduardo, one of the people instrumental in creating the New Baja. He died of melanoma on 14 August 2007, thirty years too early. He had the foresight to leave his winery on sound footing yet his advocacy for the region as a whole is irreplaceable. QEPD
Luis on 30 Jan 2010 at 11:03 am #
Thank you for the insight on one of our favorite wineries in the Valley. Baja is filled with these types of stories, unfortunately most never get told. As I contemplate your comment, the more I feel you might have nailed my 2010 resolution: Thoughts are great but they are nothing without action. Action is important. Don’t just think about it, take some action.
Saludos,