road trip flash back

On one of the early days along the Baja drive I stopped for lunch in the shade of a nice big tree along the road. It was farm country. I set up my little traveling table and chair ànd As I was preparing lunch a man came across a field , crawled  through the fence and said bola. I asked him if it OK if a stopped there and he graciously said of course, please be welcome. It turns out his English was about as bad as my Spanish so we had a fine time chatting. The farm there was his, and his brother was next to that. I was not able to figure out what he grew. His name was Alfredo, and he assured me that when I came that way again and needed help with anything he would be glad to help. He went back under the fence and returned a short while later with nice boots and hat, said he was going to town to make a phone call. He brought me a big bunch of limes and oranges from his place.  What a nice man.

Eventually the road came down out of the mountains to the Sea of Cortex and the town of Santa Rosalia. It is a very old and rough mining town. The silver mine has just been reopened after being shut down mor many many years. The town is booming, trucks driving everywhere. Steve and Diny and I spent some time there a few years ago before we crossed over to San Carlos. The mine was ramping up but not yet functioning, the town was clean and quiet, and there was a really funky old yacht marina there with several cool old boats and very cool characters who lived aboard their boats permanently. But last fall the hurricane destroyed the marina and most of the boats, and it is all a messnow.  2 yachts were still there, one sitting in the mud in the shallow water, tied up to the seawall to prevent it from falling over. I hope it can be recovered, it was was such a beautiful boat. All very sad.  But it looked like the town was booming!