In November of 2016 I had the pleasure of visiting a small west coast town on the Baja peninsula which included spending the night in one of the two motels in the town.
The town itself looked old, with small houses, small yards and mostly dirt streets. There was a small chapel down one of the side streets and small fishing boats in various states of repair on the sides of the road. The centre piece of the town was the public park. It was clean, had all the facilities that a small town would need, including a skate park, and it was full of kids and their families enjoying their evening.
The evening was filled with good food from the motel restaurant, which stayed open later than usual to accommodate our group of 7 and we were entertained by the family who managed the motel as they had already invited friends over to play guitars and sing. Even though we were strangers, we became part of their "family" for the evening.
Super moon rising. It's amazing how the stars and moon look without any light pollution.
The next morning, I took a walk through the town. I saw people getting ready for their day, tidying up house fronts, kids heading out the door for school and adults heading out to work. The locals were warm and it became a game to see who would say "good morning" first.
I walked by a local elementary school where kids were laughing and playing in the school yard under the supervision and participation of their teacher. Some kids were still walking to school under the supervision of a parent and a few were on bicycles. I even saw a couple of kids on skateboards, even though there were only a few cement sidewalks to cruise down.
This small town reminds me of what many people are looking for in my home country of the United States and in my adopted country of Canada and yet this small town is in Mexico.
The people of San Juanico, on the west coast of the Baja peninsula have very little in material goods compared to most north american towns. They're isolated for the most part and their electricity comes from solar, gas / diesel generators and a small wind farm. The town is without power for several hours during the day and at night in order to conserve what they generate. Gas is trucked in from the closest large town, which is about 2 hours away, and sold by the jug at twice the amount as the average gas station. In other words the people of San Juanico have much to complain about and yet for the most part they don't.
Sure the people want better economics for their town and options for their children, like the rest of the us want for our towns. In that we're the same. The one resource San Juanico has that has put the town "on the map" is waves. The bay generates some spectacular surfing waves that have caught the attention of the surfing community. The challenge for the community, according to a number of people we met, is to balance growth with maintaining their sense of community.
San Juanico is one of the most peaceful places I've stayed and it's amazing how quiet it is when there is no electricity. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore through the open windows of my room along with a light breeze was relaxing.
"Home" for the night
For all my north american friends who would like to see what quality small town life is like, cross the border into Mexico and visit a small town. You'll find warm, friendly people who are very proud of their community and with a smile you'll be welcomed.
Gerald Trees
Musings And Observations Of An Adventurous Life Seeker
