watching the electrons ebb from my friends

First, let me say I have been having a great time here in Baja.  But you know that already.

But I thought I would post today about something a bit different.  My reaction to Baja California as a place to live.

For the past three days I have been headquartered at Punta Cabras on the Pacific coast -- about 6 miles north of Puerto San Isidro.  The community is a mix of Mexicans and Americans -- with most of the Americans living here as part-time residents.

When I moved to Mexico, I waned to live where I would wake up each morning wondering how I would get through the day.  If that was my sole criterion for a place to live, Punta Cabras has it in spades.

There is no electrical connection here.  The power poles end several mils south.  And the people here want to keep it that way. To keep out what cheap power would bring to the area.

Instead, each house has its own solar power hookup with a backup generator. Solar power and Baja seem to be a natural match.  But not always.  Since we arrived, we have not had sufficient sunshine to charge the system batteries.  As a result, each of my electrical travel companions has been dying -- one by one.

Another factor keeps new settlers from moving in.  Water.  Each homeowner owns a share in the community well.  And no new blood is being invited into the pool.  It would be easier to get a prime table at Noma than to buy a home here.

As a result, the group is supportive of other group members.  But they are simultaneously insular toward change.  Having said that, they all welcomed and entertained me lavishly -- as a guest.

The only aspect of Baja that has interested me is the weather.  Our days have hovered in the 50s and lower 60s since we arrived.  Perfect weather for me.  But John, our host, burst my bubble when he pointed out that summers here can easily hit 100 degrees.

Of course, Baja has built a reputation for catering to boys with toys.  There are an amazing number of trails and tracks that are perfect for our two vehicles.

This afternoon we drove on the highway to San Vicente to buy car parts and tacos.  On the return trip we took dirt tracks through the hills back to the beach.

The scenery was stunning.  And I wish I had a photograph for you.  But my camera is one of the casualties of our electricity limitation.  My hope is to get it revived with power from the generator.  If I don’t, this will also be my last bog for a bit -- because my computer battery is nearly exhausted.

The bottom line is this is a very fun place to visit, but I would not choose it as a place to live over Melaque.