Easter in Santa Rosalia

Santa Rosalia

Mining equipment

Jay's Post: We left Bahia Conception and traveled 23 miles north

Punta Chivato

to Punta Chivato where we anchored for the night. We went ashore to explore an abandoned luxury resort built by Lou Federico in 1966. Keep in mind that the Transpeninsular Highway was not completed until 1974. Thus, the brown-ocher decorative stone used at Punta Chivato was ferried by barge from the hills behind Mulegé to this remote location, which had no roads, electricity or running water. Reportedly, John Wayne, Jayne Mansfield and Earle Stanley Gardner all stayed here at one time. Federico eventually lost his financial interests in the hotel, and it appears to have been abandoned near the end of 2013. When we explored it, we found locked rooms with furniture inside, a restaurant complete with kitchen utensils and in the office, computer equipment. With an appearance of disrepair, the place had a spooky, ghost-like feel to it. As if everyone had unexpectedly disappeared.

Mining Locomotive

Old Mining Records

After motor-sailing another 27 miles northward, we arrived the next day at Santa Rosalia on March 24, 2015. Santa Rosalia is a unique Baja town with a personality completely different from any other seaside towns we have visited thus far. It boasts a French rather than Mexican influence, particularly in its architecture. The French copper mining company El Boleo founded the town in 1884 after buying the mineral rights. They drilled hundreds of miles of tunnels, built a smelting foundry, a railroad to haul the ore and the pier from which they shipped the smelted ore to Washington state to be refined. The ships would return from Washington with loads of lumber and other supplies for the town. Thus, most of the buildings in the downtown area are constructed of wood, while cement block is the preferred construction material in most of the rest of Baja. Unlike many other mining sites, the industrial facilities are located in the very middle of the town. The mining and smelting equipment was never dismantled when El Boleo abandoned the mine in 1954. Of particular interest are the reverberatory furnace and the metallurgical converter, although they are currently unaccessible to the public due to safety concerns. Old locomotives, mining equipment and machinery are visible everywhere throughout the town. The main mining company offices (La Dirección) have been converted into a museum, which we had the opportunity to tour. It is filled with old pictures, books and artifacts. To prevent the economic collapse of Santa Rosalia and surrounding communities, a Mexican state-owned company (CMSRSA) eventually assumed control of the mine and reopened the works using basically the same (rather archaic) equipment and process used by the French. The government funded operation was never profitable, and the mine was again closed in 1980 when the low-grade ore and old style technology made continued operations uneconomical.

Marina Fonatura Dock Party

We have stayed two weeks in Santa Roslia at the 20-slip marina Fonatur. Here we met many old friends and made many new ones. While here attended dock parties, ate in restaurants, visited the cemetery, and bought ice cream – lots of ice cream!

Yaqui Indian dance

Peggy's Post:  We had heard there would be several events going on in Santa Rosalia leading up to Easter. On Wednesday while we were in the ice cream shop we heard drumming in the street so we hurried out to see what the commotion was. It was a parade like we've never seen before. Thirty or so young men were dressed up as different animals with animal head masks. They were wearing belts covered with small bells and bells around their ankles. As they walked and danced down the street they were playing drums and beating sticks. We aren't sure what the significance of the costumes were or why this is a tradition here. We think it dates back to the Yaqui Indian tribe who lived in this area.

"Stations of the Cross" re-enactment

Yesterday, we joined the local townspeople of Santa Rosalia in their re-enactment of the "Stations of the Cross". There were people dressed up as Jewish villagers, Roman soldiers, Pontius Pilate, Jesus Christ and the two thieves. The procession wandered through the streets of the town periodically stopping to act out the events leading up to Christ's crucifixion. We, with the townspeople followed the actors as they made each stop. There were prayers and music and a large group of teenagers all wearing matching T-shirts who helped with crowd control. Everyone hiked up the hill to the cemetery overlooking the town where they tied the man portraying Christ and also the two thieves onto crosses and lifted them up. Even though I didn't understand all of the dialogue (since my Spanish is still pretty limited) it was very moving. I was amazed at the quality of the event for such a small town. We love getting know, see, and be part of the holidays and traditions of Mexico. And, of course to develop a bond with the wonderful people we have met here.

One of the main reasons we stayed in Santa Rosalia was to be able to listen to The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints worldwide General Conference which is broadcast over the internet each April and October.  This conference concludes tomorrow, so Monday we cross over to the mainland.  Until then, we wish you all fair winds and calm sea.