The Pearls of La Paz

The Pearls of La Paz

Location: Near the beach at Balandra, southeast of La Paz; a bay and wetland complex that was submitted for protected area status by La Paz residents.

Conditions: Hot and dry winds are gusty at night and calm during the morning. The water is cool and pleasant for swimming. Isla Espiritu Santo glimmers in the horizon as sailboats go by.

Discussion: La Paz was once rich in pearls. Expeditions financed by Hernán Cortés in the 1530s came back with tales of pearls worn by indigenous tribes, who also had an unfortunate tendency of attacking the intruders. Only 60 years later during a voyage by Sebastián Vizcaíno was he able to make peace with the locals, naming the area as the "Bay of Peace" or Bahia de La Paz.

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Voyage of Kiri
Exploring the Effects of Climate on Mexico's Coastline
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Sustainable or Sick: The Growth of Loreto

Sustainable or Sick: The Growth of Loreto

Location: Hotel San Carlos in Loreto, southern Baja, two blocks from the waterfront.

Conditions: Outside, the sun is shining, but I'm lying in my room feeling nauseous, suffering through my first stomach bug this trip.

Discussion: Imagine saying, "Honey, the water truck is coming!" Then your husband puts down the breakfast cereal and bolts out the door to catch the truck, waving money to indicate he is worth the driver's time. Pamela Bolles, a Loreto resident for 11 years, explained: "The truck used to come three times a week, now it's every 10 days, if we're lucky. We need to be on our toes to get water."

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Voyage of Kiri
Exploring the Effects of Climate on Mexico's Coastline
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Childhood Dreams in Playa El Coyote

Childhood Dreams in Playa El Coyote

Location: Near the calm blue waters of Bahia Concepcion, an hour south of Mulege.

Conditions: Under the canopy of a few highly prized trees, sheltered from the hot sun, with just the slightest breeze over the water.

Discussion: I nudged Alyssum, saying, "You've got to see this." I had to interrupt my co-pilot's power nap to see the string of bays below us, shining in impossible colors. Each turn of the road winding along steep cliffs drew gasps. We finally chose our destination, Playa El Coyote.

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Are We Making Bigger Hurricanes

Are We Making Bigger Hurricanes?
In the south of Baja and mainland Mexico, summertime means tropical storms and hurricanes. In Mulegé, an unprecedented three floods occurred in four years, caused by rain-heavy hurricanes. People are claiming it is “global warming.” But is it?

After the 2005 record-breaking season of monsters like Katrina, Wilma, and Dennis, hurricanes became the poster child of climate change. An Inconvenient Truth’s image of a hurricane spewing out of a smoke stack seems to say: we are fueling our own self-destruction.

But I have to wonder, could my tailpipe emissions really create mega storms?  Read More...




 

Voyage of Kiri
Exploring the Effects of Climate on Mexico's Coastline
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The Great Floods of Mulegé

A picturesque Baja town has been hammered repeatedly by the escalating tempo of flooding from tropical storms.

Location: At the river mouth in Mulegé, a town on the fourth largest oasis in Baja. The green river winds past palm trees before opening into the Sea of Cortéz.

Conditions: Humid with the buzz of crickets and mosquitoes. Bougainvilleas and trees filter the morning light.

Discussion: "The water was up to here," said Saul Davis, pointing above his head at a mark on the wall. "There was mud everywhere." Davis is the charismatic owner of a small market in Mulegé, a town completely flooded in September 2009 by Hurricane Jimena.

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Voyage of Kiri
Exploring the Effects of Climate on Mexico's Coastline
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