Provino Offers Seafood Virtual Cooking Class Pack
The Ensenada wineries association, PROVINO A.C., is offering a virtual cooking class with wine and ingredients included this coming Friday, May 28th at 1:00PM (Pacific Time) and 2:00PM (Los Cabos area)
Chefs Mikel Alonso, Solange Muris, Benito Molina and Aquiles Chavez will guide you through the preparation of seashells-based dishes, celebrating together the products of Baja California.
During the virtual session, you will have the opportunity to learn from the experts and have fun cooking recipes where the main ingredients will be sustainably cultivated seashells from the Pacific like oysters, mussels, and clams. You will also have the opportunity to pair your creations with white and rose wines from the Valleys of Ensenada, that were very recently released to the market. The virtual session will be recorder in case you want to view it again anytime.
The cost of the class is $1,400 pesos (about 74 USD) and your experience includes ingredients to prepare the dishes featured in the class, for up to 4 persons:
- 2 dozen Kumiai Oysters
- 3 kilos of Mussels
- 4 kilos of Chione Clams
- 2 bottles of wine from Baja California
The shipping cost in Baja California is just $200 pesos (about 10.50 USD) and $900 pesos (about 47 USD) to ship it by air to the rest of Mexico.
This seafood class will be a homage to local ingredients and a perfect opportunity to give continuity to the “seashells and new wine” festival that has seen interruptions due to the pandemic.
The class will be offered in Spanish only, so make sure to invite that spanish-speaking friend so he can you help out in the kitchen!
Click here or the image below to go to the registration page.
Ensenada Police Get COVID-19 Vaccine After Thousands Don’t Show For Their Shot
More than 400 police officers from Ensenada got a chance to get their COVID-19 vaccine, after they were called in urgently because there were several defrosted Pfizer vaccines from the 50-59 years old group that just did not go to get their shot.
A video circulated on social networks were Oscar Perez Rico, head of the state health office, was having a heated argument with federal government employees that were refusing to give the shot to police officers because they said it was not intended for them, while Perez Rico responded by saying that the vaccine was almost going to expire, and it would have to be thrown away.
They were able to resolve the argument and the police officers got their shot, but Perez Rico stated his preoccupation with the 50-59 group, which consisted of 40,000 persons, and only 29,741 came to receive their shot.
Four Ways Trees Add Value to Your Property
BY THE DAVEY TREE COMPANY
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), in 2020, 52 percent of buyers 30 to 39 years and 88 percent of buyers 29 years and younger were first-time home buyers. Homeownership is a big investment; and when you decide to sell your property, making a profit is the number one priority.
For first-time and long-time homeowners alike, there is an easy way to add value to your home now. This Arbor Day, April 22, celebrate by adding trees to your landscape.
It’s no secret that landscaping increases property values, but according to The United States Forest Service, landscapes with mature trees may increase value by 20 percent.
“Simply add trees and take your landscape design to the next level,” says Joshua Fritz, a certified arborist and District Manager at Hartney Greymont, a Davey company. “Besides increasing property values and creating a more desirable street on which to live, the benefits of trees are endless.”
Studies show trees improve health, lower anxiety, produce more sociable neighborhoods and more.
A certified arborist can provide a free consultation to discuss how a well-maintained landscape will pay off for years to come.
4 Ways Trees Add Value to Your Property:
A lifetime of beauty. A mature tree can have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000, according to the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers. It takes years for trees to reach mature size, so plant now and enjoy the trees’ benefits until it’s time to sell.
Seeing green. Money magazine estimated that while kitchen or bathroom remodeling can bring a recovery value up to 125 percent, landscaping can bring up to a 200 percent return at selling time. Keep your yard in tip-top shape with the help of an arborist who can tell you how to properly maintain your trees.
Add visual interest. Many trees are valued for their hardiness, durability, adaptability, and overall desirability for sturdiness, low maintenance, or attractiveness. According to Better Homes and Gardens, Japanese maples and dwarf conifers are among the most highly valued trees. Talk to an arborist who can identify the best and most valuable trees for your landscape.
Cool shade. To see a return on investment before you sell, plant trees to reduce heating and cooling costs. Trees are known for shade and reducing energy bills. The American Power Association estimates that effective landscaping can reduce a home cooling bill by as much as 50 percent a year. In fact, areas without cooling shade trees can become “heat islands” with temperatures reaching 12 degrees higher than surrounding areas. Trees planted on the north and northwest sides of your property create a wall against cold winter winds and cut heating costs by up to 30 percent a year.
Want to add value and natural beauty to your landscape? Contact an arborist in your region by visiting www.davey.com
This article was originally published on Associaonline.com and is republished with permission.
Pastor and Wife Propose Bill of Rights for Domestic Workers
BY RICK GORDON
Pastor Rick Gordon and his wife, Paloma Palacios, of Los Cabos, created this Bill of Rights pledge to protect Domestic Workers (cleaning ladies and nannies) throughout Mexico. They modeled the below Bill of Rights from the inerrant Word of God and the Declaration of Human rights created by the United Nations in 1948.
If you employ one or more domestic workers, we recommend following this Bill of Rights:
1. Pay your worker at least a minimum wage of $213 pesos (minimum wage in México) for an 8hr day. But we would like to pledge to pay at least $300 pesos for a day’s work.
2. Provide lunch for any employee working an 8hr day, including a 45 min break
3. Pay overtime at a minimum of $50 pesos per hour for any shift longer than 8hrs. Including live-in cleaning ladies and nannies.
4. Provide a day and a half of rest per week (unless programed in a different way by the parts). If your employee agrees to work on that day, they shall be paid double the minimum wage.
5. Give at least 6 paid days off after one year of work if they are working a minimum of 40 hours per week. If the employee elects to not take time off a bonus of the equivalent of one week’s salary should be paid. This, according to article 76 of the Mexican Constitution where it says that all workers that have been serving more than a year, will enjoy a period of paid vacations, that should not be less than 6 working days, and every year will increase two working days all the way to 12 days for every year of services provided.
6. If your Family is traveling and you have a full-time domestic worker that has been employed for more than 1 year; that time can be used as their paid vacation time. Yet, if you are traveling for more than 1-week, your domestic employee needs to be compensated at their daily minimum wage.
7. Provide transportation from the bus stop and back if the employee must walk more than 10 minutes to your residence.
8. We also suggest you consider paying social security for any full-time domestic worker who you’ve employed for more than 2 years. This will enable your employee’s health benefits for them and their family. You can facilitate this by contacting: http://www.imss.gob.mx/personas-trabajadoras-hogar
9. Offer a written notice to the employee about your policies on sick leave, vacation, personal leave, holidays and hours of work. As well as provide your employee with a written notice that lists the regular and overtime rates of pay and the regular payday.
10. Always treat each other with respect and kindness.
We hope that you make the pledge to uphold these rights and help us spread this message. Please visit our Facebook page at “The Surfing Pastor” and gives us a thumbs up and please repost this pledge on your social media. Together we can make a difference and protect the human rights of all domestic workers in México. ,
Ask a Mexican
How do you celebrate Mother’s Day?
Día de la Madre is coming up soon, and not many people know where this tradition comes from. The celebration started in 1922. May was picked because it is the month of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. And the 10th because, back in the day, payday was every 10 days. Other sources say the first Mother’s Day happened in Oaxaca in 1913 when the wife of a Methodist deacon found an American magazine where there was an article about Mother’s Day and decided we needed it in Mexico too. Mexico was the first Spanish-speaking country in America to celebrate Mother’s Day with the first monument in Mexico City, built in 1949. Mother’s Day is so important in Mexico that most businesses give mothers the day off, schools make festivals and host breakfasts and gifts are typically given, although nowadays it is frowned upon when household items or appliances are given to moms.
Luisa Armada, 25, accountant.
I like to take my mom and grandma for breakfast, somewhere nice with good food, and it’s obviously my treat. Then I take them for a small shopping trip. I get them whatever they need for themselves and we have lunch and chill at my house. I try to make this day super special since they were both single mothers and I think they deserve the entire world.
Carlos Perez, 63, farmer.
I take my wife out to dinner a day before or a day after, because the day of, everything is packed. She loves to cook though, so it’s hard for us to ask her to take a break. Last year my kids saved a lot of money and gave her a spa package, but she took so long in going that it expired. This year I don’t think I’ll take her anywhere because of the pandemic, but my kids will probably think of something to do to make her day special.
Josue Gonzales, 29, media manager.
I love pampering my mom and I don’t wait for Mother’s Day, but I usually plan something different. One year I took her to a spa and dinner, another year we had a picnic at her favorite beach, and this year I’m taking her on a flash vacation to see her girlfriends who live away.
Josefina Chavez, 45, receptionist.
My kids always make me breakfast in bed and we just hang out, they deep clean the house one day before so I don’t have to do anything, and my girls give me massages, facials and do my nails. I miss it when they were little. They would make a small dance or performance and it was really fun.
Daniela Hernandez, 21, student.
This year we are getting my grandma, aunts and mom all together at the ranch and all my cousins and I are having a big lunch and a performance. The pandemic has been hard for them since they couldn’t see much of each other, but most of them are vaccinated. The men in our family will take care of the food and we will do decorations. Each family has a big present for each of their moms.
Cristina Villa, 43, hairstylist.
I am a mom now, and I invite my mother to my house where my kids celebrate us. They usually make breakfast and we do some sort of activity. My mother really enjoys taking out picture albums and telling stories, she loves braiding the girl’s hair and we all have a good time. My kids have now made a rule that we can’t get appliances for Mother’s Day, so they give us chocolate, wine, self-care stuff and clothes.
How Are Baja’s Elections Going?
If the elections for governor of Baja where today, who would you vote for?
13.4% of voters are still undefined, and 0.6% chose not to vote.
Percentages where adjusted to get a full 100%.
Visiting Guanajuato
BY RICARDO GARCIA CHAVEZ
First point, closest to the Airport.
In planning holidays, we chose a point where we could take a domestic flight from Cabo and enjoy cultural diversity, gastronomy, architecture and fun. We chose Silao Guanajuato airport and started by visiting the cubilete hill just 27 kilometers away from the airport, whose attraction is the church that has a Christ right on the top of the mountain.
Typical dish in Guanajuato
The next point is Guanajuato city where we find its colonial architectural beauty as a symbol of the Bajío area. There, it is a must to eat some delicious “Guacamayas,” which are hard pork chicharrón inside a bolillo bread (similar to a baguette but smaller), accompanied by pickle bowls, avocado, tree sauce and pico de gallo which is green, white and red salad made with serrano chili, onion and tomato.
View from the top to the city
We took pictures of the monument to the “Pípila” Juan José de los Reyes Martínez who, in the taking of the gran alhondiga, played an important part in the struggle for the independence of Mexico. He carried a stone on his back to be able to cross without being shot by bullets.
Guanajuato City downtown
Then go down to the famous underground tunnels that cross the city. Also visit the market with its extensive assortment of jackets, footwear, bags and leather goods, and then the obligatory visit to the famous mummies of Guanajuato, perform collejoneadas with the students, visit the University of Guanajuato, the Juárez theater and finish in the alley of the kiss, a famously romantic place.
To enjoy each place, it is recommended to stay all day long in each one. The best hotel offer is in Guanajuato, so you can stay there, rent a car and drive around the nearby cities recommended here.
The historical Dolores Hidalgo
The next obligatory stop is Dolores Hidalgo, the birthplace of Mexico’s independence and where the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla carried the banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe and gave the call of freedom and independence in 1810. It is also the place where the famous Mexican composer, José Alfredo Jiménez, was born. There is a museum very close to the church of Dolores and in the municipal pantheon is his iconic tomb.
Celaya and his Painter
One of the reasons we wanted to go to Guanajuato is for one of my favorite painters, Octavio Ocampo, whose birthplace is Celaya. The municipal palace welcomes us with these magnificent works painted by him. It is a beautiful town with restaurants, art galleries and museums within walking distance in downtown.
To finish with honors, we visited San Miguel de Allende. San Miguel de Allende is historically and culturally famous and a safe place to travel. It’s a favorite destination for tourists, with regional and international gastronomy, boutique hotels, art galleries and art stores, the iconic church with gothic design, arts and crafts stores, and traditional food restaurants. It’s a calm place with the perfect climate to walk around.
Enjoy Mexico!
Que Pasa in Baja?
Solar power park coming soon. Our state government announced this week that a new solar power park will begin construction in the “Laguna Salada” area of Mexicali as soon as the elections pass in June.
The federal government has already given the go ahead and issued all necessary permits for the park, which will allow Baja California to be energy independent from the interconnected California grid.
The investment will be made by a private company called Next Energy, which will then sell all the energy produced to our state at a lower price than the one being paid to the CFE, this will allow the state to save over 3 million USD per year in energy costs.
Low turnout for COVID-19 vaccine. The state health office announced that there has been a lower-than-expected turnout for the vaccination of the 50-59 years old group. In Ensenada, it was announced that only 8,500 persons came for the vaccine on the first day with even lower turnouts for the remaining days.
A total of 250,000 persons have been vaccinated in the state of Baja California, 6.57% of the state’s inhabitants that has a current population of 3.8 million.
Baja Governor in Top 3. According to the 14th ranking of Mexican governors by the Campaign & Elections magazine, Jaime Bonilla, governor of Baja California, was ranked in the third place of the most approved governors in Mexico, with a 67% approval rate.
The first place went to Mauricio Vila Dosal, governor of Yucatan with a whopping 71.9% approval rate, followed by Queretaro’s governor Francisco Dominguez with 68.5%.
Bonilla was the highest ranked governor coming from the Morena party as the first two came from the PAN party.
U.S. – Mexico Trade Breaks Record. The combined import-export figure of commerce between the U.S. and Mexico reached a staggering $56.9 billion in the month of March this year, a figure never seen before for one month. It represents a 17 percent increase over February this year and 13 percent over March of 2020. Thus, Mexico ended as the biggest commercial partner of the U.S. this quarter, above Canada, Japan, Germany, and China.
Baja Recovering Fast! According to the Statistics and Geography Institute of Mexico, Baja California won the second place of national growth with a 3.7% increase in economic activity compared to the same October-December quarter of 2019.
This data puts Baja as one of the fastest States in the country to recover from the pandemic hit, as most states in the country are showing no increase in economic activity or even a decrease.
It was also noted that Baja California was able to get 3.3 billion USD of private investment during 2020, signaling a sustainable economic growth for our state.
The Wish to Move to Mexico is Growing. As reported by the online magazine Expats in Mexico, the interest to move to Mexico is growing among Canadian citizens. The magazine conducted a survey and found that 54 percent of the respondents said they were highly likely to move to Mexico, up 5 percent over their 2019 survey. Unfortunately, we did not make the favorites places list which, they stated, are Puerto Vallarta, Lake Chapala, Los Cabos and Merida and Playa del Carmen in the southern Quintana Roo state.
Major Cruise Development Planned for Ensenada. Mexico’s ITM Group and Carnival Corporation are teaming up to develop La Española Village, a cruise ship terminal that would feature Mexican gastronomy with casual and fine-dining food and beverage outlets, wine tasting, music, and other live entertainment. And an expansive adventure park tentatively dubbed The Isle at Ensenada would be packed with activities for children and adults such as a river ride, hot springs, bubble rapids, pools, tequila and chocolate experiences and the replica of a historic exploration ship.
The 25 million USD project is expected to begin construction in October of this year with completion targeted for the summer of 2023. ,
Destination La Misión
BY MARTINA DOBESH
10,000 years ago, the first people walked along this coastal area, now known as Baja California. Before it was named La Misión, the Kumiai Indians lived here. Today it is known as part of the old mission trail and the old road runs between two mountains with a lush estuary at its center. This area remains delightfully underdeveloped, allowing the historic essence to be felt. With the increased popularity of Baja California cities, often La Misión is passed by as a weekend retreat. However, it is because of its very nature that La Misión makes for a quiet and relaxing weekend retreat with many more points of interest than one might have as a first impression.
There were no boundaries or borders, only vast untouched land. Here the Kumeyaay (Kumiai) lived for thousands of years. Nature provided everything they needed and the people honored all that was given. They were hunter gatherers and learned fishing later. They sang their stories which were passed down for thousands of years. These first people left a very small footprint upon the land, a few arrow heads and pottery shards, but one recent find near Playa La Misión unearth a wealth of information about a people who lived 800 years ago at the edge of the sparkling sea. The archeological dig in 2010 unearthed a young woman. They said that she was a holy woman and carried a sacred pipe. Those who unearthed her called her Mujer de Humo or the Woman of Smoke. Still today, there are annual ceremonies where the Kumiai sing their sacred songs and all people are welcomed to visit.
Then came the Dominican missionaries and they began to name things. Misión San Miguel was established in March of 1787 in the valley near the San Juan Bautista stream, also known as the Guadalupe River. Their reports told of the lush grazing land, fresh water, an abundance of wild life and migrating birds. Nature provided abundantly for the first settlers to this valley. Today, there are only 3 adobe sections remaining of the old mission and they are protected with coats of adobe wash. While there is little to see, one can imagine how beautiful it must have been when the stream ran filled with fresh water and food was plentiful. Today, there is an agribusiness with fields of organic vegetables grow seasoning. The fortunate community is furnished with fresh produce right from the farm.
Development has been limited by nature herself. What was once a flowing river has become an estuary which feeds into the Pacific and can be seen from the toll road and is visited by migrating birds. In fact, it is a very important migratory channel along the coast and “250 species of birds utilize the estuary and adjacent uplands,” reports Richard Erickson, biologist and ornithology specialist. The best months to visit for optimum photo opportunities are September and November, but birds are always a special attraction year-round. La Misión residents are bird enthusiasts have their camera’s ready. Some very important photos have come out of this love for the flying ones: Great Blue Heron, Osprey fishing hawk, white egrets, Red Tail hawks, white pelicans and all manner of ducks and shore birds, and on occasion a very rare sighting has occurred. The local community has a watchful eye and is asking the Mexican government to consider it as a protected area. Near the edge of the estuary is Las Palmas campground with dense palm trees and a swimming pool. It is quiet off season; however, it is impossible to get a site during the summer months.
OK, pull on your boots, put on your Stetson and get ready for a unique horse lover experience. For those travelers that really want to have an experience of early Baja, the best way is by horseback and there are several wonderful opportunities. Visitors have a choice of riding on the beach or across the valley and into the hills. Marty Harriman has developed a very special ride into the back country where people can spend the night off the grid in comfy tents and enjoy a night fire, looking up into a night sky, seldom seen in the cities.
La Misión had a scare when the Walking Dead took over the town. Fear the Walking Dead, a popular TV series was filmed here, utilizing the small pueblo of Alisitos and the restaurant, Magañas. The dusty pueblo made for perfect settings of a post-apocalypse town ravaged by ghouls. Magañas is a local hang out with lively bar, good drinks and the biggest burritos stuffed full to overflowing. It is the real deal and still welcomes horseback riders to stop by and tie up at the old hitching post. It was unnerving for some local residents to see the decaying dead dragging one foot behind them, heading in for a beer. Puerta del Valle is a small complex with a delightful coffee shop for your favorite espresso. Acher’s Pizza features authentic thin crust pizza and Chef Uriel studied in Italy to perfect his craft. Dmytri’s Original La Fonda is over 80 years old now and is just down the road for its famous patio dining. Only a short drive north, there is the iconic Splash for delicious Mexican seafood with an astounding array of seating choices.
The ever-popular Airbnb is well represented in La Misión. Many of the places are nested on the bluff overlooking the estuary. With a cup of steaming coffee, the quiet morning greets you. The sparkling Pacific meets the estuary and lazy vultures catch a morning thermal, while long-legged white egrets stealthily sneaks up on a fish. Other options for lodging line the beach at Playa La Misión and a step out the door starts you on a morning walk on the beach. A few of these locations offer morning yoga on the patio and tours into the wine country which is only 20 minutes away. In fact, La Misión is the gateway to the Guadalupe Valley by way of the old highway 1, which is a lovely scenic drive. You can plan a day trip for wine tasting and return for a quiet evening on the coast in a snug Airbnb.
After an invigorating day of adventurous horseback riding or touring, you can indulge in a massage or pedicure at Spacifico Spa, where master esthetician massage therapist, Antonio Salceda knows how to put you right again.
I’ll bet that the quiet wonder of nature will have you on the patio watching a flaming sunset that happens during the fall and winter months. La Misión is a destination for all seasons, but the best months are off season, September through April, for the skies are clear of coastal fog, inland temperatures are cooler and the beaches belong to you.
