Walk to Beach from Spectacular Ocean, Mountain and Desert View Home

Imagine sitting in bed watching whales spout and spyhop. Or enjoy appetizers at sunset from your second story kitchen and deck while you check the waves at world-famous La Pastora surf break.

Enjoy ocean views from downstairs bedroom and den. Watch whales and waves from upstairs kitchen and deck.

This colorful, well-designed home is perfect either as a residence or getaway vacation destination for a couple or small family.

The house features:

• 80 square meter (720 square foot) interior space
• 700 square feet of outdoor patios and decks
• 1 bedroom, 1 bath
• Quarter-acre fenced lot
• New air conditioning system downstairs
• New 5000 liter in-ground freshwater storage tank
• Beautiful garden courtyard with Mexican tiled fountain
• Connected to city power and water
• Appliances included: stove, microwave, new refrigerator

Recent upgrades include:

• Outdoor fireplace
• Money-saving Ejido (agricultural) water system for landscaping
• Drip irrigation to all plants
• New septic system
• Fresh paint inside and out
• Price: $189,500 USD
• Further Information from the US, dial direct toll-free: (831) 454-9365
• From Mexico, dial (612) 147-7550

Spectacular views from second story deck.

 A Relaxing Lifestyle

Penny and I fell in love with this home as a vacation getaway more than seven years ago. Recently, we retired and moved to Todos Santos as full time residents. We’re completing a new, larger house, so we’re putting our much-loved vacation home on the market.

Todos Santos is a community of about 6000 people located on the Pacific side of Baja California Sur. It’s reachable via an easy 2-hour flight from Los Angeles or San Diego. There are two nearby airports. Cabo San Lucas is about a 90 minute drive to the south. La Paz is about a 75 minute drive to the north.

Todos Santos draws, artists, writers, surfers, crafstmen and nature lovers from all over the world.

The town has been designated by the Mexican government as the only “Pueblo Magico”  (Magical town) in all of Baja for its unique combination of history, art and natural beauty.

Things to Do and See in Southern Baja

Nearby activities in or around Todos Santos include:

• Surfing
• Deep-sea fishing
• Sea kayaking
• Stand-up paddleboarding
• Sailing
• Snorkeling and SCUBA diving
• Nature touring
• Mountain biking
• Golf
• Horseback riding
• Fine dining at many great restaurants in town

Bedroom with sitting area features ocean views

November through March is the height of whale watching season, when mothers travel to the warm waters to birth calves. Sea turtles also nest during the winter months, and you can participate in programs to release newly hatched eggs for their first swim.

Relax in the cool shady fountain courtyard garden

CNN Rates Sea of Cortez as “Top Ten” World Cruising Destinations

Alaska…The Galapagos Islands…Madagascar….Australia are just some of the other destinations in CNN’s short list of “The World’s Most Scenic Cruising Destinations.”

And for sheer breathtaking beauty, Baja California’s Sea of Cortez shares a spot in the venerable news organization’s short list. The Sea of Cortez features fantastic diving and snorkeling, kayaking, turquoise waters lapping at deserted beaches, and world-class fishing.

Depending on the season, the Sea of Cortez also offers windsurfing, kiteboarding, standup paddleboarding and surfing. Throughout the year, wildlife is abundant and varied.

Sculpture lines the Boardwalk in La Paz, Baja California, Mexico, which lies on the Sea of Cortez. Clear, warm waters and unique wildlife make the Sea of Cortez a top cruising destination.

Tips for Cruising the Sea of Cortez on the Cheap

CNN’s article covers a weeklong cruise starting at about US $5200 per person. But for about $50 to $75 per person, you can enjoy a fun daylong minicruise. Here’s how to do it.

From downtown La Paz, you can catch a panga (25-foot long open motorboat) that will take you on a 45 minute trip to Espiritu Santo Island. The island has beautiful white sandy beaches, rocky headlands and islands with colonies of seals and sea lions, as well as amazing birdlife. The mini cruises usually feature lunches (sandwiches and soft drinks).

You can arrange a same-day trip to the island, or book a day or two in advance with a boat operator. A bit of friendly negotiation on price is expected.

For the complete CNN article about the world’s top cruising destinations, click on the link below.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/06/22/most.scenic.cruises.tl/index.html?&hpt=hp_c2

Learning Spanish in Mexico

Recently, Penny and I had the pleasure of studying Spanish for a week in La Paz, Mexico at a school called Se Habla La Paz.

Se Habla La Paz isn’t a traditional Spanish school. It’s set just a block up from the beach boardwalk in a beautiful vine-covered home near the charming historical section of La Paz.

Students have a choice of individual or small group instruction. The school can also arrange for students to stay in the nearby homes of Mexican families, which offers unique opportunities to get an inside view of Mexican life.

Se Habla La Paz was recommended by several friends, and we found the instructors to be friendly and knowledgeable. However, if it’s been a while since you’ve been in school, be prepared to do some homework!

Our verdict: it’s fun Learning Spanish in Mexico at Se Habla La Paz.

Mexican Circus Delights Kids of All Ages

The traveling Mexican circus rolled into Todos Santos earlier this week.

In a day’s time the Circo de Miami transformed a dusty parking lot into a first-class carnival of music, light, color and entertainment.

But most magical to me was that this traveling Mexican circus turned back the clock to a simpler time.

Forty five years ago, when I was a 10-year-old boy, my parents took me to see the “Greatest Show on Earth:” the famed Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus, when it came to San Jose, California. I still remember those roaring lions, high-wire tightrope walkers, fire-eaters, clowns and beautiful dancing horses.

The Circo de Miami lived up to this memory. It’s a great family entertainment experience for children and adults alike.

For ticket prices ranging from 30 pesos (less than $3 USD) to $150 pesos, we were treated to 3 hours of nonstop action and comedy.

Every performer appeared to have at least four or five jobs.  Trapeze acrobats turned into animal tamers after a quick change of costume. Between acts, clowns in outlandish costumes and painted faces performed hilarious skits.

Check the Circo de Miami web page for information on upcoming performance dates and locations.

In the meantime, enjoy this photo essay of the Mexican circus!

Beautiful women, powerful horses, scary beasts--the glittering exterior of the Circo de Miami beckons people inside the tent to enjoy an exotic show

She flew through the air with the greatest of ease, this daring young woman on the flying trapeze

In only 30 seconds, this straight-jacketed, gagged, hooded, leg-shackled magician escaped while suspended up-side down twenty feet off the ground from a fiery rope.

With her winning smile and sparkling eyes, this young bellhop charmed customers into buying bright red candy apples

The young women in the audience showed their appreciation for the handsome male dancers in the show. This fellow also wowed the crowd with a "Tarzan" act

For a few pesos, customers could get their picture taken with "The World's Smallest Horse," a tiny baby pony

From bowling pins to rings to flying sombreros, this fellow juggled them all

Dressed in their 1950's-style bellhop costumes, young lady vendors supplied the crowd with popcorn, chips, sodas and ice cream

Look carefully in this picture--there is a tiger leaping through the air above the trio with their paws resting on the bar. After the tiger show, the young lady trainer crossed herself with relief!

At the end of the show, a gymnast circled the ring standing on horseback waving the Mexican flag.

Photo Essay Todos Santos, Baja California

Surrounded by 7,000 foot-tall peaks, Todos Santos is a palm oasis town nestled amid the palm groves near the southern tip of Baja California. About 6,000 people live here. Fishing, agriculture, and increasingly, tourism drive the local economy.

Todos Santos is one of those places where nature puts on her best show, all in a small space: mountains, desert, ocean.

Recently I was among a group that took a half-day photography workshop with New York-based photographer Judith Farber.

The pictures on this page are by myself and my wife, Penny. We hope you enjoy them!

Todos Santos Photo Essay

This beautiful woman lives in a tiny home next to the bank on the main street in Todos Santos. I love the sense of calm in her deeply furrowed face. It's my favorite photo of the day

Penny snapped this picture, which captures the interplay of the talavera-ware plates on the wall. In the foreground... a turquoise blue Mexican hat and a wisp of dark hair

This is my favorite kid picture of the day....and there were many from which to choose. The olive-skinned young girls meet the camera's eye with confidence and curiosity.

Big smiles, and bubble-gum blue lips as these kids left the ice cream store in the late afternoon

Stacks of hats await their new owners at a streetfront shop in Todos Santos

The succulent colors of the Hotel California

Colorful talavera-ware jars contrast with rough wire fencing and adobe brick wall at a shop on the main street of Todos Santos

A kid....a slide....an equation for pure joy on a warm afternoon

The front wall of Gabo's art gallery carves geometric shapes into the perfect blue sky

Rhinestone heart earrings adorn a local Todos Santos beauty

Thanks for a GREAT photo class Judith!

La Encantada: An Enchanting New Wine Bar and Deli in La Paz, Baja

The Entrance to La Encantada Beckons Diners and Art Lovers

Looking for a Mediterranean-style gallery that combines fine art, a relaxing sculpture garden, an incredible delicatessen and a tempting wine menu?

Then look no further than La Encantada which was recently opened in the fascinating historic district of old downtown La Paz in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

From the bright desert sunshine of La Paz, a visitor to La Encantada passes through two large, softly lit gallery rooms. Featured sculptors and painters change regularly, typically every three months.

La Encantada Owner Lila Magallon

“I have always wanted to help advance the culture scene in La Paz,” says Lila Magallon. Lila, who brings previous experience running a gallery in Morelia on the mainland of Mexico, returned to La Paz. “My parents live in this area, and I have always loved La Paz,” she says.

Lila completely renovated the La Encantada structure but kept the best elements. For example, the building used to house a music school, and she has preserved the remarkable acoustic properties of the place. La Encantada frequently hosts live music events.

The Beautiful Patio Garden at La Encantada

“Musicians love the resonant acoustic properties of this place,” Lila says

La Encantada has playful elements as well, such as a swing suspended from the stout limb of an ancient tree. After dark, the garden comes alive with soft, indirect outdoor lighting that invites you to linger.

No detail has been overlooked in the renovation. Soothing water sounds trickle from concrete fountains that also double as casual bench seats. There’s a large shady sitting area

Great Food and Wine

The deli menu at La Encantada changes according to what’s in season. In our party of four, Lila prepared a beautiful plate consisting of two types of salami, proscuitto, gorgonzola and parmesan cheeses, green olives and nuts. In addition, there was candied bisnaga, a type of Baja desert cactus that was sugar-crystallized and delicious.

Our Waiter, Gerardo, Presented us with this Tempting Plate of Meats, Cheeses, Fruit and Olives

La Encantada is located in the old historic center of La Paz at:

Belisario Dominguez 1245
el 5 de Mayo 4
Callejon Constitucion

For more information, visit www.galerialaencantada.com.

In Todos Santos, Kids Find a Joyous, Loving Home at Hogar del Ninos

As you leave Todos Santos at the start of the hour-long drive to La Paz, look for a simple black-and-white roadside sign that says “Hogar del Ninos”.

Turn down palm-lined dirt road for a few hundred yards and turn into the driveway past a colorful welcome banner of the Home for Children.

As you open the car door, the joy is palpable. A dozen or more kids come to a skidding stop to greet you on their bicycles.

Located just north of Todos Santos near the Pemex station, Hogar de Ninos has been providing loving care for nearly two dozen children for more than a year. The is the lifelong vision of 40-year-old Joel Hernandez.

Alicia, Joel and a few of the 22 kids at Hogar del Nino

Joel grew up in three different orphanages in the Northern Baja city of Ensenada, an experience that had a profound impact on his life.

“When I lived in Ensenada, I saw only Americans. They came to visit me, to play with me I learned to love Americans,” Joel says in near-flawless English. “So many of them helped me.”

Fifteen years ago Joel conceived the idea of opening a facility for children. Seven years ago he and a partner bought a tract of land at the north end of Todos Santos. Joel and Alicia finally realized their dream and opened the facility in 2010.

Located In Todos Santos, Hogar del Ninos is Baja’s Newest Facility for Abused or Orphaned Kids

Todos Santos’ Hogar del Ninos operates with a staff of 16 people, all of whom are volunteers. Neither Joel nor his soft-spoken wife Alicia, 36, draw a salary.

Three best friends all wear pink

“Some of our kids have been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused,” Joel says. Some parents are in jail. And some have been simply abandoned by their families.”

The 3.5 hectare facility houses 22 kids and includes separate dormitories for boys and girls, a kitchen, and a bakery and Joel’s office. Outdoors there is a large garden and animal pens that contain goats, chickens, sheep and a cow. Kids learn animal husbandry and horticultural skills. In the bakery, kids learn to make bread and donuts that are sold in town.

Kids Help Make Baked Goods that are Sold in Todos Santos

Boys fly on the trampoline

The children also learn gardening and animal husbandry. Joel has plans to install a print shop and carpentry workshop as funds and tools become available.

“I want to ensure that these kids have a way to make a living after they leave the orphanage,” Joel says. “I don’t want them on the street selling drugs or becoming prostitutes.”

“I’ve been supporting myself since age 11,” Joel says. “I want kids to learn skills they can use after they leave here.”

Government Approved But Privately Funded

The Hogar del Niño A.C. is a nonprofit home for Mexican children that relies solely on donations from the community. Children are placed in a Hogar by the government-run Mexican National Agency for Family Development, (DIF), but the agency often lacks sufficient funding.

The kids all love "Bienvenidos," the dog

For example the Hogar in Cabo San Lucas operates with major assistance from the Rotary Club. In La Paz the Catholic Church has been supporting the Hogar for 60 years. The facility in Todos Santos is Baja’s newest. Eventually, Joel plans to expand the facility to serve about 100 children.

Joel and Alicia are both Pastors in the Independent Evangelical Church.

The Todos Santos Hogar de Ninos is not an adoption agency. If a family is interested in adopting a child, they need  to proceed through official government agencies.

Donate or Contact:

Make monetary donations at Banorte Bank:

Kids run to greet visitors

Donations can be made at the Banorte Bank acct. # 0666456418 (pesos) and their dollar account is 0662765028. The clave # for wire transfers is: Interbancaria 072047006664564184 (M.N).

If you would like to provide meals, contact Lisa Welsch. Her email is: lwelsch@cbriveras.com.

For more information, contact the Todos Santos Hogar del Ninos at:

Email  hogardelninoac@hotmail.com
www.hogardelnino.org.mx

Joe Brozda MD 1925-2010

After two years of planning for retirement, I arrived in Todos Santos, Mexico on May 12, 2010.

Three days later, on May 15, 2010 my father died peacefully at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California. He was 85.

Fortunately, I was able to fly up and see my dad one last time before he passed away.

Joe Brozda, MD, was a physician and surgeon. He knew he had a severe blockage of his coronary arteries, but he downplayed the severity of his situation so his family wouldn’t worry about him.Typical dad.

Today, one year after his death, I celebrate the man who brought me and five other children into the world and educated us. He nurtured and encouraged us. Most importantly, he loved us.

Born in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, October 17, 1925, Joe was the only son of Polish and Latvian immigrants Joseph and Bernice Brozda of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

As a young boy he worked in his father’s pharmacy on Howard Street where he helped prepare prescriptions, serve fountain drinks and re-stock the large glass-fronted candy case.  His lifelong love of music started early with the study of violin.

Joe graduated from St. Thomas High School in Braddock, Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, and Loyola Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago.  He was a member of Phi Beta Pi fraternity.

Dad in his Army uniform

From 1946 through 1949 he served in the Army Signal Corps on Guam and Saipan, receiving an honorable discharge as a lieutenant. Returning home from the South Pacific, he sailed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, not knowing that one day he would return to settle in California.

Joe did his internship and five-year surgical residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. As a member of the prestigious Karl Meyer Surgical Society he worked directly under the tutelage of the great senior surgeon.

Poppy and Joe Brozda circa 1953

On a blind date, Joe met Helen “Poppy” Popovich; they married in 1953 at St. Colman’s Catholic Church in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania. They had six children: Michael, Christopher (deceased), Amie, Lisa, Tina, Eric and one grandchild, Kimberly.

In 1959, the family moved to California where Dad opened a private practice in San Jose. He was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery, and a member of the International Burn Society.

Dad was in private practice in San Jose from 1959 through 1989. Together with colleague Dr. Lawrence Stern, he innovated many surgical techniques, especially in the treatment of severe burns and trauma.

One of his major contributions to the surgical profession in the nascent Silicon Valley was to found the Santa Clara County Surgical Society, and serve, until 1977, as its first president. He had a strong belief in creating an all-inclusive forum for surgeons to exchange ideas to learn from one another.

He was on staff at Stanford University Hospital Surgical Department, as well as San Jose, Good Samaritan, O’Connor, and Santa Teresa Hospitals in Silicon Valley.

Joe received hun

Dad in retirement enjoying a book

dreds of letters of thanks from grateful patients. A highlight of his career was a life-saving mastectomy performed forty years ago. Every June since that operation, Joe received a letter of thanks from Angie, the grateful patient.

Joe was such an avid chess player that his family sometimes teased him that his middle initial “C” stood for “chess” instead of “Clemens.” He achieved a master’s level chess player ranking of 1600.

Joe was a passionate reader, and loved opera, classical music and theatre.

As an avid golfer, skier, swimmer, SCUBA diver and instrument-rated private pilot, Joe shared his enthusiasm for life with his children and their friends.

A kind, gentle, unassuming man, dad was never happier than when he was seeing patients.

It was his heart that gave up, but it was with his heart that he treated and cared for his family, patients and friends.

Todos Santos: Some Great Recent Press

Check out this well-researched story about Todos Santos. It’s by Huffington Post Travel Editor Bob Schulman.

One of the things that I found most interesting about the story is the importance of water in the desert. It’s a resource that can dry up–literally–at any time.

In the mid 1950′s the water supply in Todos Santos did disappear, taking the sugar industry down with it. Then, as if by miracle, the freshwater springs reappeared in 1981, Schulman writes.

Below is a photo of one of the many saints scattered around town that give Todos Santos its name.

Click on the link below to read the entire story.

Todos Santos: A Sweet Story

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-schulman/todos-santos-a-sweet-stor_b_858377.html

The Silk Girls Fly In to Todos Santos

“Cirque de Luna” presents the Aerial Silk Acrobatics of “The Silk Girls,” three lovely young women from Argentina, Canary Islands and Mexico City.

Sofia Viotti, originally from Argentina, is studying Marine Biology at La Paz University and is on an exchange program from the Canary Islands.

Carolina Morales is originally from Chiappas, and is also a teacher of Silk Dancing.

Susanna Placencia originally from the City of Mexico, is also studying Marine Biology at the University in La Paz.

The trio performs at ‘Galeria Galeria’ in La Paz.

The Silk Girls will perform to Hot Latin-Afro Music. Bring your dancing shoes. The floor and stage will be open for the audience to dance. Carolina and Sofia have a special Aerial Tango routine that they will perform. It’s Tango in mid-air!

The Grande Finale of the evening will be a Fire Dance Performance to music.

Live at Todos Santos’ Newest Performing Arts Center

When: Saturday, May 14, 2011
Where: Teatro Luna Azul in Las Tunas, Todos Santos. We are in the Otro Lado of Todos Santos, past Sol Mercado II and will have signs up to direct you!
Time: Doors open at 7:30pm. Show starts at 8pm.
Admission: FREE! (Donation suggested)

There will also be a cash bar with wine, beer, tequila, soft drinks and mixed drinks. For more info contact bluemooninbaja@yahoo.com