A PICNIC WITH ANABAL AND FAMILY

Yesterday Anibal and his son came by and invited me to join his family on an outing into the mountains. I accepted his most generous offer, feeling quite honored to have been accepted by him and his family as a friend. The majority of the Mexican people are very friendly and courteous to gringos, but it is not that common for them to share their personal life and their special places.at the time I didn't realize just how very privileged I was to become . Unfortunately, I failed to take my camera along, but then maybe it is as Anibal said; “sometimes the pictures are better in your head”  I do believe he is right, as I feel an inner desire to keep this very special day private, for my perusal only. No, I will not be so selfish as to do so; it is just not in my constitution. I did take one photo of Anibal’s family next to the fire with Anibal's camera in their special camp area, where we had a delicious picnic meal of quesadillas with marinated beef, cheese, and grilled onions.




ANIBAL, ALDONZA, & AVELINO

As Anibal’s lovely lady Aldonza and son Avelino, went out to collect wood for the fire, we were joined by three stray adolescent black pigs. These guys were pretty tame and in search for food. Anibal threw them some orange peels that kept them busy for awhile. I wondered if it was wise to entice them with food before we vacated the area, as strays can become pests at times, but said nothing. Later I was to be proved correct when, as Anibal turned his back, the pigs ran up and stole his quesadilla off the grill. We all cracked up laughing, especially his lady, who about fell over over, she was laughing so hard at the expression on Anibals face.

The picnic area was very nice, with beautiful oak trees providing more than ample shade. It was a kind of oasis in the Desert Mountains minus the spring. After we had eaten, Anabals son nine year old son made sure the fire was out, while the rest of us loaded the car and picked up our trash. As we drove out I was informed that we were going to stop at a private ranch that was an ecological site, owned by his friends. He said it is a very special place that he is only allowed to bring two people into on occasion. He also smiled and said that his son didn’t count.

As we drove through the Desert Mountains I was enlightened of the  names of the local plants, bushes, trees, and their medicinal uses, one of which gives off red flowers year round. This local knowledge also included one deadly poisonous plant exuding a milky substance when cut and one small tree whose sap bleed out an amber color when cut and then as it dried it turned red to match exact color of blood. It is believed that this substance was used for the dye to paint the petroglyphs. I only wish that I could remember it all. It was quite interesting to me and was exactly the type of experience I have been seeking in Mexico. To be educated by the local people of their country and their culture, I feel is a very special experiance. I feel very privileged indeed!

The view overlooking the sea was beautiful from this twisting dirt road we traveled on high up in the mountains, as we progressed to our next mysterious destination. On this road there lie a couple of small hamlets, and many small ranches with goats in corals and cattle running free. I have to wonder how these people can survive in this beautiful, but desolate country. It caught me by surprise when we made a sharp right turn onto an even smaller track that led up a hill and around a large boulder. Further up and off to the left I noticed a young man who began walking toward us as our vehicle approached. This young man began to smile when he recognized Anibal . You could tell they were old friends by their exuberant greeting and the sincere happiness exhibited. I must apologize for my poor memory when it comes to names. I am very bad at it. Anyway, this young man was very nice and extremely informative. He led us up an old dry wash to an ancient area on the side of a mountain that had a gigantic round boulder (Piedra Gorda) sitting at the head of the wash. All around this boulder there were many smaller boulders, with many concave indentations, that were used by the ancients to grind wild seeds into flour. There were also petroglyphs of fish, painted in red on the huge boulder. Under this boulder at one end there was a hollow area that went back about twelve feet or so. Bones had been discovered in its recesses in the past that indicated it had been used as a burial site. On the upper side of this huge boulder there were more grinding stones and large slabs of  rock that had separated from and fallen to the ground. These slabs were right beside the visible petroglyphs. This made me  wonder what archaeological treasures might lay hidden beneath them. Looking at the extending cracks also makes one very nervous standing under them. This somewhat precariously balanced boulder is quite intimidating, especially with the aforementioned fragmented surface. Viewing this area of isolated scattered boulders also makes one wonder where they came from, and how they got there in the first place. After we thoroughly exploring the area we started walking back to the car. We were informed that the chipmonk that kept darting around corners and then peeking at us , was called Pepe.When we arrived back at the car and Anabal informed me that his friend wanted to show me some of his collection from the site. His friend walked up to his house to get something and when he returned he had two spear points in his hand. When I saw them I was dumbfounded. They were both ancient and I mean ancient. One of the two stood out tremendously and I could not believe my eyes!


At this point I must interject a bit of my history concerning spear points. In the late 60s and early 70s, I lived on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Mountains, at Crowley Lake Ca. One of my endeavors was the hunting of arrow heads and spear points. A friend of my first wife and I discovered a very rare spear head called a Clovis Point. A Clovis Point was used on spears by the ancients to hunt and kill Mammoth Elephants. Our friend (Doris Behinke), was given the honor of having the archaeological site where she found it named after her.  At the time there had only been one other Clovis point found in America, and that was in Texas.


 In the 80s I met and befriended a man (Ron), through a mutual interest in Harleys. One day while working on his bike we got around to speaking of hunting for arrowheads and spear points. He asked if I would like to see his collection. When we went into the house he brought out a framed arrangement of arrowheads with one    larger white point as center piece. When I saw this point I was astounded, as I was looking on a second Clovis point. He informed me that he had found it the summer before, at Fern Ridge Lake, OR. Yes, this site was also named in his honor. I couldn't believe that I personally knew two of three people who had made such rare finds. 

Yeah, you guessed it. There in Anibals friends hand was the third Clovis point I had ever seen. I don’t know if more have been found since I was into hunting points, but this was still an extraordinary and beautiful experience. The other point was very large, about 8” long and 4” wide, and definitely a spear point used to kill Mammoths. While he showed me these points his grandfather came by and said hello and then his father came down to visit. His father approached me introducing himself with a big smile and started carrying on a on a one sided conversation with me. One sided because I had no idea what he was saying (gotta learn Spanish) , I finally got it across to him that I didn’t speak Spanish well. After that we communicated with Anibal as translator. He carried in his hand a braided piece of rope he had made that was quite impressive.After examining it, I asked if he needed rope and he said he did. I told him I had extra on my boat and that I would bring him some. That’s great because now I have an excuse to revisit the site (with camera) to take him some of the coils of braided line (sheets) that I have in the bilge. I promise to take photos next time if they will let me.   

On the way back to La Paz we were treated to a magnificently gorgeous sunset, which climaxed the most magnificent day in Baja California SUR I have experienced. Thank you, oh so much Anibal, for a wonderful day and a beautiful friendship!