El Chapo

It upset a lot of people when Mexico’s 54 year old Joaquin Guzman Loera made it to the Forbes list of top billionaires. Mr. Guzman, a self-made man, is ranked number 701 on the list. It is interesting that Forbes says that Mr. Guzman is in the “shipping” business just like Sir Richard Branson, Britain’s owner of Virgin Air.

Yes, Mr. Guzman is indeed in the shipping business - he ships narcotics to the United States. Joaquin Guzman Loera is known in Mexico, as “El Chapo,” (stocky Guzman - for those of you who are not familiar with Mexican names, the mother’s maiden name is added on to the end of her son’s name - a nice tradition which honors one’s mother).

El Chapo was born in La Tuna a small mountain village of some 40 houses. La Tuna is in Badiraguato County, which is the birthplace of most of Mexico’s famous drug lords. Badiraguato’s location has a lot to do with it: It’s the gateway to Mexico’s “golden triangle,” a remote, mountainous intersection of Sinaloa, Durango and Chihuahua states where opium and marijuana have been grown for generations. It was even grown there during World War II by the U. S. Army, as opium was needed for the wounded.

Now El Chapo heads the Sinaloa cartel, one of the biggest suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. In 2008, some say that Mexico brought in $52 billion from the U.S. for narcotics.

Apparently, there is a war going on between El Chapo and the Tijuana drug cartel over Mexicali - as Mexicali is right on the U.S. border - perfect for smuggling. Currently, Mexicali is said to be under the control of El Chapo.

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"Clinicas"

Jim and I came across a pretty cool website. It was written by a guy from California, who hit the skids, lived in his car, and finally found a good job.

His website gave a lot of good tips on where to get free medical care. Jim and I are not into freebees for ourselves, but feel that others should have a chance. I guess our conscience got us when we saw a young couple living in a car in Calexico.

One of the clinics the website mentioned for free medical care was Clinicas DE Salud Del Pueblo, in Calexico. The place is known as “Clinicas.” The mission statement of the clinic is that Clinicas is open to everyone. Our fees for medical and dental services are based on family size and income for patients without insurance. No one, regardless of race, creed, sex or physical disability is denied services because of their inability to pay.

Jim was looking for a place to get a flu shot so we stopped by “Clinicas.”

Unfortunately, Clinicas did not give flu shots.

Since we were there, Jim asked about their free medical services.

Turns out Clinicas is not entirely free. If you fall below a certain income level, they reduce their normal $60 charge to $30 – which ain’t free! Just two miles away from Clinicas, in Mexicali, you can see a doctor for 250 pesos ($21.50).

Jim asked, “What do I need to get the thirty dollar rate?”

The very nice lady attendant said, we would need an income statement, and proof that we lived in California.

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Sinapsis Cafe

Right down the street from us, only two blocks away, is the Sinapsis Café. The place looked a bit young for us, but with the prodding of Matthew, we decided to pay it a visit.

We happened to go there on a Thursday, which is Karaoke night. Did Matthew sing? Yes, but only very quietly to Jim and me at the table. In spite of all his talent, Matthew can be a bit shy.

We had a fine young waiter, Alex, who spoke perfect English. His parents are from Mexicali, but Alex was born in El Centro, California, and is a U.S. citizen. He went to high school in Phoenix, and spent a couple of years in the U.S. navy - in a submarine. You never know what you will find in Mexicali.

Jim is a coffee addict, so Matthew and I joined him as we put in our order for three cappuccinos. In no time, Alex was back with the goods - three huge cappuccinos, served in generous king-sized cups. Jim took a slow sip, hesitated a bit, and said, “Yup, that’s good.” Now we knew we were in the right place.

The place is spotlessly clean. On Saturdays, Sinapsis Café has live music. The walls are lined with books, and no one pressures you to do anything but to relax and enjoy yourself.

We sat and listened to the singers. After a while, Alex brought us the Sinapsis Karaoke menu. It included not just songs in Spanish, but in English, as well. I decided to sing Yesterday, by the Beatles. Jim was a bit upset, and said, “C’mon MaryAnn, you don’t want to stand up in front of all these folks.”

“Go ahead, MaryAnn,” said Matthew, clapping his white gloves.

Normally, I listen to Jim, but it was like nothing for me to stand up and sing, which I did.

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The store - we go by it many times...

Ed Chrisman was wintering in Yuma, Ariz., when, on Jan. 8, his grandson Gary Chrisman Jr. invited him along for trip across the border to a dental appointment. Ed Chrisman had made that trip dozens of times over the years. This time, both men were thrown in jail after being accused of approaching a 13-year-old girl in her mother’s convenience store and asking to take a sexually explicit photograph.

According to the U.S. press, Ed Chrisman never entered that store.

Gary Chrisman told his family he went into the store and took a few photos of fully-clothed girls with their mother’s permission. He gave the woman $25, but she demanded more. When Gary Chrisman refused, she called the police.

Gary Chrisman remains in jail awaiting trial.

On Feb. 9, a Mexican judge said Ed Chrisman could go home. But wasn’t released until March 14, when the court paperwork reached the Mexicali prison where he was being held. He spent 65 days in jail. His family spent thousands of dollars trying to get him out.

They even worried Ed Chrisman wouldn’t survive when he fell ill during his time in jail.

“It feels like we live in a movie,” Paul Chrisman said. Ed Chrisman told his story in pieces, Paul Chrisman said. “There is a lot he doesn’t want to say.”

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Deserted downtown Mexicali

Here we are, all hunkered down in Mexicali because of the flu. For a couple of days, we just stayed home, but tonight we decided to take a drive around town.

Our first stop was at the neighborhood pharmacy. Jim went in to get flu masks, while Matthew and I waited in the truck. In no time, Jim was back. “They got nothin’ in there,” he said. “Told me to come back tomorrow morning, as they are all sold out.”

Jim continued, “I told them that, in Mexico City, folks were buying masks for two cents and selling them four bucks.”

“How stupid, Jim, - now they will pick up on your idea, and will take them from the store to sell. There’ll be none left for us,” I said.

Matthew said something, but with his white glove over his mouth, we couldn’t understand a word he said.

“Really,” said Jim. “Aw, shucks.”

Jim got in the truck and we drove around for a while in silence.

We headed downtown near the border crossing. The streets were deserted. Very few cars were around, and virtually no people.

“This looks terrible,” mumbled Matthew through his white glove. “What are we going to do?”

“We go by the pharmacy again in the morning, like they said,” answered Jim.

“And when they tell you they’re all out, because you gave them the idea to sell on their own - then what, Jim?” I asked.

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Quechan Casino

It was time to check out Quechan Casino Resort, which is just north of the Los Algodones border crossing. Most people get there by driving on Highway 8 which goes from Yuma to San Diego. Coming from Mexicali, we decided to drive to Los Algodones and cross the border there.

Matthew, Jim and I jumped in the truck and headed out for Los Algodones.

Los Algodones House

At Los Algodones, there was the usual line of cars waiting to be checked in by the U.S. Border Patrol. While we waited in line, we snapped this photo of a nice house in Los Algodones - not all Mexicans are poor.

When we reached the border, the Border Patrol guy took our passports, and stared into his computer for the longest time. The Border Patrol guy finally handed us back our passports and waved us on.

Once we crossed the border we were right on the road in the Quechan reservation where the casino is located. You don’t need any address, as you can’t miss the place - it is huge.

They had valet parking, but we didn’t want to spend for that. Jim said, “No way I’m gonna give some guy my car keys.”

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San Felipe Map

Spring is here in Mexicali, and what a great time to visit San Felipe!

The town is on the Sea of Cortez, also called the Gulf of California, 120 miles due south of Mexicali on near arrow-straight Highway 5.

Matthew, Jim and I all hopped into our truck and hit the highway. We filled up our gas tank in Mexicali, as there are no gas stations out on Highway 5, until you hit San Felipe.

Unlike Mexicali, San Felipe is a touristy place, with lots of Americans and Canadians going there, even to stay.

San Felipe Lighthouse

Driving down the road to San Felipe, we saw three serious car accidents - all due to the fact that the cars went off the road, which is elevated to avoid flooding.  There is also a lot of work being done to the road, which will someday become a four-lane divided highway. Due to the construction, we had to drive along side dirt roads at two points during the trip.

Highway 5 does not go beyond San Felipe, but curves right into the center of town.

On entering San Felipe, Jim pulled over into the first gas station we saw, and filled up the truck. “Better safe than sorry,” said Matthew.

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Waiting to cross into the U.S.

Jim and I had to run some errands in Calexico, California, and it was also an opportunity to show Matthew the town of Calexico.

We took off, at about noon, and while waiting in line to enter America a huge black  2009 Ford 250 Super Duty truck swerved and cut us off. Jim stepped on the brake to stop from crashing into it, as all three of us were jolted forwards.  Luckily our seatbelts were on.

The black truck had nearly clipped us, and, at the same time, and it nearly crashed into the car filled with kids in front of it.

I was furious!

“I am getting out to tell the driver off,” I told Jim and Matthew.

“MaryAnn, you’re not going to do that! You know that’s dangerous!” said Jim.

Matthew exclaimed, “Listen to Jim, MaryAnn; we don’t want to end up in a Mexican prison, like those two Americans who were shopping in Algodones! I’m not sure Mexicali is safe.”

“Is Mexicali safe?” I repeated. “Listen, that driver almost got us all into a crash! We are at the border crossing to America, what’s the worst that will happen to me for goodness sakes?”  I said.

Before anyone could stop me, I got out of our own truck, much to the protests of Jim and Matthew, and walked up to the fancy expensive black Ford truck.   I knocked on the driver’s window.  The window slid down, and sitting in the truck were two young Latino males, in their mid-twenties, with buzz cuts.

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Yeah, just the begging of the end for your investors

While looking to re-locate to Mexico, Jim and I made several trips to Rosarito Beach.  Although the weather was great, and we could get a place right on the ocean, Rosarito Beach was not for us.

Why? Because it was just to difficult to cross into the U.S. at the San Diego border crossing. More than once, we were blocked from getting on the off-ramp to San Diego by the Tijuana police.

Only when we paid them, like a hundred bucks, did they let us through.

Let me say right here, that Mexicali is NOTHING like Tijuana - I’ll be writing more on that real soon…

Trump Ocean Resort Baja - huh?

It was while driving down to Rosarito Beach that we first saw the huge billboard of Donald Trump’s face smiling down on us. He had super condos to sell.  This was Donald Trump!

We visited the sales office, but it was deserted.  Strange?  We knew we couldn’t afford to buy, but still wanted to know the prices. We looked around and there was no evidence of any building being built.

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The Mexicali Prison

We are Americans living in Mexicali, the capital of the State of Baja California, which is the northern part of the peninsula.

For some time, we have been following the news regarding the arrest of two Americans, in nearby Los Algodones - 40 year old Gary Chrisman Jr., and his 88 year old grandfather, Edward Chrisman.

The Chrismans are accused of approaching a 13-year-old girl asking to take nude photographs of her in her mother’s shop in Los Algodones on Jan. 8, 2009. The girl’s mother reported the incident to the police and the Chrismans were arrested and taken to the Cárcel Pública Estatal de Mexicali, the Mexicali prison.

Originally, the story about the Chrismans was in the news on a near daily basis. Now, news coverage had slowed. The latest news we can find on the Chrismans was on Feb. 11, 2009, when they were awaiting a decision from a Mexican Judge. No further word of the decision has been published. So we guessed the Chrismans were still in the Mexicali prison.

Being in Mexicali, we decided to check on the whereabouts of the Mexicali prison, and, if possible…the Chrismans. Jim, Matthew, and I got into our truck, and we were off.

The prison was difficult to locate so we stopped at a law office to ask for directions. A Mexican lady attorney, who herself was heading towards the prison, said, “Follow us - three stop lights, turn right and park.  Across the street from the prison is a big shopping mall. OK?” We thanked her, and followed her car.

As we turned right at the third stoplight, Jim, Matthew, and I found a narrow street, and, about half a block down, was the prison on our right. It was not the dingy place we expected - it is a modern looking gray-colored building. Looking at the building, you would never know it was a prison, unless you looked real hard and saw one of the gun turrets in the back.

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