Articles appear in reverse chronological order, but you can access the archives directly using the following categories:
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June 24, 2008
A couple of days ago I released the Loreto Bay Agua Viva Layer for Google Earth (click here to access it).
Click on image above for tutorial (13 minutes, 150 MB)
In this screencast I explain how you can easily download and install Google Earth and then check out the Loreto Bay Agua Viva Layer.
I heard that Loreto Bay has some kind of map application in its web site. Since that application is only available to LB owners, I decided to create this Agua Viva Layer for Google Earth. I don't know how good the Loreto Bay map is or how it compares to Google Earth - but our Agua Viva layer is free and available to anyone. See the tutorial below for more details.
Continue reading "Screencast: Loreto Bay Agua Viva Layer in Google Earth"June 23, 2008
I have released a layer of Loreto Bay's Founders' and Agua Viva neighborhoods that can be used in Google Earth -
Install Google Earth, then click the image
If you don't already have it, download and install the free application "Google Earth" from http://earth.google.com/. Then click on the image above to open the Loreto Bay Layer for Google Earth. If you are new to Google Earth, check out this tutorial.
History
- 6/28/2008: Added the Founders' Neighborhood layer, 20080628-Loreto-Bay-in-3D.kmz, 3.6 MB.
- Added the Founders' Neighborhood layer on a suggestion from Drew McNabb (FN 49) - thanks Drew!
- Now we have maps for both the Founders' Neighborhood and half of Agua Viva.
- Renamed this article the "Loreto Bay Layer in Google Earth".
- 6/24/2008: Released a tutorial that explains some of the features of Google Earth and the Agua Viva layer. Check it out here.
- 6/23/2008: First version released, 20071118-Loreto-Bay-in-3D.kmz, 1.8 MB. Included:
- Agua Viva Layer for Google Earth.
- 3D Model of Casa Brasil (the house we hope to build, located on our lot in Nopolo).
- AV 61 - with a picture of the owners, Barry and Patricia.
June 21, 2008
The Loreto Hotel Association has a new web site - to check it out, point your browser to:
http://www.gotoloreto.com/
The site is fairly simple, it looks like a basic HTML web site you may have seen back in 1998. But the content is pretty good: it has an updated list of restaurants, information on Hotels and places to visit, activities and more.
Note to the gotoloreto.com designer: don't use images to display content such as addresses and phone numbers. Instead just use HTML and cascading style sheets (CSS), the information will look just as good, but visitors to the site will be able to copy and paste the data.
May 12, 2008
Nuwire Investor (www.nuwireinvestor.com) has published a couple of good articles on Loreto. The first one, named "Top 5 Mexican Real Estate Markets", lists Loreto as the number one Mexican real estate market for investors.
Loreto is listed as "numero uno" in Nuwire Investor's article on the "Top 5 Mexican Real Estate Markets".
A second article, named "Loreto: Mexico's Next Real Estate Hot Spot", makes a lot of good points on why it makes sense to invest in Loreto, including its strategic location, infrastructure, Loreto Bay's sustainable approach and its history and culture appeal. I copy the full article below.
Continue reading "Loreto: Mexico's Next Real Estate Hot Spot"April 25, 2008
I received a couple of emails from folks asking why we haven't updated http://loreto.ehuna.org in the last couple of months.
We're still working on our "Fidecomiso", the legal paperwork that will allow us to properly own the lot we purchased. We've purchased the lot over two and half years ago, but there were complications. We've decided we would not build the house until the paperwork is completely done.
Loreto Bay owners: you should appreciate the work LBC is doing for you - you don't have to deal with the Mexican bureaucracy and unsavory characters.
February 3, 2008
With California's presidential primary election a few days away, I thought it would be a good idea to post some links to web sites that can provide information on the different propositions. Many folks who have purchased property in Loreto are from California, which allows me to rationalize this post.
There are many good presidential candidates this year and I urge everyone to watch the debates and vote. Although I have made up my mind on my choice for presidential candidate, this post only provides information and links on the propositions that are on the 2/5/20008 ballot.
First, in addition to the Elections and Voter Information site from the California Secretary of State, there's a great wiki website with a lot of information on the propositions on our ballot:
http://ballotpedia.org/
Ballotpedia's mission: with your help, Ballotpedia aims to be an abundant and growing source of information on citizen initiatives, ballot access, petition drives, initiative and referendum for political change, and associated subjects.
Specifically, here's the summary page for the California 2008 ballot measures:
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=California_2008_ballot_measures
Here are the direct links to the Elections and Voter Information site from the California Secretary of State and to the ballotpedia.org pages for each proposition:
| Proposition | Voter Information | ballotpedia.org |
| 91 | Click Here | Click Here |
| 92 | Click Here | Click Here |
| 93 | Click Here | Click Here |
| 94, 95, 96 and 97 | Click Here | Click Here |
Finally, here are the official positions of the Democratic and Republican parties:
| Proposition | Democratic | Republican |
| Source | Source | |
| 91 | No | Neutral |
| 92 | Neutral | Opposed |
| 93 | Yes | Opposed |
| 94, 95, 96 and 97 | Neutral | Yes |
If you haven't already voted by mail using an absentee ballot, please vote on Tuesday 2/5/2008. It's the people that vote that define the policies that impact our lives for years to come.
November 12, 2007
The Canadian web site "Canoe Travel" (http://travel.canoe.ca) just published an article on Loreto:
For those who can't decide between camping beneath the stars in the desert or lounging in the sun on the beach, in Loreto, Mexico, no choice is necessary.
Loreto, the oldest town in Baja California Sur, is the land where the mountains meet the sea.
Driving into Loreto along the dusty Trans-Peninsular highway it is obvious the town, located about 700 km from San Diego, is one of breath-taking contrasts.
To the right is rugged desert terrain spotted with cacti and indigenous plants rolling into the foothills of The Sierra de la Giganta mountain range. To the immediate left, the indigo waters of the Sea of Cortez lap up onto sandy white beaches that stretch for miles.
The sea has long been the main attraction to Loreto and was once called "the world's aquarium" by famed explorer Jacques Cousteau.
More than a decade later, it still rings true.
Cool stuff - I copy the full article below.
Continue reading "Article on Loreto appears on "Canoe Travel" web site"November 2, 2007
The Associated Press (http://ap.google.com/) reports that 80% of the state of "Tabasco" in Mexico is flooded:
VILLAHERMOSA, Mexico (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans fled a flooded region of the Gulf coast Friday, jumping from rooftops into rescue helicopters, scrambling into boats or swimming out through murky brown water. President Felipe Calderon, flying overhead, called it one of Mexico's worst recent natural disasters.
A week of heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, drowning at least 70 percent of the oil-rich state of Tabasco. Much of the state capital, Villahermosa, looked like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, with water reaching to rooftops and desperate people awaiting rescue.
At least one death was reported and nearly all services, including drinking water and public transportation, were shut down. The flood affected an estimated 900,000 people — their homes flooded, damaged or cut off by high water.
A few days ago, I wrote an article on how to open a bank account at the Bancomer branch in Loreto (click here for the details). I received an email today from Bancomer indicating that if you have a Bancomer account, you can easily donate online: just send your donation to Bancomer account #0427692633 (see screenshot below).
If you don't have a Bancomer account but would like to help, you can wire the money to the above account (contact your bank for details) or just walk in at the Bancomer branch in Loreto (print this article and show them the information in Spanish below).
This article is not directly linked to Loreto, but since this tragedy is occurring in Mexico I thought I'd mention it. See below for the full article.
Continue reading "900,000 Affected by Floods in Mexican state of "Tabasco"; donations welcomed"October 25, 2007
This is a 360 degrees one minute video of the Inn at Loreto Bay, a five star resort in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. You can see the Sea of Cortez, some rooms, landscape, and the hotel's tower. This video was filmed last month, in September 2007.
Here's more info and links related to the Camino Real Hotel Inn at Loreto Bay resort:
- Official web site: http://www.innatloretobay.com/ (you can book a room online).
- Satellite picture, right above the hotel. The video was shot in the middle of the resort, a bit to the right of the swimming pool.
- Click here to fly to the resort in Google Earth; or if you don't have Google Earth, click here to download and install it.
The background music is a song called "Find the Cost of Freedom", by the great band Styx.
October 23, 2007
The United States Geological Survey site (USGS, http://earthquake.usgs.gov/) reports that on Sunday 10/21/2007, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit Baja California Sur, 44 km (28 miles) south of La Paz.
Earthquake Center » Latest Earthquakes - World »
Magnitude 4.0 - BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO
- Click here for more information on this earthquake.
- Click here for maps of this earthquake.
- Click here to view the earthquake location in Google Maps, where you can zoom in and out, pan, and see how far is Loreto. The exact location of the earthquake was at +23° 55' 44.40", -109° 57' 3.60" (23.929°N, 109.951°W).
I haven't heard any reports of injuries or damage to property from our friends in Loreto and Todos Santos - everything seems ok.
When Janelle and I started working on the architectural designs for our house, we worried about Mexican construction standards, at least in relation to California earthquake construction standards.
But as we learned more about the process, we now feel that a 6 foot deep foundation and the rebar and concrete structures seem to handle such earth shaking events pretty well.
I don't know what would happen if a major 6.0 or higher earthquake hit Baja, but I've heard of a few 4.0 and lower earthquakes that have occurred in the past, and as far as I know, so far Baja buildings and houses have had no problems.
October 20, 2007
This is a 5 minute video that we shot in September 2007 while we drove around the Founders' neighborhood of Loreto Bay:
A few notes:
- As always, we were amazed at the construction progress. There are literally dozens of new structures we hadn't seen before.
- There are a lot of houses and buildings partially built, right between the Founders' and Agua Viva neighborhoods (we call this "the buffer zone").
- Notice the progress in the beach house - the rebar columns have turned into concrete.
- A few units were built right in front of the Inn at Loreto Bay - that used to be empty space where potential LB owners came and checked out the dimensions of the available units.
- Click Here to watch a similar video, shot in May 2007.
- Click Here to watch a similar video, shot a year ago in September 2006. Notice how much structures are only partially built and compare the streets and the progress made as you watch the video above.
The background music is "Boa Noite" (Good Night), by Djavan, a well-known Brazilian blues singer/songwriter. Check out his Wikipedia page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djavan or his official site at http://www.djavan.com.br/.
October 15, 2007
Janelle's Mom, Sandy, was reading the Contra Costas Times (www.contracostatimes.com) last week when she saw the ad below:
Note: if you are running Windows Vista, you can just click on the XPS file to view it; if you are running Windows XP, you'll need to download and install the free Microsoft XML Paper Specification (XPS) Essentials Pack.
The ad was included in a special real estate advertising section and was apparently purchased by "Rock Cliff" (www.rockcliff.com), a company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's funny that they advertise homes starting at $280,000 - I don't think you can buy an empty lot today for less than $300,000.
