Report from Mulege

Just back from Mulege, Monday, 14th @ 5:00p.m.; here is what I found.

Executive Summary
1) Best civil prep for a disaster I have ever witnessed in MX, both civilian & govt. Fabulous response from electric co, telco, and road crews. Military not as much in town as after John & Julio.

2) Worst disaster in memory of Mulege depite prep due to amount of rain coupled w/high wind. Damages reported here on Nomad adequately describe the reality & extent so I won't repeat, tho the reality will give you a physical reaction photos and description cannot.

3) Donations of Stuff- If you have collected clothing or it is on its way, finish that & handle transmittal to affected areas, as need should be met w/what's in the stream (remember I said get what's in process to Mulege or SR, your choice). Mulege will be send off port for rancheros after town needs are met; drop @ Sta.Rosalia for that area. Otherwise switch to collecting bed linens & towels which are needed. Mulege & probably SR can use all the tarps we can send; keep sending them every trip down. Huge need will be mattresses; see below for transport idea. In-kind food in "care-pack" packing can be left w/Saul Davis; more below. Also Saul can take a dollar or peso donation and will assemble food packets.

4) Micro-Lending: Tienda owners of your choice need working capital; if they have a credit book you can make a deposit on your account and take it out over time in trade.

5) Biggest need will be overcoming long term economic drain from lost tourism, i.e. norte-americanos who will quit Mulege.

6) Mulege hotels full for forseeable future; call for latest on cancellations.

7) For donation trips- leave border early to make Guerrero Negro same eve, next day in SR &/or Mulege to drop donations & have lunch/shop/see-sights, then down to Loreto or back to GN depending on your agenda; this makes for good sleeping conditions (its what I did except one night in M.).

8) Malarrimo's has 10% discount on rooms for Muleginos or donation runs, 5% in restaurant (Enrique has place in Mulege also got wrecked).

9) The Desert Show is in full bloom.

10) Aduana (Customs & Border Crossing)- long story, see below, last paragraph.


The Details:
Take some donations down as soon as you can, and see the Desert Show. It starts 1 hour south of Guerrero Negro, and its a lollapalooza!! Flowers out already, and the green is just hitting its stride. If you enjoy this aspect of the Penninsula, now is your opportunity.

If you are travelling in an RV w/a bed, throw in an extra mattress, and drop it off in Mulege or SR on the way. You will sleep a wee bit high for the first part of the trip, but walk tall the whole time. email me for current info on where to drop the mattress- mike@fleming.cc

Governor was in Mulege Saturday p.m. for town meeting; basically explained what relief is officially in process. But no word on substantial program for relief, mostly clean up and service restoration. No word or action on new matresses or stoves like last flood(s). Power still out to Loma Azul (and maybe Serenidad), water still out to L.Azul & all of south side of river when i left yesterday late. Power will be on all over w/in few days, water to south side & L.Azul will take coupla weeks. Folks starting to work gas power washing by use of portable tanks. New meters in place on south side to end of Oasis when I left. Cell phones out sometimes due to work in telco office (trunk lines feed cell calls into land service).

Mud is mostly sand in some areas where flow rate was high, mostly soft-squishy-biologically-active type in areas where flow was slowed (like inside houses); mold & mosquitos so take repellent & be prepared for the smell.

Delegado reports proposal to redline the arroyo "flood" area against future building, and to move the locals out of the zone w/some housing assistance. Note "proposal." This goes to Claderon for action w/in 15-20 days; no way to predict outcome. Might affect tourist zone, might not, might not affect anything.

Some gringos proposing condemnation of tourist home areas (Orchard, Oasis, etc. areas along river) for purchase by govt @ "Fair Market Value" and govt leaning on insurance co.'s to pay up (they have not all paid per their contracts in past), and then arranging purchase of comparable land acceptable to gringos in the vicinity where new tourist zone would go. This to be paid by MX govt and maybe (w/involvement of Obama & US ambassador) US govt. Just reporting what's up folks, don't slay the messenger, & I'm not in on this.

Lots of talk w/in the limited ex-pat community on hand of quitting Mulege & MX. Age plays a definite part in this talk, as many maintain an assumption that eventually they will need to permanently return to the US or Canada, and this is as good a time as any. Not many gringos in town.

Gringos showing up at their homes soon will be mobbed by folks looking for work. Its the end of a long, (economically) dry summer. Don't know how long the labor surplus will go on. Cliff Taylor currently has a payroll of 19; I believe that's 8 more than usual these days.

Saul's, Casa Yee, and ALBA's are all closed in Mulege for cleaning. Food inventory below the flood line is condemned by the health dept. Store owners operate on "working capital" that includes inventory. If your favorite tienda owner (any kind of tienda or reataurant) is in dires straights, and keeps a credit book of those who took goods and promised to pay, you can make a quick and very effective Micro-Credit "loan" by giving the owner some funds to show on deposit on your account. then you can sign for goods at a later date, thereby getting repaid for the advance. This hits the tienda owner right in the sweet spot- he can restock, maybe turn the inventory over a few times and make a buck or two, and then you get your money back in a nearly painless fashion. Limited only by how much you feel confident in leaving on advance. Lets keep our favorite businesses moving.

Roads are all passable. Trucks & busses are rolling. Squashed steel cubes still leaving Baja on flatbeds; otherwise truck traffic is CFE, TelMex, earthmoving equip, and box trucks to/from La Paz & Cabo. Almost zero tourists on the road.

Customs & Border issues for donations:
Proper donation paperwork to avoid paying ~15% duty consists of paperwork for both ends- @ the border & @ the recipient agency of the donation (not the italics).
You are entitled to bring any (legal) gifts to your friends in Mexico, but must pay duty on that merchandise. Donations are things that go to a donation "conduit" agency, like the State, Municipio, Pueblo, etc. And they have to acknowledge the donation. Without both ends, you are transporting goods, and have to pay duty for amounts above the personal exemption ($75 per person travelling in your car).

Mulege Rotary and the Mulege Bomberos were working yesterday on letters to be posted on the internet & printed by donors to show at the border. The author, an attorney, was on our Scholarship Program and now clerks for the Mexico Supreme Court in Mex.City, and he has some expertise in "Commercio Exterior." This is coupled w/the Delegado's contact (hopefully today) with the Governor's Office of International Relations which produces donation acceptance receipts for the Governor. The Gov's OIR is to interface w/Aduana and attempt to get an official exemption for donation goods crossing the border bound for Municipio of Mulege (basically anywhere in the County). I heard 3 reports of folks crossing at TJ (2 @ San Ysidro, one @ Otay) w/out paying duty on the donations. There may be an unofficial policy in play now. Carlos Milon put up an internet page on Jimena and will post the letters (they will be in Spanish, and in *.JPG and/or *.PDF format so anybody can print them). Stay tuned here on Nomad for more on the above. I'll follow up w/Bomberos & Rotary and inform the readership.

OK, I've been at the computer for more than one dance, and nothing but water to drink. Time for a frosty one.

Director, Mulege Student Scholarship Program
Oasis Rio Baja #29, & Auburn, CA