Politics

2/05

So...in typical El Carrizalito fashion, we waited for election results, us hoping of course that the PRI candidates that those investors were backing lost. Chayo had predicted that the party that held the state capital, PRD, would retain the governorship. He further prognosticated that municipal district of Loreto would also go that way, PRD replacing PAN. Events proved him only half-right.

PRD did indeed retain the governor's mansion, the PRI coming in a close second. But PAN held off the PRD challenge in Loreto. This, Chayo being quick to point out, being an anomaly, PRD picking up almost all offices at all levels throughout the whole state. He'd been actively politicking for the local PRD candidate, this in the hopes of gaining the delagado of Agua Verde (mayor), position.

Within 24 hours of this election, however, Chayo had reconcile some sort of conversion, him already having established relations with the winning PAN candidate; one he described as an honest man with a good reputation, but not much of a politician. In fact, Chayo continued that this gentleman was not expecting to win, and had no idea how to proceed; follow up on this windfall.

Chayo sorta jokingly asked me if I wanted to arrange an audience with this new guy and I laughed out an "Of course, certainly!" and quickly put it outta my mind, me thinking him only kidding.

Only days past this election we find ourselves in Loreto, Chayo along for the ride. We're parked at the biggest grocery store, "the Pescador." Chayo asks for use of cell phone and we say, "Sure." I'm not really payin' much attention to what he's up to but all the sudden the phone goes dead, simply refusing to function longer. He excitedly explains to me that he was talking to the next Presidante but the line went dead. Fruitively we played with this at-times-temperamental contraption, but, no, it wasn't gonna work,

He takes off walkin', to where I didn't quite get. I drift from outside there by truck to inside to see if I can give Marcia a hand, not that she really needed it. As we're back outside stowing our purchases up pulls this small bronco like carro, Chayo jumping out soon as the comes to halt. Two other gents climb out as Chayo sets into telling me that he's brought this winning candidate and wants to introduce us.

Gosh? Strange, I'm thinkin'. How can this recent winner afford ta waste time ta chat with this no-vote gringo. But that's what we do, out there in front of the Pescador, we exchange pleasantries, shoot the shit fer maybe a good fifteen minutes. He's a small, seeming very humble fella. Very soft spoken. The other one's a kid of maybe 20, jolly, all around big. He's the new Presidente's driver. In short order this kid tells me that Guadalupe was his aunt, and that when he was lots younger he often visited San Cosme, him remembering well our old camp there.

The Presidente elect invites me to visit him in the Municipal Palace when he takes over. I, in turn, invite him to visit El Carrizalito, whenever he comes to visit area.

"How about tomorrow?" this fella, Rodolpho Davis Osuna, comes back with, me thinking him in jest. But, no, he was really saying this. And before ya know it it's arranged that he show up for "carne asada," at Playa Carrizalito, the very next late afternoon.

Chayo's real proud of himself, it's easy ta tell. We're finishing off our shopping errands when we bump into Ken and Sarah, who we're not expectin' ta see in town. I tell them what's just transpired, which they think is great, Chayo easily convincing them to spring for the meat. Figures like three ta five kilos they were throwin' around.

To say the very least, we'd learned not to lean too heavily into a, "manana," visit by political entities, or most others from Loreto. I went about this next day in an "what ever unfolds" mode that was no problem ta hang to.

Marcia, leaving camp here like 1 P.M., had set herself the task of coordinating things between Chayo's wife Maria and Sarah...should event come off. Chayo, in characteristic fashion had neglected to inform sweet Maria, him taking off to San Cosme early that morning, to greet Presidente elect supposedly...that late afternoon.

Marcia comes back about two hours later, her tellin' me that this Rodolpho guy's been settin' over at restaurante San Cosme since two P.M., some of the family there keeping him occupied till Chayo got his act together. (I think he was waiting on the tide) to bring him on over here to the ranch.

She literally rips me outta things that I'm deeply involved in, her commanding me to ready pick up for trip to Ken and Sarah's palapa there on main beach. Some of the stuff I'm doin', it's not easy ta just put it down, but I do, me knowin' full well that I'd better, if camp life's gonna run smoothly here. Ugh. The cooler full of meat that Ken had bought. (We had the ice.) Felt like about a quarter of beef was keeping in there.

From the time I accept my marchin' orders till truck is backin' out yard gate couldn't have been 40 minutes. Quickly we're at that fiesta site, Sarah informing us that Chayo, new Presidente in tow, was giving him a quick tour of this rancho. Chayo likes to show off his straw bale casa, the rancho's clean and uncluttered beaches.

The ladies scurry about arranging the goodies while Ken and I laugh about what we see as ultra funny about this event.

Perhaps 45 minutes roll by before Chayo pulls up with Presidente elect and his driver. (This kid, by the way, has been Rodolfo's constant companion through the nine months of campaigning.) (As another aside, Rodolfo goes by nickname of Rury, and when Mexicans say it, it sounds like "Ruddy" ta me.) I introduce Ruddy to Ken and Sarah, do the same with the kid. Ruddy tells me right away that he's quite impressed by what Chayo has shown him of the rancho. I assure him that I'm pretty pleased with the place myself. Our luck was that there were two large, outfitted kayak groups that he couldn't have missed, utilizing the beaches right then.

We join in conversation about the importance of places like El Carrizalito in regards of eco tourism, something that Loreto is striving to attract, something vital to Loreto. It's pushin' martini time so I ask around what anyone would like to drink. Rury and his aid both opt for water. Chayo, coffee. Always coffee. Marcia and me went for that hour's preferred beverage. Can't remember exactly what Ken, Sarah, Maria and kids did.

Rury's not hard to talk with, not at all. I had to agree with Chayo that a political personality, he surely did not have. When we asked him things, the answers came straight back without frills er flourish. He agreed with me (Marcia's flippin' the meat on a grill there right in front of us) when I opinioned that now his most important task was to put together a good team, one that he trusted, behind him. I asked him if maybe he had room for an old gringo in his administration, this getting' all-around laughs.

Eighty percent of the municipal of Loreto's income is derived from tourism, a big part of that being of the eco variety. It's not hard to figure what's at stake for Loreto if it should stop being an eco-tourist destination. This man gave every indication that he understood this equation. Ken asked him straight out what he thought about what was going on over on Punta San Cosme, the plan to turn the live estuary into a marina?

I was slightly surprised that he had a fair grasp of what was happening in the area. It was bad, he conceded. There was little doubt in his mind that it could produce ill effects.

"Well, how can it go on, illegal like it is, right out there where everyone can see it?" Ken follows up.

"The officials in power weren't looking into this matter because they didn't want to look," he came back with, a slight smile on his relaxed face.

On carne asada we began to feast. Oh boy, the side dishes that the ladies had pitched in whippin' up. No shortage of great flavors. While we're settin' in ta this feast, in pops Erica. "Erica!" Whow. What a presence. What a delightful surprise

Erica is a head kayaker guide. She's so overwhelmingly bright that she sparkles. Never has she passed through my space when she hasn't brightened my day. Wham! Presence that commands attention, respect. How about that fer a billing?

Well there she is coming buzzing right into our little fiesta, her uttering a string of very complimentary declarations concerning me and my efforts there, all of this directed at the new Presidente, who she seemed on the very best of terms with. Whew! I'd not expected this. And comin' from someone that's so highly regarded, ya might imagine how this picked me up.

The conversation rolls with Erica taking charge of it. Her congratulations to Rury was so genuine that I found myself wondering if she had, in some way, been involved in this campaigning. Even though she said she couldn't stay but a moment (her kayaker charges, remember) the smell of the sizzling beef and the sight of all the other goodies had her reaching for a plate.

But she eats fast, too. And, bang! She's outta there. And as she's just outta conversation's range I make a flat pronouncement to Rury that, with three like her in your new administration, he wouldn't have to worry about anything. Something to which he and his driver readily and smilingly were in agreement with.

The show winds down from here. Most of us have overeaten, behind the backdrop these spectacular mountains the sun's startin' to set. Chayo's gotta get these guys back to their carro at San Cosme, them still having a good drive ahead of 'em before they'd be back in Loreto. Ken and Sarah, Marcia and me, we can't help but still laugh about the freakiness of how this event had come together. Ken, it turns out, is the one who'd told Erica that Rury was showin', this erasing this mystery for me.

Damn...ya shoulda seen all the uncooked meat we had ta haul home.

Email: david@dondavidonbaja.com