Friday, October 23, 2009

My Latest Battle

So I found a Youtube video from this developement company planning a large "low impact" developement in one of my favorite pristine parts of Mexico. I have cherished this area and my knowledge of it for quite awhile and Im sad to see this kind of stuff moving in. So... here is an overview of the battle I accidentally started with the company...

Their Video....



The comment I left on their channel...

2far2drive (19 hours ago)
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leave the cabo the way it is! stop ruining mexico and the lives of the mexicans with your desire to live in a mexican locale!


Their reply....

Thank you for your commentary. I am glad you saw the video. Unfortunately, we cannot allow your negative comment to be posted. Please research our company before making such blatant claims about real estate development. We are a Mexican firm with over 35 years in the area. The ENTIRE Mayto area was once Ejido Land (which you should also research) and was sold off by the Ejido Committee over the last 15 years to Spanish, Italian and Canadian companies.

This firm will be the first group to develop the area, where 10,000 people live, almost abandoned by their federal government with no telephones, sporadic electricity, and no paved roads. We will be employing hundreds of local people to construct an eco-friendly minimal ecological footprint development using regional materials and government and local cooperation. We have 100% backing by the municipality of Cabo Corrientes to go through with this project.Please take a moment to research before leaving hateful comments.

Thank you.


MY Reply.........

Thank you for your prompt reply, I didnt think I would hear back so quickly.

Im semi familiar with the situation of the Ejido land in this area and I have read that electricity was brought in around 2004 or thereabouts. I know there is no phone or other utilities availble that far out into the backcountry, mainly radio phone with a local operator.

On my last great Mexico trip I drove out there from where I was camping in Punta Mita (another classic example of Mexicans being overrun by their government at the insitance of foriegn governments and the chance to make a buck) and I entered the Cabo in El Tuito. I was amazed at the rich and lush vegetation and farm land in this area and immediatly fell in love... and wanted to leave it that way. I enjoyed leaving the hussle of Vallarta and all the tourists behind. I made it to Ipala before I had to turn around and get back out before dark to avoid being hopelessly lost. On another trip I camped at Lost Peñitas, which is close to where your developement will be according to your google maps. The rocky outcropping with un faro on top of it? There are many beach palapas and a small shrine for the fisherman and the people there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/astraltx (pages 1 and 2 are pictures of the Cabo) http://www.flickr.com/photos/astraltx/page10/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/astraltx/page9/ those last 2 are pictures of what I understand to be Los Peñitas,

Im aware that you will be the first, like I said Ive been out there... and I knew as soon as someone got their hands on some of this Ejido land it would be over for one of the last pristine places on the Mexican coastline (Ive driven the ENTIRE pacific hwy 200 from the turnoff to Tepic to Guatemala, and from la frontera en Guatemala to El Salvador). This is one of the last places untouched by modernization and Americans. Being a Mexican firm as you stated, dont you ever get a gut feeling your selling your own country out so rich Americans can play on your land? Sure they want to LIVE in Mexico, but a Mexico without MEXICANS! Your company is enabling this sick mindset. Im sure not all of them are like this but believe me, Im American and they dont want anything to do with you. If this is an American Im repsonding to who is working for a Mexican company then I say stop selling yourself out so you can spend more time south of the border.

When you say that you will be eco-friendly and this will be a minimal eco-footprint development, how do you plan to accomplish these goals? We both know that the beaches of the Cabo are turtle nesting grounds, which you will encourage your owners to tramp over unknowingly. How do you plan on dealing with sewage and garbage facilities? We have both obviously been out there, like you said, there is NOTHING out there.

Do you plan on improving the quality of life for the people who live on this desolate coast? Do you plan on paving and improving the road in from Tuito or from the Peñitas turn off? And of course you have the backing from the local municipality, how much did you pay them and how much money in taxes will this bring in? They dont worry about the effects this might have on the culture and the environment, they probably just want to be a part of the Vallarta and especially the North Banderas Bay (think Mita to La Cruz) housing boom.

I know most of my arguments are based on opinion and I know there is no stopping this housing developement.... but you will find it very very hard to change my opinions about foriegners buying and living in little communities designed for them in other countries. You are catering to the American disease.

1 comment:

Chris said...

Damn, they basically said STFU!