It was 1974 and I'd just graduated from college in Southern California. I put myself through college with no financial help from anyone. I paid my bills, rent, tuition, and still managed to save a bit of money upon graduation. I had saved $500. I decided after working so hard I deserved a vacation. At the time the Mexican government advertised they'd finished a paved road from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas in Baja. I decided to take a trip to Mexico, traveling down the Baja and then up the mainland of Mexico. With $500 I realized I'd have to hitchhike to afford the trip. Yes, you read correctly, I said hitchhike.
Hitchhiking in Baja Mexico 1974
A friend had also saved the same amount of money, so we decided to travel together. We shopped for our specially fitted backpacks, bedrolls, tent, tarps and supplies, packed them into our packs and set out. Everything had to be light weight so we could carry what we needed. We divided up the weight of each pack between the two of us. Crossing the border, we obtained our visas and exchanged our money orders for pesos. We were ready to set out on our adventure. We had no particular plan in mind, it was go with the flow.
Backpacking in Baja Mexico 1974
We had no trouble getting rides from anyone traveling through the Baja, almost exclusively Mexican citizens. As we got further south the traffic thinned out, mostly 5 ton delivery trucks picked us up. One time a Mexican family with a cabover camper picked us up. It was the middle of summer and we were in the middle of a desert mid day and I think they felt sorry for us. Since there was no room in the truck cab, they had us ride in the camper. I still can't believe they trusted us to ride in their camper with no questions asked.
Police Chief of Cabo San Lucas and Myself in 1974
We made it to La Paz but quickly discovered the road to Cabo San Lucas was actually not paved. We arranged to take a bus which traveled on a sand road down to Cabo San Lucas. I can't adequately describe to you what Cabo looked like then. Cabo was a sleepy little town with no commercialization whatsoever; a small fishing village where everyone knew everyone else.
Crab caught on the beach of Cabo San Lucas 1974
I've had a few opportunities to go back to Cabo, but I never have and never will. I don't want to spoil my memory of what Cabo San Lucas used to be. After spending three or more weeks camped on the beach outside of town, we realized we'd have to leave soon. We were running out of supplies and there weren't many resources in the town. There wasn't a grocery store. If you wanted supplies you had to 'know' which house to approach to find what you needed. There were no billboards or storefront signs. We did catch blue land crabs after a teenage boy taught us how to catch them. We also harvested a few sea snails and some seaweed. One day we found an empty lobster shell on the beach, but sadly no lobster.
First Ferry in Cabo San Lucas Bay 1974
That week we learned a newly scheduled ferry would be arriving to travel to Puerta Vallarta. We planned to leave then. The whole town showed up for the ferry because it was an unheard of event in the tiny town. The ferry only ran for two weeks. Later it was cancelled due to lack of customers. But that particular day the ferry boat was filled almost to capacity.
they don't look like much, do they?
We boarded the ferry; it took all night to make it do Puerta Vallarta. We slept on the deck in our sleeping bags. We chose no assigned seats or berth, which was the least expensive way to travel on the ferry. We arrived in Puerta Vallarta and became tourists of sorts. Outside of town we visited an opal mine and I happened to obtain a small cache of rough mined opals. I planned on taking a class on lapidary arts one day in the future. Fifty years later the opals were still in the same plastic zipper coin purse I had back then. They'd been waiting to come to fruition. I asked at the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts in Young Harris for someone who might cut the the opals for me. I was put in touch with Jeff Hunter, a teacher at the school and an opal expert. I arranged to give the opals to Jeff to cut and polish, asking if I could pay him for the cut opals. He cut and polished them for me gratis. Thanks again Jeff.
after cutting and polishing
Then I searched for a jeweler who could make a statement necklace to honor the memory of the opals I had obtained on my trip to Mexico. (The largest stone is a Mexican crazy lace agate, the rest of the stones are what I obtained at the mine in Mexico). I chose Jennie Lorette Keatts. I was familiar with her work since I'm a potter and she lives and works in the pottery capital of North Carolina in Seagrove. I'm not a person who wears jewelry but this piece sure has me mesmerized. It takes a special artist to bring out the best of what a gemstone longs to be. Thanks Jennie. I'm so grateful to finally see the beauty these rough gem stones contained. Who knows if I'll have an occasion to wear this pendant but I'll always remember my trip to Mexico. Next time you see a little old lady out and about, hopefully you'll picture someone who has lived a life you'd never suspect.
Copyright Linda Starr, all rights reserved.
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