LA BUENA VIDA EN

BUENA VISTA

"The good life in Buena Vista........."

A Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving

To You and Your Family

From the Staff of Hotel Buena Vista Beach Resort

And the Valdez Family

Letter for September

Well, it’s nearly December and we’re still working on the September newsletter; but we anticipate getting back on schedule in the next few weeks. That is, unless something else comes along. Just remember the words of a famous Mexican philosopher, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.”

Our September really began at the end of August when we were struck with Hurricane John. The powerful Category 3 storm – with sustained winds hitting 115 miles per hour – battered the East Cape. But thankfully we were well prepared and suffered only minor damage – a few broken windows, tiles ripped loose and trees.

We know there are going to be big storms every year or so and we’re ready for them! They say that success or luck is the residue of good planning and we can attest to that. As a matter of fact, our boats were out fishing just a few days after the eye of John passed us.

Along Came Kristy

We had hardly picked up all the broken glass and palm fronds when along came Tropical Storm Kristy. On Aug. 30, Kristy became more organized and was designated as the twelfth tropical depression of the 2006 season. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Kristy before the first regular advisory and became Hurricane Kristy the next day. It did not retain this status for long, partly due to its proximity to Hurricane John. It weakened steadily and looked to be close to dissipating, but on September 3, and again on September 5, convection flared up and it returned to tropical storm strength.

While we were virtually unscathed, the same can’t be said for some of our good friend neighbors and resorts up and down Baja. We express our deepest regrets and sorrow at the loss of property and lives; and offer our prayers for their recovery.

Back to Normal

One of the things that brought us back to life so quickly was the fact that the Federal Electric Company’s linemen and other workers stayed at the resort. While they were here for about a month re-installing electricity throughout the East Cape, they got us up and running (making ice) before anyone else! Their work was rough enough without facing warm beer.

Employee Tournament

Read about our Employee Tournament by going to the Fish Stories & Adventure Stories section. We hope you get as much fun reading about the tournament as our employees did participating.

Ribbon Fish Found Near LaPaz

A ribbon fish – similar to the one in our bar – was found near LaPaz after a summer storm. These are very rare creatures that live their lives in the depths of the Sea of Cortes. They are generally only found dead on the beach after a major storm or earthquake has rattled their homes.

Guests Near & Far

In recent years, September has turned into a serious fisherman month. The reason is quite simple: Lots of Fish! This September was no exception, and except for the days when we were ducking raindrops from the hurricanes (see above), we had a lot of boats going out, well for September. Among the visitors to our little corner of the world, we welcomed:

Our good friend and frequent visitor Togo Hazard who was here with some friends from California and Texas, Julius Paeske, Tim Tufer and Bill Frey; Rosemary and Steve Suka; Calvin Preston, San Pedro, Calif., visiting for the second time this season to fish with Juan Garcia aboard the Mosca; and Cliff Becker.

Other returning guests included James Hard, William Graf, Steve Cunningham who came through Baja Motion Tours; Texan Dennis Smart who comes to fish with Jesus Araiza; Texan Jimmy Payne; Larry Smith from Escondido, Calif., Bill Vincent from Woodland Hills, Calif., who brought some very lucky clients; Taron Reeves from Roseville, Calif., on his annual fishing trip; Don Woll on his fourth trip of the year to fish with Juan Garcia; James Forsey from Houston, a first-timer who came to dive Cabo Pulmo.

And Berry Bowen from Meadow Vista, Calif.; Bonnie Zeigler from Midland, Mich.; and Gary Ginter from Seattle, who keeps his boat at the resort and entertains guests who join him on his vacation.

A special welcome to Janda Harbant, who won a trip at the International Sportsman’s Exposition. Don't forget to participate ion this year raffle a the ISE outdoor shows.

Bienvenidos and gracias to all of you!

Groups, Reunions and Buddies

We are getting more groups of buddies, business associates, family reunions, weddings and such. Among our groups were:

The Bennett Group of 11, which came to us through our friends at Lynn Rose Tours; the Hardenburg Party of 8; Mike Pageler and a party of 23 from the Phoenix area; Steve Seper with a party of 11 friends on their annual fishing trip through our friends at Neptune Adventures.

Other groups included the Okuma Fishing Tackle incentive trip with representatives from all over the country to fish and try out the new 2007 reels. The group of 18 was hosted by Mark Rogers with John Bretza and Sam Bremer And we can’t forget Mike Jacoby and his amigos who joined us for a good time.

So many friends . . . so many guests . . . so little space to write about each one. If we missed you this month we apologize and hope to do better next time.

Special Deals and Events You Won't Want to Miss!

december

WINTER SPECIALS!!!

Stay 3 Nights and get the 4th free! Or Stay 5 Nights and get the 6th and 7th nights free. Book Now and Save Big!

january

"RETURN GUEST SPECIAL"

You have been our guest in the past, don't forget to call in and ask for your special discount. Don't take too long as it will only go until January 31st, 2007

january, february and March

WINTER SPECIALS!!!

Stay 3 Nights and get the 4th free! Or Stay 5 Nights and get the 6th and 7th nights free. Book Now and Save Big!

click here to book your reservation on line

Did You Know?

Little known tidbits of Hotel Buena Vista's History

The last Question of the Month was – What were the names of the Hotel Buena Beach Resort’s original fleet?

Answer: Sorry to report that there was no winner.

The Juanita was the first boat my dad Chuy used with his compadre, the late Eduardo Verdugo. The Juanita was actually owned and skippered by Eduardo. The first boat my dad owned was the Vagabundo. He later had the Jindo constructed in LaPaz. The Juanita, Vagabundo and Jindo were all wooden, single screw boats – very slow. One of the great exploits in Sea of Cortes fishing history was when Eduardo Verdugo fought an 800 pound black marlin for an amazing 20 hours aboard the Juanita.

Contest of the Month!

September Question of the Month:

For many years, it was customary for resorts in the area and in Cabo to close during the hurricane season. What was the period that we formerly closed? When did we begin opening that during that time period? First person in with the correct answer will receive

A 3 Night Stay for 2 persons (meals, taxes and gratuities not included)

Send your answer to: info @hotelbuenavista.com

Click Here for September 2006 Fish Total

In the News

On this month we present you with a story that recently ran in a very important travel magazine, Costal Living. Even though we weren't the main feature in this article, we really like the way they described our area and what it has to offered. With the increasing popularity of San Jose, The Corridor and Cabo San Lucas it is nice that they still turn our way and most important differentiate us from them, even though we still in the same county.

Click here to read it

Fish Stories & Adventure Stories

2006 Annual Employee Tournament

One of our most popular events (but little known by our guests) is our Employee Tournament. Each year each employee becomes part of a fishing team . . . yes, even the captains and mates! They get to go out on mid-week days toward the end of the summer when our guest population is down. We even toss a few bucks into a kitty that’s designated for the winning team.

This was the 15^th year of our Employee Tournament. Our 16 teams are divided “boys vs. girls” which adds to the fun and excitement. The “tournament” takes place one or two boats a day over a month or six weeks. This year the winning 349-pound marlin was captured on the very first day, so our winners, Lugarda and Esperanza Cota , Lety Nuñez y Maria Ines Perez had to bite their nails and keep their fingers crossed until they were finally declared the winner. Lots of fun, amigos!

Despite the fact that the women live and work within a stone’s throw of the ocean, many of them new girls and ladies to the resort had never been on a fishing trip. It was quite wonderful watching them take their first tentative steps down the ladder to the waiting boat at the end of our pier. And when they returned, you should have heard the stories!

The trophy and “pot” will be presented at the annual posada complete with traditional Mexican luminarias just before Christmas.

Our 2006 Employee Tournament winner and runners-up were:

1st Place: Blue Marlin 349 lbs

Lugarda Cota (housekeeper), Esperanza Cota (morning waitress), Lety Nuñez (morning waitress) and Maria Ines Perez (laundry room)

2nd Place: Blue Marlin 211 lbs

Marco Yepiz (Liliana Captain) Juan Garcia (Mosca Captain), Manuel Ochoa (Beach Crew) and Reginaldo Cosio (Maintenance)

3rd Place: Striped Marlin 164 lbs

Juan Carlos Perez (Employee driver), Ana Ceceña (Gift Store) and Guisela Vargas (Accounting assistant)

Nuestra Cocina

PASTEL DE TRES LECHES — THREE MILK CAKE

This very traditional Mexican cake is not only delicious, but elegant. It will make a perfect ending for any special dinner. Rafaela at Hotel Buena Vista gave us this recipe. It’s one of her most requested, and it rocks! Serves eight and takes about two hours to prepare.

Cake

10 eggs, separated

¼ cup sugar

2 cups flour

2 tbsp baking soda

¼ cup warm milk (microwave for 20 seconds)

Crema de Tres Leches

10 oz can evaporated milk

10 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

10 oz. can crema media ácida (no substituting on this one; try Nestle at

www.mexgrocer.com if you can’t find it.)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

¼ cup brandy

Whipped cream for topping

Preheat oven to 450°. Cream the egg yolks with sugar in medium bowl. Mix in flour and baking soda, then the warm milk.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Mix with other cake ingredients. Place in a greased angel food cake pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Put all ingredients for tres leches except whipping cream in blender and blend until creamy. Remove cake from pan and place on platter. Drizzle the crema de tres leches over the cake. Top with whipped cream.

This recipe (along with all your favorites from the resort) is from Ann Hazard's new book, Cooking With Baja Magic Dos. Available online or at our gift shop, this book offers up the best in Baja cuisine. With 250 recipes, 80 colored illustrations and travel and adventure stories spanning four generations, this is a must-have for everyone who loves Baja!