Mexicali
scene "The
Evening of the Sun"
PAVAROTTI
SIN FRONTERAS
in
Laguna Salada, the Mexicali Desert
on
Saturday, October 18, 2003
On Saturday, October 18, Luciano Pavarotti will perform at Laguna Salada in
the desert of Mexicali, Baja California. “Pavarotti
Without Borders: The Night of the Sun” will be the famous tenor’s farewell performance
to Latin America. The concert is part
the centennial celebration for Mexicali, which is the state of Baja California’s
capital city and one of Mexico’s most important agricultural regions.
More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the concert.
Tickets range in price from $10 to $600, and can be purchased through several
agents. Arthur Carey at Mexico Destinations
is the Authorized Agent for ticket sales and he can be contacted at (888) 295-9669
or (619) 295-5116, or via email at [email protected]. Tickets can also be ordered a Spanish-language
website, TicketMaster Mexico www.ticketmaster.com.mex. You can also place an email order for tickets through to Miguel Cetto at
[email protected] in partnership with TicketMaster
Mexico. An English-speaking agent at the
Mexicali Tourism Office can also be reached regarding tickets at 01152(686) 841-2002.
Mexicali
Founded the 14th of March
1903 Its
name comes from the anagram MEXI-co and CALI-fornia, which in an inverse way also
generated the name of Calexico, access door to the state of California and frontier
with Mexicali. It is the capitol of the state of "Baja
California" and a modern city called "The
city that captured the sun," since during the summer,
temperatures range between 35_C and 45_C. Population:850,000,Income:Agriculture,
Industry (Electronic, Automotive, Power), Tourism Introduction:
The
Building of an Agricultural Empire After
the Jesuits left, the Spanish and later the Mexicans had little to do with northeastern
Baja, perceiving it as an untamable, flood-prone desert delta. Around the time
of the American Civil War, a Yale geologist, while surveying a route for the Southern
Pacific Railroad, wandered into the delta and discovered what the dwindling population
of Yumanos had known for centuries: the 2.5-km-thick sediment was prime farming
soil. The sediments extended far to the west of the river itself, accumulating
in a shallow basin below the Sierra de Cucapá. All it needed was the addition
of water to become an agricultural miracle. In
1900 the U.S.-based California Land Company received permission from the Porfirio
Díaz government to cut a canal through the delta's Arroyo Alamo, thus linking
the dry basin with the Colorado River. To attract farmers to the area, the developers
named the basin the Imperial Valley. In March 1903, the first 500 farmers arrived;
by late 1904, 100,000 valley acres were irrigated, with 10,000 people settled
on the land and harvesting cotton, fruits, and vegetables. A collection of huts
and ramadas that straddled the border was named Calexico on the U.S. side, Mexicali
on the Mexican side. Seeing that
the equally fertile Valle de Mexicali lay undeveloped, another American land syndicate,
the Colorado River Land Company, moved in. Led by Harry Chandler, then publisher
of the Los Angeles Times, the syndicate controlled some 800,000 acres of
northern Baja and in 1905 began constructing a Valle de Mexicali irrigation system.
Instead of using Mexican labor, as the Imperial Valley developers had, Chandler
imported thousands of Chinese coolies. After a major 1905 rainfall, the channel
dug from Arroyo Alamo ended up diverting the entire outflow of the Colorado River
into the Imperial Valley, taking Mexicali with it--unknowingly, the syndicate
had tapped into one of the river's original routes. The Salton Sink, a dried-up
remainder of the Sea of Cortez, became the Salton Sea virtually overnight.
Neither the U.S. nor Mexico wanted to take responsibility
for the growing "New River" created by Chandler's mistake. As both valleys became
increasingly inundated, the Southern Pacific Railroad stepped in and, to protect
its tracks, dumped a sufficient amount of rock into the river to head the Colorado
back into the Cortez, leaving a canal to the Valle de Mexicali. From then on,
both valleys became highly productive agricultural centers. Mexicali
was born the 14 of March of 1903, and it is now the Capital city of Baja
California, the 29th state of Mexico. Shortly after the first irrigation canals
were built, most of the land was bought by the Colorado River Land Company from
the USA The company developed commercial crops and became almost a monopoly until
it was decided to sell its land to Mexican farmers in 1936 and 1937.
A lot of Chinese people were brought as farm workers,
others opened small businesses. Cotton became the most important crop of the Valley
and it helped to develop the dressing and textile industries. In the early 50's,
the Mexicali Valley became the biggest cotton producing zone in the whole country.
Production increased even more in the mid 60's reaching more than half a million
parcels harvested in just one year. Though
it's less commercial than many of the border towns, and relatively hassle-free,
it's not a place you'd choose to spend time, except possibly to prepare for the
next stage south, a daunting trip of at least nine hours on the bus to Hermosillo,
the first place you might remotely choose to take a break, and a further hour
and a half to the much more appealing Guaymas. Mexicali is an increasingly important
destination for Mexican migrants looking for work in the maquiladorasand,
as in Tijuana 160km to the west, the city's hinterland is rapidly being covered
by shantytown sprawl.  INDUSTRYEven
though some industries were developed with agriculture as its source of prime
materials, industrial investment and employment rates have been mostly handled
since the mid 60's by the ensembled manufactured goods for exportation industry
(maquiladoras). This industry has an intense labor force and most of its
sources of materials come from the United States. Today,
with approximately a quarter of the total employment offer in Mexicali, manufacturing
is a great source of income. This activity is becoming more diversified: automotive,
autoparts, electronics, food processing, glass, plastics, steel and textile. Some
of the names of important companies include: Bimbo,
Kenworth, Maseca,
Coca-Cola, Marinela,
Nestlé, Sabritas,
Vitro, Sidek,
TV Azteca and Televisa.
Also on the ensembled manufactured goods for exportation
industry (maquiladoras), there area some very well known firms such as
Black & Decker, Emerson
Electric, Calavo Foods, LG-Goldstar,
Allied Signal, Rockwell,
Mitsubishi, Daewoo,
Acer and Sony.
Most of these companies have taken advantage of being located in the Mexico-USA
borderline and close to the Pacific Rim. The
Japanese company Mitsubishi, is finishing
the construction of its second plant in Mexicali with an investment of more than
300 million dollars.  TOURISM
AND SPORTSIf you look for sports,
Mexicali has a wide variety to offer the whole year. The "Aguilas" baseball
team is part of the professional winter league. If you like bullfighting, you
can find a brave matador in Plaza Calafia. There is also box and
wrestling. But the most electrifying international event in the region is the
world famous off-road race "Baja 1000" organized by SCORE
international. If you look for something
more relaxing, how about golf? Mexicali offers a professional 18 hole course.
Some close places for the practice of ecotourism include the thermal springs of
the Guadalupe Canyon, the Cucapah Sierra, the salt fields of the Laguna Salada
and, of course, the beautiful beaches of San
Felipe in front of the warm waters
of the Sea of Cortes. 
Guadalupe Canyon Hotsprings,
Sizzling hot water bubbles from the Earth, feeding lush
groves of native fan palms. Rock-rimmed hot tubs filled with sparkling-clear geothermal
mineral water. Cascading waterfalls, ancient Indian caves and endless opportunities
for hiking create a paradise in Baja's desert. Visit the remote palm oasis of
Guadalupe Canyon
and find yourself in a private paradise. Follow the links to discover more.
MEXICALI AND ITS VALLEYThe
Mexicali Valley, agricultural heart of the state, with more than 200,000 irrigated
hectares, is responsible for some of the biggest crops in Mexico, including wheat
and cotton. With an ensured supply of water, Mexicali has become an important
exporter of sparagus, broccoli, green onion and radish for the whole world.
 URBAN
AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTAs well
as the urban development has been benefited by the border localization of Mexicali,
so has commerce and other activities. Despite its rural beginnings, the city has
evolved progressively into a big urban and manufacture center. All the national
banks operate in the city with more than 60 branches. There are several first
class hotels with facilities for conventions. Mexicali also has excellent malls
and a wide variety of restaurants being particularly famous the Cantonese cuisine,
important part of the heritage that the city has from China.
There are three superior learning institutions: The
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC),
The Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior (CETYS)
and The Instituto Tecnológico de Mexicali (ITM).
All of them offer a wide range of careers which exploit the intelligence as
well as the technical abilities of the youth. The
city also has the State theater, art galleries and a regional museum which helps
to preserve the history of the city.  FEATURES
AND FACILITIESThe Municipality
of Mexicali covers an area of 5,254 square miles and has an approximate population
of 750,000. A physical characteristic which outstands is the weather. Mexicali,
which is under the solar band, has long and hot summers and short cold winters.
The weather is dry and the average rain precipitation is a little more than 3
inches a year. Mexicali is gifted with
geothermic energy, the Cerro Prieto plant is not only the biggest facility
of this kind in Mexico but the most important one in Latin America.
The growing importance of international trade is being
attended with more infrastructure. An example of this is the new commercial custom
which will start to operate in July of 1996 accommodating a great number of freight
transports which move constantly between Mexico and the USA. Mexicali is also
connected to other cities of Baja California and the interior of Mexico through
highways. The Municipality has two international
airports: one outside of the city and the other one in San Felipe, on the shores
of the Sea of Cortes. The rail service is available to the interior of the country
and it is also connected to the South of California. During
October you'll find a few cultural activities - live music, dance, cockfights
and the like - taking place as part of the Fiesta del Sol;
at any other time of year you can fill an hour browsing the local history exhibits
at the free Museo Regional de la Universidad de Baja California,on
Reforma at c/L. Border
Crossing, The Mexicali border
crossing is open 24 hours and, except at morning and evening rush hours,
is usually relatively quiet, the procedures straightforward. Remember to visit
Migración if you're travelling further on into Mexico. In Calexico,
Imperial Avenue leads straight to the border, lined with handily placed auto-insurance
offices, banks and exchange places that offer almost identical rates to those
in Mexicali; the Greyhound station is just one block from the frontier
on 1st St. It's possible to get a
Golden State bus from LA to the Central Camionera
in Mexicali: the bus only comes as far the border, where they bundle you into
a taxi for the rest of the journey. The airport lies some
20km to the east. Fixed-price taxis and minibuses bring passengers
into town. Broad avenues lead away
from the frontier: straight ahead is López Mateos,
which will eventually take you straight out of town, passing close by the train
and bus terminals on the way. To the left, off López Mateos and
following the covered walkway from the border, you find yourself on Madero, which,
along with parallel Reforma, is the main commercial street downtown. The
local bus stand is at the back of the small market just up from the border
- a couple of blocks up López Mateos to the right. Taxis
wait at ranks around the junction of López Mateos and Madero.
Information,The
tourist information booth (nominally Mon-Fri 9 a.m. -1 p.m. & 3-6 p.m., Sat
9 a.m. -1 p.m.) right by the border seldom seems to be open; the main office (Mon-Fri
8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.; 65/57-25-61) is a very long way down López Mateos at
Camelias, a journey not worth making unless you have some special reason. There
are several banks and casas de cambio very close to the border - Bancomer,
on Madero, is closest, Banamex a couple of blocks up Madero near the post
office. Hotels
,Most of Mexicali's cheaper hotels can be
found in the older streets around the border. Not that there are any great bargains
here - indeed, if you're looking for somewhere to stay Calexico is arguably better
value, with several motels charging around $30. Try for example the Don
Juan Motel, 344 4th Street East, between Hefferman and Heber (619/357-3231;
$35-50), or the El Rancho (619/357-2458; $25-35) opposite.
In Mexicali, there are a couple of cheap and fairly
decent places: the youth hostel, Coahuila 2050 at Salinas Cruz (65/57-61-82; $6)
- take the blue-and-white "Tercera" or "Once" bus from the local bus stand - and
16 de Septiembre, Altamirano 353 (65/52-60-70; $12-18), just south of Mateos.
The Hotel del Norte, Madero 203 just off López
Mateos (65/52-81-01; $35-50), is one of the first things you see as you cross
the border; it looks better than it is. The Imperial, Madero 222 (65/53-67-33;
$25-35), just beyond, and Plaza, Madero 366 (65/53-63-33; $25-35), in the
next block, are simpler places, but better value. For the same price as the Del
Norte, the Hotel San Juan Capistrano (65/52-41-04; $35-50), Reforma
646, not much farther from the border, is a far better deal - a rather bland business
hotel with a decent restaurant. The Motel Azteca de Oro, de la Industria
600 (65/57-21-85; $18-25), right by the train station, is comfortable and handy
for transport: the Camionera is only about ten minutes' walk away up López
Mateos. More expensive hotels are mainly on the outskirts, particularly along
Juárez - the modern, international-style Lucerna, for example, at
Juárez 2151 (65/66-10-00; $50-75). One exception is the new Crowne Plaza,
near the Centro Civico on López Mateos at Av. de los Héroes (65/57-36-00;
$100+). Restaurants,There's
plenty to eat in the border area too,
with lots of stalls and small restaurants around the market and on Madero and
Reforma. The restaurant in the Del Norte is convenient,
and better than the hotel itself, while on Reforma at D, about six blocks down,
La Parroquia serves good Mexican food, albeit a bit touristy. Entirely
off the tourist track are the many restaurants and cafes in and around the Centro
Civico, on Independencia a couple of blocks from the Central Camionera. The Centro
itself has a branch of Sanborn's, reliable as ever; Café
Petunias, at Plaza Cholula 1091 off Calafia, is one of many
in this area serving sandwiches, juices, and lunch for office workers and shoppers.
Transportation
, Mexicali's Central
Camionera (65/57-24-10; guardería) is 4km from
the border on Independencia at Anahuac, close to the new Centro
Civico development and not far off López Mateos. To
get there, take a "Calle 6" bus from the local bus stand off Mateos. Altogether
well over fifty buses a day head south
(20 to México), and there's at least one local service an hour to Tijuana.Golden
State has an office at the station: 3 buses leave daily
for LA via Palm Springs. On the other hand, you'll have far more choice, and save
a few dollars, if you walk across the border to Calexico's Greyhoundstation.
The train station is just off
López Mateos, not quite as far out as the Camionera; buses and colectivo
taxis heading up Mateos will take you there. The "express", first-class train
leaves for Guadalajara at 10am daily, arriving some 34 hours later. The second-class
slow train leaves at 9:50 p.m., and takes about ten hours longer - tickets for
both are sold at the station an hour or so before departure. You can reserve -
advisable for first-class during holidays - by calling 65/57-21-01, ext 221.
Flights to México and
Acapulco leave daily from the airport 20km east of town. |
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