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Rigo Cruz has probably seen more sunrises and sunsets than most men. For
a good portion of his life, Mr. Cruz has spent it sailing on the Sea of
Cortez, which adjoins Mazatlán. The other portion he has spent on the beach,
below Pancho's Restaurant, waiting for customers. A "hobie catter", Mr.
Cruz takes people afloat his mini sailboats to Las Tres Islas (the three
islands) which jet out of the sea not far from Mazatlán's shores. Although
he is only 44, he has a pretty good idea what people want, yet find so little
of in their lives: the need to relax and leave all their cares behind them
- "escaping" - even for a short while. That's what he and the other hobie
catters do for visitors in Mazatlán. Occasionally, while his sailboat rocks
to and from as it makes its way across the water, people pour their hearts
out to him. But, he explains, those whose souls are burdening them usually
do more of that to the bartender in the resort where they are staying. "When
people come looking for me," he says with a satisfying grin, "they usually
come looking for a good time and a nice sail." Born in Catarina, a ranching
community about an hour away from Mazatlán, he first came to Mazatlán in
1970 and worked as a waiter at El Patio Restaurante. Six months later he
went to work, again as a waiter, in his uncles' La Marinera Restaurant which
was located in the Olas Altas area, although it has now closed. In 1974,
he began studying English with Gabino and Olga Covarrubias at their Whitney
Academy in Mazatlán. He was obviously a good student who was also well taught.
If you didn't know it, you would have a hard time picking up the fact that
English is not his first language. In 1984, with money he saved from tips,
he bought his first hobie cat and then a second boat later that year with
a loan from one of his uncles. At that time there were very few hobie cats
in Mazatlán and he earned a good wage each year. Today, he reflects, "There
are more hobie cats than can serve the tourists." With the money he has
earned ($20.00 U.S. dollars an hour or $60.00 for a half a day), he has
supported his wife of 22 years, Ana, and their children, Ana Ivette, 20,
and Jose Francisco, 16, although his wife has always worked as a cashier
in local restaurants to supplement their income. His daughter is in her
senior years of college here in Mazatlán and when she graduates she will
teach kindergarten. Her father's earnings have helped her achieve her goals.
His son works with him on weekends and holidays but he is looking toward
college as opposed to following his father in the hobie cat profession.
Mr. Cruz is now saving his earnings for that day. He has never had an accident
on the water and says the waters around Mazatlán are safe. "There aren't
any sharks out here," he says pointing to the waters just offshore, "only
sea lions, and they are tame," he adds. With a motor boat he recently bought,
he takes people to watch the sea lions on a nearby rock which is home to
them in the winter months. During the summer months, they head north for
cooler waters. In between rides he says he "talks with the Lord" each day.
He says living his life among nature provides him plenty of time to think
and reflect on what is important. On those occasions when he has a "big
worry," as he refers to a |
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problem, he takes his hobie cat and heads for one of the islands for up
to an hour and a half to pray and think. Perhaps it was his upbringing or
perhaps its the life he lives in nature but when you visit with him, you
know you are visiting with a peaceful man who has allowed but few turmoils
to encroach upon his life. On a few occasions he has turned away customers
- something he can hardly afford - but was forced to do because of their
intoxication. Even though he has bills to meet and makes the majority of
his money in the "high" season between November and March, he says he morally
must turn away people whom he can tell they have been drinking too much.
He explains he could never substitute money for a person's life. And so,
on those occasions when he has seen what sometimes was his day's salary
"walk away" down the beach when he declined to take them sailing, he reflects,
"at least they are safe - something they wouldn't be, because of their condition
- if I had taken them out on the water." Sometimes people ask him to leave
them on one of the three islands for the day so they can snorkel in the
clear, calm water and have a romantic picnic or to drop them off at sunset
on one of the islands and come back for them in the morning. He offers assurance
that it is safe to camp out on the islands and the people always enjoy the
experience. While he easily remembers the many smiles and faces of those
he has taken sailing over the years, his most memorable was the time he
took his then 86 year old grandfather and his mother, then 50, sailing.
He says he was actually surprised they accepted his invitation. The day
was perfect. The water was calm and a lovely shade of turquoise, he recalls.
After an hour and a half sailing when they finally landed on shore, he asked
his grandfather what he thought of the trip. The eighty-three year old gently
smiled and told his grandson the sail boat ride was interesting and he enjoyed
it - but not to expect him to go again. With that, Mr. Cruz explains with
a big grin and a chuckle, his grandfather walked up the beach, returned
to his ranch at Catarina, which has been in the family for 150 years, and
has never come back. Mr. Cruz has taken people sailing from as far away
as Australia and Brazil although most are from the United States and Canada.
Those who sail the most from México, he recounts, are from the state of
Chihuahua. He would like to retire in six years and, like his grandfather
who is now 93, return to live at the family's ranch at Catarina. "It is
my dream," he explains. The last three years the hobie cat business has
slowed. He attributes it in part to people traveling to other resorts in
México and part due to economics. As a result, he has taken a waiter's job,
once again, to support his income. This time he is working at Las Canoas
Restaurante. Because each hobie cat is licensed to be operated in a specific
area, he can not move it to Las Canoas as he would be required to buy a
new license, which is expensive, as licenses can not be transferred to a
new location without purchasing a new permit. These days he juggles his
time between his hobie cat and Las Canoas where he also accepts sailing
reservations. He says he considers himself a lucky man to have lived his
life as he has, and most important, to have raised two good children. And,
he reflects, if he had it all to do over again, even if he had other opportunities
presented to him, he would still do everything the same way. |
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