Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles Through Baja California, the Other Mexico

by C.M. Mayo

Baja California is a place where nothing is as it seems. Cleaved from the Mexican mainland by the Sea of Cortés and separated from the rest of North America by a multitude of cultural and economic differences, the nearly one-thousand-mile-long peninsula is scarred by imperial transgressions yet blessed with extraordinary natural beauty. “The very air here is miraculous,” wrote John Steinbeck, “and outlines of reality change with the moment.” It was desire that first took C.M. Mayo to Baja California, but only a longing for understanding could produce this exquisite portrait of “the Other Mexico.” As mindful of the peninsula’s history of conquest and exploitation as she is receptive to the extraordinary characters who are drawn to it—from daredevil aviators to expatriate artists, and from hawkers of plastic Virgins to corrupt modern politicos—Mayo offers a deep reading of this endlessly fascinating place. Intimate, perceptive, and incomparably rich, Miraculous Air will delight readers who already know and love Baja California, and provide a memorable introduction for those who know it primarily as a distant source of allure.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Adventure

390 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

C.M. Mayo is the author of The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire , as well as the widely-lauded travel memoir, Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles through Baja California, the Other Mexico , and Sky Over El Nido , which won the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. She is also the editor of Mexico: A Traveler's Literary Companion , which was published by Whereabouts Press in March 2006.

Reviews

[John Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rollicing recounting of the early days on the last frontier. Baja California. Delishes details that read like poetry.

[Nola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even after I’ve read it, I’m not quite sure what this book is about. It details the southern part of Baja California. Since this is the area we are going to be visiting (and have visited), it interests me. Why did the author write about the particular places she did, and not places in the northern part of the peninsula? I don’t know, and for me, it doesn’t really matter. Why did she write about Baja at all? Again, I’m not sure. There were allusions to the reason in the book, but I didn’t really grasp the reason. However, I learned about the history of the area since the Spanish conquest in vivid detail and I learned about several hidden areas that I wouldn’t have known of otherwise.
I didn’t know where this book was going when I started it. It began with a couple of hooks, which never ac6tually went anywhere, but it still looked like it could be boring, but I soon found out that it wasn’t. I had to read through the first pages not knowing if it would be worth continuing. It was. The descriptions of the tourists in Baja and the author’s meetings with her sources can drag. On the other hand, they do convey flavor. Maybe I just don’t always like the flavor, but it does make what you read more real. By the time I was reading about János Xantus camping on the beach for two years in what is now Cabo San Lucas to survey wildlife, I was hooked. Then the history and visual descriptions of various places made the book worthwhile for me.
At the end, I feel like I’ve read a mystery novel or autobiography where the answer is never revealed. I never understood the reasons the author wanted to explore Baja and wanted to write this book. There are strong hints about those reasons, but either I was too dense to understand or they were never brought out in the book. But that’s fine. It’s a well-written book with worthwhile information, and the mystery of it alludes to the contrast of Baja with both the United States and with Mexico City.

[Leo Buijs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book about Baja California. I have been going there for the last 15 years and should have read this book earlier. However, most places and experiences such as whale watching, hiking to the fascinating cave paintings and much more, I have done over the years. So it was a very pleasant read to bring back my own experiences and I learned a lot more as the author laces her stories with many excellent interviews of local people. The end is a bit of a bummer as she has trouble finding an end to her story. Not a very nice description of life in Mexico city, which had no place in this book about Miraculous Air in California

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great example of what a travelogue should look like with historical information mixed in with portraits of the people that live there, all told in a conversational style that sometimes shocks with ugly truths but often amuses as well. This book is one of many on a reading list for an upcoming trip and it's good I chose to read it early as it has given me a great understanding of this isolated beautiful area of Mexico.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was curious to read a travel book about the Baja, that is, Baja California. Written in the 90's, the author's travels took place 20 years after I spent time there. A bit disjointed at first, but after I got the hang of her style, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. She includes lots of history of Mexico, it's politics and interesting characters she met along the way.

[Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed learning more about Baja and its history.

[Richard Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know the Baja read this.

This is the truth of the Baja.
For over 30 years I have lived in California and Cabo.
I bought a condo in Marina Sol before the 7 story was started.
I truly love the Baja, and it's people. I have gone to all these places . I have never felt danger.
However now from TJ to just north of Cabo the behaviour
of Mexico City now pervades.
No longer can you drive down with out worries and I would NOT advise it
As far as Cabo is concerned it's safe.
Just north of San Jose del Cabo the Mexican government
Has built a huge military base to protect the jewel at the tip of Baja and all the American investments.
Out side of the growth in Cabo San Lucas,
It is truly the "found" jewel of Mexico.

[Mikel Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my Amazon review: What sets this masterpiece apart from other books about the Baja peninsula is the author's insights and dedication to detail in telling stories. This is literature and history, full of insights that most Baja books ignore when writing about people and places. A good example is the chapter about Bahia de Los Angeles, an out-of-the-way paradise on the Sea of Cortez forty miles from Highway 1. Jacques Cousteau proclaimed it a natural aquarium, John Steinbeck marveled at the marine life, and dozens of other authors have described it over the years. I've been there too, and have written about it. Mayo goes beyond description to provide insights from the panga fisherman who gives a guided tour of the bay to Mayo and her sister. Great reading; a book I loaded into my iPad to make sure I can refer to it whenever I want to learn more about the peninsula.

[Becky Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the book for its focus on Baja California — a region of Mexico you don’t hear much about besides Tijuana and Cabo San Lucas. Mayo tends to visit more off-the-beaten path type places and give interesting and in depth character sketches — of an artists’ colony in Todos Santos, of the owners of the quaint inns where she stays, of fishermen. Led by a local guide, she and her sister hike to several remote rock art locations not frequented by tourists, and Mayo goes on a week-long whale watching excursion, admittedly more to observe the other tourists.

Read the rest of my review here: http://beckyajohnson.net/2012/04/21/m...

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accounting of a 1,000-mile walk through Baja California, Mexico. Reads rather like a journal, which is a writing style I don't enjoy. Nevertheless, lots of information and accounting of experiences, communities and people encountered on the journey, descriptions of raw beauty.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has some excellent moments and some moments that drag. A reminder that a good editor can make a book shine!