The Other Side
Journeys in Baja California

Judy Goldstein Botello

Judy Goldstein was a newly divorced pediatrician with two children living in San Diego in the late 1970's. When she moved into a new home she met Carlos and Jorge. When she went to a barbecue at their home, she also met Bob and Sue Shaffer. Soon she joined the four of them on a trip across the border to Tijuana. That was Judy's introduction to the culture and seduction of Mexico.

She traveled up and down the Baja peninsula over the next 15 years or so. With the Shaffers, Carlos, and other friends she visited different sections throughout the years. The Other Side is her memoirs of the visits and the culture she saw. She has chronicled her life and the changes in Baja over the years.

During the years Rosarita went from a quiet community with no electricity to a growing community in the 1990's with more people building vacation homes, hotels, and growing tourism. Botello and her friends camped on beaches that have since become tourist havens. They were caught in storms that shut down the countryside. Gas stations were few and out of gas as often as they had gas. The people were giving, often inviting her group into their homes when they were temporarily stranded. They explored areas that have timeless artifacts and history older than known civilizations.

Not only is this the story of the Baja peninsula but also of Judy Goldstein Botello's life over those years. These are her memoirs, so the reader watches as her children grow, she connects with a man who changes her future, she changes employers and works in both hospital and free clinic situations, and remarries.

This book was published about ten years ago. By the time it was published Botello was able to see the changes throughout Baja. Then she said there were still areas inland to the east that were unchanged but civilization, money, and population growth. The book is filled with nostalgia for the past and the reality of the present. It's easy reading that not only gives a captivating picture of Baja California in the past few decades but entertains as well. Enjoy!