Oasis of Stone: Visions of Baja California Sur Book

Bruce Berger is my favorite Baja author. He has been exploring the faint trails of the geography, native people, the mission period and the current reality of modern Baja Sur. The Oasis of Stone has as it's cover photo a rhyolite dome withing 40 miles of where I have a trailer. His "Almost an Island" provides a bit more depth than this four part collection of photographs by Miguel Angel del la Cueva.

The four parts combine Berger's text as a narrative with the pictures adding an emotional component. The parts are "Rock that Flows" (geology), "A Stroll through the Thorns" (native plants), "Creatures of Mirage" (animals of Baja Sur) and "The Newcomer" (anthropology and rock art). I read the book twice before coming to grips with returning it to the library.

The forces of development and money have a big say in how the future will unfold. Some very good things are happening on a local and governmental level. Sustainable fishing, a new awareness of the role eco tourism can play in the economy and the change in behavior on the part of Mexican citizens all have made the Baja of 30 years ago a thing of the past. This is a book to be enjoyed on many levels.