An Interview with Catalina (Cat) Montalvo – San Felipe Title Co. Bookstore
by
Anita Net

© 1997-2011 IISFAC

How did you get to San Felipe?
“It all started when I was living alone in a little town in upstate New York,” Catalina begins. She relates how she kept a journal, and one evening, upon discovering that not a single pen in her entire household worked, and becoming rather frustrated, she did something that she would normally never have done. She ordered 144 pens from an offer in a magazine. With the delivery of the pens came an official-looking document bearing congratulations: she had won a lot in El Dorado Ranch, in San Felipe. All that was required was that a payment of $28.50 be made yearly to cover basic expenses. Soon, newsletters began to arrive, heralding the various developments occurring at the Ranch. Catalina paid them little attention, and the years began to pass. She moved several times, and eventually met her spouse, Ed Meders. Then, after more than 5 years, the couple decided to take a vacation down to San Felipe to actually see what it was that Cat had won. Not deterred by the long and somewhat desolate road to San Felipe, they made their way down. Upon arriving at El Dorado, they were informed that the lot Catalina had won was a fair distance out in the desert, however, they could trade it for one that was in the development area for a mere $1,200. A certain lot in Los Viajeros Norte caught their eye, and they agreed to consider it, while they began the trip back home. They made it as far as Reno before they realized their decision. Turning around, they headed back to San Felipe, traded the lots, began plans to build their home and settled in. They have never looked back.

You say you came to San Felipe around 1991. What was El Dorado Ranch and San Felipe like back then?
“El Dorado was completely different. There were no stop signs, no security guards, no Home Owners Association …there were hardly any rules. When we lived there we had no air conditioning, so everyone would get up at the crack of dawn, and get everything done: chores, shopping…it would all be done by 10:00 in the morning, and then everyone would go and stand in the pool with a book and a drink.It was nothing like these days.”

After you moved to San Felipe, you and Ed opened San Felipe’s first bookstore. You had never done anything like this before, how did you become involved in the book business?
“Ed and I started going to Baja Java, and often tourists would come up there and ask, ‘Where can I buy a book in town?’…And there was no real place to get books.
So, Ed said to me, jokingly, of course, ‘Well, maybe we should put up a couple of bookshelves, and people can just put the money in a can.’ But we thought about it and…” And so the San Felipe Title Co. was born. 12 bookshelves were moved in beside Baja Java, and business was opened. After a few months, it became evident that more shelves were definitely necessary! They moved into the larger space next door, which they soon outgrew as well, expanding into the empty room beside them. The bookstore had grown into a successful business and a popular hangout for many of the locals; the balcony often occupied by groups of regulars. Then, in August of 2008, they moved yet again to their current location, a considerably larger area on Ave. Mar de Cortez No 183A.

What are some of your favourite things about San Felipe?

• Weather ~~~ It gets hot (in the summer), but you adjust. You can’t go out walking in the middle of the day in the sun and then complain about the heat. You rearrange your schedule to suit the climate. Personally I like the heat.

• Friendly community~~~ When we first moved here, everybody was so friendly and helpful; everyone looks out for each other here.

• Diversity~~~ There are so many different people from all over the world here, and everyone has a story. Everyone you meet is so interesting and has experiences from all over the world to share.

© 1997-2009 IISFAC

From SanFelipe.com.mx