“Everyone has a story to tell.” This is what Udi Goren, visual journalist and global traveler, tells us drives him to discover stories and explore regions across the globe. Originally from Israel, Goren graduated from Brooks Institute in California last year and took to the road with his brother as they made their way into Mexico and toward Copper Canyon. This was when Udi first visited Puerto Peñasco, where he and his brother took in common tourist activities – bouncing ATVs around the dunes and admiring the Sea of Cortez – before continuing their trek to El Desemboque.
There, in the fishing village of Desemboque, Udi was drawn to the fascinating stories of the community where callo (scallop) is King, both for its value for consumption, as well as for the amazing search for pearls from the Sea of Cortez. Yes, pearls! Following his initial travels to our northwestern corner of Mexico, Udi returned to Desemboque to begin capturing sights, sounds, stories, and video for a documentary he is developing. Following months of filming in Desemboque, Udi found himself once again in Puerto Peñasco, residing on a friend’s boat in the harbor, which allowed him time to edit. That is when I ran into Udi, as we found ourselves both aboard a journey to Bird Island with adventure company EcoFun.
Days later, Udi and I sat down at the Bistro café in Plaza Freemont, where he talked about the amazing things he had come to find in Puerto Peñasco, and the region. In addition to the amazing story of pearls, callo, and fishermen in Desemboque, Udi’s excitement for the wondrous desert and craters of the Pinacate Biosphere was contagious. He excitedly relived his visits to the Pinacate where, he exclaimed, he was blown away with the black volcanic soil and the moving dunes. “There is no shortage of things to film or shoot,” he explained when remembering his trips to the Pinacate, “….it’s so huge and right across the border.”
Following Udi’s many travels through South America, Europe, Africa, the Americas, (and more), he fondly remarked he loves to travel in Mexico given its size, scope, and diversity (both of its people and environment). Though his escapades and film work in the area are coming to a close, he has made many new amigos and looks to return one day to further explore the area, while also possibly bringing his finished Desemboque documentary to life. Buena suerte, amigo!
