Puerto Penasco, Mexico

Friday - 16 January 2004 - Puerto Penasco, Senora, Mexico:  Yesterday we drove south to Ajo, Arizona where we met-up with my folks. My parents are traveling in their 5th wheel and we have planned a MEXICAN ADVENTURE with them! After over-nighting at the Shadow Ridge RV Park, we left Ajo this morning and headed south to sunny Mexico. The road goes through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, so we had a very scenic drive. But, as soon as you drive under the adobe arch and enter Mexico, it is like you have entered a different world. I was quite surprised. It's not like I haven't been to Mexico before, and it certainly isn't like I haven't been (or LIVED) in a third-world country (or two, or three, or...), but the sudden change is quite dramatic. The little village on the border is one of the poorest towns I had ever seen.

Welcome to Mexico.

We were following Mom and Dad in their RV. The Mexican government has a very interesting random-search technique at border crossings (and at their airports, for that matter). You push a button and you either get a red light or a green light. Green light - you sail straight through customs and immigration; Red means STOP. Mom and Dad had a red light, so they had to pull over. The Federalis wanted a "tax" on Dad's outboard motor he had for his portable boat. Dad (my parents have spent many years in Mexico and know their way around these matters) said no, and for some reason they didn't fight him. DT and I had a green light.

An hour later, we came into Puerto Penasco - also known as Rocky Point. After only one day in this town, I would say it is pretty dumpy, but it is under serious construction and they are cleaning-up, adding nice hotels, condos, golf courses and in ten years, Puerto Penasco will be really nice... and then, of course, won't be like Mexico at all and no one will want to come here.

We were following the directions to the "highest-rated" campground and became stuck at a dead-end street! With Mom and Dad in their RV behind us! What a disaster... or not. Boys from the hotel came out and showed us a place where there was a turn-around and said to us, "Were you looking for the Playa Bonita RV Park?" Guess this happens all the time. Okay. Could someone think to possibly paint a sign somewhere then? Anyway, after a 20-minute delay, we were at the park and they did have two sites together and we signed up. Playa Bonita RV Park is not actually a RV Park as much as it is a RV Parking Lot, but it is right on the ocean and clean and everyone is very friendly. There seem to be a lot of people who come here for a month or more each winter, so everyone knows everyone.

Sardine City

We do feel a bit squeezed and I must say it was easier trying to turn around in a dead-end street today than it was trying to back into to this tight camp site, but my highly skilled driver had us backed-in to our new foreign home in no time. My Dad and Mom are in the 5th-wheel to the right of our camper in the photo above. We can't even put our awning out all the way, or it will hit the camper next to us! Later we drove around town to get ourselves acquainted with the city and dropped Dad off for a very good $5 haircut. We stopped at a beer store. In Mexico you buy your beer at a beer store and pay deposit for the bottles (which costs more than the beer) and return the bottles later. Even in a foreign country (62 miles from my own) I could still find BudLight.

The town of Puerto Penasco from Playa Bonita RV Park

For dinner we drove into town - just a few miles - and had dinner at The Friendly Dolphin. It is supposed to be one of the nicest restaurants in town and it wasn't bad. We each had fish - we are in a huge fishing port so I assume we will be eating fish daily - and it was delicious and really fresh. The waiters were highly skilled and the place was hopping. Just as in any Mexican city we have ever visited, during dinner you are "entertained/bothered" by a steady stream of vendors through the restaurant selling fresh flowers, pencil portraits and the talents of (tonight) three different singing groups. One group was an eight-piece Mariachi Band. They were wonderful, but L-O-U-D in our small dining room. It was quite fun though and the waiters sang Happy Birthday to someone at the table behind us.

 
Waiters and the Mariachi's entertain at The Friendly Dolphin

RV Park: Playa Bonita RV Park