Mexico 2018-Week One

February 5, 2018.

At 6:45 AM I was at the dump station and got some more fresh water and emptied the holding tanks.

Never before did I travel with 80 gallons of fresh water. The tank is full and should last the four weeks the group stays in Puerto Penasco.

My next stop was the Visitor Center where the ten rigs were to line up.

I was early and was able to do some computer work. At 8:30 AM Frosty arrived and I drove my motorhome behind hers. She had been in Puerto Panasco before and volunteered to be the guide.

At 9:00 AM we took off. Four rigs had left earlier and we were only six now, which I liked. It is easier traveling with six than ten rigs.

The border crossing was easy. Two Mexican agents came in the motorhome, asked me whether I had any pets, looked around and got out. Frosty had waited on the side of the highway. When all six rigs were done we went through Sonoyta. Since today was a Mexican holiday the traffic was easy. Seeing stop signs in Mexico is tricky. There are no signs making the traveler aware that a stop sign is coming. The signs are also in bad shape. The colors are gone on some.

When we entered Puerto Penasco I got nervous. Paul had marked a map for me. Frosty did not follow the map. I read the street signs and they were different than on the map.

When we entered the Concha Del Mar gate at 11:00 AM I started breathing easier.

Two groups came after us. The WINs who came several days ago got sites near the water. I am in the third row, which is fine.

After setting up the motorhome I checked out the place. The restrooms are clean, so are the showers. I will use the showers to save the water in the motorhome.

There was low tide on the beach.

I see a little bit of the water from my motorhome.

Frosty and two friends of her asked me whether I could drive them to Walmart since the did not bring vegetables. They were worried that they could not bring any to Mexico.

The Walmart is called Bodega Aurrera in Mexico, and located next to Sam’s Club.

I bought only some bakery goods and tomatoes for making salsa. We paid in dollars and got change in pesos.

At the 4:00 PM Circle Meeting we talked about what we are going to do the next four weeks.

After the meeting I walked on the beach and then went to the office and paid for a week. It is fifty dollars per week.

February 6, 2018.

In the morning I cooked a big breakfast and then walked on the beach. It is not easy since the sand is soft and at places one sinks in about four to six inches.

I walked past the Beach Bar where some of the WINs went last night for Margaritas and something to eat. Most of the group went to a place where they had a special on hamburgers and beer for $ 4.00.

Playa Bonita is a fancy resort. They have two swimming pools.

On the way back, I walked through a RV Resort. They have full hook-ups, but not much room between motorhomes and trailers. We have plenty of room. There they pay $ 148.00 a week.

At 10:45 AM we left in ten cars for La Cholla, a neighborhood on a small peninsula with expensive homes.

Most people who live there are Americans. Since we did not stop, because of parking problems, I have to go there again when I am more familiar with the streets.

On the way home, we stopped at a taco place and the poor cooks had to work hard to feed forty people, who came at the same time.

When we got back at Concho Del Mar, the Propane truck was in front of us. I drove beside him and told the driver that I needed a fill up. He followed me to the motorhome and filled up the four- gallon auxiliary tank. The cost was $ 13.00. In Quartzsite it was $ 9.00, and in Eureka $ 17.00.

In the evening I did a load of laundry. The park has two washers and two dryers. Unfortunately, only one dryer worked, otherwise I could have done two loads. The machines are not commercial ones, they probably were discarded and fixed and most likely came from Arizona or California. The instruction on the machines are in English.

I cannot complain though; the price is right. The charge for one load, using both the washing machine and dryer, is $ 2.50. The manager’s wife charges $ 5.00 or one load, this includes washing and folding.

This is a bargain too.

Edgar and his wife are young and work hard and long hours. They have two young boys. They live in an old motorhome, next to the office. I saw her doing the dishes in an outside sink, next to the showers.

February 7, 2018.

Since the WIFI is overloaded during the day I thought I beat the crowd and went to the office this morning at 6:00 AM.

Two WINs had the same idea and where there before me. They informed me that the WIFI was down. I went to the office and the gate guard, who was watching television, told me: “No systema”. That made it official. I have a feeling that Edgar, the manager, turns off the WIFI during the night. 

At 8:15 AM we left for Lucky’s Cantina. It was a wonderful experience. We sat upstairs and had a very good view of the bay, and could see our motorhomes and trailers in the distance.

The breakfast was perfect and cost $ 5.00; this included any drink.

Some people had Bloody Mary’s, coffee, or what they liked. Since I do not drink alcoholic beverages the waitress suggested an alcohol free Pina Colada. I liked it.

After the breakfast we went to Malacon, the shopping area. I bought an embroidered T shirt.

We walked to a large plaza with monuments.

February 8, 2018.

In the morning we went to Playa Bonita and looked at condos. A two bedroom condo costs about      $ 750.000. The monthly fee is $ 250.00.

They are beautiful and the view is spectacular. They have a giant swimming pool, spas, exercise room, game room, and a 10x20 foot storage area.

 
At 2:45 PM we left for the La Casa Del Capitan restaurant. They had a 50% off coupon in the paper. About forty of the group went.

The restaurant is located at the highest point of the city. We could look over the city and in the distance were our motorhomes and trailers.

I had three fish tacos with rice and beans. With the coupon it cost $ 7.75. Somehow two dollars and twenty five cents were added. The regular price would have been $ 11.00. I did not want to make a fuss and let it go.

I usually do not go that much to restaurants , but this is a good way to see the city.

Some of our diners stayed away from picture taking.

I have no telephone service and no radio and no television. I should have contacted Verizon before I left for Mexico and added Mexico to my plan. I will survive.

Linda, who had to go to a hospital in Phoenix, is back. She still does not know what the problem was. I would not like to pay the bill for the ambulance.
 

February 9, 2018.

This morning we drove to the Reserva De Biosefera El Pinacate Y Gran Desierto De Altar, a Natural World Heritage Site.

The reserve has the highest concentration of “Maar” like craters (or calderas) in the world, and its volcanic shield has more than 500 cinder cones, lava flows, streambeds, alluvia fans, and mountain ranges of basalt, tuff and granite.

The Gran Desierto de Altar is the largest active dune field in North America where the unusual star dunes that exist only in a few localities in the world are formed.

The Visitor Center is the first self-sustainable public building of larger dimension in Mexico and Latin America. All power requirements are supplied by solar and wind turbine.

The Tohono O’odham Indians, who lived in this area, were farmers and hunters and build basic structures to stay out of the sun.

We did not go to the sand dunes, but saw them in the distance.

Inside the Visitor Center are a lot of displays and video screens with a lot of information. We also saw a film about the park.

The Salt Trail gives young males a chance to change into adulthood like their ancestors.

On the way home, we stopped at a giant pottery shop. They have acres of pottery on display.

My passengers wanted to go grocery shopping so we made a stop at Super Ley, a very nice store.

They have a better assortment of fruits and vegetables.

In the evening Mike set up his Karaoke machine and we danced and enjoyed a campfire.

Sometimes people dance without a partner. This is not my style.

Most of the dances were two step, waltz and cha cha.

Last night, when we came home from the restaurant, we saw dark smoke in the direction of our RV Park.

The Fire trucks and ambulances past us. We knew it was a trailer of motorhome burning.  The black smoke was higher than the six-story hotel. Later, we found out that a trailer, in the RV Park down the bay, burned to the ground. The owners lost everything, even the keys for their car.
 

February 10, 2018.

In the morning we drove to the Las Chollas neighborhood and drove around and looked at the expensive homes. Most homes have a view of the water. All homes have walls around them and iron gates.

Some homes had Moorish influence. Unfortunately, we did not stop at one of them.

Paul, who led the group gave us a little information about the houses, who owns them and the financing of them.

The group went then to the two- dollar taco place for lunch. Two of my passengers wanted to eat someplace else, so we went to a small corner taco place, El Grillo. The place was clean and they brought the shredded cabbage, salsa, and all the other stuff to the table. We could fix our tacos the way we liked them.

In the afternoon I went for a long walk. Since it was Saturday, Mexican people were on the beach. Musician were playing, and singing for them.

Vendors were selling Pina Coladas in the fruit hollowed out.

When I walked in the neighborhood a man carrying a bucket was fighting off dogs with a stick.

The main streets in town are covered with asphalt, the other streets are dirt streets.

On the main street I encountered more pineapple vendors.

On the way back, I tried to follow the beach but the Mexican Navy installation and a private property made me go back to the street.

The weather changed today. We knew it was coming and had the karaoke night last night, instead of tonight. The wind picked up and it got cooler.

February 11, 2018.

There was no wind this morning.

We had a day off from organized activities. Some people went to church. I felt like preparing potato pancakes. I shredded two big potatoes, a piece of onion and added an egg and some flower and in no time had the frying pan going.

After finishing one of my favorite meals I walked to El Malacon, the shopping area. In a park, young uniformed cadets were practicing marching. Younger boys without uniforms were also instructed by an uniformed person.

Puerto Penasco is a fishing town. There are several statues of fisherman.

At El Malacon are several fish stores.

The boats are in the harbor next to the shopping area.

One of the nicer restaurants is located above the water.

At the street in Malacon is one restaurant after another.

I bought another embroidered T shirt.

On the way back, I stopped at the Kaffee Hause restaurant and bought some German pastries. Some of the WINs were there eating breakfast and lunch.

This was a long walk. I was glad when I got back to the motorhome. Several taxis slowed down near me: I just waved them on.

After a nap I went to the office building and took a shower.

February 12, 2018.

Today was a windy, dark day. It was not cold though.
We went shopping at Rodeo Drive. The WINs call it Shack's 5th Avenue.
The shape the sign is in, is a good indication of Rodeo Drive.

There are plenty stores to spend money.

Some of the stores are large and have an enormous inventory. I do not know who buys that stuff.

After window shopping we went to the Mariachis and Tequila restaurant for lunch. Since we were such a large group it took some time to get our food. But we have plenty of time.
I had chicken breast rolled up with vegetables inside. It was on a bed of rice. There was also a fancy backed potato, standing upright with a creamy potato sauce inside. Potato and rice on the same plate did not make sense, but it tasted good. 

After lunch I went and bought a blue wind breaker with Puerto Penasco on it.