While I was up in the States not long ago, I met a friend for happy hour at a bar and after looking over the drink menu, I realized that besides Bud Light the only specials they offered were those sweet, trendy "martini family" cocktails, uh, yeah, not for me! As I saw that they were offering $3 shots of a high end tequila as a promotional special, I ordered a shot of tequila and a shot of Coke...I think the girl next to me gagged a little and the bartender looked at me funny and asked "you want a tequila slammer?" Nope, just a shot of tequila and a seperate shot of Coke. Ignoring the girl next to me who was telling her boyfriend "I can't watch her drink that", I thoroughly enjoyed my shots!
I began enjoying tequila and coke after a visit several years ago to the town of Tequila in the state of Jalisco. After touring one of the oldest distillery's in all of Mexico, Herradura (means horseshoe), they of course gave taste tests of their products, offering several choices of palette cleansers. There was salt and lime, orange slices, bottled water, and Coca Cola. As the Coke idea was new to me I asked if this was common in this area to drink with tequila. Our guide/tequila steward answered that yes, it was and that it became popular to do so in the 1930's. In 1926 the first two Coca Cola bottling plants in Mexico opened in Monterey and Tampico. Of course Coke became extremely popular and was available almost everywhere throughout the country, making it very accessable and affordable and a perfect chaser after a drink of tequila. As ice became more readily available, many folks began choosing to drink tequila over ice with a splash of Coke and a squeeze of lime. Once Coke introduced Squirt, it wasn't long until the combo of Squirt and tequila, called a Paloma, became popular and now when ordered in a bar, most bartenders know what it is! In many Mexican stores you can buy Paloma's in a can that is made with El Jimador tequila which is made by Herradura, gotta love that!
So, tequila and Coke did not start out in some bar during spring break with you being snuck up on from behind by the waiter, slamming the shot glass on the table, tipping your head back, dumping the shot down your throat, putting their hand over your mouth, shaking your head back and forth all the while blowing a whistle...now that would make me gag....no, just simply a reasonable idea to mix two favorite beverages together!
Next time you are in a quandry as to what to order try a little tequila and Coke...it is a nice way to enjoy tequila!
Paz y tequila mi amigos...Heather
If you will be in Rocky Point the weekend of April 14th be sure not to miss this fun event! This tournament is a great way to enjoy a few hours by the Sea of Cortez and help out the much loved and needed Puerto Penasco Children's Orphange. The putting course at Casa Blanca is 18 holes, par 2's and 3's on individual holes and a par 42 overall. Whether you are an accomplished golfer or just want to get out to have some fun, this putting course is a blast to play. Tee off is at 10 AM on Saturday April 14th...$10 per person to enter...bring your putter, favorite beverage and sunscreen, and plan on having fun in the sun! All proceeds to benefit the Puerto Penasco Children's Orphange. This event organized by Casa Blanca Golf Villas...RSVP to Jovanny at jovanny@sandybeachresorts.net
See you at Casa Blanca!!!
Several weeks ago the U.S. State Department issued a travel
warning against visiting Mexico,
all of Mexico! We have been living here in Rocky Point full
time for over 11 years and have become somewhat used to warnings being issued
and media propaganda coming out right before Spring Break or a busy 3 day
American holiday. When these warnings
are issued or I see on local Phoenix TV stations a segment on the “dangers of Mexico” (which often should be in the opinion section of the news) I must say that I often look around my
neighborhood, the town, the highways and just shake my head wondering what all
the hoopla is about. I am not denying
that there is crime here, as there is crime everywhere…but I just simply don't feel in danger, concerned for my safety or afraid of people or situations here
in Rocky Point.
Due to the outcry of business owners, residents, and
politicians of the State of Sonora
of why the travel warning included Puerto Penasco, I am happy to say that the
U.S. State Department has sent out a retraction of the travel warning. They clarified that only certain areas of Mexico
are dealing with cartel conflicts and issues and Rocky Point is NOT one of these areas!
Always use caution and your common sense when traveling,
respect the laws and peoples of the country you are visiting. I do believe that the State Department issues
travel warnings in our best interest. I am not planning any vacations to the
Persian Gulf at this time, but I would recommend doing some research on your
own and see if the warnings apply to the area you wish to travel to...as we
have seen they are often “blanket” statements.
Sooooo, come on down to Rocky Point!!! It is gorgeous, friendly, safe, and fun! Mexico is waiting for you! PS:
Don’t forget your sunscreen and your passport!! ¡Vive
Mexico!
While traveling in Mexico
it is easy to get frustrated when your US cell phone doesn’t work or only
works sometimes or you use up your vacation fund paying for roaming
charges. These problems become magnified
when faced with an emergency and you are left not being able to place a call
but possibly not even knowing who to call.
Our cell phones are our life lines, security blankets, and even though
we may not want to admit it, the one thing we just can’t do without!
Answer to above said problems? Easy, get a pre-pay Mexican cell phone. You can walk into any Telcel store, they are
everywhere in every town, and purchase a basic talk, limited texting, cell
phone for about $35usd. It is easy to
sign up and then you just purchase the minutes you need with an “Amigo”
card. The minutes are good for 90 days
but don’t worry, if you don’t use them all
you don’t loose them. If you go
back to the states after your visit and sadly don’t return for 4 months or
more, you can purchase any amount of minutes, even just $2, and the minutes
that you had before are re-activated!
The cell phones of course have fantastic service, especially for the
duration of the drive that some of you may feel the most daunted by…the highway
between Sonoita and Rocky Point. There
may be a few spots where service is sketchy but it is only momentary…no service
is perfect.
Probably the best feature of the cell phone is that it comes
with emergency numbers already plugged in!
Don’t know how the heck to dial the Red Cross or the Green Angels? Don’t worry, it is all in there. It is possible to dial back to the states
with a pre-paid Mexican cell but talk quickly or have plenty of extra minutest
on hand, they go quick. To dial the
states from any phone in Mexico
dial 001-area code-seven digit number.
Here is just a few of the services that are in the cell
phone:
Red Cross
(cruz roja)
Emergency
Services (emergencia servicios)
Bomberos (fire fighters)
Judicial police (judicial policia)
Green Angels
(cruz verde or Ángeles de verde)
Just one more way of taking the worry out of traveling! Also, another great idea is to plug in the
numbers for your Mexican insurance provider, just in case of an accident.
Brian and I have had the pleasure of visiting the birth
place of Mexico’s
independence, the cities of Guanajuato and Dolores Hidalgo. They are absolutely incredible places where the years
of history and culture become a part of you with El Grito (the shout) ringing
in your ears!
After conquering the great Aztec empire, Spain ruled over Mexico for 300 years. Fed up by the
oppression of the privileged of Spain,
the concept of a revolt began to take shape.
Led by Father Hidalgo of the town of Dolores and Ignacio Allende of the town San
Miguel, the revolt grew in numbers bringing together the different
classes. The movement had planned to
begin the war for independence on October 2nd, 1810 but their plans
were discovered in early September and the revolt was in trouble.
In the early hours of September 16, 1810, Father Hidalgo rang the bell of
his church in Dolores, calling for the people to come and fight for liberty and
independence. This became known as “El Grito”, the shout for
independence. It is this moment that is
celebrated and re-enacted in every zócalo (plaza) of Mexico on September 16th. A government official in every community
arrives in the zócalo on September 15th at 11 PM to give the Grito
and ring the bell, just like Father Hidalgo
called his followers in Dolores, Guanajuato.
The original bell that was rung by Father Hidalgo
now hangs atop the Palacio
Nacional in Mexico City
and is rung every September 16th as the President of Mexico gives
the Grito.
Viva Mexico…Viva Independencia!!!!!
If you are
coming to Rocky Point this Labor Day Weekend, please take a few moments to go
through your closets for articles of clothing and shoes that can be donated for
a very worthy cause. Sra. Marcela Zepeda, the wife of the Mayor of Puerto
Penasco, is running a clothing drive for her charity, arroPANdoPenasco, from August 24th through September 7th.
There are many individuals and families that are in need here in Rocky
Point and would be incredibly grateful for any of your items that you no
longer wear. If you are like me, I always seem to have several articles
of clothing or shoes that don't fit or I no longer wear and for some reason I keep them
around just in case they will miraculously one day fit again...this is a great
time to pass it on to someone that needs it and will wear it. All men's, women's, and child clothing and shoes are accepted. Giving back and supporting the community that you live/vacation in is just simply a wonderful thing to do...Gracias!!
Please take donations to the PAN offices located on Ave. Sinaloa between Blvd. Kino and Ave. Claveles. You can also call the PAN office directly for further directions, local number 383-4030 If you would like, you can always
call or email us, 602-283-3602 or brianinrockypoint08@yahoo.com
and we will come to where ever you are in the Puerto Penasco area and pick up your donations.
By a bartender In England
in 1936? By bartender Santos Cruz in Galveston, Texas
in 1948? In Acapulco in 1948 by Mrs. Margarita Sames?...
The first printed recipe for a margarita was in the December
issue of Esquire magazine in
1953. The recipe follows the ingredients
and amounts given by Texas socialite Margarita
Sames for the drink she created at her house in Acapulco in 1948.
Although Mrs. Sames is confident that her recipe was the
first margarita, named after herself of course, Eric Felten of the Wall Street Journal cites a recipe
called the Picador. The Picador was
found in the Café Royal Cocktail Book
published in London
in 1937. It is made with tequila,
Cointreau, and lime juice, no salt, served “up” similar to a martini.
There is no solid proof of the exact origins of the
margarita but cocktail historians (yes, there is such a thing) seem to be in
agreement that it took hold in the United States as a variation of the
Daisy. The Daisy was popular during
World War II and is traditionally made with whiskey. Due to the shortage of whiskey during the
war, many bartenders looked south of the border to Mexico where tequila was
plentiful. Substituting tequila for the
whiskey, the name was changed to the Tequila Daisy. From there, the name quickly morphed into the
Margarita, which is Spanish for daisy.
(Lifestyle Direct, Cocktail History 2005)
The many different claims for the creation of the Margarita
span many different places by many different people from Rosarito
Beach on the Baja to Juarez and Acapulco, Los Angeles, and Texas. The truth is, no one really knows the origin
of the Margarita…personally I have to go with that simply the people of Mexico
have been drinking tequila with a squeeze of citrus (lime and orange) way
before it became glamorous and served over ice, it just wasn’t called a
Margarita! Ironically, the most popular
drink in Mexico
is the Paloma…tequila mixed with grapefruit soda served over the rocks with a
lime wedge. (Washington Post, August 20, 2008)
Here is Mrs. Margarita Sames recipe:
“Drink of the Month” Esquire
magazine, December 1953
1 ounce tequila
Dash of Triple Sec
Juice of ½ lime or lemon
Pour over crushed ice, stir.
Rub the rim of a stem glass with rind of lemon or lime, spin in salt –
pore, and sip.
Paella for $75 pesos a person? A great bottle of Spanish Tempranillo for $135 pesos? Rustic pizza from a wood fired oven for $60 pesos? Yes, it is true! Featuring a wonderful mixture of "Mar de Cortez and Mediterranean Fusion Cuisine", there is quite the selection of dishes that you won't find at other restaurants as well old favorites like fish and shrimp tacos. They also offer the "Especial del Dia" which includes soup or salad, main dish special, and dessert for just $60 pesos. There is indoor seating with plenty of air conditioning and a comfortable atmosphere as well as outdoor seating under the palapa where you can watch the boats entering and leaving the harbor.
If you can't tell by now both Brian and I had a wonderful dining experience at No Solo Agua and can't wait to go back to try out the rest of the menu. It is so refreshing to have something a little different, affordable, and very, very tasty and all served by excellent and friendly waitstaff. That combination will keep us going back time and time again. We chose to eat inside, it is August after all, but can't wait to sit out under the palapa in the shade, enjoy an ice cold Indio on draft and watch the boats go by.
No Solo Agua is located on the right as you enter the The Old Port before dropping down into the Malecon (fish market). The are open for lunch and dinner.
Next time I promise to make sure I have my camera so I can post some pictures of the food and the restaurant...hmmmmm....another reason to go back!
This is a question we are asked constantly, whether by visitors exploring Rocky Point for the first time or long time homeowners and beach bums. One important point that visitors often forget is that the price they see on the pump at the PEMEX is in pesos and the amount is in liters. The price will of course go up and down, just like in the US, but here is the low down and an easy conversion to help you out at the pump:
- 1 Gallon = 3.7854 Liters
- Exchange rate* 11.00 X $1 USD
- Premium: 3.7854 X 9.95/11 = $3.42 USD
- Magna (regular): 3.7854 X 8.93/11 = $3.07 USD
- Diesel: 3.7854 X 9.33/11 = $3.21 USD
*Exchange rate may vary but almost all PEMEX's will post the exchange rate they are using.
PEMEX
Another question we are often asked is “why is there only one brand of gas station in Mexico?” Well, since it was asked…
On March 18th, 1938 President Cardenas began the state-expropriation (kicking out) of all resources and facilities, thus nationalizing the U.S. and Anglo-Dutch operating companies, creating the state owned PEMEX. This of course angered many foreign governments, all who wanted a piece of the great Mexican oil industry, and in retaliation closed their markets to Mexican oil. In spite of the boycott PEMEX has developed into one of the largest oil companies in the world and helped Mexico become the 5th largest oil exporter in the world. (ri.PEMEX, 2011)
PEMEX, or Petróleos Mexicanos, is the biggest enterprise in Mexico and Latin America and the highest fiscal contributor to the country. In Mexico, it is the sole producer of crude oil, natural gas, and refined products making it the most important source of government income and the most important company in the country. It is one of only a few oil companies in the world that does everything “in-house”. PEMEX is the 4th crude oil producer world wide and it’s evaluated as the 11th integrated company. (PIW 2011 Rankings, 12/6/2010)
Sunday morning Brian got a phone call from friend who owns a
local business here in Puerto Penasco.
The friend was quite excited and said he just had to tell someone what
had just happened to him…
He arrived early to work around 7 AM, parked in the shade,
and was in the process of unlocking the doors when he was approached by two female
beach vendors that appeared to have been sleeping close by and were quite
unkempt. They spoke no English but communicated
that they would like to come in and use the restroom. He very politely told the ladies in Spanglish
and hand gestures that they would have to use the public restrooms to the side
and could not come in. They nodded and
walked off and he entered his building and headed to the office. Once inside he began readying the business to
open and about 5 minutes later, reached for his cell phone…it was then he
realized that he had left his phone, wallet, and bank bag, with the days
operating expenses in it as well as his passport, on the cement wall by his
parking space!!!! He dashed out of the
office and to his surprise the 2 lady vendors were standing at the cash
register at the counter waiting patiently…they had brought him his things! They were rattling off Spanish at a rapid
pace which he didn’t understand but it was quite obvious they were admonishing
him for leaving his important and costly items on the wall!! Any one of those items would have been
painful to loose but all together….disastrous!
Feeling more than a little foolish and more than a little
lucky, he thanked them profusely and compensated them for their honesty and
kindness. We hear so many horrible
stories of thefts and break-in’s and dishonestly, whether in the US, Mexico or elsewhere, that it was
great to hear this story which has a wonderful ending. You just never know…
This morning over coffee I was asked what the colors and symbol of the Mexican flag meant...I have to admit, I couldn't even come close with an answer. So I did a little research and since I love learning new things, was quite happy that I did! Here is what I found...
The modern day Mexican flag was created in 1821. The three colors of the Mexican flag, green, white, and red have a fairly recent representation. Green representing hope and victory, white representing purity, and red represents the blood shed by heros for their country.
The Mexican Coat of Arms, the crest in the middle of the flag, comes from ancient history. In the 14th century a group Aztec warriors were searching out areas for a site to build their capital city, Tenochtitlan. The leader was told in a dream by Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, that they were to settle in an area where they would find an eagle on a nopal cactus holding a writhing snake in its talons. The warriors saw this in a very inhospitable place - a swampy area in the middle of three lakes. The Aztecs went on to build their incredible capital city on this site and which is today called Mexico City, the capital of Mexico!
Often when visiting a foreign country one of the biggest concerns you may have is regarding medical care. Will the medical staff speak English? Is the doctor qualified? How much is this going to cost me? Or, what if I run out of my usual medication while on vacation and need a .presciption for a refill?
We are happy to announce that Sandy Beach Medical Center is open and fully functional. The medical center is located on the main paved road that runs behind the Sandy Beach Resorts. The center is run by Dr. Jesus Gonzalez who is licensed in both the United States and Mexico and is fluent in both English and Spanish. You will not have to worry about being able to communicate as all of his staff speaks English as well. On site there are 2 ambulances and even a sand rail medical vehicle that is able to access emergencies that occur off-road or on the beach. There is a lab on site, a trauma center, and a pharmacy. The basic cost of an office visit is $50, there may be additional lab or treatment fees. Payment is expected at time of visit but if you have insurance in the states they are able to give you what is needed to submit to your insurance provider for reumbursement!! Nice! Also, Dr. Gonzalez is able to write prescriptions for medications you may need while you are here and which can be easily picked up on on site.
There is always someone on staff 24 hours a day at the center. Below is their contact information, this would be a good item to jot down and stick in your wallet, keep on the fridge in the condo or house or even program into your phone. Ease your worries and those of loved ones!
Sandy Beach Medical Center, Dr. Jesus Gonazlez
Edificio Acropolis, Blvd. Paseo de las Dunas, Col. Sandy Beach, Puerto Penasco Sonoran 83550
sbmedcenter1@yahoo.com.mx
Local office: 638-388-7676 Vonage: 915-929-1213 Mx. cell: 638-110-7898 if dialing from the US: 011-52-1-638-110-7898
Don't forget to recycle when you are in Rocky Point! We have a wonderful recycling center here in town that accepts almost all plastics, (including bags, chairs, bottles, packaging), all colors of glass, all metals, cardboard, and papers. Please take the time to recycle while you are here. It may take a little more effort on your part but the rewards to our fabulous Sonoran desert and the incredible Sea of Cortez cannot be measured! We have all seen plastic bags, bottles, etc., everywhere througout Rocky Point and say "gosh, someone needs to do something about all this trash", well...here is your chance to make a difference! The center in incredibly easy to find and get to.
Here are the directions: At the first stop light as you head in Penasco, HWY 8 turns into Blvd. Benito Juarez with Blvd. Samuel Ocana the cross street. At the light turne East (left as you are headed into town towards Las Conchas) and now the street becomes Blvd. Josefa Ortiz Dominguez and head South. Go approx. 2 blocks and at the 2nd stop sign the Recycling Center is located on the East side of the road, you can't miss it. All you have to do drop off the recyclables and they do the rest...you don't even have to seperate them, how easy is that! Gracias mis amigos!!
What a great sight to see the the resorts packed with people for the 3 day weekend! With nice breezes and the ocean to swim in, the beaches of Rocky Point were the place to be. There was a great mixture of license plates from all over... Canada, the United States, and Mexico! La Curva was bustling for dinner on Sunday night with large tables of families enjoying the evening with yummy food and often more than one mariachi band battling it out! It was a caucophony of sounds all adding up to fun, fun, fun...
Rocky Point is a great place to visit durning the summer! Many of the resorts offer off-season accomodation discounts and with it being a quick 3 1/2 - 4 hour drive from either Tucson or Phoenix it is a fantastic get away to bring the kids. See you on the beach!
The weekend of June 11 was 3 days of fun and music. On Friday, JJ's Cantina hosted the" hot dog with a smile" charity on their back patio with P.H. Naffah from the Peacemakers grilling all of the dogs. There were beef, turkey and veggie dogs available. All of the proceeds went to the Amor Orphanage. There were numerous bands that played throughout the evening with guest appearances by several members of the Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers band. One of the crowd favorites is Sweet Caroline that was sung by Jim Dalton and Johnny Hickman. The whole crowd joins in for the chorus and there are big grins all around at the end!
Saturday was the soccer tournament at Wrecked at The Reef. There were 12 teams competing out in the sand directly in front of the cantina. There was live music, pork tacos, and a great beach party atmosphere. Inside there was ping pong, pool and people pontificating profusely about producing the best polimers in the production of balls for ping pong and pool. WHAT!?? Anyway, a good time was had by all and all proceeds went to the Larry Large Charity Foundation.
Saturday night was THE CONCERT! Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers once again delivered high energy music almost non stop for 4 hours. There were 44 songs in all, and the crowd joined in and helped sing most of them! Once again it was an awesome night.
On Sunday it was the return of the "mananathon" which is hosted by JJ's Cantina. More music, meet and greets and rehashing the stories from the weekend. The events that are staged by Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers bring alot of revenue to the city of Puerto Penasco. They will bring over 2000 people to Rocky Point who in turn will spend money on condo rentals, restaurants, curios, beach vendors, atv rentals, etc. Welcome back, Peacemakers, see ya next year!! Pura Vida!