Trip report Aug 8, 2020

[brokenwave]

Here is my trip report for my latest venture into Penasco.
We left NE Phx area at 6:15am Saturday, stopped in Why to gas up.
Hit Sonoyta at 9am, 2 cars in front of us, we got a green light and also got waved thru the military check point. No questions asked here.
Gas prices were 15.35 pesos per liter. Gas in Penasco was 19.35 per liter
We saw a couple of Sonoyta police cars but it was fine without much traffic as we did out 22mph crawl thru town.
We were amazed at the progress of the Trumpster wall, sure is an ugly eyesore and not to mention a huge un-necessary drain on our national budget.

An uneventful drive to Penasco, we got to the Sanitizing check point at 10:15am, we said we were home owners, the women glanced at out tax receipt and sent us on our way. They weren't spraying anyone here and also didn't see anyone getting a Covid test.
We were amazed at the light amount of traffic on the main drag, Benito Juarez.

We drove to Cholla and at the Police station as you enter Cholla we were stopped and were instructed to get out and go through the misting tent
they have installed. I wore long sleeve shirt , a hat and sunglasses as I did a 1/2 turn and stepped out. I didn't smell at all and my wife said it left
her arms slightly sticky afterwards. They also spritzed our hands with it.

Got to our home and amazingly it was still there after 5 months, We were amazed that the windows weren't totally covered in dirt and sand.
The house was 92 degrees and 68% humidity inside. The humidity outside was Yuk.
We turned on the 2 mini split A/C's and started to cool down everything,

We had to go into town to buy a new fridge because our 22 year old fridge was having a hard time getting below 58 degrees, so we decided to buy a nice new quiet Samsung 22CF french door fridge at Sam's Club 19,435 pesos ($870 @22.35 to 1) , because Muebles Coloniales didn't have
the one we ended up getting in stock. Only gripe I had was it took 60 minutes at Sam's, to pull it down and get it to us for pick up.

The fridge was on the list of things to replace for the past year. Drove it home unloaded it and plugged it in, it is so much quieter then our 1997
fridge, we thought it was defective. Funny thing is the old Tappan 17cf fridge which cost us $400, 22 years ago and has 1/2 the features of the
new one which was happily made in Mexico is only 2x as much as the old white one with Stainless Steel finish.

At 6pm we went into town to enjoy Pollo Lucas but it was so hot under their Palaypa we decided to get it to go,
Getting back into Cholla was easy, 3 trips in with only 1 spray.
Drank a couple more Pacifico's with out neighbor as we watched a plain old sunset and then went back into he comforts of our home because standing out on a hot and humid patio wasn't that much fun.
Great start to a nice trip after 5 months of being shut out.

 

[Queen of Kings]

Nice to hear America's wall is coming along. We all pay taxes for it, so we all own it. Great work President Trump! MAGA!

 

[Southbeacher]

Thanks so much for the report. These kinds of personal accounts are valuable. I cut the political part, and forwarded it on to others who really could benefit from the info as well.

 

[Stuart]

Thanks for the report! I always used to make a trip in August; the town was usually dead as business was slow and a lot of places would close for vacation in August

But the humidity was off the charts uncomfortable, even out fishing. Hard to drink enough to stay hydrated!

 

[brokenwave]

Humidity, what humidity? I took my binoculars out last night to hunt for the comet on the western horizon, I couldn't see anything.
I pointed to some houses with lights on and couldn't even see those. The bino's fogged up bad from the 85 degree
temp and 80% humidity outside coming out of a house that was 76 with under 40% humidity. My local buddy who fishes a lot said he
went out last week and it was miserable and top water fishing was slow because the water temp was too hot.
My mini-split A/C make all the difference, stay outside for an hour and come in to cool off. Sleeping is never a problem now.

 

[RP Life]

I am glad Brokenwave"s trip is going well, but this family didn't have the same luck. This was posted last night on RP Bulletin Board Facebook.
Here is their story:

Tonight, August 8th at 7:05 p.m.,three police officers in a black and white police truck pulled my husband over on Novena Avenue near Calle 11 which are side streets. One officer had an assault rifle. They first said he ran a stop sign then said he sped away from the stop sign too quickly. When he said he did not, they searched his car and came back with a baggie which appeared to be sugar. They asked what it was. It was not ours. They said it was drugs. They searched the car so they knew how much money we had. They said it would be $100 fine. The one police officer kept saying, “stand closer to the car. “ They wanted him to go to the police station or pay the fine of $100 but he said he would take $45. They finally let him go after he gave them $45. We know he shouldn’t of paid it but what if that bag was actually drugs that they planted?
We are here with our three kids for vacation. We have came to Rocky Point for 5 years. We will never come back. This is ridiculous! What the hell is going on? He had not been drinking, not speeding and definitely no drugs. Why does this happen? If anyone can share this to help stop this kind of corruption, please do. We are no longer Rocky Point tourists. We had all the love and respect in the world for Rocky Point and have spent thousands of dollars here. Corrupt cops are ruining Mexico! So sad.

 

[brokenwave]

That's a sad story that is often repeated almost every day here.
It's a big problem that the mayor Kiko somehow fails to address. I stopped going into town at night especially around
the tourist areas Calle 13 and the Malecon because dealing with the corrupt A-holes just spoils a trip that should be enjoyable.
We will still go to Bryan's and La Curva early evening and take some side roads to bypass all the police hot spots going and coming.
By doing this we have dropped off the radar of most police areas.

 

[Roberto]

Unfortunately this is nothing new. Only the frequency seems to change. and true, no one cares. US citizens do not and cannot represent a political constituency even though the Mexican Constitution guarantees equal rights to everyone. Hard to make that point when your are handcuffed by three guys with automatic weapons who speak little english. I got very angry one night after the second stop of the night and just drove away. They left me alone, Nothing happened but I DO NOT advise that approach..

 

[joanC]

Unfortunately, corruption and having no fear of repercussions from illegal activity has become part of the culture for so many Mexicans. The children all know what is happening, and they see how easy it is to carve out a basic living without education and little work. It will take many generations of major changes to ever see an improvement, but I don't perceive they really want to end corruption.

 

[Stuart]

Unfortunately, corruption abounds, but so does decency. A recent story for you.

Mi amigo and I got down to Penasco late afternoon on a Friday. Went to Whale Hill and pulled the boat out, proceeded down Freemont to the Pemex to gas up the boat (across from Reggies). Felt a bump going down Freemont, but it was full of potholes, so didn't stop. At the Pemex, mi amigo jumps up on the boat, the T-top support is cut and the captain's seat is gone. There's shrapnel all over the deck of the boat. Daphuq?

Here come the policia, blue lights flashing. Senor, you need to follow us up the street. Okay, we did. Apparently, we caught a low hanging line that WAS STAPLED TO A PALM TREE in the median, which in turn, brought down a steel cable line from just after the Bomeberos to nearly the Pemex. The steel cable sawed through the T-top support, a 1 inch aluminum tube, whipped in the back of the boat, and ripped out the driver's seat. Anybody riding in the boat would have been killed instantly.

It was clear that the wire in question was illegal and we pointed out the spot were you could see it ripped from the palm tree to the police. They took pictures. Your boat is too big!

Follow us to the police station. Okay, we followed them through more dangling low placed wires to the station. Provided registration, insurance, ID, etc. They got a tape measure and measured the boat's height from ground to the T-top. Then the Sargent got on the phone with the commandante. I was standing close enough to hear part of the conversation (en Español) and the commandante basically said "Not their fault, these idiots string illegal wires everywhere!"

The Sargent hung up and handed me all the paperwork and drivers licenses and said "You are free to go." I walked over to my amigo, who was digging in the truck for some other paperwork and slapped him on the ass. Told him "Get in drive, NOW! We're outta here!" He was like how much did you pay him??? Not a dime, but let's go Now!

Dropped the boat at Safe Marine, then went back to Freemont, parked, and walked along the downed lines looking for the seat. Sure enough, a lady with a small pharmacia had picked it up and it was sitting right next to the door. Told her the seat was ours, thanked her, she said take it.

Quite the adventure. But one that proves they aren't always out to get you. If you're down by Calle 13, they ARE out to get you and I have another story with the same amigo that I wouldn't dare relate here (not affecting me, but him). If you choose to play there, beware!

 

[Kenny]

Unfortunately, corruption abounds, but so does decency. A recent story for you.

Mi amigo and I got down to Penasco late afternoon on a Friday. Went to Whale Hill and pulled the boat out, proceeded down Freemont to the Pemex to gas up the boat (across from Reggies). Felt a bump going down Freemont, but it was full of potholes, so didn't stop. At the Pemex, mi amigo jumps up on the boat, the T-top support is cut and the captain's seat is gone. There's shrapnel all over the deck of the boat. Daphuq?

Here come the policia, blue lights flashing. Senor, you need to follow us up the street. Okay, we did. Apparently, we caught a low hanging line that WAS STAPLED TO A PALM TREE in the median, which in turn, brought down a steel cable line from just after the Bomeberos to nearly the Pemex. The steel cable sawed through the T-top support, a 1 inch aluminum tube, whipped in the back of the boat, and ripped out the driver's seat. Anybody riding in the boat would have been killed instantly.

It was clear that the wire in question was illegal and we pointed out the spot were you could see it ripped from the palm tree to the police. They took pictures. Your boat is too big!

Follow us to the police station. Okay, we followed them through more dangling low placed wires to the station. Provided registration, insurance, ID, etc. They got a tape measure and measured the boat's height from ground to the T-top. Then the Sargent got on the phone with the commandante. I was standing close enough to hear part of the conversation (en Español) and the commandante basically said "Not their fault, these idiots string illegal wires everywhere!"

The Sargent hung up and handed me all the paperwork and drivers licenses and said "You are free to go." I walked over to my amigo, who was digging in the truck for some other paperwork and slapped him on the ass. Told him "Get in drive, NOW! We're outta here!" He was like how much did you pay him??? Not a dime, but let's go Now!

Dropped the boat at Safe Marine, then went back to Freemont, parked, and walked along the downed lines looking for the seat. Sure enough, a lady with a small pharmacia had picked it up and it was sitting right next to the door. Told her the seat was ours, thanked her, she said take it.

Quite the adventure. But one that proves they aren't always out to get you. If you're down by Calle 13, they ARE out to get you and I have another story with the same amigo that I wouldn't dare relate here (not affecting me, but him). If you choose to play there, beware!

Oh man, I would have loved to have seen your faces when you first looked in and tried to make sense of what you were seeing. A bad luck story with a good ending to what could have been a very expensive nightmare.

 

[Roberto]

Cables are hanging down all along Las Conchas Blvd. ,only a few across as the old copper wire phone lines are replaced by fiber optic. There were a few snags with wire laying across the street and a couple of poles came down but they seem to be no problem longer. I amsurprised at the number of fiber optic cables needed. In my ignorance I thought one fiber optic cable could carry a large number of lines. FYI the quality reception is far superior and much more reliable. Interesting they have just left the copper wire dangle and not collected it.

 

[Stuart]

It's a universal problem in Mexico. They string shit across streets with no regard to height limits. A semi going down Freemont would have had the same issue. Too low. I've torn down wires before with my boat ( also US legal height to tow. ) Pedal to the metal, keep on driving!

 

[RP Life]

Update on the family:
They did decide to report it to Mayor Kiko and the Public Safety Commissioner contacted them along with a local news station.
The story was posted: https://penascodigital.info/2020/08/denuncian-visitantes-extranjeros-corrupcion-policiaca-en-puerto-penasco/

Doubt if anything will change since it happens all the time in Mexico, but at least it's out there to make people aware.

 

[Roberto]

It's a top down clean up.

 

[playavader]

I actually talked to this family on FB messenger yesterday. I told them that Municipal Police don't walk around with assault rifles. they are only given handguns to go out on patrol of the streets. I gave them the sindicatura number of Penasco to try to help them.

I had a corruption incident one time when I was taking my two sister in laws to the veterinarians office in Santa Ana, Sonora. We drove from Magdalena to Santa Ana. I pulled up in a slanted parking space right by the mission in Santa Ana in their downtown area. We get out the car with the dog and we see 10 police on foot walking behind us. They call us out; they tried to say that I did a U-turn LOL. They gave me a ticket with no price on it. And I gave them an extra copy of my DL that I had in my wallet. They said I would have to come down to the station later to get my license back.

We go to the Vet to drop the dog. We start walking around the Mission for about an hour close to where we parked. The police start pulling the same crap on all vehicles parking in the slanted spaces. Finally someone comes out of their home to call out the police that they have been doing this all day to everyone that parks.

After the dog was ready we hopped in the car and drove back to Magdalena without paying a fine.

 

[Mexico Joe]

Unfortunately, corruption abounds, but so does decency. A recent story for you.

Mi amigo and I got down to Penasco late afternoon on a Friday. Went to Whale Hill and pulled the boat out, proceeded down Freemont to the Pemex to gas up the boat (across from Reggies). Felt a bump going down Freemont, but it was full of potholes, so didn't stop. At the Pemex, mi amigo jumps up on the boat, the T-top support is cut and the captain's seat is gone. There's shrapnel all over the deck of the boat. Daphuq?

Here come the policia, blue lights flashing. Senor, you need to follow us up the street. Okay, we did. Apparently, we caught a low hanging line that WAS STAPLED TO A PALM TREE in the median, which in turn, brought down a steel cable line from just after the Bomeberos to nearly the Pemex. The steel cable sawed through the T-top support, a 1 inch aluminum tube, whipped in the back of the boat, and ripped out the driver's seat. Anybody riding in the boat would have been killed instantly.

It was clear that the wire in question was illegal and we pointed out the spot were you could see it ripped from the palm tree to the police. They took pictures. Your boat is too big!

Follow us to the police station. Okay, we followed them through more dangling low placed wires to the station. Provided registration, insurance, ID, etc. They got a tape measure and measured the boat's height from ground to the T-top. Then the Sargent got on the phone with the commandante. I was standing close enough to hear part of the conversation (en Español) and the commandante basically said "Not their fault, these idiots string illegal wires everywhere!"

The Sargent hung up and handed me all the paperwork and drivers licenses and said "You are free to go." I walked over to my amigo, who was digging in the truck for some other paperwork and slapped him on the ass. Told him "Get in drive, NOW! We're outta here!" He was like how much did you pay him??? Not a dime, but let's go Now!

Dropped the boat at Safe Marine, then went back to Freemont, parked, and walked along the downed lines looking for the seat. Sure enough, a lady with a small pharmacia had picked it up and it was sitting right next to the door. Told her the seat was ours, thanked her, she said take it.

Quite the adventure. But one that proves they aren't always out to get you. If you're down by Calle 13, they ARE out to get you and I have another story with the same amigo that I wouldn't dare relate here (not affecting me, but him). If you choose to play there, beware!

Not always but it's a coin flip.

All of us pry have a few instances that come to mind. I know I have a few. I think the tactic you have to use is to be semi forceful in your conviction. I've noticed the more push back the less interested they become. I can't even remember how many times I've been confronted and never PAID A DIME!!!! F those PIGS! OINK OINK !!!!

 

[brokenwave]

Years ago, with 4 of my buddies during a rare July 4th weekend, that was actually cool, 70 degrees when we were heading
out from Cholla at 8pm.
Suddenly we have flashing lights out of nowhere, we were pulled over by a Policia truck with 2 male police and a woman police officer.

They asked us if we had any drugs, said no.
Asked us if we were drinking I said no (little Lie, I wasn't drinking while I was driving) they said we need to give them $150
to continue into town with my buddies.
I said no way, they said I needed to follow them to the court. I said no way, the female officer became very upset
and started yelling at us. I looked at her while I pulled out my flip cell phone and said I was going to call Dany Brown,
one of the Cholla Bay Browns. She stopped yelling and asked who I was calling, I repeated Dany Brown and that I know Gus Brown too.

One minute later we were all back in my Tahoe on our way into town.
It's nice to know names that carry some weight.

 

[Mexico Joe]

Does anyone know where this intersection is? Novena and 11th st? I thought I had an idea but the streets by calle 13 go 10, 12, 13 and so on and I don't see any North, South Avenue named Novena. Curious what part of town this is....

 

[Buffalo Marty]

Does anyone know where this intersection is? Novena and 11th st? I thought I had an idea but the streets by calle 13 go 10, 12, 13 and so on and I don't see any North, South Avenue named Novena. Curious what part of town this is....

I assumed novena meant 9th street but I don't see that on google maps either LOL. 11th street shows as "Calle de la Rosas", just south of 12 st which makes sense (if you go to google street view the street signs definitely say "CALLE 11").

There is an 8th street that runs north-south and hits Calle 11, so maybe they meant that, or else it probably a street just east or west of it...