SITREP 3-5 Feb 17...............
Crossed la linea at San Luis RC at noon Friday, got a green light and a happy faced young aduana waving us through. Both sides of the street with a fairly heavy presence of Mexican Army, maybe fifty soldiers and six Hummers with fifty cal Ma-Duces behind armored ring turret tops. From there to the toll road nothing of note. Paid a happy toll man 220 pesos for my six wheel dually to cross. Did an eighty mph run south then made the turn to the Coastal Hwy at El Golfo then on to PP. The Hwy was deserted other than a few local junkers up to their usual business. Saw a five truck convoy of Marines speeding northwards. That's it, nada, no demonstrators, no road blocks, nothing. Entered Penasco, noted that all Pemex stations were open for business. Got pesos at twenty to one at the Casa de Cambio accross from Sam's Club then on to my shrimp guy Alberto, loaded up twenty pounds of fresh sweet smelling Blues and Browns. Looked out at the harbor and it was a calm flat mirror. Outside the port was the same. The swell was maybe one inch! Not a breath of wind. New concrete road in construction up Whale Hill to El Capitan, they were closed though. Our condo in Mirador was just as we had left it. Friends there were broken into as they slept a few nights before. They managed to chase the guy off without an incident. Our maintenance guy said he chased another bandito off on Thursday night. He called Penasco Police and they caught him over on Chihuahua near the Pink Caddy, said they beat the shit outa him before taking him to the pokey. Had a good meal at the Frog, we were their ONLY customers.
Saturday morning saddled up the Wrangler and made the run south to Salinas Point for the final ten miles to the tip. The Sea was flat, could have made the run to Isla San Jorge from PP in my boat in less than an hour. Probably never see that again.
Found the biggest pre-conquest Indian shell midden that I have ever seen. Maybe sixty feet high made up of now long gone Oysters, Black Murexs, swimming Scallops and Gulf Conchs. Saw several ancient busted up big fired clay ollas with the shells. Saw hundreds of Barn Swallows and Cliff Swallows flying low hawking for shit flies on their northward migration. Spotted three fresh killed Olive Ridleys still dripping with dripping blood and guts. Behind the dunes we spotted an active Great Blue Heron rookery in a stand of tall fat Saguaros. At the point we saw a panga operation with maybe 1oo boats, several thousand wire traps, an Oyster farm and miles of gill nets being repaired. Not a soul there other than a watch man. Gave him a TKT, shot the shit a bit and left for the run back home without incident.
Had a good meal at the Friendly Dolphin, with maybe twenty other customers.
Woke up Sunday morning to a total FOG BANK. It burnt off by noon. We loaded up, hit Sam's Club for a few essentials and made the run back north. Passed two other vehicles then got in line for the military checkpoint at El Doctor. First time I've ever waited more than a few minutes, had maybe twenty vehicles ahead. They were picking through the cars pretty thoroughly. While we sat in line we were approached by a dozen or so filthy young male migrants begging for food and money. They did not speak any Spanish and were mostly doing hand gestures like pointing to their mouths and rubbing their bellies. Some of the Mexicans ahead of us were giving them left over snack bags and drinks. When I did hear them speak to each other it was Arabic. We saw maybe fifty or so more climbing onto the train cars that were being inspected by the military there. I asked one of the soldiers that was checking out my rig about them, he told me that they were not from Mexico.
Waited three and a half hours to cross back into FUSA without incident.
Plan on heading back with the boat on 3 March for the Leopard Grouper bite.
As for all of the rumors this past two months, all I can say is FAKE NEWS as usual.
Later,
JJ