The Dirt Mall | The Friendly Dolphin | Puerto Penasco

Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico:  Today we were lazy tourists. Not our fault. It was just so sunny and warm on the beach this morning - and no wind - so we just lazed in the sun.

Dad posing in his "Old Guys Rule" RV tee shirt

Just looking out over the Sea of Cortez is very relaxing and very interesting. We could see fishermen working their nets and divers jumping off their boats to gather oysters, lobsters and clams from the reef below. Hopefully they are lucky - whatever they gather from the sea today will be on our dinner plates tonight. Pelicans were entertaining us with their graceful maneuvers, dolphins were swimming, fish were jumping and it was just a very wonderful way to spend the morning.

In the early afternoon, the wind started to pick up, so we decided to head out to find the Dirt Mall. This is a two-block-long street lined with nice shops (as opposed to the junky shops in the downtown water front tourist area) along a sand road on the outskirts of town. Mom and Dad had heard the Dirt Mall had recently been paved and was now quite nice. The rumors were true... though I suppose it will always be called the Dirt Mall or the Dirt Market. Not only has the street been paved - it actually has a decorative brick design down the center, sidewalks have been added and the shopkeepers are updating the front of their stores with impressive facades. This area is still under construction, but it is easy to see it will eventually be very nice.

 
You can order custom "stainet" glass at the Dirt Mall


The road turns to sand again just past the buildings

 
Mexican handicrafts for sale at the Dirt Mall

After walking through the shops (and not buying a thing) we continued in the car to explore the area on the other side of town where he had heard there was also quite a bit of new development. A few of the older RV parks have been sold and are now empty sandy lots, ready to be developed into condos or apartment buildings. It was a fun driving through the sand streets of Puerto Penasco, seeing the sights and seeing how the locals live. On the way back to our motorhomes, we stopped to buy tortillas and sampled a few pastries at a local bakery. Bakeries are on nearly every corner and it is impossible to find a bad one.

After returning home, DT explored the tide pools and I helped a neighbor who was having trouble with their computer. I had a bit of trouble, but finally figured out what was wrong. This was quite a feat as their computer was repaired in Mexico a few weeks ago and the repairman reinstalled all their programs - pirated versions of course - in Spanish. Our fellow campers do not speak Spanish and my Spanish pretty much is terrible... but finally, I figured it out.

Time for dinner. Tonight we went to The Friendly Dolphin, one of the most popular restaurants in Puerto Penasco. The Friendly Dolphin was pretty quiet this evening and flounder was of course on the menu. DT and I both ordered fish fillets grilled with a garlic sauce. Again, the fish was so fresh, so firm and so white. Simply delicious. But, I had been in Mexico three days and had yet to drink a margarita. What is wrong with this picture? So, we all ordered margaritas. They were terrible. We don't remember the margaritas being terrible here before... but we won't order a margarita here again. So, I still have not had a margarita - one sip tonight was enough for me. The Friendly Dolphin is usually a pretty hopping establishment - with many rooms filled with partying gringos. The walls are completely filled with "art", knick-knacks and photos of famous patrons. Always fun here - even if the margaritas are lousy.

The Friendly Dolphin flounder

RV Park: The Reef RV Park at Sandy Beach