It's not a slow car, it's a fast house

Hanging out in Puerto Penasco

Rocky Point has been my home away from home for years. Thirty-four years to be exact. I have been coming to this Mexican beach town since I was 15 years old. Most of those years I have owned a trailer which has been stored or parking on or near the beach. In keeping with that personal tradition, we still own a trailer in Rocky Point. For those of you familiar with the area; we store it at Playa de Oro and park it at San Rafael. Once it is set up it operates as a comfortable 36-foot home. The trailer includes a mid-sized refrig, gas cook stove, microwave, coffee; AC, heat, bottled water and two double sized beds. It has great outdoor space and is just steps from the beach. We keep a beach canopy, chairs, water toys, bicycles and all you need to enjoy a weekend or a long stay.

As we were parting with everything, we decided that we would keep the trailer. It offers the boys a cheap beach house getaway and it allows us a place to “land” if we need to fly back for family or business, but want to remain outside of the USA. For now, it is providing us a base of operations as we sort out a few more of the steps to living on the road in Mexico.

We priced laundry service by dropping off two bags of dirty clothes at a neighborhood service. It was $138 Pesos upon pick up. And if you have never smelled clean laundry from a Mexican lavanderia, you are missing something!

We experimented with using the GPS and iPad mapping systems to see how accurate they were. Not bad. While we already know our way around town, it was interesting to see the map representation.

Also on our list was a trip to the welding shop (soldadura) to have the two items on the back of the van “raised up” on welded metal stands. This increased the clearance of the spare tire and the aluminess box so that the taillights are much more visible. I am sure that the people in the cars behind us will appreciate this. The welder remembered the van, and the other work he had done for us. It cost about $40US to have this work done.

The step that took the longest amount of time was the visit to Telcel central office. We had to go there to purchase a SIM card, which would turn the unlocked USA iPhone 5c into a Mexican phone. This purchase provided us with a Mexican phone number and gave us 3G Internet service through the phone. This includes the ability to place phone calls, send texts, search the Net, use the apps and even use another device with the phone as a hotspot. We purchased the SIM card for $12US and then activated a 2gigabyte plan for just under $30US. This plan is good for one month and then we can renew, cancel, add more or change it as needed. Although the whole operation took several hours, we found the staff to be pleasant and patient. They spoke enough English that we were all able to communicate clearly. And the pricing was reasonable. We are not sure about the coverage of the 3G, but we will continue to experiment with it this month and then make decisions on what to purchase next. For now, we have a new phone number and a new level of connectivity!

Of course, part of this week has been invested in changing our own pace. Slowing down the urgency. Strolling more slowly. Looking around more thoroughly. We have each enjoyed long paddles on the stand up paddleboard. Each of the dogs have learned to LOVE the ride on the board, over the waves. This gives us a reason to get a little work out, as ferry the three of them out and around (one dog at a time). We visited with friends and family while they were here. We spent hours reading books and magazines. We wandered slowly through grocery stores and fruiterias. We prepared healthy, local, delicious meals. And we relaxed.

But, as Newton’s law of physics discusses objects in motion- so must we remain in motion. We will take a day trip to the nearby border town to secure a personal VISA and a vehicle TIP and then in the next few days we will pack up and head for some interesting places in Northern Mexico.

But, even when we are on the road and far away there will still be a trailer in Puerto Penasco that is ready for you to use. If you are ready to dip your toes in the ocean and feel the sand beneath your feet, then send me a note. Perhaps it is time for you to hang out in Puerto Penasco.