I get very strange looks when I tell people that I go to Mexico for a
concert twice a year. Those looks come from the unlucky bastards who
have never experienced a Peacemakers' Circus Mexicus show.
Nothing I show you here will explain the power of this experience, but I
can give you a taste. It begins here. Place yourself in this picture. You
are smelling the damp salt breeze off the Sea of Cortez. There's more
than a hint of fish, Mexican cooking, and possibly a whiff of margarita.
You're hearing the surf pound the rocks of the shore, the wind roaring
toward you, and the shouts and splashes of the vacationers in the pool
behind you. Your skin feels hot from the sun, a bit sticky from the
humidity, and a touch gritty from the sand that's lodged in your
sunblock. You are Here. And you are free.
in Old Port, Puerto Penasco, Mexico.
condos at Sandy Beach, between Puerto Penasco and
Cholla Bay. It's usually quite warm in Puerto Penasco in
May, even at night. We'll stay on the balcony most of the
night, listening to the surf (sometimes punctuated by the
kids setting off bottle rockets), talking and drinking.
This is Mexico. You're allowed to get gloriously drunk. If
your a Peacemakers' fan, you're probably drinking
margaritas. "En Tequila es Verdad," they say - In
Tequila Is Truth. Failing truth, you will at least find a
tasty drink that allows your mind to fully experience Mexico.
combined all three in many places. Here is their best innovation ever: your hotel pool overlooks the beach, and is split in two by a
bar. You don't have to worry about choices anymore. One of the problems with swimming has always been the awful choice
between having another drink and staying in the sun-warm water. Now, you don't have to face that crisis - you simply swim up
to the bar, sit yourself down on one of the underwater concrete barstools, and order a drink. You can order food. You can chat
up the handsome blokes or the lovely lasses next to you. All without leaving the pool.
You may wonder how you're supposed to pay for all of this. They do accept wet money. And credit cards survive a dunking. If
you're a man, your swim trunks should have a velcro pocket. If you're a woman, you have a bikini top that provides good storage.
If you're afraid of losing your money in the pool, either bring along someone with pockets in their suit, or invest in a good pair of
board shorts, which always have a handy pocket that seems made for carrying wet money to an in-pool bar.
Now that you've had some sun, surf, swimming, and are sloshed, it's time to go out. Puerto Penasco offers a variety of
diversions. You can get a taxi into town if you've had a few too many at the hotel bar. Or hop in the car with a reasonably sober
friend. But it is advisable to get out of your suit first. So you'll end up on the balcony taking goofy pictures of each other.
Don't worry, this is normal behavior here and won't be remarked.
