Rocky Point Scavenger Hunt

Figuring It Out


We just got back from 2 days in Mexico. The wife and I often go down to a little town called Puerto Penasco on the Sea of Cortez. The locals call the place Rocky Point and it is a favorite hangout for folks in Phoenix, Arizona to get away from it all. I have often commented that it is as far away from Phoenix as you can get in 3 hours.

The stars aligned just right and thanks to some friends going down at the same time, my Federal Tax refund, and some much needed stress release, we were able to make the drive down. Three hundred and eighty dollars for a private house on a beach with two dogs and no distractions is well worth the money. We both needed the time off.





I have often wondered why I like Mexico so much. On the surface it isn't a very appealing place. It is dirty, poor and at times a bit uncomfortable. Yet, it keeps drawing us back. The beaches probably have something to do with it, as does the absence of cell phones and e-mail. Sometimes, we just need to turn everything off and get away.

But there is something else that I really love about this place. It is hard to put my finger on it, but it has to do with the attitude of the Mexican people and the different priorities and expectations that they have. They haven't yet succumbed to the notion that money will bring you happiness and that getting ahead is all there is in life. This was brought home to me this past trip during a visit to the Mexican Grocery store.





My wife didn't want to cook and we left in somewhat of a hurry so we didn't bring much stuff with us. When it came time for the Friday night meal, we really couldn't go out since we had the dogs with us. So I offered to go and buy some groceries at the local version of Safeway called Super Ley. This was an experience that was pretty eye opening.

Super Ley is a big store and looks like any other large food outlet in the US. But wandering its aisle-ways was a lesson in cultural differences that showed me just how far we had come and how the Mexicans were catching up, which isn't necessarily a good thing.





First of all, I am not a great cook. I know how to make 'guy food' which is what I learned to sustain myself with while starving in college. It tastes good, but isn't necessarily good for you. It usually involves pasta or rice and probably some hamburger. My wife gave me a list of things to shop for at Super Ley and it quickly became evident that I wasn't' going to find most of it.

It seems that Mexico has yet to embrace the concept of the 'packaged' food item. For instance....there was no Peanut Butter....I couldn't find it anywhere! The closest thing was Nutella which just isn't the same. My wife also wanted some candy bars (because she just NEEDS chocolate), but there weren't any. There were no Snickers, no 3 Musketeers, no Reeses Peanut Butter cups. Those franchises just don't have foothold south of the border. I then went looking for some frozen foods like pizza or chicken pot pies. Nada...not going to happen. They don't do this sort of stuff in Rocky Point. I assume that microwaves don't hold a place of honor in most Mexican kitchens either.





Nope, the Hispanics south of the border still cling to the notion that you 'make' your own food. You take raw ingredients and put them together to make something. They don't go for convenience or pre-packaging. They know exactly what they are putting into their mouths. So I was forced to improvise. I centered on a sort of hamburger helper concoction with pasta and ground beef. Only problem was, it was sort of difficult to figure out what was in some of the boxes, since I don't read much Spanish. I did a lot of reading in Super Ley that afternoon, trying to figure out exactly what I was looking at.

During my trips up and down the isles trying to find basic ingredients something else came into focus. Mexicans are not real worried about their health. Not once did I see the word 'diet' or 'lite'. But I did see a lot of products with the word 'Azucar' in the title (sugar). Mexicans seem to really love sweet stuff and spicy food. I didn't sense that they were too worried about their clogged arteries or restless leg syndrome.





With my shopping basket full of ingredients that I thought would make a good dinner, I headed for the front of the store. I found myself looking at 12 checkout lanes, and 10 of them were actually open. End result....no waiting. Scanning around the rest of the store, I noticed that there had to be at least 50 employees, working in the store. They were everywhere. No cutting service to save money here. Everyone worked, even if just at minimum wage. These Hispanics were more than eager to greet the 'gringos' with a smile and fast speedy service.

Life here is about the basics...good food, living well, and enjoying what you can. There wasn't a lot of convenience or worry here. It is a simpler mindset, a more relaxed way of life. Something that I sorely miss in the day to day living here in the United States.

Overall, our time down in Rocky Point was wonderful. The beach and the town were almost deserted, even during Spring Break. This was attributed to the fear that had been broadcast in the media about the Mexican drug wars on the border. I knew this was a farce. While there are problems in Mexico regarding the drug trade, it is still a much safer place to be than driving down any Phoenix freeway in rush hour traffic.

Here in the States, we worry way to much. We are told by the television to worry about our finances, our health, our safety, our jobs. Take a trip to Mexico and see how the rest of the world lives. If you do, you will understand why so many people in foreign countries think we are crazy.

Ow, and the dinner that night....it wasn't gourmet, but I sure liked it. It wasn't so much the satisfaction of my hunger, but the fact that I had figured out how to do it on my own. It was more a sense of accomplishment than anything else. I don't get that feeling after shopping at the local Albertson's back home.

All pictures taken with my LGAX6800 Cell Phone