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| Tuesday, 17-Feb-2004 00:00 |
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| Monday, 16-Feb-2004 00:00 |
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Sandy Beach, Puerto Peñasco
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| Sunday, 15-Feb-2004 00:00 |
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Puerto Peñasco
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Magnificent view from the condo we rented at Sandy Beach, Puerto Peñasco.
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| Saturday, 14-Feb-2004 00:00 |
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Puerto Peñasco, Mexico
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The old port overlooking the Sea of Cortes
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Senja di Puerto Peñasco
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Puerto Peñasco, or known as Rocky Point to the Americans, is 65 miles southwest coast of Sonora, about 200 miles south of Phoenix, Arizona. This charming Mexican town on the Sea of Cortes, known also as Gulf of Mexico, is slowly evolving from a shrimping village to become a popular spot for romantic getaway or family vacation especially for American tourists from Phoenix and Tucson.
I felt comfortable here even though this was my first trip to Mexico. English is widely understood and spoken here. And American currency is accepted at almost every place we went . But a few times the change was returned in pesos, I am assuming at a rate favorable to the merchant, of course.
Puerto Peñasco is a town with ecletic mix of modern and old-style, with unspoiled beaches sitting next to sprouting beach-front real estate developments. Tourism has brought new money and jobs to this town that before solely depended on fishing. For now at least , these changes have not dilute its charm and fishing heritage.
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| Thursday, 12-Feb-2004 00:00 |
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Lukeville-Sonoyta border
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We crossed into Mexico at Lukeville-Sonoyta border at 2:00 pm. One thing to remember when entering the US-Mexico custom checkpoints here, they are closed from midnight until 6:00 a.m. Plan accordingly if spending a night either in Lukeville or Sonoyta is not in your agenda.
Lukeville is north of Mexico border town of Sonoyta. This is the last point on the U.S. side of the border where many US tourists buy gas before entering Mexico since gas quality and prices in Mexican can vary.
Sonoyta, a Mexican border town south of Lukeville, Arizona, has a place in Mexico history. Plutarco Elias Calles, who was born and raised in this town, was elected as Mexico's 48th President in 1924 . Calles, a son of a Lebanese descendant, was an elementary teacher before he used his political prowess to rise quickly in Mexico's political scene. He ruled Mexico as president for four years until 1928. A year later he elected himself as Minister of War and Marine and defeated a military rebellion. He continued to run Mexico by controlling the puppet presidents whom he elected and removed at will. His demise from Mexico's political scene was due to his mistake of electing Lázaro Cárdenas as President in 1934. Two years later Cárdenas, who suspected Calles was about to remove him off his presidential position, arrested and deported Calles and his corrupt associates. Calles spent 5 years in exile in the US before he was allowed to return to Mexico in 1941 after Cárdenas term ended. He died in Mexico City four years later.
As we drove through Sonoyta, we saw a tall statue of this commanding leader in a triangle formed by 3 major Mexican highway intersections. Even in death Plutarco Elias Calles still has a powerful presence in his hometown of Sonoyta, Mexico.
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| Tuesday, 10-Feb-2004 00:00 |
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Desert scenes
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From the town of Why, just south of Ajo, to the southern border town of Lukesville, Arizona Highway-85 takes you through the Organ Pipe National Monument which offers an extraordinary collection of plants of the Sonoran Desert.
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| Sunday, 8-Feb-2004 00:00 |
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Ajo - where summer spends the winter
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Two hours into our journey to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, we reached a small desert town called Ajo (pronounce ah-ho) , the birth place of copper mining in Arizona. This isolated town is located in the Sonoran desert, 125 miles southwest of Phoenix, Arizona.
The origin of the town's name comes from the Papago Indian word Au'auho which means paint. This early settlers obtained the red oxide and green carbonate copper ores which they used for body paint . When the Spanish arrived here, they changed the name to ajo meaning garlic. Not only this word was easier for them to pronounce, it was also easier to remember because of the abundant wild lily garlic in this area.
Today this quite town is an affordable retirement community mecca for "snowbirds" ( folks fleeing from colder states in winter times ) who are attracted to Ajo's extremely mild winter conditions. The local expression goes something like this, " Ajo is where summer spends the winter."
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| Saturday, 7-Feb-2004 00:00 |
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Leaving Phoenix
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Follow our 4 hour journey to Rocky Point, also know as Puerto Peñasco to the locals there in Mexico.
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| Sunday, 11-Jan-2004 00:00 |
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Phoenix
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From Interstate-10
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I-10 Papago Freeway Tunnel
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Vital to Arizona's agriculture sector - migrant workers
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Just as the mythical bird, phoenix, which burned itself to ashes on a pyre, and rose alive from the ashes of ruin, so has the city of Phoenix. Within 130 years this city has developed from a lost civilization to a modern day city.
Phoenix is U.S sixth largest city with a population close to 1.3 million . It is also the capital city of Arizona. This thriving metropolitan area is located in the middle of the Sonora Desert at the foot of the Superstition Mountains and the Mogollon Rim.
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| Saturday, 10-Jan-2004 00:00 |
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Anniversary of birth
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My younger son's birthday celebration.
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