After settling in for the night at the Playa Azul motel, on Calle 13,  I did the customary thing that I like to do, in that I grabbed my camera, my digital recorder, and I decided to take a hike, to explore the many neighborhoods of Puerto Peñasco within walking distance of the motel.  I love to explore a new town by walking, as you get a chance to really see the place, up close and personal, and you get a chance to mingle with the many friendly people.  You just can't get the same experience from the steel confines of a car.

Left:  Calle Calles, yes, that's the real name, features many places where you can rent a A.T.V., which is a popular vehicle to explore the beach, and the town.  It's legal to ride an A.T.V. on the streets of Puerto Peñasco.  At this location, on Calle Calles, a worker is preparing an A.T.V. for a customer.  Note the sandy street, which is quite typical.

After I got off of the main street, Calle 13, a.k.a. Calle Miguel Hidalgo, I noticed that all of the side streets in Puerto Peñasco are not paved, in fact, they're sand, in many places several inches deep.  Before I settled into my motel room, I was driving in the vicinity of Calle 14 and Calle Zapata, and I almost thought that I was going to get stuck. The sand is that deep!

Left:  Not everyone rides a A.T.V. or drives a car in Puerto Peñasco, as this gentleman seems content to be pedaling his bicycle east on Calle Piño Suárez, just west of Calle 13.  Right:  Looking west on sandy and dusty Calle Heros, which shows why four wheel drive is sometimes needed within the city limits of Puerto Peñasco.

Left:  Looking west on Calle Villa, from the corner of Calles Villa and Zapata, a.k.a., Calle 15.  Note that Calle Villa is rather sandy.  Right:  Looking into the back yard of a house located on the aforementioned street corner.  

I love to hike around local neighborhoods, as it give me a chance to see real people, how they live, and what they do.  I noted during my exploration to beautiful Puerto Peñasco that as soon as you leave the main streets, all side streets are not paved, and are either graded dirt, or the thick sand that is native to the coastal desert.  The houses aren't mansions, and I truly wonder how many of the people that inhabit the neighborhoods manage to make a living.  

Left:  Road work is being performed at the corner of Calle 16 and Calle Villa, and you almost need four wheel drive to negotiate a city street.  Right:  A.T.V.s churn up the sand, as they head east on Calle Villa, just east of Calle 13.

Left:  I took a walk toward the Port of Puerto Peñasco, along dusty Calle Calles, east of Calle 13, a.k.a., Calle Miguel Hidalgo.  Right:  I love the dusty Ford, as it reposes along Calle Calles, behind a house.  How long has it been since this car has been driven?

Despite the fact that the neighborhoods aren't luxurious, and the streets of Puerto Peñasco aren't paved, the residents seem happy, and seem to enjoy the good life.  You know, I'd take the sandy streets of Puerto Peñasco any day, over the inner-city ghetto of Philadelphia!

 

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