Anyone been to Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) in Mexico?

[fuzzybabybunny]

My fellow interns and I want to go to Rocky Point this weekend for one of our friend's birthdays. One of the interns found this house to stay at:

http://www.vrbo.com/104485

The rates and everything are there.

Scam Check: the owner wants all of us to deposit full payment for the weekend into his "business account" by tomorrow morning. Note that this is probably going to be a bank wire and that he wants full payment NOW, not when we actually get there.

Safety Advice: the other interns want to go out clubbing and drinking every night, which I find horribly uninteresting and uncomfortable. I want to go out, explore, walk the streets, drive around, take pictures, eat at the local places by myself, etc. At night. Is Rocky Point really dangerous? I'd prefer to get away from the tourist areas. I'm not going to Mexico to experience the US... Advice from people who really know first hand what they're talking about would be appreciated. Lots of people say it would be a bad idea, but they've never been to the place or are scared of anything that's not a well developed glitzy modern shopping mall.

 

[Savij]

Bank wire = no way.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Anything else?

 

[ViviTheMage]

that is just TOO odd....I would stay away :/

crappy business practice imo. I don't know many people that would do that, and expect the hotel to be there....

 

[Scarpozzi]

I once did that. I found the rental in Mexico and it was nice enough. The problem was that someone broke in the first night I was there. I woke up in a bathtub and now I only have 1 kidney.

 

[mesthead21]

Don't drink the water!!!!!!!

 

[Jmman]

I have been to Mexico a ton of times, but you know what, I wouldn't go right now. It has been incredibly dangerous for about the past 6 months. People are getting killed left and right, and the drug cartels have gone so far as to post notes on "fallen police officer statues" with hit lists on who they are going to kill next........

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

I've been to Rocky Point 6 times and my suggestion is that if you don't want to go there to party and club, then don't go. That is basically all Rocky Point has going for it. There are other places to go if you want to experience Mexican culture.

Also the bank wire sounds sketchy.

It can be dangerous there but I wouldn't worry too much. On one of our trips, we were camping on the beach and a gang fight broke out between 2 Mexican gangs in the middle of a few hundred gringos camping. The federales showed up quick but when they did, they just started swinging mag-lites at everyones head. My friend got busted up real bad.

That is the only bad experience though. After that we started staying in hotels.

Once I was so drunk, I couldn't remember the name of the hotel or where it was so this taxi driver drove me around for awhile till I recognized it and he didn't rip me off. He could have totally robbed me.

It has been awhile since I've been there though. Things might be alot different.

 

[daveshel]

I've been there twice. It's pretty nice, but you do need to watch your step. The first time I got a motel with cold and cold running water. The second time I nearly got rolled by a girl who said that she wanted sexto. I came to me senses just in time to recover my waller from her hand. Not that that couldn't happen anywhere. As far as the advance wire goes, I wouldn't. There's no shortage of lodging there, especially this time of year. Find another deal. And check into the passport requirements - up until now you haven't had to have a passport to drive from Arizona, but last year they announced that they were making it a requirement (well, not to go there, but to get back in to the US). It was originally supposed to be effective January 1 of this year, then it was postponed. As far as I know, it is supposed to go inti effect July 1.