Yes, Rocky Point in Mexico is a great place to find cheap drinks and dance the night away.
But hidden beneath the shroud of multicolored towels from tourists who visit for the parties on the weekend is a community full of individuals whose kindness can overwhelm the gringos who find themselves in sticky situations.
Sure, there is the occasional sketchy dude in the alley corner, or kids who try to steal your money by peddling Chiclets, but if you stick around long enough you will see that Rocky Point – also known as Puerto PeÇñasco – is actually a pretty awesome place.
I found that out last weekend, when my two older brothers decided to bring me along on a last-minute trip to the coastal town.
Everything was fine on the four-hour drive through the border, until we stopped the car at our hotel and realized that it would no longer start.
Pissed off and sweating under the heat and humidity, we actually considered having to take a local bus back to the border, until a few locals stopped by to help with jumper cables and a battery charger.
Staying for about an hour until the car started, they completely blew us away with their kindness, despite the language barrier.
And we may have found the town’s coolest bartenders when we went out that evening.
A little bar located near Manny’s Beach Club on Coahuila Avenue, Jill’s Place seems like your average hole-in-the-wall cantina until you walk inside and look around.
Flipping cups and mixing drinks to serve to the house for free, the bartenders are friendly, attentive and – best of all – speak perfect English. Their selection of liquor is top-shelf (think JÇÏgermeister and Tequila Rose), and they know the recipes to drinks even we had never heard of.
After a day of banana boats and margaritas on the beach, Jill’s Place was the perfect place to end the night.
When the power went out throughout the entire city, our bartender, Louie, busted out a slew of flashlights and threw in a round of drinks just for hanging out. That’s what I call a good time.
The moral of the story is this: Rocky Point is as crazy as it is relaxing. But, if you find the right people and the right places, it’s a trip to remember.