On the dirty unpaved back streets of this tourist-friendly sleepy fishing village, sits a somewhat quaint little bar which is tucked away from where the local tourists go. It is called "Bar El Puertito."

There is no exact known numbered address, but it is located on Avenida Mar Baltico, which is just a couple of blocks from the well known Gringo tourist hangout, Bar Miramar.

What attracted me to the Bar El Puertito is the fact that it's always crowded in the evenings with local residents. You can just tell by the clientele this is where all the locals congregate. And that's fine with me, as this is where I spent most of my evenings.

The Bar El Puertito (or,The Little Gateway in English) is a small smoke-filled hot and cramped location. Even for an October night, the weather was hot and sticky, which didn't improve the smoke-filled stale smell of cigarette smoke and stale beer emitting from this dusty location.

It's a small brick building where the exterior front wall has a Tecate welcoming sign posted on the front wall. It has a strange unwelcoming feeling with it's combination of red and white paint and bars on the small square jail-like windows.

You can always hear the ranchero music blaring loudly into the quiet street from the juke box as you approach this location. The business itself sits in between two empty dirt lots, directly behind the bar "Estrella del Mar," which is now closed. So you really can't miss it.

During the day only two or three women sit around on bar stools all day with nothing to do but watch the Novelas on TV. This seems like a place where some neighbors more or less meet each other and just hang out. At night, the bar is full. Drag Queens and wannabe hookers seem to add to the ambiance of the atmosphere.

It has a very dated appearance, with posters on the walls of women in bikinis advertising Tecate beer. The inside looks like it could use a coat of gloss paint and there's only one huge wall fan to help cool down a room full of intoxicated local party animals.

All in all, the bar is always lively and entertaining. Not exactly what one might consider a tourist attraction, but there again, no tourists are attracted here. Beer is cheap and the one positive factor about bars like this, is there are no scamming waiters.

The good thing about the TV's is that they don't seem to bother you. They just stick to themselves, either playing pool or just standing at the end of the bar drinking.

In fact, nobody bothers you to buy them a drink or for a cigarette. The chubby female bartenders seem friendly and naturally asked a few questions as to why I was in this bar instead of the tourist hang outs.

I preferred to go where the real seedy places are, mainly because I just like that sense of mistique. Inside is quite dark and dismal. The interior has a pool table in the center and a few tables and chairs spread out all around the interior itself.

In the past, I've gotten laid out of here, but this time, I wasn't really looking. That could be because I was already accompanying a chica from Obregon, Sonora, who accompanied me on this trip to San Felipe. God, how I just love to come here sometimes to these sleezy little local shit holes and forget all my troubles in the U.S.

Now with the Bar Estrella del Mar closed for an indefinite period, the Bar El Puertito seems to be one of the main hangouts for locals. Even when the Estrella del mar was open, this bar El Puertito seemed to generate a lot more business than the competition.

Although you probably will never get a chica to proposition you for sex in here, the chances of getting laid are nonetheless, still very, very good. I've never had any problem taking a chica from this bar back to my hotel room.

But be warned, my fellow mongers, when I say there are "working girls" in here, I'm certainly not painting the mental picture of a Chicago Club or Adelita Bar (Tijuana Clubs) look-alike! Here, where beggars can't necessarily be choosers, you take what you get. And what you get are heavy-set local women who are all fat, toothless and butt ugly. So consider yourself warned. Certainly nothing to write home about.

A convenient location for a quiet brew and a convenient lay, considering of course, you aren't too picky and are into fat women. That's about it.

Regards,

Master Bates.

El Puertito photo by Masterbates

Photo submitted by Masterbates (interior)