Bar Don Pedro,downtown Mexicali, Mexico

Picture this: You're tired and thirsty, after walking all around the streets of downtown Mexicali, very busily involved in the sport street photography, of downtown Mexicali. You're thirsty, but water doesn't seem like the right thing to do. Not to mention that you want to see where the locals do, how they relax, and where they hang out. What do you do? Hit the Bar Don Pedro for a cold Tecate beer.

Bar Don Pedro is located at the corner of Av. Lopez Mateos and Av. Reforma, only three blocks south of the U.S. border. However, as you walk into the place, it's miles away from the U.S. as after all, when you cross over the steel fence from Calexico into Mexicali, you step into a different world. Such is life at Bar Don Pedro.

Left: Bar Don Pedro, in downtown Mexicali. In 21st century Mexico, the words "bar" and "cantina" are used simolaneously. Right: Bar patrons line the bar, or barra in Spanish. Confused?

You walk into the bar, and it's dark, but the bar is illuminated and there are ceiling lights on, as you adjust your eyesight from patrolling the city streets. There are only locals around the place, lounging at the bar, or sitting at the many tables clustered about the place; no norteamericanos. As I walked in, I was greeted by the bartender, as he moved from behind the bar to greet me, and he asked me if I prefered to sit at the bar, or at a table. I sat down at a table, as I wanted to be "low key" and then the friendly bartender asked me: "Que quieres para beber?" "Cerveza," I replied, as I'd been walking aound town for several hours. Tecate of, course, as hey dude, this is northern Mexico! "Grande o chica?" Big, of course, since I'd been walking for the last several hours and had developed a considerable thirst! I was ready... I ordered a "caguama," and definitely impressed the bartendress of my knowledge of Mexican slang. (Editor note: Yeah, I have friends who keep me up on the latest, and I take the opportunity to speak Spanish at every opportinity; lots of opportunities in the Sacramento area.) Caguama means "sea turtle" in Spanish, and for some strange reason, ONLY Tecate-brand beer served in a large bottle gets this moniker.

Left: Patrons line the bar, as the friendly bartendress grabs another Tecate. Right: Kosher salt in a shortened coke can, filled with kowher salt, red pepper flakes, glass of beer, lemon slices and a "caguama" of Tecate beer.

Long story short, the bartender brought me a liter of Tecate beer, a small beer can of kosher salt, and a cut up lemon. I was amazed, as limes are mostly served in Mexico with beer; I guess Bar Don Pedro is different, or maybe that's what they had on hand. I sipped my beer, enjoyed listening to the locals gossip, took in the earthy deour, and statisfied my raging thirst.

I'm not usually a big fan of bars, but if you're hiking around downtown Mexicali and you're thirsty and looking for a place to drink a Tecate? Check out Bar Don Pedro for a good beer and lots of friendly company.

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