5C's Que Pasa

Sunrise at our special Pemex overnight. See comments on last post as to the coordinates. Be sure you park behind the building or you might bet boxed in by the semi’s. It was the quietest Pemex we have stayed in.

Sinaloa is a mostly agricultural state especially around the Culiacan area.

Finally we were starting the almost 9 mile road. The first 2 miles were rough with pot holes and close foliage.

There has been a lot of rainfall of late. I  have never seen so much water in this area.

After the first 2 miles of road, where we tossed from side to side, we suddenly reached the two miles of paved road.  Wonderful break on the body 😀  The further into the peninsula we drove the better the road became.  The worst was only the first 2 miles.

When you see this sign you know that things will only be getting better.

Please bear with me as I am writing this post for a few RVers ,who will be traveling here for the first time this winter.  As an aside, there have been many changes this season some due to illness, others due to accidents and one due to giving up RVing.  What that means is that there actually are front row sites available this winter, whether you are coming for a few weeks of a few months.

Yes the road really does get better. We actually got up to 15 MPH. It only took us 45 minutes to drive it.  Sorry about the dirty windshield. The last 2 miles will be paved within the nest 3 -4 weeks..  Once again we have been told that the entire road will be paved by the time we leave in April.  Won’t that be a bonus but I will believe it when I see it.

At the end of the road you will see this sign….

….at this intersection, veer left.

Are you sure this is the right road? Yes it is. Today there were no horses  along here but often there are.  That is Carmeh on the right, panting.

There you have it, Tres Amigos RV Park empty front row sites. A very strange occurrence. A few of these will be filled with reservations.

Finally our winter home.

We only drove 194 miles today ( Sunday the 15th ) and arrived at twelve noon.  Since leaving Kelowna we have put 2583.8 miles on the RV and we were somewhat tired.  Which is why you are only getting Sunday’s post on Tuesday.  Our site looked great with no storm damage as opposed to last year.  Of course my hibiscus at the front did not do well because of all the salt air breezes.  However the rest of my garden seems to have doubled it size, a lovely surprise.

As we arrived on a Sunday we could not get into our bodega to get our stored items.  However that gave us time to unload the car and settle some things inside the RV.  Still not finished, a work in progress.  I have to say that it was hot and exceptionally humid.  Today ( Tuesday ) as I write this, the humidity is gone and we can finally shut off the A/C.

We did however have a great pre sunset walk on the beach and it was low tide which was a bonus. Carmeh seemed somewhat unsettled at first. I think it was because the beach was packed with people.

First we crossed into Mexico on Friday the 13th and then I discovered it was a long weekend.  No wonder the beach was so full.

Just a snap shot but of our first sunset  on the Isla this season.

We have been working very hard as the next post will show you.  I promise to be soon caught up with my posts and with reading your blogs as well as responding  to your emails.

An aside, I found out today that my ATT Sierra Wireless Hotspo tDevice is toast.  Apparently the night we crossed into the US on November 3rd when I called ATT technical support for assistance, they inevitably locked my device.  It was purchased unlocked but in helping me with a problem they went to a factory reset which locked it to an ATT SIM card.  I can no longer use my Mexican SIM card with the device.  So of course I will be purchasing a new but meanwhile if internet is spotty here @ Tres Amiogos that means I have no back up 😥   Not my fault but my expense to deal with 👿

All is well, even the road was good.   Some internet issues, will try and resolve tomorrow.

Bedtime…..we are exhausted, well at least I am, Colin is the energizer bunny.

We did not have a night at all last night in San Carlos.  Between the thunder and the night club that went full blast until at least 2AM, when I last checked the time,  none of us got a got sleep except Caeli.  Of course Carmeh was freaking out about the thunder. When we arrived yesterday we were surprised at how cool it was and it did not down overnight likely due to the cloud cover.  We were up at 6:00AM and were surprised to still see lightening in the sky.

On the road at 7AM with a lovely incentive from Mother Nature.

Got caught up in the protest at Vicam.  It was a mess today with certain semis being allowed to pass and not others.  This year it was organized enough that RV’s and cars were being allowed to pass without dealing with a detour.  However today a semi was blocking our route out of town and the locals got right on it and has us on our way within 10 minutes.  Always something exciting to watch.  This is also the town that sells illegal birds in small cages, only the one fellow selling at this time.

So many new roads being built this year and out of cement. They are certain to last a very long time.  The oncoming two lanes on the other side of the median have been diverted into one lane on our side giving us only one lane heading south.  But such a lovely new road……

I think I want to learn how to build roads. They do such a great job here in Mexico. So many sections in different stages of development every so many miles. Someone extremely smart, perhaps a genius has to be in charge.

We stopped to pee the girls and cut up some fruit for us at the south end of Vicam. at a Pemex. They were literally pouring cement and then  running this huge machine over it, it turned the cement white.  Next step was to cover the concrete with plastic.  Amazing how just a mile down the road a bridge was being built, another section gravel was being laid….all so organized.

I have to say that we have heard nothing but complaints from fellow RVers, about the roads thus far this winter.  Personally we think that they are the best we have ever seen.  As certain sections are completed, they are then used as a detour while the other side of the highway is being worked on.  So what  happens is that there are multiple detours as you switch from a two lane road heading south to a one way with on coming traffic. I can’t speak for what happens in the US but in Canada you would be stopped and have to wait for a pilot car to ferry you over the detour, lots and lots of stop and go and wasted time.  Here in Mexico, the traffic keeps moving, mostly at normal highway speeds.  Love this system.  We also think that the roads are in such great condition with very very few areas that could be considered rough.

Saw this ‘thing’ at a toll booth. I bet you anything that it won’t be moving again. I look forward to watching it over the next few years 🙂

I noticed some construction last year  just before Ciudad Obregon and it seems that is will be a huge and wonderful rest area overlooked by this wonderful Yaqui fellow.

Just after Obregon there is a tribute on the hill to the Virgen de Guadalupe. I continue to be impressed at the detailed photos that my camera produces from a fast moving vehicle. You can actually see pilgrims climbing the steps.

Another truck coming in loaded with goodies.

Our usual final stop for the night before heading to the Isla is the last Pemex station before the autopista between Culiacan and Mazatlan.  Over the last few years it has become increasingly crowded with semis stopping for the night and it had become a major challenge to find a spot to spend the night where we would not be boxed in come morning.  Plus with the constant noise of running engines we never slept well at all.  So this past April while heading North we kept and eye out for another option. We found two and tonight we stopped at the most nothern Pemex which is only 53 miles further north.  We were making good time today due to the great road conditions so took out time checking this one out.  It is Pemex 3970 KM 75.

First we fueled up, only our second fill here in Mexico.  The price for diesel is the same as it was last April, 14.2 per litre which is only up from 13.94 last November, so despite all the complaints about rising fuel costs we find them to be just fine.  Of course the prices are higher than years ago but what hasn’t risen in price over the years.  This is a nice spot with the added bonus of high speed free wifi, just click on it with no password required and you are good to go.  I have to say I wasn’t even going to see if I had wifi but I am so glad that I did.  By the way, thaks for all of your comments but I just don’t have time while on the road to respond.  Once we are settled things will be back to normal 😀

Our first choice was where the truck on the right was parked but facing the other direction. That was so we could put our bedroom slide out plus the grass for the girls was perfect. However we soon realized that we could easily be boxed in.

So we drove around the Pemex ( lots of room to roam ) and parked behind the building that is a restaurant and a mini market. This way we are unlikely going to have a semi beside us the left. So far all seems to be perfect.

Phew, it worked….it took 2 hours to get this post together…..I will not be checking for spelling or anything else. Please just deal with it as it is.  After all it is a miracle post to begin with 🙂

Sadly anything I have to write is preceded by the horrid news coming out of Paris.

We made it over the border with no issues. At KM 21 we had a 20 minute wait because there were 13 people ahead of us in the Immigracion line but they were mostly going into the free zone so we were totally done within an hour including the import of car.

A bit of bumpy road before Santa Ana and then some construction. For a minute we thought we were in the Baja, such a narrow road with no shoulder.

Saw this guy a few times through the day but never got a side shot of his truck. Basically he has put high things along the outside edge such as the chaise longue on the back left  and other things all the way around and just piled stuff in the middle. I give him a gold star for creativity. How else would he have got so much stuff in his truck?

Finally some fields of grape vines, the promise of things to come.

These guys are collecting the seeds off the grasses on the side of the road as well as the median in the photo above. Nothing is wasted here in Mexico.

Carmeh did not approve of the longer day and kept nudging me with her head to keep massaging or petting her. I had a sore shoulder after the first hour….

An accident just before Hermosillo. The policeman in the photo got angry with us as we were not moving forward fast enough, hey you can only move so fast on a dime.

We did get to Totonaka RV Park about 3PM in San Carlos, Sonona.  Once settled I turned on the computer to be sure I had the correct password for their wifi.  Sadly I did.  Yup it is Friday the 13th, news that a friend I have had since kindergarten died from cancer, worse still  my youngest sister fell and broke her knee yesterday and she just got off disability in September, and our fan parts never arrived but will sometime next week.  I will have to call to get a refund on the rapid shipping fee we paid.  Thanks Micheal for taking care of this for us.

Next I wanted to check my Telcel SIM card in my ATT Hot Spot device.  Well it seems that my device has become locked although for the past two years, perhaps three, I have used it in Mexico, the US and Canada with no issue what so ever.  They are now telling me that what I had was not legal…so after an hour I gave up and the battle will continue next Monday.  What that means is that I will not have internet after tonight.  Hopefully once we arrive on the Isla we will have internet.  If you don’t hear from me Sunday night you can be rest assured that we have some serious issues.

Also within an hour of arriving here in San Carlos we discovered that our RV engine is needing extra oil.  So far we have added 2 liters and Colin has checked with our heavy duty mechanic back in Vancouver and they think it is normal.  Meanwhile we will keep an eye on it.

My Fitbit  died for no reason…..grrrr.

Earlier, the day quickly became overcast which was great for traveling, no heat.  As we came closer to Guaymas there was much lightening in the sky but mere drops of rain.  Of course Carmeh heard the thunder and is unsettled as I write this.

While I stayed in the RV with ATT on the phone for over an hour, Colin took the girls to the beach. So sad I missed it.

Colin says that they went wild and just ran around in happiness.

I missed this, thanks for taking the kids to the beach and for the photos mi amore.

But tomorrow is another day……sorry I won’t be able to post.  Perhaps I will manage to get two posts in on Sunday…stay tuned 😉

Woke up to 40F, cool.  After tonight we will only be basked in warmth 😀   Beautiful blue sky and once it warmed up we had a good morning walk.  Not in a rush to head out as it is yet another short travel day.  We are now a mere 801 miles from reaching paradise.  A bit concerned about “the road” but there are 3 or 4 rigs coming into Tres Amigos Friday or Saturday so I should have a recent heads up as to conditions.

We never left Picacho Peak until almost noon, made a final stop at a Walmart for any last minute items including anti itch stuff for Rae.  Finally got to our final resting spot for the night at about 3:25PM.  Staying tonight at the Passport America Mountain View RV Park in Amado, AZ, about 42 Km north of the Mexican border.

Colin took this of Carmeh as she was peeking around the slide in it’s in position.

I took this one of Caeli yesterday, she had her Santa hat in her mouth. She was guarding it from all of us.

One of the many camp hosts at Picacho Peak, this guy is serious about his shade.

Hopefully someone knows what type of bird this is.

He then flew up into the prickly stuff.

Candid shot by Colin, taken yesterday afternoon.

I snapped this this morning. As you can see, there are going to be lots of Carmeh shots this winter. Sadly she jumped off the sofa twice today rather than use the ramp. We can only put the guides in place but there is no way we can anticipate her every move.  She is a free spirit and we have to respect that.

Taken just North of Tuscon. Are these cotton fields?

A quick snap of downtown Tuscon.

Finally, there it is, the sign we have been waiting for.

Those dark peaks are in Mexico. We will driving through them tomorrow.

But first it was time for a very tasty Mexican dinner out,  a lovely lightly spiced seared mahi taco and a cheese enchilada.

With friends Rochelle and Michael. You will be seeing more of them in December when they come visit at the Isla for a month.

Yet another short day, only 79 miles. We will certainly make up for that over the next two, long driving days.

We are off at 6:45AM.  The next post, if all goes according to plan will come to you from San Carlos, Sonora.  However I just now realized that tomorrow is Friday, November 13th 😯  I didn’t even think about it till a moment ago.  So will it be good luck or the other?  Stay tuned.