5C's Que Pasa

Here we are all turned around on Tuesday evening, hooked up and ready to go early the next morning.

Our final sunset on the Isla.  Hasta Noviembre!

So what went right and what went wrong with our long 510 mile day to San Carlos?

We did leave at 5:45AM, 15 minutes later that planned but better then Colin expected.  However we only got to the end of the Botanical Gardens ( under 5 minutes ) when Colin stopped the RV.  The car was not tracking correctly.  Thank goodness he is so attentive to detail.  Out he went and sure enough one of the arms of the two towing arms was not extended fully.  It took about 15 minutes to sort out as it was stuck in place but soon we were soon on our way.  I did get to see my first sunrise of the year ( maybe for the last 12 months 🙂 ) .

This old fellow was pushing his bike and pulling an even older horse along accompanied by his faithful dog. We hated to have to make them move to the side of the road.

Speaking of the road…wonderful news.  The first third has very recently graded and then with the next third paved and the last third graded a few weeks ago we did the entire thing in 30 minutes.  A record undertaking!  Truly wonderful.  Moving on we realized that with potential bad roads ahead we had to drive wisely.  Last year our maximum speed was 55 mph.  However this year we have all new tires on the RV and so Colin felt comfortable moving along at 65 mph which proved to be a very wise decision at the end of the day.

The second bad thing that happened was Carmeh vomiting all over the dog bed she travels in and then the dash of the RV.   Caeli can only travel while sitting on Colin’s lap as we drive.  Carmeh just does not eat in the morning  unless animatedly encouraged  to do so and got so hungry that she became ill.  Nothing to do but carry on.  We finally were able to stop about noonish so we could play games and sing to her and she finally ate 😳  Yes I do spoil my girls.  We were boarded at the Sonora border where my two potatoes were confiscated.  Quite funny actually as our RV steps are not working if you recall.  Colin has them in a C clamp vice so one needs to jump rather high up to board the RV.  These inspector fellows are rather curious and did somehow manage to get up.  One fellow at yet another inspection in the search for illegal fruit ( do you think I should tell him I have it hidden in my laundry basket 💡 ) asked for chocolate, then Coke or Pepsi and then cerveza…..finally I told him we were diabetics….he finally left!

It is late and we have traveled 12 hours today and have another long day ahead of us.  So to the point…the roads this year seem to be the major concern for the RVers.  Traffic was light  until we reached Guasave. By the way Colin mentioned to me that he had heard while in Culiacan that Mr. Moro’s RV Park was no longer.  The storms last year washed away the RV park as well as the first 2 – 3 streets up from the ocean.  Very sad as we know two families whose homes are gone.

Back to the roads.  We find them to be worse in some areas but much better in others.  On average year after year it is the same.  A certain section may be bad this year and another area improved next season. We found that by driving in the fast lane or between the two lanes we managed to avoid most of the problem areas.  Perhaps our vantage point of sitting higher up in a Class A helps as we see pot holes, etc, easier.  I would have to say that the road from the Sonora border to Navajoa is the worst.  The next bad part goes for 27 km from the toll booth North of CD Obregon.  All the rest of it is not so difficult but is does slow you down.

Pot holes are being filled left and right with traffic expected to smooth things out.

Other areas are being paved with a cement road. That should last our lifetime. I think that next year we will see much better conditions as so many areas are being repaired.  I did not see the roads as horrific but more of a positive impression that next year is going to be great.

As we drove into San Carlos we came across a huge police presence.  At least 16 official vehicles with lights flashing and up to 50 officers standing at the ready.  All vehicles were funneled into 2 lanes where most were scutinized.  We were waved through.  Of course, Semena Santa, loads of folks flocking the area and drugs??  Sure enough the RV park mentioned that they were expecting many RV’s coming south for the weekend.  Glad we are here for only the one night.

So we are here and hot and tired and open the fridge for some vino.  Phew 🙁  Stinky pickles. The dill pickle jar had tipped over on the rough roads and dripped all the liquid through the fridge.  Major mop up.

But we made it safe and sound and that is all that counts. Colin took the girls to the beach while I did a mop up. He said that they just sat and looked about.

They know as well as we do what is paradise and what is not.  There was no way they were walking on those rocks when they had just been on a perfect beach the morning before on the Isla.  I wish I knew how they think.  Do they know we are going home?  Are they as sad as we are to be leaving such beauty?  Do they know they we will go back again as we have year after year?

We are saying adios this morning to our beloved Isla.  At 5:30AM to be exact.  Our first day North is a long 507 miles and can take up to 12 hours.  We have heard reports that the road is in rather bad shape this year.  Will we make it?  Will it take even longer than normal?   Will we have to stop earlier than anticipated?  Most RVers do the drive from Mazatlan to San Carlos over 2 days.  We do it on one very long day. Why?  Why not?  If we are leaving paradise then let us just go, rapido.  We do hope to make it.  Everything is ready to go including the egg salad mix ready to turn into quick sandwiches to eat as we travel.  We only stop for fuel the once ( our tank is full from when we arrived ) and to pee the girls.  While Colin does that I am in the kitchen preparing sustenance for the long journey.

Shot from the air by another blogger. Adios dear Isla.  The Isla is just below the shipping channel into Mazatlan.  You can see how populated it is vs Isla de la Piedra.  The line dividing the Isla is known as ‘the road’.  Note the mile after mile of sandy beach along the Isla coast.

We are paid through to April 8th but this is Semena Santa and thousands upon thousands of people are descending on both Mazatlan and the Isla.  We have been here before during this special  time and love it.  However we needed to get packed up and with all the extra vehicles on the Isla it would be near impossible to get our things to our bodega.  So sadly we are leaving at the height of the excitement.  I shall miss my coco guy, he did very well again yesterday.  We will be here next year for certain.  Meanwhile we have managed to capture a wee bit of the fun for you.

Lots of fun in the water.

Many choices of food to try including these mangoes.

I think this fella was supposed to be renting out the boogie boards…well perhaps after he finished dealing with his social media.

Things can get crowded .

We were told that this fellow was from India. Here he is about to walk on broken glass.

Father – daughter love.

So much to see in just a few yards of space.

When Semena Santa is in full swing ( maybe by Thursday/Friday ) you won’t even be able to see the water.

Lucky me…I didn’t spill a drop of my cerveza 🙂

I caught this group of folks descending on the beach. In my mind they are all saying ” where should we set our stuff up ” !!

Pacifico the cerveza of choice. Suddenly these bright blue tents  have popped up all over the beach.

Our baby Caeli turns 10 today.

When the breeder sent us her photos we were instantly in love.

Carmeh and Caeli taken in August of 2005.

Caeli just a few days ago here on the Isla.

The girls just wanted some quality snug time, here on the Isla, a few days ago.

It certainly is difficult to leave such beauty.

Adios Isla de la Piedra….

…hasta Noviembre.

Well certainly the constant sound of the surf.  We always have trouble sleeping for the first few weeks when we leave, the nights sounds are so different.  I will miss the ocean, yes I live on a lake but it is so calm as opposed to the energy of the ocean.  The changing tides and look of the sand every day, the sound of Spanish being spoken, fruit, veggies, bread, water and fresh eggs being delivered to my door every morning, my weekly massage and the pure relaxation.  But most of all I will miss my garden.

This RV site was a blank canvas when we moved here 4 years ago. Every bit of greenery has been planted by me with the help of Colin and of course wonderful Ishmael. He waters my gardens the entire time we are North and they look lovely when we return.

I purchased this plumeria tree 6 years ago and it lived in a pot the first 2 years. Can you imagine, I had over 35 pots and moved them all to someone’s home to care for them while we were away.  Once we got this permanent ocean front site I planted everything into the ground and created my four garden areas.

My second plumeria. I think next year I am going to get a third, in yellow.

The plumeria flower has a very sweet smell.  It is the most common flower next to jasmine which leis are made from in Hawaii.  Before we RVed and before dogs, we went to Hawaii every year for several weeks.  I have always loved the plumeria and was overjoyed to be able to actually have them in my very own garden.  It has been a very slow growth process and for the first time this year they are flourishing 😆   I love my hibiscus but they are not fond of the wind and sea spray so I often have to replace them on an annual basis.  Fortunately they are very inexpensive.  I actually have 3 favorites and they are still with me year after year.  I did plant several really nice new ones this past December and I hope they will be here when we return in November.

My bougainvillea all go back 6 years and continue to do well. Another favorite blossom.

Every RV site here in RV 1 had a palm tree except this site. Five winters ago when we knew this was going to be our very own site I asked the owner to plant me a palm.

He did but it did not grow.  Year after year it stayed stunted.  So 2 years ago we planted a small as in tiny palm just coming out of the actual coco shell.  It seemed to stimulate the original palm and now this year our tree is growing.  Here Ismael is removing the baby coco palm.  It will be planted elsewhere in the park.  Then we cut off 3 lower branches which he said are not needed.

Look at my palm now. I can hardly wait to see how much it grows while we are away.

Our yard looks so much larger with the gazebo put away but we really do love the shade. Now maybe once my palm grows to the size of the one on the left I won’t need a gazebo 🙂  That is part of my hibiscus hedge on the left.  More photos in November.

I don’t know the true name of this palm but I call it a fan palm.

We planted this thing 4 years ago and it was tiny, certainly no higher than stems shown here and now it has more than doubled in height.  I paid a mere 170 pesos for it, yes only $14.00CAD/$11.00USD.  That was the year I also got my bird of paradise plants but they are still struggling.   Maybe next year will be their turn.  My plumeria trees sit just behind the fan palm, so once it gets even taller I will see them in all their glory.

It has been a great joy for me to watch this palm grow.  The new leaf comes out of the side of the last leaf that had previously been ‘born’!

This one is the largest yet. Again I have to wait 7 months to see what happens next. Aren’t I lucky to have this garden to come back to?

What do I see from my garden? Some enterprising Isla local.

We saw him 2 years ago set up in the same location. I was worried that the tide was going to carry his palapa away.

But he was there Sunday morning selling his cocos.

Saw these fine fellows in uniform coming down the beach Sunday. They are here to serve and protect during this busy week of Semena Santa.  The ones in the foreground are lifeguards and the fellows in the dark shirts and helmets are marines.  I saw them stop at least 3 times  on Monday at the coco stand I can see from from my garden and from inside the RV.  I think my coco guy is going to have a good week.

Haven’t seen this on the beach before. The green sign reads “POW WOW PIZZA”. That should be interesting. There was a table but no chairs inside the teepee.

The sunsets have been so different of late.

The waves continue.  The surf is so loud that we have to speak louder even up here at our site.  Needless to say it is even louder right at the beach.  Saturday morning we were just enjoying the energy of the ocean as we walked.  We are always careful to keep an eye on the girls if they get too close to the water.  At the far end of the beach a wave came in that covered them both.  Carmeh is a bit taller and was fine but Caeli was being pulled to the right try as she was trying to get up to higher ground, her feet just did not reach the ground.  I was close enough that I could have picked her up if necessary but the wave receded quickly and she was fine, just stunned a bit.  That wave splashed up to my knees.  On the walk back to the RV, Colin and I walked more in the surf and a few waves came thigh high.  The tide was going out and the waves were not so high.  Just in front of RV2 we stopped to talk to a couple and I turned my back to the ocean to see how the girls were going to react to their male poodle.  Suddenly I was down and water was pouring over me.  Colin tried to reach me and it only took a few seconds but it felt like minutes.  I fell on my left side and all I could think about as the swirling water covered by face was loosing my eye glasses.  Of course I was also concerned about landing and hurting my hips.

I don’t know how high it was but it felt like this.

The girls were fine as they had climbed a 10-12 inch berm of sand and didn’t get wet but I was totally wet and shocked.  Once Colin picked me up I just stood there mute and in a stupor.  After shaking myself off I took inventory, my left knee and side hurt and I had sand all over me and in crevices you don’t want to know about.  My dress and underwear were also full of sand, even the pockets of my dress.  Back to the RV were I showered and left a bunch of sand on the shower floor.  Yesterday I was stiff but walked anyway and today was massage day ( my last one  😥 ) which  helped but I am going to be feeling it for a while.  Where did that wave come from 😯

Poor old seal, RIP.

A birthday dinner for Rae and a fond adios for Maria who is now forced to wear shoes back in Canada.

A wee house warming for yet another Maria.

Love that funky guitar.

The waves continue.

The packing continues. We hired these two truck pulmonias to move our things into our bodega/storage area.

It saved Colin many back and forths in the car plus we got to use their muscles.  The load includes our two mini outdoor fridges and our RV stairs with hand rail.  I am really missing that since my tumble.  Good thing we got the majority of our things moved Saturday as Semena Santa is gearing up to be a busy one here at the beach.  Today we took down the dust screen and our dog fence and a car load of misc. things that will stay here.  Not much left to do now.

Since the fellows were on site it seemed like a good time to pull up our stairs. It you don’t pull up your stairs it is 99.9% certain that they will float away during the rainy season and high tides.

I have no idea how many times this vendor goes up and down the beach each day but it is a lot.  He is likely in better shape than most of us.

An RVer passing through had this cute cat tent. Not only do their cats get to be out to enjoy the sights and smells but they also get to walk the beach on a leash.

I read a book last week that had this Seattle Airport receipt stuck within the pages.  It is dated April 18, 1983 and the paperback was only $2.95. Talk about recycling a book and it was in great shape.

I almost forgot.  Baby Romina and family are still awaiting a final document from the Shriners Hospital in LA which is supposed to guaranty them a US Visa.  I will keep you posted over the next few months as I follow up on this family.

Nature at it’s best.

Some beautiful horses enjoying the last rays of the day.

So glad we started packing a few days ago. Today it is 95F/35C and even we are warm.  Between the packing we have managed to get out and enjoy the beach each day.  We only have three more sleeps till departure day aka D day.

This rig belongs to a couple from Colorado who have just started a 3 month tour of Mexico. Quite the outfitted rig.

Caeli just enjoying the view. I know the girls are so going to miss this place and the freedom they have.

It is always sad to leave such beauty but then we do love our home also.

The waves are getting larger and more frequent.

The locals are certainly enjoying it all.  These  guys are boogie boarding.

But there are several surfers out there as well.

I read about it on Rae’s blog and heard about it today from someone that the earth’s rotation coupled with the ocean currents align to create these waves.  In our six years here we have never been here to see this.  I am certain that it is happening sooner because of  the warmer than normal weather.

I say it almost everyday “we are so lucky to be here”.

We are on day four of high surf.

New recipe, veggie ground round enchilada casserole. A definite keeper.

…so ends another day in paradise.