5C's Que Pasa

We were woken up Tuesday morning by a woodpecker pecking on the mirror of the car.  Maybe he was just picking off the bugs.

What a glorious day, so hard to leave....

Now that we have gotten from point A, Tres Amigos RV Park  to point B, the USA, we don’t have to go so far each day. We prefer to do the two long days to get through those 900 miles.  There is simply nothing to do in between.  I can’t see us driving a few hundred miles to sit in a Pemex parking lot or the one gravel pit of an RV Park in Los Mochis, the half way point between Mazatlan and San Carlos.  The latter is a good stop which we usually make and then the shorter day to the USA.  Just didn’t happen that way this trip.  Over the years, when we travelled through the rest of Mexico we did short days and enjoyed the area but now we just get from A to B.

We took our time over coffee and catching up on my posts.  Colin called his Mom, the girls hunted and then we hit the road about noonish.  As we knew we would be in California later today we stayed with the PST time zone.

This sign was just at the entrance to the BLM land we were camped in.

Just down the road we had another border patrol check.  That makes two checks on this small road.  By the the time we reached I 8 we were hungry so stopped at McDonald’s for a fish burger and fries.  I can count on one hand the number of times we frequent this fast food place in a year and today was one of them.

The girls get a few small pieces of fries but first I have to suck all the salt off. They sit there so very quietly and patiently waiting for wee handout.

We are slowly heading West to Yuma at 55 MPH, our preferred speed.  Eventually we got to the Walmart in Yuma where I stocked up on food and wine.  I really could not get into shopping and dragged myself around the store with little enthusiasm.  Got what I needed and back on I 8.  It was a pleasant 88F outside.

When we crossed into California we were stopped and boarded at the fruit inspection area.  A first for us ever in 15 years of travel.  Of course we had nothing to hide and all was well.  Colin thinks the guy just wanted to see inside the RV.

Just a few miles later we pulled into Pilot Knob RV Park, one of our membership parks, cost $9.00.  We got a pull through spot as we were heading out in the morning.  So we were parked by 6:00PM with a huge 182 miles travelled today.  We even managed to sit out with a glass of wine and a book for me and the guitar for Colin.

It was a nice enough spot but I think I would prefer to be out in the BLM lands.  However they say that it has been extremely windy the past few days so perhaps we would have not been happy with the blowing dust.

Tomorrow will see us travelling new roads so new adventure awaits.

Tags: BLM camping, The girls, Tres Amigos RV Park, USA, Wine

Monday, April 2nd found us back on the road at 6:10AM.

This is the proposed route for today. Because of the delay Sunday due to the march we will now have two long days.

As we passed the turn off to San Carlos, at the Pemex, we noted that there have been barriers added making the turn a bit more difficult.  Go slowly and if you miss it, there is a dirt road just past the paved road you can  take which will bring you where want to be.  We stopped about 9:30AM to feed us all.  Needless to say the breaks are few and short.  Fortunately our coach is extremely quiet and smooth on any road so that we don’t feel any bumps, the engine just purrs along and we float along.

Shortly before Hermosillo we saw this huge spider beetle. The sign is advertising an exterminating company, certainly eye catching but in the middle of nowhere!!

It was just after I took this shot that we saw the first and only RV we have seen this trip.  As we drove behind them I noted they were from B.C. also and that the unit was a toy hauler.  As we negotiated the detour through Hermosillo a light went on in my mind as I saw the red truck!!  Could it be?  Was it possible?  I decided that this RV was being pulled by non other than fellow blogger Kathy and Eric who also wintered in Mazatlan.  I had been reading their blog off and on as they were friends with the brother of friends of ours!!  Complicated, eh!  Anyway we had never met, I have made a few comments on their blog but have no idea if they have ever read mine or even heard of me.  When we had a chance, still driving the crazy detour, we pulled up next to them and I gestured to the driver to lower his window, I shouted “are you Eric?”  It was them….a 30 second conversation and we got separated.   I read on their blog last night about the woman  talking to them while driving and they had no idea it was me!!  Small world.  So I guess you could say I met fellow bloggers on the road yesterday, literally.  What amazed me is that they were the only other RV we saw in two days.

Just before Santa Ana at KM 111 we had the ‘big’ military check.  About a 15 minute wait in line to be told we had to go over to the side for inspection.  So we sat and waited and waited and no one came by so I finally did a ‘que pasa’ shoulder shrug and hand gesture when a soldier walked past.  Shortly thereafter another soldier came to the door.  I think he wanted us all to get out but I kept asking him to come in, this went back and forth and he finally did come in. I was surprised as this was the only place that no one spoke English and I was having trouble with his Spanish.  So in comes our soldier who started checking the ceiling for soft spots, pushing every few inches.  That brought to mind the incident last October 2011 where an RV tipped over near Los Mochis because the roof was full of drugs. Croft did a more thorough write up of that incident on his blog.  So now here we were being checked. The soldier checked some cupboards, especially the bathroom vanity, looking for pill bottles, opened the fridge, checked under the sink covers….sorry only dirty dishes fella!!  Moving into the living room he started pushing on the sofa and lounge chair, pushing the seat, the back, the top, looking for lumpy packages.  He totally ignored our driving seats or any of the overhead bins.  He then left indicating he would be back.  I thought, now what, did he want a deeper search.  Instead he came back and said we could go, I guess he checked with his superior.  I thanked him for him for his security and our protection.  The funny thing is that our tow vehicle was not searched at all.  I read on Kathy’s blog that they were also pulled over and their truck ( not the RV ) was checked for drugs.

Finally on the last stretch, Santa Ana to Soynata.  Driving and driving.  Quick stop for a late lunch and pee break for all four of us.  The girls have been so very good this trip, going on command.  We got to the Immigration and Banjercito stop at KM227 at 4:45PM, which was actually 5:45PM local time.  We were the only ones there and all went smoothly, though not quickly.  There was the usual mess of copies made including 3 copies of the passport that needed to be signed and then we got our $300.00 cash refund for the car.  The lady had a drawer full of US cash!  By the way this was the first time I had been out of the RV since we left the Isla!!

Back on the road 25 minutes later with a stop in Soynata at the Pemex to fill up.  Diesel here is bit less at 10.09 per litre.  Next stop was the US border which was very fast and efficient as compared to last year.  This year tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce were okay to bring over into the USA.  It is now 6PM our time and getting dark.  Where to spend the night?  We thought about Organ Pipe Cactus National Park but saw that they only have 9 sites for 40′ RV’s and by the time we drove up it would be dark if the sites were already full, so we pressed on.  At mile marker 55, just before Why, we found what we were looking for, boondocking in the desert.  Perfect for one night, we usually go into an RV park in Ajo, mainly to get internet but now with my Verizon Wireless stick we don’t have to.  We really prefer to be out in the open.

We parked just as sunset came upon us. The girls were out running everywhere and so very very happy. I think they might have forgotten about crabs as they had other things to chase and hunt.

Beautiful!! The end to a 12.5 hour day and 490 miles. A total of 881 miles from the Isla to here, just 55 miles north of the Mexico/US border. A perfect spot to relax, enjoy some wine and life!

Tags: BLM camping, Funny, Maps, Mexico, sunsets, US/Mexico border, Wine

What a trip!!!!

First off I have to say I love  you Verizon Wireless!!

Yes we are back in the USA but………

…to start at the beginning.  We did leave at 5:50AM on Sunday, the 1st, after I stepped out to say goodbye to the beach with tears in my eyes.  The “road” as l call it was very good and we got thru the 8 or 9 miles in 55 minutes.  It seemed to us that there had been a recent grading and for certain some trimming.  We had no problems.  In fact there is serious work going on to clear and widen the road.  A wonderful surprise.

We got through Mazatlan very very quickly and stopped just before the quota road to Culiacan at a grassy patch for the girls to do their business.   I made us coffee, fixed some fruit and muffins and fed the girls and we were off 20 minutes later at 7:20AM.

Problema…Colin hears a horrid vibration at a certain RPM.  Not sure the cause or the location, we worked on that for a bit, finally he added some injector cleaner just in case….nothing we can do but carry on…very carefully and alertly, if that is a word.

In Mexico you have to expect the unexpected!!!!  Colin felt it safe enough to travel on without damage to the engine.  So at 7:50AM we approach HWY 15 and we see it is blocked off.  No one is allowed through, ‘you have to use the libre’ we are told.  No, no says I, more time we don’t have….’there is a march on this road and you can’t pass’.

With no choice we proceed…..all is well for the first 30 minutes and we think that all will be just fine when suddenly we come to a dead stop!!!  Bumper to bumper traffic.

...this just went on and on and on.....

At this point we had gone a grand total on 75 miles, from our RV site at Tres Amigos to here……a very very frustrating 75 miles in 5 hours!!!!  So there was a march, which you can read about here, it started on Friday and the 3 RV’s that had left that morning were also affected.

...the march.....sure wish we had known ahead of time!!!

By the way, Tris thanks for the invite to the sunset cruise in Guaymas but we pushed through to the USA.

Now as you know I don't drive our coach but Colin thought that this stop and go pace might be a good time for me to get a feel for driving the RV. I had been doing just fine for about 30 minutes when the bottleneck suddenly opened up and it was full speed ahead, going up & down hills, around curves and I had to deal with oncoming semi's with almost touching mirrors. Not to mention concentrating on looking straight ahead, looking in the backup camera to try and keep the tow car on the road and not over the right edge, keeping us aligned to the left with the yellow line.....and not to PANIC!!!!!!!!! Finally we were able to slow, stop and let Colin take over the wheel....thank you!!!

We finally got to Culiacan and quickly found the quota road.  You also have to remember we do the CPS ( Contessa Positioning System versus the usual GPS ).  We created a new world record for us today, 163 miles in 7.5 hours!!!  Colin mentioned that our friend Gord, from Vernon, could do it faster on his bike:)

At this point we stopped for lunch and pee breaks for all four of us.  I realized that there was no way we would make San Carlos Sunday night but where would we end up?

Just before Guasave we were boarded for an agriculture check. The fellow saw my mandarin and avocado in the fruit bowl and didn’t take them??  I had expected him to as this was my diversion fruit.  I had already hidden the fruit for the next morning.  Expect the unexpected!!

I'm sure this fellow was not expecting to roll his truck load of sweet peppers just before the Sonora border.

Hope the driver was okay!

Finally, at 6:35PM we pulled into the truck stop North of Navojoa and fuelled up.  Wow, 10.36 pesos per litre for diesel….sorry folks, way too tired to do the math!!  We spoke with the security guard about the safety of staying here for the night.  He led us to a spot for the night where he would see us and our front door from his post all night long.  We gratefully gave him 50 pesos and many many thanks.

He is located in the orange colored room above the mirror. So now with some wine in my system, I realize this was the time to get busy with a post....especially with free WIFI all over this place. After 45 minutes of trying, using both computers, wifi extenders and asking for various passwords we gave up. Seems we were in the only place with no reception! So we ate, drank, showered and went to bed.

Perhaps it was the 391 miles we drove over 13 hours, but we slept very very well in that truck stop.

…to be continued……

Tags: Culiacan, Mexico, The girls, travel, Tres Amigos RV Park, vino

…you will be missed.  But new adventure awaits.  Colin and I are excited but not so the girls.  They really show signs of depression when we get home.

This is how Carmeh will spend the next several months.....bored sitting on the sofa near my desk!!

Caeli will sleep in the living room where she barks at passing dogs. Today is Caeli's 7th birthday. Happy Day kiddo, sorry you aren't out on the beach.

Today will be our longest day on the journey home.

The map shows us leaving from Mazatlan but we are in fact leaving from Tres Amigos RV Park on Isla de la Piedra.  We first have to get from here to the paved road, about 10 miles away and who knows how that will go.  The road itself really isn’t the issue as long as you go slowly over the gravel and pot holes.  Our big concern is for low hanging branches with thorns that might scratch our paint job.  The good news is that quite likely next year, if not, the next for certain we will have a complete paved road to the Isla.

We are leaving at 5:50AM ( daylight ) as we anticipate a long travel day, a mere 541 miles, usually the longest of the trip.

...mere hours till we leave and we had to finally catch up with this couple on our last beach walk....just not enough time!

...the waves, the tides have been crazy all day!!

Happy fishing Mr.Heron, hasta Novembrie!!

Sunset, March 31, 2012...

Oops....almost forgot Caeli, she was hiding!

Tags: friends, Isla de la Piedra, Maps, Mazatlan, Mexico, Stone Island, The girls, travel

Did you say lobster?

Not only delivered to your door ~ LIVE ~ but also cleaned and ready to cook, only 100 pesos per kilo!

While Caeli gets her beauty sleep...well hey she is almost always sleeping..

...Carmeh is surveying her kingdom! She seldom rests during the day. Note to self....leave a space in front flower bed next November, so Carmeh has a spot to sit.

Have I mentioned how much we love Mexico? Every evening at sunset a fisherman ( fellow to the left bent over ) puts out his net and returns early in the morning to pull it in. Whoever is passing stops and helps. It just happens, the fellow on an ATV, the man driving the tractor, someone strolling past. They all come together as a community, help bring in the net, then carry with their day. We see this time and time again, it is as natural as breathing to help each other.

Nothing is wasted, what the fisherman don't keep, the birds get fed.

Yes, that is me, fresh from bed, just watching the scene out front. Colin and the girls are just hanging out on the beach with the fisherman and then the horses come past and then the day begins to unfold...

It's going to be another day in paradise!

Colin decided to pass on his old pith helmet to Miguel, just so a wee bit of him stays here on the Isla!

We decided to have our final night out Friday at Tio Juan's. Restaurant. Yummy lobster soup, the best ever! A great view of the entire Isla beach.

Tags: Mazatlan, Mexico, Stone Island, The girls