Navojoa

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A Year In Mexico… Isla de la Piedra to Guaymas

I woke up at four this morning ahead of a grueling driving day and two and a half hours away from daylight. Unacceptable. I dozed until about 4:30 and then, thankfully, fell back asleep, to wake up eight minutes before my alarm at 5:22. It’s amazing how different I felt after just another 50 minutes of sleep. I got up, dressed, put water on to heat, and then got to work packing up the bedding. Both toppers packed well and quickly. Even after adding them, the dirty laundry tub (topped with sheets and a blanket in a garbage bag), and my pillows, I still had plenty of room to add the bucket after I washed the floors.

I made coffee and while it cooled a tad, I packed my computer bag and got that into the truck. Then, I went through the fridge and freezer one last time and realised that I had six slices of fresh bread and a quarter of a small container of strawberry jam left. I converted that into three jam sandwiches and had one with my coffee. If that doesn’t speak to my state of mind this morning, I don’t know what does — it’s rare for me to have breakfast on a travel day! I knew I would have a very late lunch, so I’d have another sandwich at my morning coffee break and then have a final one a couple of hours before lunch. Perfect; that saved me a stop at Panamá’s. I haven’t been there much this winter, incidentally, not since we got our panaderia on Isla.

By 6:30, it was getting light out and I was done, the house left spotless and the truck neatly packed. It was time to go.

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Yes, I was sad. How could I not be? I had the best year of my life (in two segments) living in this house, in this village. But I was also looking forward to new adventures, and so I was also happy. I have a biological imperative to go. I am unhappy if I don’t heed it and I am unhappy when I do heed it. But I am my best self when I let myself leave, when I accept that this is what my life has to be, constant arrivals and departures, so many hellos and goodbyes, so many shallow and fleeting friendships (and the odd one that really sticks), so much stress about what comes next. It is in this uncertainty that I find myself strong, ambitious, energetic, and productive.

I savoured my time in Mazatlán. I got to know parts of it in ways that I have only ever known one other city in my life. I truly lived in Mexico for a year, dealing daily with the locals for all my needs and speaking their language. I saw all manner of expats, from those who are truly integrated into Mexican life and those who come only for the weather and remain in their Gringo enclaves. My experience was closer to the former and incredibly enriching. I have come to understand things about myself that I have always suspected, but was never able to truly articulate. What I found in Mexico is exactly the same thing I found at my beloved Haven and merits its own post. But I will say now that I have spent but a scant year in Mexico and I have felt more at home in the parts of it that I have seen than I have ever felt anywhere in Canada outside of Haven, and that’s taking into account that the Mexican people are still a mystery to me since I haven’t really befriended any yet. All that to say, I’m ready to move here.

I set off at 6:30 and the Road was, of course, paved except for the last few metres. There were now topes at the houses midway and even speed limit signs (60KPH!). I look forward to reports of how the paving changes Isla over the next few years.

I’d only been driving a few minutes when I realised that my odo and speedo metres weren’t working! I pulled over in front of Estrella del Mar to check my manual and see if they are on the same fuse. Yes. So that was probably the issue, a very inexpensive fix, and one not worth worrying about. I prefer to use my GPS as a speedometre anyway, although I was concerned about not clocking the mileage on the engine. I hadn’t realised it was that easy to turn off and now wonder if the previous owner ever did that and my truck has more mileage than I thought? Ah, no sense worrying. Even though I haven’t driven since the end of November, Moya started up perfectly and was purring.

It was super early, so traffic was light coming into Mazatlán. I pulled into a Pemex at the northern end of town for a final bathroom break and asked the attendant to wash my windows. I also asked if she knew where I could buy a fuse and she told me I was out of luck until stuff opened around eight or 8:30. It was seven and this really wasn’t pressing (I had my turn signals and brake light) so I decided to just stop at the AutoZone in Navojoa near the end of my day.

Because of the increased amount of violence around Maz in the last few months, including several carjackings north and south of the city I made the decision to take the cuota (toll road) all the way, a decision cemented by the fact that numerous people told me to not take the libre no matter how safe I’ve felt taking it in the past. So the first part of my day was very boring, not particularly scenic, and very expensive toll-wise. The most exciting thing that happened was that I got an amazing coffee at the Oxxo 100KM south of Culicán. Second to that was the stop by the federales right after the coffee break, with the very fatherly officer telling me I really should be traveling with a dog or cat! I also had a couple of fruit stops, but they went quickly. Oh, and it rained hard most of the way from just south of Culiacán to just south of Los Mochis… and I discovered that my dead fuse also controls my windshield wipers! That was… “fun.” 🙂

This was my first time doing the cuota to Los Mochis and it really didn’t feel any faster than taking the libre, on top of not being able to go through the pueblos. It’s definitely not my favourite way to travel and the day just draaaaaaagged. I stopped at a Pemex at one point to put in more fuel (I always put in just $500 at a time to force me to stop more often) and had to pay with $50s, which I counted out. The attendant was shocked that I could count to ten in Spanish. Not the most amazing thing I’ve ever learned! Most expats I know who struggle with the language know that… He asked if I was going to Maz because he had some sort of coupon for a hotel, but I told him I was going way, way, way north!

There was a military checkpoint just before the Sonora border, where I got sent to secondary inspection, where I was told to exit the vehicle and go stand by the big dude with the huge gun (my description). My heart sank at the thought that they were going to empty out everything, like they were doing with the class B from California next to me. An officer opened just the canopy and rummaged through what he could reach, including the dirty laundry (*laughs*) and going into two tubs and unwrapping some things in one of them (keyboard and external hard drive). He then said I could lock up and follow him to the front so I could move the driver’s seat ahead so he could see what I was carrying behind it. I told him there is a rear door, so he opened that himself and rummaged through the two totes there. Then he asked me the usual questions of where I was coming from and where I was going before telling me I could go. I was there about 20 very long minutes!

Then, came the Sonora border, the really bad bit of road right around it, and another fruit inspection. This one also went very quickly. It was around here that I realised that I was going to “gain” an hour today, thanks to my GPS. I didn’t use a GPS last year and am pretty sure that I didn’t clue into this because I didn’t note gaining an hour until I crossed into Arizona. So that was a surprise, neither good nor bad.

It was slow going from the border to Navojoa because of construction meaning there was only one lane in both directions and I got stuck behind a semi. So by the time I reached Navojoa, I was just done and ready to call it a night! If I didn’t have that reservation on Monday night, I just might have done that! But, instead, I decided to have a proper lunch break. The last two times I passed through Navajoa, I noted one taco joint in particular (there are a lot of them on Mex-15 through the city!) that has al pastor tacos, Don Amable, in front of the Chevrolet dealership. I decided that I would stop there if they were open and I could find parking.

I got a red light before the Soriana coming into Navojoa and two boys took the time to wash my windshield. They couldn’t have been at it more than fifteen seconds, really, and did an amazing job — there wasn’t a streak or bug left! How do they do that with just a water bottle and a squeegee?! I love the window washers in Mexico, even if I sometimes get irked when I get my windshield done and one block later, another guy decides to do it again and won’t take no for an answer! In that case, he gets $1 instead of $5 (pesos!).

Before lunch, I stopped at AutoZone and wasted ten minutes. I found my fuses in under thirty seconds and then went to the till to pay. A few people lined up behind me and when a cashier finally came after a whole ten minutes of waiting, she called to the guy behind me! I said no, I was there first and she replied that they were there first, the five men in line behind me and that I could wait till they’d paid! What the hell?! Needless to say, I dropped my fuses right there and left. No, I did not misunderstand what she said.

Too hungry to be annoyed, I continued on a few blocks and found Don Amable open, with ample street parking across from it on my side of the highway. It’s just a normal taco joint, nothing special in terms of decor. I sat and a gentleman came to welcome me and take my order. I asked for two al pastor tacos with everything and he asked me to specify corn or wheat tortillas! Apparently, the look on my face said it all because he burst out laughing and said “Corn it is!” without my having to say anything. LOL!!! They came quickly with heaps of extras to pile on them!

Here they are naked:

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And semi-dressed:

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I kept adding stuff as I ate. I went light on the hot red sauces, but went through a lot of the salsa mexicana, guacamole, pickled onion, and shredded cabbage. I love cabbage on tacos, but have never had it on al pastor ones! I was done with my first taco when I started regretting not ordering something to drink. Just as I was about to look around for a server, one materialised to ask if I wanted anything to drink! Really! He was about to recite a list of beverages, but I cut him off and asked if they had Fresca. Yes! And it came in a glass bottle! How quaint!

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I couldn’t feel my tongue when I came out of there and decided that it was fate that there just happened to be a Thrifty’s ice cream across the street… One choco brownie cone later, my tastebuds were restored and I was ready to do the final stretch to Guaymas.

Dull as the day had been, it had been a good one thus far. Now that have three Mexican cities under my belt and have driven away from this Mex-15 stretch, I feel that I have more general Mexico experience and am so much more comfortable in new situations. I did well going north last year, but I still felt that I needed to stick to familiar places. Now, I have a good idea of where to get things outside of chain stores and I’m not nervous about asking for what I need. I’ll definitely be able to hit the ground running when I move to Mérida and focus on the more advanced things I need to learn.

And so, I kept driving, and running into toll booths. There were exactly ten today, for a total of $677 (52.13CAD). OUCH. But I have to say that with my not being budgeted as tightly as I was last year, it wasn’t distressing, just profoundly annoying when you’d get to a toll booth only a few kilometres after the last one!

I finally got off the cuota at Guaymas. Traffic was light going through the city. I knew the AutoZone was on the “wrong” side of the highway, so I turned off before it so I could go in the back way. I love knowing little things like that! If I’d had to make the left-hand turn, I don’t think I would have bothered because I was knackered and just wanted to get off the road!

My experience at the Guaymas AutoZone was the completely opposite of that in Navojoa — I was out the door in under a minute! And as I opened my front door wide to put the new fuse in, an employee came to ask if I needed help! Wow! No, I didn’t need help. I pulled out the old fuse using a very handy little tool mounted right into the fuse box and then popped in the new one. I did a couple of checks and confirmed that my problem was solved. Easy peasy! Only cost me 2CAD and not an ounce of worry. I had to buy a package of fuses so I have a few extra. They’re 10A and I tend to go through at least one 10A fuse a season with one of my inverters in the RV, so the extras will be used up.

I was glad that I’d made the decision to stop in Guaymas rather than San Carlos tonight because I was just done as I left the city limits on the other side. I’d found a decently rated cheap motel, the Malibu, in front of the Walmart and headed there to see if they had a room.

It wound up being just past the Walmart and I had to do a U-turn:

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Yes, they had a vacancy, and the room was $40 more than on the website. I lost that argument, but at $450 pesos, it was still a good deal. Well, as the check-in process moved on, the clerk and I chatted and she finally said, “You know what? I’m going to give you that $410 rate!” Wow. What happened?! So $410, plus a $100 key and remote deposit, with breakfast included. I was already doing better than at Totonaka!

The room is equivalent in terms of amenities and age, but marginally cleaner and the bed a touch softer. I like that the only window is in the bathroom, meaning that once the bathroom door is shut, the room is dark. I also like that there are multiple signs stating that people are here to sleep and that music and other loud noises will not be tolerated. Okay. I’m starting to like this place! I do miss not having that last view of the Sea of Cortez, though. But here are the red hills I’m going to be seeing a lot of in the next several days!

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There is just one restaurant within walking distance, literally beside the hotel. And it’s Arbolitos de Cajeme! I didn’t realise they are a chain! I’ve been there a few times in San Carlos (they’re right next to Totonaka). In fact, if I had gone to San Carlos tonight, I would have going there and had the octopus pasta I had in November of 2014…

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Needless to say, I barely glanced at the menu after I was seated tonight. 😀 I had the pasta with an icy cold XX and skipped the totopos and garlic bread. So yummy! I mean, Parmesan, fresh basil, red and yellow peppers, and tons of shrimp and octopus. Yum!!! It looks different from what I was served in San Carlos in that there, the Parmesan, basil, and oil are served as pesto while here, the ingredients are separate and you get the whole basil leaves. Both versions are great and are generous with the octopus.

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There was an ad on the table for their freshly made ice cream so even though I really didn’t need dessert, I asked if they had the mango one. No. But they did have a bunch of other flavours and I decided to try the pineapple… which wound up being $69… and worth every peso for the presentation. I burst out laughing when this was placed in front of me!

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Seriously?! I’m still laughing at how unexpected this was. The server says that the ice cream was made from the pulp of that miniature pineapple. Hmm… Well, the serving was very generous, but I got through it. 🙂

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This was really good quality ice cream, very “pineapple-y,” and the perfect cap to a good meal. Dinner was $275 with the tip, a lot more than I normally spend on a meal in Mexico, but absolutely worth every centavo in terms of the quality and even gourmet nature of my meal. This was a 20CAD meal. You don’t get food like this for 20 bucks in Canada!

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I was done for the day after that. I came in and had a tepid shower (perfect temperature), then crawled into bed to check out the wifi (a bit slow, but it works!!!!). It’s only eight local time, but nine my time and I’m almost at the point of needing to prop my eyelids open with toothpicks! Breakfast starts at six and sunrise is at six, so I might as well turn in early and get an early start. My ambitious plan for tomorrow is to get through Phoenix! I’ll know how realistic that is when I get through the border…

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A Grueling Driving Day (Or San Carlos to Guamúchil, Redux)

Today was a cautionary tale about keeping your driving days short in Mexico. In Canada and the US, I wouldn’t hesitate to plan a 1,000KM day if I was traveling on main highways, but more than 500KM at this time of year, when the days are short, is all I’d chance in Mexico. Still, I left San Carlos early enough this morning that I actually had a backup plan in case I wanted to push on to Culiacán since all I had on the table was a measly 450km and an 8AMish start time…

I took the libre through Guaymas to save myself a toll and pulled into a Pemex once I was free of the city, putting in $500 worth of fuel, which got me half a tank, so fuel prices are slightly better than last year.

After that, it was construction, construction, and more construction all the way to Ciudad Obregón. There, it was HUGE, vehicle destroying, potholes all through the city. I’m not exaggerating. I’ve only ever seen potholes that size on main roads in Quebec. Hit one of those and you’re not getting out with a tow truck and some major damage. I wouldn’t have wanted to be in a car low to the ground with no view of the obstacle course that lay ahead!

Once I finally made it through, it was construction, construction, and more construction all the way to Navojoa. Very slow speeds, too, since we were sharing the opposite driving lane. It was about 300KM to get there from San Carlos and it took over four hours to arrive. WHEW. The only stops I made were for toll booths and the Red Cross, who were collecting donations.

I learned another really important lesson today: if you think you need a bathroom, jump on the opportunity to use one even if you’re planning to use one only about 20KM away in case you encounter construction, traffic, a billion red lights, and a really bad accident resulting in a detour along the way…

Needless to say, I was very happy to reach the Soriana in Navojoa! I had lunch there, a really good slice of pizza, and then I picked up a new pump for my water bottle since I don’t like the style that comes with the casita and I wanted a spare for home anyway.

I was really parched by this point, having already downed the 2L of water of cold water I had with me and only infernal-temperature water left. I looked in the Soriana coolers to see if they had Electrolit, but struck out. Thankfully, the Oxxo across the street had some that was icy cold and I drained a whole container in just a few gulps! It did the trick, and I followed it up with a cold bottle of water over the next hour. I’m glad I was introduced to that stuff last year. No matter how much water I drink, it’s hard to stay hydrated in this climate.

I had one stop shortly after Navojoa by what I think is the major crimes unit and I didn’t ‘like’ this guy. He just made the hairs on my nape prickle. I gave him vague answers in broken Spanish and was finally sent on my way.

I saw a couple of things today that made we wish I had a navigator who could take pictures for me, or a driver so that I could take the pictures myself! One of them was a clever ad for a limeade drink that said, “Limón y nada.” “Lime and nothing” sounds like the Spanish for “limeade”, the product, and also insinuates that the product is all natural.

Another thing I saw that absolutely delighted me was a rather long stretch of road with a bunch of goats eating the weeds along the shoulder! They were not impeding traffic, just having a buffet. There was so many of them!

Finally, I saw the first signs announcing Maz! Home stretch! And speaking of Maz, it was SO GOOD to finally hit the Sinaloa roads. They weren’t great by any means, but much better than those in Sonora!

It was a tough driving day, very technical, but not stressful, not even when I was driving through the big city traffic. I’m a better defensive driver than I would have thought and definitely getting comfortable driving in this country.

My ETA to Guamúchil had started off as 1PM, but had stretched to 3:30PM as I approached the off ramp to the Culiacán libre. I was beyond done for the day! I found the motel from last year without any trouble, but they insisted on $700 when I only paid $550 last year. I wasn’t going to quibble over 12CAD. The rooms are still rather shabby, but clean, and I recognise the value they offer for the price, like access to the pool and a bottle of cold water waiting in the fridge! Speaking of the pool, I was in it minutes after arriving. 🙂

I’m off to have dinner. Early by Mexican time, but late by my body clock. 😀

Home tomorrow. I can’t believe it!

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Last Full Day in Mexico — or Isla to San Carlos

I’m shocked that I slept well last night! I fell asleep around 10:30, woke for some reason around 1:00, and then slept soundly until 5:15. I uould have probably used another hour, but I was awake and it was still pitch dark out, so I was highly motivated to get done packing and cleaning and head out at first light!

I’d left out the coffee supplies, but had packed the BBQ lighter! Thankfully, I found a match that worked, even if I burned my finger lighting it! 🙂 I had my coffee in between doing bursts of stuff. By 6ish, I just had the floors left to do, but it was pitch dark out still. And then, just like at night, someone switched on the light and it was day. There’s really no build up to it!

I made sure I hadn’t forgotten anything, left a note for the landlady telling her I washed all the bedding, towels, and curtains and turned off the water heater, as well as confirming that I’m planning to be back November 25th and that I’ll call if that changes, gave the floor a final mopping, and that was that!

Heading out!

Heading out!

I had promised myself I wouldn’t get too maudlin about leaving, but there was still a huge lump in my throat as I wound my way through the narrow alleyways of my neighbourhood and made my way to The Road.

I embarked on The Road at 6:42.

I embarked on The Road at 6:42.

Last Isla sunrise,

Last Isla sunrise,

The Road was in fine shape, but I took my time.

Off The Road at 7:11, so that means it took me 29 minutes. I'm a bit shocked it took that long. I must have taken this picture as I was leaving Estrella del Mar, not arriving!

Off The Road at 7:11, so that means it took me 29 minutes. I’m a bit shocked it took that long. I must have taken this picture as I was leaving Estrella del Mar, not arriving!

I pulled over at the golf course to get some water since I had put my Nalgene bottles into the back for some reason. As I was getting ready to pull out, my water guy passed me! He pulled over and called out, “¿Adios?” and I replied, “No. ¡Hasta noviembre!” (See you in November). He replied that that was wonderful and wished me a good trip. I didn’t realise that the water guys go to Maz every day!

Traffic was light coming into Maz.

I tried to get a last picture of Maz, but failed. :)

I tried to get a last picture of Maz, but failed. 🙂

I knew there was a Panamá’s near the Santa Rosa Soriana and, with traffic not requiring my undivided attention, I was able to spot it, tucked away into a strip mall. It was just a tiny one. I got a sandwich for breakfast, pineapple empanada for my coffee break, brownie for lunchtime dessert, and a croissant for tomorrow morning (that will likely be stale, I know).

Then, it was time to find fuel. I never noticed that there are bunch of Pemexes between the airport road and Maz southbound, but none on the northbound side until you get into town. I finally found one where getting in and out wouldn’t be a sport. I asked for 700 pesos’ worth and went to use the bathroom while the fueling was being done. The bathroom had paper, soap, AND seats!

700 pesos was full tank, so that meant I would be able to track my gas mileage. When I bought the truck and drove it cross-country, I was able to do about 125KM per quarter tank and get the ‘you need to fill up’ light at about the 500KM mark. My Ford Ranger forum guys said these were normal figures for my truck. On the trip down this fall, I was lucky to get 100KM per quarter tank. Having been told that the brake job would help my gas mileage, I kept a close eye on my gas gauge for the first part of the day.

The first part of the drive was the Libre to Culiacán. Like on the way down, it was a smooth easy trip and the slow speed is easy to accept to save over 200 pesos in tolls!

I encountered my first agricultural inspection and military checkpoint before Culiacán. I just rolled through the military one.

The ag inspection was funny at first, then turned creepy. The guy took one look at me and said in perfect English, “You got fruit?” His tone was hilarious. Then, he asked me if I was alone and yelled to his buddy in Spanish to come see the “hot Canadian woman.” (Yes, I was hot, but I doubt that’s what he meant). For the second time this winter, the hairs on back of my head stood up. It was a very good reminder that I need to be smart about staying on the beaten path until I am much, much, much more used to this sort of behaviour in Mexico and know when to feel threatened or not. I’m not used to be viewed in this manner and my instincts about it are not well honed at all. Anyway, all was well and off I went.

By 9:30, I was ready for a coffee, so I pulled into the first Oxxo I spotted, about 30 minutes south of Culiacán, around 10:00. I decided to try the cinnamon creamer (yum!) and braved the Oxxo bathroom (glad I had wipes in my purse).

I missed the turnoff for the cuota when I reached the city limits. It’s just tiny sign put up at the exit as an after thought. So I had to find a place to turn around and come back. Not a big deal.

I then encountered my first two toll booths and was not impressed. Even though my receipts said $63, I was charged $73. With the first one, I handed over $63 because that’s what the sign said and the lady said, “No. Se-TEN-ta tres” (emphasis hers). Sixty is se-SEN-ta, so she was being very clear. I was not impressed by these extra charges.

The third booth was marked 20 pesos and the guy in front of me had the EXACT same truck — dark green Ford Ranger XLT! I saw him hand over a $20 and I decided to question the discrepancy if I was charged more. Well, I wasn’t, and from there on out, I was charged the posted amount. Mine not to wonder why…

I needed a break by the time I hit Los Mochis, so I decided to get gas since I was past the three quarter mark. By this point, I knew that my brake job was going to pay for itself because I had been doing slightly BETTER than 125KM per quarter tank AND my gas gauge had not gone from half full to running on fumes within a few kilometres!

Once again, I asked for 700 pesos of fuel, but the guy said Moya would only take 655 pesos’ worth. Curious, because that only put her just past the three quarters full mark. That was fine by me. With my gas mileage back to normal, that would take me to San Carlos, where I had planned to refuel anyway.

A little boy did my windows and was very happy when I gave him five pesos for his hard work. He actually asked his dad if he could accept them! I’m guessing that it’s more than he’s used to getting more than him not being used to getting paid.

This bathroom had an attendant who was handing out paper (a nice big wodge of it, not a few stingy squares!). I asked how much and she said to pay what I wanted. I also gave her five pesos. And since I was in a giving mood, I gave the guy who pumped my fuel five pesos, too. 🙂

The next stop was about 165KM down the road, Navojoa in the state of Sonora. By this point, I had hit two more fruit and military stops, with one of each at the border, where it took me almost 20 minutes to get clear and back on the road.

The first fruit stop went like this, “Uh… fru-it?” “No tengo fruta” and then I got motioned to go. The second fruit stop, I had to get out and unlock the back of the truck. This fruit inspector did not speak English and asked me if I could tell him what I was carrying. I replied, “Clothes and things for the house,” and that satisfied him.

The first military checkpoint, I had to speak to a soldier who did not speak English and who spoke very fast with a thick accent. I asked him to repeat himself and the second time I caught “a donde”, so I thought he was asking me where I was going. I replied, “I am going to San Carlos,” and that must have been the right answer because he wished me a good trip and waved me off. I just rolled through the second military checkpoint.

There was also a checkpoint by the major crimes unit, but they just ignored me and I drove through.

I’d heard that the roads in Sonora were terrible, but these reports were obviously by people who have never been to Quebec and don’t know what a terrible road is. Some parts were bumpy, but didn’t slow me down in the least.

Navojoa has a big Soriana at its southern limit and that seemed to be the perfect (late) lunch stop because I knew I could do four things there:

1) grab a quick cheap lunch of ideally pizza;
2) use an ATM (I spent a lot more on Isla in the last week than I had planned on, so I was about 1,000 pesos short if I wanted a nice dinner in San Carlos);
3) buy a pump for my water bottles back home (hard to find, expensive, and poor quality in Canada versus ubiquitous, cheap (35 pesos), and good quality in MX);
4) pee. 🙂

I had Soriana’s pizza for the first time, 18 pesos for a large and delicious slice! Very good pizza, almost New York style. It was my third time having pizza by the slice this winter all at different locations and they’ve all been great. Rumours of crappy Mexican pizza appear to be unfounded….

A whistle man insisted on guiding me out of my spot even though I was in a pull-thru with no one around me. I decided to make him pay for his tip and asked him to confirm the way out of the lot to turn left since I managed to come in the wrong way down a one way (in my defense, there were ‘entrada’ signs facing me!). He told me which exit to take and to just cross the median and turn left. Then he said, “Going north?” I replied that I was heading home to Canada and like everyone else I said this to today (including several toll takers), I almost gave him a heart attack! 😀

I couldn’t believe that by this point, I only had 200KM left to go! My ETA to San Carlos was 6:15 to 6:30, making for a very long day, but the trip had been very easy so far, with good roads and minimal traffic and construction. Being able to break every 200KM helped my stamina.

Ciudad Obregon was easy in this direction, with no detours, and by the time I was clear of it, I was ready to be done for the day. I was glad to see the sign for Guaymas taking me away from the toll road since I’d had enough of the endless parade of 65 peso tolls! I spent 427 pesos (34CAD) on tolls today and am glad that I saved the big ones in Maz.

Just before the San Carlos exit, there was another major crimes checkpoint! They were stopping everyone ahead of me and I almost burst into tears! I was really tired and sore and just wanted to get there! But, blessed be, the police man just waved me through! So I have NO idea what the two police checkpoints were about!

Even though I knew what to look for for the San Carlos exit, I almost missed it! But I didn’t and I was soon rolling into town. I managed to miss Totonaka, though, so fixated was I by the sight of an Oxxo at this end of town!

There is now an Oxxo right by Totonaka! No more walking halfway across San Carlos for coffee!

There is now an Oxxo right by Totonaka! No more walking halfway across San Carlos for coffee! I took this walking back to Totonaka after dinner, so the Oxxo is on the same side of the street as the RV park.

I managed to turn around and pulled into the RV park, grateful that the office was still open and that I wouldn’t have to hunt for the security guard. I was delighted to be served in Spanish, which made up for the reservation being under “Ray Cludders.” They had the name in my email, for pete’s sake! 😀 450 pesos for the room, a better deal than paying in USD. I got a different room from November, but right next to it and a mirror image of it. But there is one HUGE difference. The bed isn’t hard as a rock!

Speaking of rock, I didn’t get a coupon for a free margarita this time, so I changed my mind about going to Los Arbolitos for octopus tacos and instead went to Charly’s Rock for the view. There, I was asked if a Spanish menu was okay and left to peruse it while they got me a Pacifico and some cold water. As it turned out, Charly’s Rock also has octopus tacos and they’re cheaper, 90 pesos for three, versus 38 for one at Los Arbolitos!

I was surprised that didn’t get chips (and Contessa, that’s what the call totopos here, too!) with my beer, but they came with my food.

Octopus tacos, a perfect last supper.

Octopus tacos, a perfect last supper.

OMG, they were good. There was a crema-based sauce to put on them, as well as lime and hot sauce. Octopus is amazing when done right. It’s a very tender and mild flavoured meat that really doesn’t taste ‘fishy’ the way that shrimp does. I think that if a person can get past the visual image of the suckers on the tentacles, it’s a very good introduction to seafood.

This was the absolute most perfect last supper for this Mexico trip and I even had a second beer! The total for the meal was just 142 pesos, plus a 30 peso tip.

Dining at Charly’s is such a unique experience. It’s not particularly sanitary, what with the bird poop on the counter you eat at and the gulls landing right next to you, but the view can’t be beat!

I refused a second helping of chips since I hoped that Thrifty’s ice cream would be open. I walked down there and they were! I got a scoop of “chocobrownie” in a sugar cone.

Thrifty’s is the perfect distance from the back end of the RV park where the rooms are, as I am just able to finish an ice cream by the time I get to my room. Once I arrived, I had a shower and settled in to write this post. I’ve been at it for over an hour!

Today was a really good day of travel. For one thing, my truck performed splendidly and didn’t give me a moment of worry. Another thing is that there was zero stress. When I came down, everything was stressful. Would I be able to read the signs? Where could I get a quick cheap meal that wouldn’t make me sick? Where could I get a coffee? Where were the bathrooms? OMG, why was that guy waving at me; did it mean stop or go? Today was a trip where I was just as comfortable as I am driving in Canada and the US. There were coffee and bathrooms and food when I needed them and of course I understood the signs. The flag wavers, though, need more study. 🙂 I can’t wait for tomorrow. It was drilled into me that once I cross the border at Nogales I have to drive and not stop till San Carlos. I don’t plan to obey that tomorrow. 🙂

I have more, but I think it warrants its own post, especially since this one has been so long.

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Speaking to Los Federales

I had my first encounter with Mexican federal police today! It was at Navojoa. They were parked at the turn to the Libre to Los Mochis. I passed the turnoff for the Libre, realised that I ‘should’ have turned for Los Mochis, did a legal U-turn when I could, and headed back to the Libre. When it became clear that this was NOT the main road to Los Mochis, I turned back around to return to Mx 15 and a Federale signaled for me to stop. He asked me if I was lost, I replied not anymore, thanked him for his offer of help, and off I went.

I forgot to include that in my post because it was so insignificant, but I just got a comment about corrupt police officers and wanted to share a positive encounter!

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San Carlos to Guamúchil

I left San Carlos earlier than planned this morning because I had to go back to the TelCel office and had no idea how long that would take. I actually have no idea what time it was when I pulled out of Guaymas, fuming at TelCel, but excited about the day ahead.

I got clear of the city and pulled into a Pemex with an Oxxo attached. I got 500 pesos of fuel (I love saying 500 in Spanish — quinientos, not cinco cientos!) and then went in to get my second coffee of the day, feeling like I was embarking on a proper road trip!

When I got back out, there was five guys doing a really nice job polishing all the windows of my truck! One thing I’ve decided is that I hate fueling and I am going to tip the guy who does my fill even if he doesn’t do anything else. I also like having shiny windows and have decided that that’s worth a few pesos. So I gave each of the guys one peso for their hard work and enjoyed my spotless windshield for five minutes until a GIANT bug splattered across it. No problem, a called a window washer over at the next populated area. Am I getting the hang of this or what?! 😀

The first milestone of the day was leaving the ‘free zone’, where I now needed my temporary import permit! Real Mexico at last!

Early in the day, I got to a mess of construction and a worker stopped me and said something very fast. All I understood was a word that sounded like the French contre-sens, which told me that I would have to drive against the traffic. I was going to ask him to repeat himself and then thought, ‘No. Tell him what you understand and try to get a si or no answer.’ So I said “If I understand correctly, you want me to go left and then drive against the traffic?’ Yes! It was a long detour with no cones or markers and the people in the other direction didn’t really care that I was going the opposite way and were quite content to nearly mow me down. That was the start of my ‘OMG, so glad I’m not doing this in an RV!’ attitude. 🙂

After that, the drive was very steady compared to that in San Carlos and I got into a driving groove. It was hot, which kills my appetite, so I wound up not stopping at any one of the myriad of taco stands I passed.

All the bridges in Mexico, even little insignificant ones, have name, so when I passed the ‘puente sin nombre’, I got ‘I drove through Mexico on a bridge with no name’ stuck in my head for the rest of the day. 😀

The first city I crossed was Ciudad Obregon and I was really glad I wasn’t doing that in an RV! But then things got really interesting in Navojoa where I followed the Los Mochis sign to the libre, which was like an average road in Quebec, one pothole after another. I realised very quickly that I was off main MX 15 and turned back around to take the road through Navojoa, which was smooth going.

I really liked the look of Navojoa; it was exceptionally clean, with well maintained buildings. I thought of stopping at the Soriana at the south end of town for snacks, but was well stocked with coffee and granola bars and really didn’t need anything else.

The next big milestone was crossing into the state of Sinaloa!

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I have now been to four of the 31 (plus MX City) Mexican states! Baja California, Tamaulipas, Sonora, and Sinaloa!

The roads in Sinaloa are MUCH better than in Sonora, comparable to the drive from Quebec into Ontario on highway 417.

My destination was a Pemex station in Los Mochis, where I arrived around 3:00, WAY too early to stop and truck camp! The bed of the truck is full and it was hot and sticky anyway, so a motel was in order. I decided to keep going and check out each motel I’d pass, giving myself a deadline of 4:30 to find something decent, regardless of the price.

Shortly thereafter, I saw the first sign for Mazatlan! Home stretch!

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I stopped at one point to get more fuel and my bladder decided that it had had enough holding all the coffee, thank you very much, and if there’s no baño here, you can go behind a bush! Thankfully, there WAS a baño and it was impeccably clean. There was no toilet paper or soap, but no problem, I had wet wipes in my purse. Ladies, carry wet wipes!

After four 65-peso fares and one at 20 pesos, I was DONE with cuotas (toll roads) and when 4:00 came along with no suitable motels behind me, it was time to get onto a libre (free) road, where I was more likely to find services (I’d done my research!). I stopped at two cheap but terrifyingly dingy motels and arrived around 4:30 at a motel in Guamúchil that looked decent.

They wanted 600 pesos, 200 pesos more than I was hoping to pay tonight, but it gets dark VERY early here and it was time to stop. Not negotiable! I asked if 600 pesos was their best price and the guy looked at me, quirked a smile, and said that he could do 550 pesos since I asked so nicely in Spanish. Done!

The room is okay, not as nice as what I have gotten for less in the US, but decent and I LOVE the balcony over the pool, where I am writing this post.

Sorry, should have taken this one in daylight!

Sorry, should have taken this one in daylight!

I sat with the AC on for five minutes and that revved up my hunger, so I went down to the restaurant. I got out of there for 100 pesos, including a good tip, and had a cold lemonade and a huge plate of enchiladas with rice and beans, plus chips and salsa! THAT cheered me up immensely!

The rice and beans were soooo yummy it was all I could do not to lick the plate! The enchiladas were filled with chicken and had a spicy red sauce, the first truly spicy food I’ve encountered since arriving. It was just at my limit of tolerance and very tasty. I just cooled my tongue off with a bit of rice or beans when I couldn’t stand the heat any more.

I was surprised that such a meal is real Mexican food, not Tex-Mex, although they didn’t drown it in cheese and sour cream the way the meal would have been north of the border. Plus, it’s corn tortillas here, not wheat.

I was amused when the server brought a pole with a hook on it for my purse (bolsa)!

It was getting cool when I got out of the restaurant, so I wrestled my suitcase out of the truck to find my bathing suit and ran up to my room to change. I headed back down and swam for a half hour until it got chilly, a really nice end to the day.

I didn’t stop as much as I should have today but that was typical for me on a day with easy roads, nothing to do with a fear of stopping or anything like that.

Going off script today says a lot about how I feel about being here in Mexico — safe. I have standard driving rules (like giving myself a deadline for stopping) and obeyed them. I now have an hour less to do tomorrow, although the libre might eat up that additional time as it will be slower going than would have been the cuota. I’m going to try to be out of here by 7:00 as Contessa agrees with my expected travel time of seven hours to Isla.

Now, I’m off to try my landlady again…