Mazatlan

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Rebooting

My trip to Maz yesterday succeeded in depleting my batteries, so I was in bed super early and slept through the night for the first time in weeks. I’m not quite back to 100%, but getting close!

Working outside today wasn’t too bad. I could handle the distractions (including painters working on the house) and the bugs, but I was really stressed about running down my truck battery while using the booster. I found a USB cable that fits it that can be plugged into a wall outlet, so I won’t have that stress tomorrow! I also had the problem of the iPhone running too hot, which shouldn’t be an issue tomorrow since I won’t have to leave it in the truck all day. Most maddening, though, is something I experience frequently at Haven and wish Apple would fix already — I can have my phone plugged in all day and it will still drain if I am using it heavily. The hot spot feature isn’t mean to be used all day. And yes, I use the higher amperage iPad charger rather than the useless phone charger, but the phone still consumes more than the charger puts in.

The painters would have been content to just ignore me all day, and I them, but I just can’t do that. What I was doing all day must have looked really bizarre, especially when the phone started shutting down and I had to turn off the hotspot feature and just check mail from the phone while sitting in the truck. I thankfully had the vocabulary needed to explain what I was doing and why and that I’d clear out by 2:00. They were happy to hear this last bit because they were scraping and painting the porch overhang and I was very much in their way. By the time work was done, they were at my section, so the timing was perfect.

After work, I set off in search of a beach bar besides Carmelita’s with wifi and failed. No one else had wifi. Even though I don’t think their food is that great, I love how I’m treated at El Velero and so I went there. As it turned out, their wifi was down, but they gave me the password for next time. It’s a bit of a hike if I lose internet here and am rushed, but hopefully the wifi will be up if I need it next time… I had a beer and their chicken tacos. They’re very simple and need some pico de gallo, but now that I can handle the hot sauce, they have the zing I’m missing and are decent value. Even though I’m sure it’s not proper taco etiquette, I always fill them with refried beans and rice. Four of their tacos and a beer is a good lunch, without being over indulgent, as long as I remember to order them ‘suave’ (soft) rather than ‘dorado’ (fried). I eat the lettuce on the side because lettuce does not belong in tacos and have discovered that iceberg sprinkled with lime juice and salt is dang good!

When I was done, I thought to take the long way home along the water front, but it was way too hot! When I got to the last turn off before committing to the long schlep, I gave up and made a beeline for home. I read the rest of the afternoon under the ceiling fan while the workers finished up, and then read some more. I got a couple of packages full of books from my best friend recently and am working through them. I love my reading chair!

Off to make supper. It should be a veggie stir fry, but will likely be a quesadilla. 😀

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Shopping Trip to Maz

I ended up going into Maz after all today, starved as I am for a little social stimulation. It didn’t matter how hot it was, the sun completely booted my batteries and I was happy to walk from the embarcadero to the Fisherman’s Monument. Of course, I stopped for a cold fresh pressed grapefruit juice on the way!

I failed at flagging the first bus that came by down Avenida del Mar, probably because the bus stop was just ahead and he didn’t want to stop twice (you can flag a bus down anywhere and they’ll stop if they can, not just at official bus stops). Thankfully, the second one came quickly and I rode it into the Golden Zone, getting off just past the Rafael Buelna roundabout. It was then just about a block to Taco Loco for tacos al pastor!

They were as good as last year, as were their various salsas. The server told me to try the one I call ‘pimento’ and I told him it’s my favourite… even if it burns off my taste buds! I like it on cucumbers. Their pico de gallo is perfect, there’s another spicy tomatoey sauce, and, of course, there’s avocado sauce, which is brilliant on radishes.

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Not being in need of coffee yet, I didn’t hike down to Rico’s for beans (in fact, I would be more likely to ride the bus there and then walk back). I did grab an ice cream at Thrifty’s for the walk to Soriana’s. It wound up being much quicker than I had expected. Mega might be nearly right off the bus, but, truly, it’s not that much more trouble to walk a little further to Soriana.

There, I found most of the stuff I wanted for the house. I was hoping to find a cheap shelving unit for food, but didn’t and realised that a set of plastic drawers on wheels would actually serve me better, and be something I could use back at Haven.

I spent some time looking at tablecloths, wanting one for my six-foot table and one for the dining table as it is glass with a lot of edges where food gets stuck. I easily found one for the long table that I liked, even if it matches nothing else in the house, and made a compromise for the dining table that wound up working perfectly. The dining chair seats have a bit of red in their dark browness and the tablecloth is just dark brown, but they look decent together. Folded in half, the table cloth is just the right size for the odd shaped table.

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I also needed something in which to put smaller utensils and realised while shopping for said something that the pink bucket I picked up at the Willow Bunch Thrift Store would be perfect for that! My dad’s cookie jar is still my larger utensil crock. 🙂

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And here are my new kitchen curtains. I love the purple gingham and the sunflowers, even if the material is cheap and the edges are unfinished.

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I came out of Soriana and a taxi driver promptly accosted me. I’ve never ridden in a taxi in Maz, just in the pulmonías and aurigas. I would have preferred a pulmonía but there were none in sight and the driver quoted me the same price, so I accepted his offer. He loaded the car for me and then took me on a dizzying ride through some familiar, and some completely unknown, parts of Maz. What fun! I told him that I liked having a different route than I was used to and he asked how I would have normally gone from Soriana (Ejercito Mexicano). He frowned and said, “Too much traffic!”

The package carrier guy at the embarcadero came right over and took all my bags and drawer unit. He was loaded down and gasped, “Boat?” in heavily accepted English. I said yes and he promptly ran down to square my things away while I bought my ticket. Let me tell you, I wouldn’t have trusted that process NOB!

On the other side, a teenage boy helped me get my things into the back of the pickup taxi that looks just like my Moya and refused a tip! The truck driver wasn’t too sure where I lived even though the instructions I gave him have been perfectly clear to other taxi drivers. He at least knew where my street was and then I told him, “a little further, on the right, with a truck like yours in the yard.” That last bit helped him more than the house description! He brought everything to my front door. Home!

Let me tell you, I wouldn’t schlep home on public transportation with that much stuff NOB. But a few pesos in Mexico buys a lot of help and it’s not unusual to see someone lugging home a ton of stuff on the lanchas, whether it be a ton of shopping, a fridge, or an ATV!

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There was a casualty to my adventure… My butter got totally squished and quite melted! For some reason, I chose to buy two sticks and I was able to just barely salvage one, so it’s not a total loss. Good thing butter (and all dairy, actually) is so cheap in Mexico!

I actually didn’t come home with much in the way of groceries, but I should be able to get through most of the week. It’s not like Ley is that far away if I need anything I can’t find at the City Deli!

One sad note to close off with: Patty’s restaurant, which had the great burger and fries, is closed. 🙁 🙁 🙁 I’ll have to find another place open for lunch that isn’t a beach restaurant.

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Settling In

I had a decent first night back on Isla. I woke up on and off because I was having trouble been too hot or too cold and, once, my sleep mask slipped off and the streetlight shining in my face was too much to sleep through. The mask will definitely not be enough and better curtains are in order!

I finally got up around 6:30 or so. After coffee, I hooked up the washer and ran an empty load through it because it was very dirty. While that was going on, I washed all my kitchen stuff. The water guy (not my usual one) finally came by so I was able to go out in search of food. It was only about 8:30 and already HOT out. Like last year, I’ve come at the start of a hot spell. That’s better than the years that I’d arrive somewhere at the same time as a cold snap…

I only got a few things at the City Deli because I decided that I am going out to Mega or Soriana later today. One top priority was a pair of flip flops like I bought my first day here last year. They are super high quality and have arch support. Last year’s pair lasted me through most of my summer and I missed them my last month there! The cashier was very happy to see me and, long queue of impatient people behind me be damned, he was going to catch up on what was new with me!

Then, I headed next door to the freshly repainted tortillería to get a stack worth $5, all warm and lovely. I won’t miss making my own this winter!

Halfway home, I FINALLY ran into the paperboy! I tried all of last winter to catch him and never once did. A copy of El Debate was $12.

A block from home, I caught the veggie man! He greeted me with a hug and cheek kisses and we quickly caught up. I bought $44 worth of stuff, including a couple of potatoes, a carrot, an onion, tomatoes, limes, an orange, and a grapefruit. When I asked for the green beans, he rolled his eyes comically and said that, yeah, my getting green beans and broccoli was a huge surprise! Hee!

I came in and made a simple quesadilla/sincronizada with fresh tomatoes, bacon, and Oaxaca cheese, then had my breakfast while reading the paper. Tourism in Maz was very good over the long weekend!

Now, I’m waiting for my load of laundry to be done so I can hang it and head into town. I really thought I was going to want a home day today, but my summer at Haven was so sedate that I just want to be out in the world again! I’ll probably walk to the Fisherman’s Monument and take the bus up to the Golden Zone for tacos, then walk to Soriana or Mega and get a pulmonía back to the embarcadero and a pulmonía on this side, too.

I thought being back would be a bit of a culture shock, with my having forgotten the smells, sights, and sounds of Isla, but nope. It’s like I never left even though there are plenty of clues that nearly six months have passed. I wonder what Maz will be like. The paper said that a lot of stuff in Centró is closed because of roadworks and that tourists were frustrated over the weekend. Not sure I’m headed that way anyway today.

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The Road to Paradise is Hell (or Guamúchil to Isla de la Piedra, Redux)

I had a nice evening in Guamúchil. I delayed dinner as long as I could, but by 6ish, it was time. I went down to the restaurant and ordered a Pacifico and the enchiladas mole. Like last year, the food was really delicious! They talked me into have their prune cake for dessert, too. 🙂 My food came out quickly and I made a comment to this effect. The waiter (same guy as last year!) winked and said I had the kitchen all to myself for at least another hour. That rather broke the ice and we chatted for a bit since he wasn’t busy. His children live in Seattle and he asked if I’ve ever been there because he’d been there once during the winter and the weather was horrible. I laughed and told him that Seattle has no idea what winter is really like!

After dinner, I headed back to my room to read. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get any rest because there was a party going on with very loud music (tons of bass, too, which makes me physically ill) and fireworks. Thankfully, by 9:00 there was just loud music with no bass and it made rather white noise that allowed me to fall asleep. I vaguely remember waking up around 11:00, but then it was 5:30, a surprisingly good night! It helped that I’d brought in my mattress topper, so I wasn’t sleep on a rock-like bed!

I Googled when sunrise was going to be to see if I was going to laze around or head out and the answer was 6:20, so I could definitely pack and start loading the truck. It was light enough out by 6:00 for me to go. I stopped at the Oxxo for coffee and, like last year, it was the worst Oxxo coffee I’ve had, as well as the cheapest (I sense a correlation). Never again am I going to that one!

Next stop was Scotiabank because I was a little tight in my cash on hand if I had any surprises like rent going up or whatever and didn’t want to chance having to rush to a bank tomorrow. The GPS took me to the bank without fuss… and which turned out to be a HSBC! Bummed that I’d have to detour to the one on Rafael Buelna in Maz, I headed back to the main road. Judging by the amount of shouts I got from a handful of pedestrians, I must have done so the wrong way down a one-way street without signage to that effect. Really, driving in Mexico is no different than driving in Quebec! Anyway, this led me to make a few extra turns and, oh, look at that, there’s a Scotiabank!

It took a bit of work to make my withdrawal because their ATMs are really fussy. You have to put your card in and take it out really fast, then put it in again, where it will lock. I was hoping to be able to take out $5,000, which was tight based on my daily limit, depending on the exchange rate. I got the very terrifying, “Your card is not compatible with our ATMs” message that I knew, thanks to knowledge gained last year, meant, “You can’t take out that much.” So I tried again for $4,000 and that worked just fine.

(Pesos, folks, pesos!)

I then headed out of Guamúchil and pointed the truck towards Culiacán on the libre. I made it to the next to last city on my itinerary in record time. I passed a Panamá bakery, so I pulled into a very tight parking lot to get some munchies. They had the almond croissants and ham and cheese sandwiches I like, so I started with those, then asked if they had anything with apples. The gal went to the kitchen and came back with a tray of apple tarts “with lots of cinnamon.” Perfect! For the first time, they offered to heat up my sandwich, but I said no thank you because I’d be eating it later.

So of course, I stopped at the next Oxxo for a much better coffee to go with my breakfast. 🙂

Having accidentally driven the cuota much of the way from Mazatlán to Culiacán last year, doing so this year wasn’t even a consideration. Yes, it’s faster, but that’s all there is to be said for it. The libre is much more scenic and there are more services. To me, it’s worth the extra time. If I was in an RV, though, I’d find the cuota worth the money to save all that stopping and going and slowing down as we go through the towns!

I thought about stopping in El Quelite, but I had no idea what sort of shape The Road would be in and didn’t want to spend a few hours doing touristy stuff and then discover that The Road would be in worse shape than last year and take hours and end up on Isla rushed and burnt out. Maybe on the way home?

It feels like I made it to Maz in record time this year, even with my stops. There was a very tiny detour around an overpass, otherwise it was very straightforward to get through town. I nixed my plans to stop at Soriana since I wasn’t hungry and decided to head straight to Isla. I made a final pit stop because you do not want to face The Road with anything sloshing around in your bladder!

There was a huge accident right at the turn off for the airport and traffic redirection appeared to be a nightmare. I told the police officer right at my exit that I was headed to my home on Isla de la Piedra and he looked very relieved that I wasn’t a tourist he’d have to reroute!

The first part of The Road was better than last year, but that’s not saying much, in that it was just as rutty, but there were fewer lakes. When I got to the end of that bit, I came upon my water guy from last year, parked while talking to someone. He recognised me and shouted, “Hola amiga! Bienvenidos!” Funny how he was the last Isla person I saw when I left in the spring!

Then, there was the very nice paved section. Then a little bit of graded gravel. Then a long section with huge rocks that haven’t been graded. My truck could barely go over some of those rock piles. It was really bad. An RV would find The Road impassable.

Since I drove The Road several times last year and know what my truck can do, I wasn’t as nervous and drove it pretty quickly, making it to Isla in exactly 30 minutes.

I checked out the house and it was obviously not ready. I went to my landlady’s place and she was so relieved to see me, saying she knew I had said I would not be calling again, but she had still expected a final check in (serves her right for being so hard to reach last year! *g*). She said she needed a couple of hours, but the house was mostly done. I told her I was in absolutely no rush and was going to visit my friends L&N who live on Goat Island. As long as I had a bed tonight, it was all good. She said absolutely! I had thought to arrive around 2:00 and it was around 12:30, so I was early and hadn’t expected the house to be ready anyway!

L&N were thankfully home, so I spent a couple of hours and had as many beers. 🙂 I gave them their purchases and they were very happy, especially to see as much cat litter as I brought them. They only arrived yesterday and, like me, are glad to have landed. They had the flights from hell from Winnipeg!

They had stuff to do, so I headed back to the house to park my truck around 3:00. The yard looked a lot neater, so I suspected I could go back to my landlady’s to get my keys. Yup! She confirmed that I have lots of gas (propane/butane) and that she’ll get my internet turned on ASAP. TelMex is apparently closed tomorrow, so it will happen Tuesday and I should be online by Wednesday…

In the meantime, I’ve discovered I have usable internet with my Wilson Sleek cradle in the truck. That means the phone has to be in the truck and then I’m limited by the computer’s distance from the phone. Ergo, I’ll be working from outside this week! That suits me just fine, it’s HOT.

Now, the house… It’s obvious that she was rushed to get it ready for me tonight in that I’m missing little things like a roll of toilet paper and towels, the washer isn’t hooked up, and the water heater wasn’t on. Absolutely no biggies.  Oh, and the fridge smelled like someone died in it, but ten minutes after putting a bowl filled with a couple of spoons of coffee in it, it was fine!

Other than that, everything was good! The house is freshly painted, there are new curtains in the kitchen (which aren’t as nice quality as what was there last year, but have a much lovelier pattern and offer more privacy), there’s a better (and nicer) bedspread in the bedroom, and…. she got me the armchair I asked for for the living room. I am SHOCKED. It’s not what I would have picked out for myself, but she did really well with my request. It has the arm rests and back support I want and a decent cushion for my butt. I wish I had a foot rest, but I can put my feet up on the couch and will pin a towel or something to the seat so I don’t get it dirty. I know I am going to spend a lot of time reading in this chair this winter!

I emptied the truck right away and set to work getting nearly everything put away! I want to wash all my kitchen stuff as everything is gritty but I promptly sorted through what was here and put away what I won’t use, then figured out where my stuff will end up. I don’t have the extra counter unit this year, so I’m glad I brought a table on which to lay out things. I may go pick up a set of plastic drawers because I really have no place to put things like dish towels or utensils. But I can at least make coffee tomorrow morning!

Tomorrow’s project will be to start setting up my office, but there’s no rush for that since I won’t be working from it for a few days. My landlady asked if I mind if she leaves both twin beds in the house and I told her it’s fine even though it will mean a more cramped office. I am going to take the liberty of doing some furniture rearranging and move one out of the way.

In between bouts of putting stuff away, I headed ‘downtown’ to see if the grocery store was open, which it wasn’t. No biggie. It should be open early tomorrow and I’ll need fresh tortillas anyway! I wasn’t planning to cook tonight, that’s for sure! I didn’t need anything badly enough to stop in at an abarrotes (convenience store), of which there were a handful open.

I headed out to Miguel’s restaurant around 6:30 and boy were they busy! Always a good sign! He and Angela greeted me warmly and took a couple of minutes for a super quick catch up. I had the shrimp burritos (surprise…) and they were as good as I remembered them! Angela asked if they were okay and I said, “With a belly full of good food, I’ll sleep well tonight!” She laughed and said that made her happy.

Like last year, I’ve come just after lots of rain, so there are huge puddles of water all around Isla. Unless I want to take a huge detour, there are two huge lakes between my house and the restaurant. I went around one to get there and around the other to get home. In the dark. With barely any lighting. I didn’t slip in the mud or fall in the water or trip on anything the way I did when I arrived last year until I got my Isla footing! It’s like I’ve never left! 🙂

It’s really good to be back! I wonder if tomorrow will be a ‘I just want to hang out at home in my PJs’ or a ‘Maz, here I come!’ day. We shall see. 😀

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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.