Restaurants

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Truth or Consequences to Albuquerque (with a Fort Craig side trip)

I got a late start from T or C on Tuesday. Checkout was noon and I was right on the nose when I left. I had a bit of work to do in the morning and it took longer than expected, plus I had to deal with a few issues related to the change of webhost. I was really surprised that I got out as late as I did and was glad that I only had a couple of hours to drive to get to Albuquerque (ABQ) and wasn’t expected till 5:00ish, so I could do a side trip.

My first stop even before I left town was Walmart because was in dire need of tee-shirts, another planned expense. I got to Isla with a four or five ugly tee-shirts that looked even worse after six months because of all the sun fading and I just threw them out. The only thing I had to wear with skirts, jeans, or capris were long-sleeved light-weight tops. Walmart has a couple of brands that are decent quality and very reasonably priced. I came out with five tee-shirts in beautiful colours for about 30CAD, so that will do me for the summer.

And then, I hit the road. It was very windy going and my gas mileage was the pits. I should have made it to at least ABQ on what I had in the tank, even with my planned detour, but I had to make the decision early on that I would have to refuel in Socorro, halfway to ABQ.

It rained off and on as I drove.

The scenery reminded me a lot of southern Alberta.

The scenery reminded me a lot of southern Alberta.

My planned stop for the day was Fort Craig, an important frontier fort that saw Civil War action. It’s quite a drive to get there, about 25 miles/40KM or so from the Interstate round trip, but it was worth it for me to go. I had done my research and knew not to expect much, so I was very impressed by what was there.

Quite a drive to get out here, but it was worth it!

Quite a drive to get out here, but it was worth it!

There are camphosts on site. I wish we had camphosting like this in Canada. I’d likely still be full-timing if we did. The hosts get all hookups plus a stipend in exchange for working five days a week.

Wish we had sweet gigs like this in Canada.

Wish we had sweet gigs like this in Canada.

The visitors’ centre is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but there was a lot of information available in the parking lot, including a brochure, and the trail was open. So it was not a wasted stop.

HUGE parking lot, with flat topped mountain.

HUGE parking lot, with flat topped mountain.

Seriously, that mountain looks like it got a military haircut!

Seriously, that mountain looks like it got a military haircut!

The site is basically a bunch of earthworks with some stonework. There is a very, very long trail with informational placards. It was a very nice walk.

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At one point very early in my walk, I ran into a lady who is a New Mexico history buff. She talked my ear off for about a half hour telling me all about the history of Fort Craig, the environs, and giving me information on places I need to visit! Wow! What a great encounter! Her husband is from Glasgow, MT, and knows exactly where Assiniboia is. Small world! Just running into her made the trip worthwhile. I won’t be able to hit a lot of what she mentioned on this trip, but it will fit in well into the fall plans, depending on how late I leave.

After she went on her way, I still had tons of Fort Craig to visit, but only about a half hour left if I wanted to make it to ABQ for 5:00ish! So it was a bit of a quick tour, reading only the placards that really interested me.

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The lady spoke at length about how the Buffalo soldiers, African-Americans, were posted to Fort Craig. The Natives called them that because their hair is similar to buffalo fur.

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Fort Craig is a worthwhile and interesting detour for folks going between T or C and ABQ. I learned a lot about the Mexican-American War, settlement in this part of the US, and New Mexico’s role in the US Civil War. Its location today feels just as isolated as it must have felt in the late 1800s!

It was then time to get miles under me. I stopped in Socorro for fuel, just under $2.60 a gallon, the most expensive I’ve seen yet on this trip, but nothing to get excited about.

It rained hard on and off as I came into ABQ.

The mountains were gorgeous coming into ABQ.

The mountains were gorgeous coming into ABQ.

My hosts, blog reader Kelly and her husband Kevin, live just off the Interstate, so their house was easy to get to, even with the traffic coming into ABQ. There was a lot of it, but it was so much more ‘civilized’ than what I got used to in Mexico! People actually signal and let you into their lane! 🙂

I was warmly greeted and invited to throw on a load of laundry (very much appreciated!). We had a beer, caught up, and debated what to do for dinner. The original plan was to grill on the BBQ, but the weather was looking iffy for that. The decision was made for me that I was getting taken out for sushi instead! Wow! Kelly is a new blog reader, but already knows the way to my heart! 😀

We went to a place called Shogun in the Nob Hill neighbourhood. Dinner was awesome. Kevin and I shared between us a crunchy roll (shrimp tempura with avocado), crab and octopus nigiri, an eel roll, and a huge order of sashimi (raw fish without rice). Everything was so fresh and tasty! Thank you so much! 🙂

We took the long way back to the car.

Nob Hill is my kind of neighbourhood; very walkable with lots of shops and restaurants.

Nob Hill is my kind of neighbourhood; very walkable with lots of shops and restaurants.

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Check out the old sign from when this mall was the only thing in the area for miles around!

Check out the old sign from when this mall was the only thing in the area for miles around!

So pretty!

So pretty!

I want! :D

I want! 😀

We got home and settled in for the evening. I folded by laundry, was shown how to use the coffeemaker, and was left to my own devices until the morning, rather like being home. I’m posting in bed the next morning while having my coffee. Kelly is going to take me around ABQ this morning before I head for Santa Fe. It’s been a wonderful stay. Thanks!

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Out and About in Truth or Consequences, NM (and the Geronimo Springs Museum)

Truth or Consequences is a tiny town. There really isn’t much here besides the hot springs. I am rather embarrassed to admit that I have no desire to explore the hot springs even though several people have briefed me on the various places to go have a soak.

So I’m really not disappointed that I only really had today to go out and explore, or that just about every restaurant and shop in town is closed on Mondays. I didn’t come here for tourism, but to work. If I had been in a more happening community, it would have been much harder for me to focus on work this past week. I did about eight days of work in five and I am exhausted, but now I can take a few days off this week without worrying about it. I am going to be very busy with work soon enough and have actually turned out work for today through Wednesday!

So Truth or Consequences is a spa town that used to be called Hot Springs. Its tourism industry hinged on the healing qualities of their water. In 1950, radio host Ralph Edwards announced a contest that he would do a show at the first town that changed its name to Truth or Consequences, the name of his program. Hot Springs won.

I read some really interesting info about the name change today, mostly that it was rather contested and the town was polarized about it. But it really sounds like it was a major win for the town because of all the free advertising Edwards’ program would bring. Plus, there are hot springs everywhere, but there is only one Truth or Consequences.
So that’s the very brief history of the town. I left home around 10:00 this morning and hit the visitors’ centre about two blocks away. The main core of T or C is very walkable.

The exterior of my apartment. There's a bunch in a row and I have a corner unit.

The exterior of my apartment. There’s a bunch in a row and I have a corner unit.

The supermarket. Quite good for a town this size. Locals apparently prefer it to the Walmart. There was a good selection of international foods.

The supermarket. Quite good for a town this size. Locals apparently prefer it to the Walmart. There was a good selection of international foods.

T or C's original name was Hot Springs.

T or C’s original name was Hot Springs.

Downtown feels like walking through an episode of Mad Men.

Downtown feels like walking through an episode of Mad Men.

These little medallions appear several times in the sidewalks.

These little medallions appear several times in the sidewalks.

Impressive flower cacti.

Impressive flower cacti.

The lady at the visitors’ centre was friendly and helpful. She confirmed that the museum, hot springs, lunch, and visiting whatever boutiques were open were all there was to do today. She gave me a map and off I went to the museum.

In front of the museum.

In front of the museum.

The building is rather nondescript.

The building is rather nondescript.

The post office is more impressive.

The post office is more impressive.

Water feature next to the museum.

Water feature next to the museum.

Cute little bridge.

Cute little bridge.

More of the water feature.

More of the water feature.

The Geronimo Springs Museum is the nearly ubiquitous small town museum, filled to bursting with local artifacts arranged as logically as possible. Admission on the website said $6, but it was just $5. Staff was very cold and unfriendly and so I have no idea why since they took my money and ignored me for the rest of my visit.

I spent a little over an hour in the museum, but could have stretched that out a bit more if I had read more of the historic documents presented. It’s a very good little museum and I learned a lot about the local history and colourful folk inhabiting the area, including the famed Apache warrior Geronimo. Here are some highlights:

The town voted to change its name.

The town voted to change its name.

Collection of brands used by local ranchers.

Collection of brands used by local ranchers.

And the various types of barbed wires. I saw a wall like this in Tombstone.

And the various types of barbed wires. I saw a wall like this in Tombstone.

Geronimo was rather short.

Geronimo was rather short.

Heaps and heaps of beautiful pottery.

Heaps and heaps of beautiful pottery.

And loads of arrow heads.

And loads of arrow heads.

Open the door and...

Open the door and…

... step back in time.

… step back in time.

The person sleeping in the top bunk is a nice touch.

The person sleeping in the top bunk is a nice touch.

The old miner.

The old miner.

Old tins of products we still use today.

Old tins of products we still use today.

Gorgeous... tabletop?

Gorgeous… tabletop?

That's how I would have likely dressed in the day. :)

That’s how I would have likely dressed in the day. 🙂

Mammoth skull.

Mammoth skull.

Mastodon skull.

Mastodon skull.

This police officer was killed in 1999.

This police officer was killed in 1999.

She was killed by a prisoner she was transporting.

She was killed by a prisoner she was transporting.

There was an exhibit about the Truth or Consequences radio show.

There was an exhibit about the Truth or Consequences radio show.

There were lots of pretty dresses on display.

There were lots of pretty dresses on display.

I like this one. It has prints of newspaper articles on it.

I like this one. It has prints of newspaper articles on it.

Five cents for beer!

Five cents for beer!

A ladies saddle designed for the rough trails of the area not suited to a side saddle.

A ladies saddle designed for the rough trails of the area not suited to a side saddle.

Windmill outside.

Windmill outside.

The white pin is mine.

The white pin is mine.

Most of the visitors are from the local area. There were separate maps for the rest of the world and I'm pretty sure every major country was represented!

Most of the visitors are from the local area. There were separate maps for the rest of the world and I’m pretty sure every major country was represented!

Rear of the downtown library.

Rear of the downtown library.

So beautiful!

So beautiful!

More ho-hum front of the library.

More ho-hum front of the library.

This car fit right in.

This car fit right in.

Another impressive cactus.

Another impressive cactus.

I'm definitely in the southwest!

I’m definitely in the southwest!

Old pickup not hitched to the Airstream.

Old pickup not hitched to the Airstream.

Old Ford hitched to the trailer.

Old Ford hitched to the trailer.

It was too early for lunch when I came out, so I went back home to research restaurant options since the most appealing place, serving Asian-fusion (!), that was recommended by the visitors’ centre lady was was closed. I went back out about an hour later and decided to try the downtown burger joint, A&B, since reviews for their burgers were really good. It wound up being a rather disappointing and expensive meal at $7.42 for a cheeseburger, fries, and drink combo. The burger was okay, with a good bun, but I prefer the meat to be seasoned a bit and this was just a ground beef topped with lettuce, tomato, mustard, and pickles. Very juicy, though, I’ll give it that. The fries were disappointing. For my beverage, I rediscovered the wonderful U.S. offering of real brewed non-sweetened iced tea.

After lunch, I walked down Broadway and window shopped. There were so many cute little vintage and antique shops I would have liked to stop in, but, alas, they were shut tight. Then, I saw an oasis in the desert, the Moon Goddess shop, with its door open, so I went in. Aaaaah. My kind of shop, New Agey and smelling of patchouli and full of treasures. I was there for ages, going through all the racks when I realised that prices were reasonable! Unfortunately, there was almost nothing in my size, but I did get a really good deal on a long black skirt, so my digging wasn’t for naught.

The owner and I had a nice chat about the quirks of small towns and she was surprised when I told her that Mondays are a very common day off in all sizes of communities because so many places are now open on Sundays. She rang and packaged up my skirt and off I went home.

I’m tired and still fighting a cold, so I hope that this post doesn’t sound like I have any negative feelings about T or C. Museum people notwithstanding, the folks here are really friendly and it’s a lovely little community with all the services, much like Assiniboia. I’m really glad that I stopped in.

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Nogales, AZ, to Silver City, NM

I got my work done this morning, then went to Walmart to get a SIM card for my phone. That did not work out and that’s all I’m going to say beyond the fact that I haven’t missed shopping at Walmart. 😀

Fuel was $2.39/gallon and I took on 12.5 gallons ($30), which was almost three quarters of a tank and plenty to get me to today’s destination. It was weird to pump my own! I had to go in an pre-pay and did that in Spanish, too, adding yet another new linguistic accomplishment. 😉

I pulled out of Nogales around noon local time and headed for Silver City, New Mexico. I knew that there is a huge Walmart in Benson not too far from I-10 right on my route, so that was my first destination.

Coming up to Benson, there was a customs check point…

The two cars ahead of me slowed down and were waved through without stopping.

I was not waved through, so I stopped and quickly removed my sunglasses. I was asked how I was doing, given a once over, and told to go on. Much more pleasant than my inland customs encounter in Texas that I never blogged about.

Walmart in Benson had the Go Phone SIM cards, but no refills. I figured I could just buy the refill online with a credit card…

While there, I had a look at shoes because I wanted to replace the pretty walking sandals I wore right through this winter. The pair I bought in Mexico are good for short trips, but not long walks, and so a good pair of walking sandals I can wear with dresses and skirts was on the budget for this trip. Walmart has the exclusive North American distributorship for the very high quality, yet inexpensive, ‘Earth Spirit’ brand and I had a look at what they had in Benson. I found the exact model I just wore through in a different colour (neutral beige) and they had one pair left in my size for just $19! That was a no brainer of a purchase!

From Benson, I continued on to Willcox to use the internet at McDonald’s to set up the phone.

That didn’t work out too well seeing as you can’t buy time online with a Canadian credit card. So my phone is a brick until I can get a refill card. Thankfully, there’s a Walmart here in Silver City, so I’ll check there in the morning.

The landscape driving east along I-10 was much like my beloved rolling hills of southern SK, but the hills were a tad higher. Lots of olive green and bright blue sky.

Texas Canyon was amazing!

These rock formations are amazing!

These rock formations are amazing!

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Not even the most impressive!

Not even the most impressive!

Before I knew it, I only had five states left to visit…

Five states left!

Five states left!

!!!

!!!

I stopped at the New Mexico welcome centre, but it was, of course, too late in the day and it was closed.

It was spitting rain by the time I got to Silver Springs and cold. I had to pull out closed shoes, socks, and my heavy coat!!!!!!

Needless to say, I was not going to sleep in my truck. So I took a room at the cheapest place in town, which was NOT cheap, more than 50USD, the Motel 6. But it’s a rather nice room, with hardwood floors rather than carpet and there’s a fridge and microwave. I have a budget for this trip and if I run out before the four weeks is up, I run out and I rush home, that’s all there is to it.

So I got, in logged into my email, and found a HUGE out of the blue rush project waiting for me. Huge as in I have to type all day Weds, Thurs, and Fri if I want to get it done by the deadline. Needless to say, I’m getting a motel in Truth or Consequences tomorrow for up to a week, depending on the rate!

Pizza sounded good for dinner since I could have cold leftovers with coffee for breakfast. I was happy that there’s a Little Caesar’s here as that meant supper and breakfast for under 6USD and, as I’ve said in the past, I think their pizza is very decent.

Tomorrow, I am going to the Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument. It is the only thing in New Mexico that I have to see. Not quite a bucket list item, but it’s something I’ve wanted to visit for a long time. I’ll then move on to Truth or Consequences. Lovely readers are expecting me after that in Albuquerque, then Santa Fe (thank you!), so my route is taking on a life of its own.

Even with hills and wind today, my gas mileage was at normal levels. I can’t believe the improvement!

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Adios, Mexico — or San Carlos to Nogales, AZ

I left the motel just past nine this morning and decided to drive into San Carlos for fuel since I was running on fumes and wasn’t certain when I’d encounter a Pemex on 15. I only had 800 pesos left and wasn’t sure what I was looking at for tolls, so I decided to take on just 500 pesos and then top up with the credit card if needed. It was 9:30 when I hit the open road and I hoped to be in Nogales by 4:00, 3:00 local time

I saw this weird truck (RV?) as I was getting on the road. From the front and side, it looks like a UPS-type truck.

I saw this weird truck (RV?) as I was getting on the road. From the front and side, it looks like a UPS-type truck.

The first part of the day went by fast. By the time I was just shy of Hermosillo, my coffee had caught up with me and I really needed a bathroom. I pulled into the first Oxxo I saw, grabbed a coffee, paid for with my last 13 pesos of change, and only then learned that they didn’t have a bathroom. I was told to try the Pemex at the next corner.

So I did. The bathroom was inside an Extra convenience store and the cost was five pesos. I used it and then went to the cash to let them know that I was going to have to pay the five pesos with a 100 peso note. The lady looked at me funny and said, “Didn’t you just fill up with fuel?” I answered in the affirmative and she said no charge. Before y’all judge me, not only did the bathroom not have paper, soap, running water at the taps, or seats, IT DIDN’T HAVE A DOOR. I think I get a pass on this one!

Hermosillo was still under construction, but the detour wasn’t too bad, except for the nearly Quebec-sized potholes along one short stretch.

Goodbye ocean/coast, hello desert!

Goodbye ocean/coast, hello desert!

Before I knew it, The Big Military Checkpoint just before Santa Ana was upon me. 18-wheelers were backed up several kilometres, but there was almost no lineup for cars. The guy ahead of me had Arizona plates, was asked what appeared to be about dozen questions, and was instructed to pull over.

I pulled up and was greeted in clear Spanish. We had the following exchange:

-“Where are you coming from?”
-“San Carlos.”
-“San Carlos! And where are you going?”
-“Nogales.”
-“Nogales!” Then something I didn’t catch.
-“Could you please repeat that?”
-This time I sort of got one word, “trae,” which I vaguely thought means carry. It actually means bring, so he was saying, “What are you bringing with you?”
-“You want to know what I have with me?”
-“Yes.”
-“Clothes and household things.”
-“Okay. Go ahead.”

So I did. Meanwhile, the guy who was ahead of me was being held at gunpoint while his vehicle was being searched!!!

I hit the E mark on the fuel tank just after the checkpoint, shocked that I’d made it that far. I can go quite some time on E without the you need gas now light coming on and having done nearly 300KM on a half tank already, I wasn’t stressed about running out of gas since the gas gods were obviously at work today. Can’t complain about my gas mileage so far!

I pulled into a rest area that had a Pemex and asked if they could take my credit card. The attendant asked me to show it to him and he said not a problem, but he’d have to run it through before pumping so I had to be sure about much I was putting in. Not a problem; this is just like pre-paying in Canada or the US. I then used the bathroom since I had a feeling it would be my last obvious opportunity before the border.

Driving through Santa Ana, I debated whether or not to stop for lunch and decided I wasn’t hungry. What a difference from when I came down, though, in that a) I wasn’t afraid to stop, and b) I saw tons of places I would have eaten at if I was hungry. When I came down, I didn’t know yet that the little roadside taco stands and such are okay to eat at.

Before leaving Mexico, you have to turn in your temporary vehicle import permit. Until this morning, I thought that meant having to go back into the immigration office/Banjercito and wait for ages to be served. But I got several comments that mentioned a booth and sure enough, there it was, well marked in advance for foreign-plated cars to get into the far right lane to turn in their permits. It was at most a five-minute wait to be served.

The attendant took my paperwork and then took photos of my license plate and a sticker on the inside of my door jamb that has the VIN number on it. She then scrapped the hologram off the windshield (leaving a nice mess), and that was that! Easy peasy. We’ll see how long it takes for the money to be returned to my credit card.

I’d checked the map before leaving this morning, so I knew to keep left when I hit Nogales. There was no signage for Nogales cuota or Mariposa Road or anything obvious to let you know the bypass was that way, just a sign in the other lane for Nogales downtown being that way.

I had to roll through the Mexican customs (nothing to do), then pay my last toll. Tolls today were 65 + 25 + 57 = 147 pesos, or about 12CAD.

Then, the border, and OMG. It was CHAOS. No lane markers, dozens of aggressive vendors, and tons of people weaving in and out trying to find the quickest path to the front of the line. I don’t think I could have handled it in an RV since signage for the RV lane was so slow to appear and I would have likely missed my turn for it. I arrived at 2:55 San Carlos time and just stayed in one spot, moving forward as I could. I got to the front of my imaginary line much more quickly than expected.

The customs official asked me for my plate type, which meant state because he didn’t realise he was holding a Canadian passport… He asked if I had any plants or produce and I said no. He said that they would have to check and to follow him to an inspection booth.

There, a very kind official promptly came over, asked me where I was coming from and where I was going, then informed me that I was being subject to an agricultural inspection. I made my declaration and then he said he had to go through all my stuff.

He had me open up the back, where I discovered that my tailgate isn’t opening again!!! WHAT?! He said that was okay, but I had to empty out everything and it was up to me to figure out how to do it without them needing to get a crowbar. I quickly replied that I never put the tailgate down while traveling and everything was packed to fit through the top (absolute truth). I began to pull out my bags and suitcases and crawled in to get the tote way at the back. I did not have to pull out the cot.

Let me pause here to say that I do NOT believe that emptying out the truck was an unreasonable request. Quite the contrary and I even packed for that eventuality making sure everything was containerized by category and that there were as few loose items as possible.

While I was getting my exercise, he was going through my bags and totes in the front and his partner was pulling off the lid off my tote from the back and just peering in before closing it.

I was then called over and the guy was holding up my chia seeds. My first thought, pardon the French, was “FUCK.” I declared them on the way down and was told that they were okay to bring across, so the thought of declaring them this way (not the same ones, I got more in Mexico) completely slipped my mind. I had declared no to seeds and was caught red handed. I told the guy all this and he said, “It’s okay, sweetie, but you got lucky that these are perfectly fine to bring across.” Yes, he called me ‘sweetie’!’

He then told me I could pack up and go. I just threw everything into the truck and took off. It was 3:24 when I was clear of customs, so the whole thing from arriving in line to being clear was just 29 minutes. Dang did it feel longer than that! But it was yet another very nice American border official (although his partner was rather Canadian in her business only, I don’t know how to smile attitude).

From the border, it was just a few minutes to the Motel 6, where I arrived just shy of four San Carlos time, or three local time!

Contessa wondered why I’m staying Nogales, and her question makes absolute sense to anyone who has been to Nogales. The answer is that any other options are too far away today and I really don’t feel like driving any further. It’s not like being in an RV and being able to pull over outside the city. Moreover, I have work to do in the morning and I knew that the rooms here would be clean, well suited to work with a proper desk, and with good wifi.

The rate was lower than in November, $42 with the taxes, so with the exchange rate about $50, same in CDN as in November. I asked for a room in the back, thinking it would be quieter, and got free wifi in exchange for giving them my email address. I am getting TelCel service, so I’m using up my Banda Ancha and Saldo Regalo, then will use the wifi.

After checking in with everyone, I went off in search of US cash and food. 100USD was 120CAD, OUCH. Because of the exchange rate being as bad as it is and my planning to be on the road for a full month, I am being mercilessly tight with my budget and am on a very strict spending schedule. I do have reserves for true emergencies, but otherwise, I have exactly as much as I anticipate gas and lodging will be, with about 10USD per day for food, however I want to spend that, and a little bit for incidentals and outings not covered by my Interagency pass.

I really don’t want to get home flat broke and am not on vacation the way I was in October. I am just trying to avoid getting home while it’s still cold and want you all to be prepared for the very likely eventuality that if the roads are passable through the mountains, I am going to decide to just get home already and start shooting north very fast. Vicki, I am still coming to visit if I choose to do this!

The good news is that I am a quarter of the way home already and even with the exchange rate, I’m now on inexpensive gas AND my gas mileage is greatly improved. I budgeted 1,000CAD for fuel. I knew that that was outrageous and that it shouldn’t be much more than 600 or 700CAD, but with the way I was burning through fuel on the way down, I wanted to be prepared. I spent 171CAD on the first quarter of my trip home at about 1.20CAD per litre. Arizona is at about 0.80CAD per litre right now, so I know that my fuel costs will be quite a bit less than 700CAD and nowhere nearly 1,000! I’ll have a better grasp on the number after I do another 1,000KM and I’ll be able to then release some funds back into the general budget for the end of the trip.

For food, I went to a restaurant I went to when I was here in November, ‘Panda Express’, which I think is a national chain. It’s American-Chinese food. I remembered being impressed by the crispy veggies and lean chicken, making for a decent and not too expensive takeaway option. I asked for one main course (grilled teriyaki chicken) and one side (steamed veggies), then accepted their offer to do half veggies, half chow mein (noodles) for the same price. The cost was about 6USD, which I thought was quite a good deal and the food was tasty and not too heavy. I really liked how tender crisp and generous the portion of broccoli, zucchini, celery, and carrots were and that it didn’t have that slimy coating veggies normally have at Chinese restaurants.

I’ll go down to Safeway in a bit and get a snack for tonight and something for breakfast. My only complaint about the rooms here is the lack of fridges and microwaves. I hope their coffee tomorrow will be as decent as it was in November so I don’t have to traipse all the way down to McDonald’s.

Checkout is noon tomorrow and then I will head east. I told clients I’ll be back at work Tuesday, so I’m hoping to get somewhere tomorrow where I’ll be able to get a decent weekly rate or that has super good nightly rates. I’m also considering not taking a motel and just working out of a library or something, but sleeping in my truck for a month is going to get old fast, so I wouldn’t mind starting the trip with one week at a motel and then roughing it for a bit. We shall see. Nothing is written in stone for the next four weeks, other than my visit to the South Dakota Black Hills!

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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.