February 26 to March 4, 2009 ; La Peñita de Jaltemba, Nayarit to Las Glorias, Sinaloa
Thursday ; La Peñita de Jaltemba, Nayarit to Teacapán, Sinaloa
WOW ... I think I've finally found the beachside RV resort I've been looking for on this entire trip !
Today was very hot ... but the much lower humidity along the west Pacific coast makes the weather quite pleasant. And the nights are cooler. Today was a long day that started out very poorly but ended superbly ! This morning as we were preparing for departure I noticed a severe cut on one of the trailer tires. About six inches long, very deep, through the tread and into the steel belts underneath. Before leaving the campground I changed the tire, putting on the trailer's brand new spare tire. I hate changing tires ! But much better to change a tire in a campground than have it blow out on the road, probably damaging the trailer's lower fiberglass skirt, as has happened in the past, and have to dangerously change a tire on the side of a road with no shoulders. Hopefully I won't need to use the damaged tire which is now the spare before we get to Yuma, Arizona, where I will buy a new tire.
We had three routes to choose from today to get to where we were going. We could take the toll road through the mountains, a good road, but steep, winding, and expensive. We could take the free road through the mountains, a poor road, also steep and winding. Or we could meander along the coast line, on back roads, passing through many interesting little villages. We chose the coast roads. At the first village we passed through we stopped on the side of the road to buy some interesting looking coconut confections. They are called cocada de leche. They're difficult to describe. They are made of a mixture of coconut and milk or cream, with toasted coconut on top, and a very thin layer underneath of ... we think it's pineapple pulp and sugar. They must be baked in a pan like a cake, then cut into rectangular bars. They're very good. At that roadside stand we also bought a stalk of miniature bananas ... Bonanas ! At another little village we stopped to buy a freshly baked loaf of banana bread ... and a couple of pineapple muffins. Bo thinks that buying food on the side of the road and eating it while we drive is an excellent idea. HA HA HA !
The areas that we drove through today were agricultural, along the low slopes of the mountains. Lots of coffee plantations, tobacco farms, banana plantations, coconut groves, and vegetable crops. After the back roads along the coast we joined Mex 15 heading northwest towards Mazatlán. At Escuinapa we refilled with diesel, then turned south onto the road leading to Teacapán. Our guide book said that there were three campgrounds in the Teacapán area. We were planning to stay at the furthest, the third one. As we passed the first one, it was obviously closed, no longer in business. The third one was ... well ... an all but abandoned dump of a campground. We returned to the second one.
And what a fortuitous decision that was ! Villas Onac RV Park is stupendous ! The campsites are in a long row, backing onto the Pacific Ocean beach. Each site is a concrete pad with full hookups. Free Wi-Fi. Great swimming pool area. Laundromat. Did I mention the beach ? ! ? And cheap ! ! ! It is very unfortunate that our schedule does not permit staying more than a few days. We sorely regret spending a week at Paa Mul near Playa del Carmen. This place is immeasurably better, and at less than half the price ! ! ! In years well into the future, when we are likely to become winter residents of Yuma, Arizona, it might be worth 4 or 5 days of hard driving to come down here from Yuma for part of the winter.
When we pulled in, we parked by the office, then walked in to check out the few available sites. We selected this site, and chatted very briefly with the neighbours. We mentioned that we were pulling into this site, and we were going back to the office to pay and drive the rig over. Obviously, that would only take a few minutes. And it was obvious, and I thought it would be rude to state, that their truck was blocking access to this site. When we returned 5 minutes later with the rig, not only had they not moved their truck, the a******s had gone for a walk on the beach ! ! ! I was livid ! ! ! And remained so until well after they returned 15 or 20 minutes later, commenting that they had just realized as they were walking on the beach that we wouldn't be able to get into this site unless if they moved their truck. **** ! **** ! **** ! ! ! Take a deep breath, Dan !
We got set up in our site just in time to watch the sun set on the ocean behind us. Spectacular !
Friday ; Today was a perfect "June 18" day, weatherwise. It cooled off just enough after dark that I had to put on a shirt, the first time I've put on a shirt in about a month. We spent most of this lovely day on the beach behind our campsite.
There was an electricity problem in the RV park from about 1:30 A.M. until about 9:30 A.M.. Not unusual for Mexico ! The power fluctuated during that time from nothing to about 80 volts, causing problems with our carbon monoxide detector, microwave, and the GFI plug in the bathroom. After being wakened a couple of times by the low voltage problems, I finally went outside and just flipped off the circuit breaker. We started off the day by sitting outside beside the trailer watching pods of dolphins swimming by, frolicking in the surf just a couple of hundred feet offshore. We took Bo for a walk around the campground, then out along the beach. Once on the beach we allowed him to be off leash, as we have frequently on beaches lately. He's been behaving very well off leash ... for the most part. Back at the trailer I searched for a screwdriver of mine that I've lost. I completely emptied the large aluminum storage box in the back of the truck, and didn't find it. I repaired a broken drawer in the bedroom. Too much weight bouncing around in there on Mexico's roads ! I took some photos of the RV park and beach. I took about a dozen books that I have read to be exchanged at the park's book exchange library.
We played on the beach all afternoon. Bo and I found a large crab, and I was able to catch it to take photos. Guiltily I admit that I then let Bo play with it until it was dead. Hey ... he's a Terrier. His instinct tells him to pick things up and shake them until they're dead. We found a doughnut shaped float from a fishing net washed up on the beach. Bo had a great time retrieving it when we tossed it out into the surf. He became bolder and bolder, and we threw it out further and further. With a bit of beach experience he has become fearless about the surf. We kept the float, now known as Bo's beach doughnut. Late in the afternoon while we were sitting in our folding chairs, resting and drying, Bo disappeared behind us for a few minutes. We thought he had decided to walk back to the trailer by himself, as it was right behind us on the edge of the beach. We headed back to the trailer, and found him in the dune grass behind the trailer ... eating a fish ! It looked reasonably fresh, probably caught today by one of our fishing neighbours then discarded as too small, but still ... it was a dead fish ! Coupled with a lot of ingested salt water, it didn't take long for Bo's tummy to be upset ! Saltwater and dead fish ( and maybe a little crab leg or two ) makes for pretty vile dog puke ! Fortunately, it was Joanne's turn to clean it up. HA HA HA ! We sat beside the trailer and watched the sun set on the Pacific Ocean. WOW !
Saturday ; Today was sunny and hot, with a cool breeze coming in off the ocean. We decided to stay here another day, and check out the little village of Teacapán. We met and spent half a day with a very strange old couple from Vancouver, B.C..
We unhitched the truck from the trailer and drove into the nearby village of Teacapán. We refilled a water jug at an agua purificado place. We stopped at three or four aborrotes ( aborROTays ) looking for my brand of cigarettes. I didn't find them and had to settle for a different brand I don't particularly like. Aborrotes are very small, family run "convenience stores". Usually it's just the family's "front room" converted into a tiny store. In many villages, it seems as if every third building is an aborrote. We had been told that the panaderia in the village had fresh pan ( bread ) and bolillos ( boLEEyos / buns ) coming out of the oven every day about 1:30 and were sold out by 2:30. We parked the truck near the town square and went searching for the panaderia. We found it, but it was too early, the bread and buns weren't baked yet. We saw the malecon ( waterfront walkway ) and walked down to take a look. As we returned to the parked truck there was an elderly couple standing by our truck waiting for our return. They had noticed the Escapees decal on the truck. They introduced themselves. They were formerly Escapees. They have a home in Vancouver, and spend the winters in an old trailer in Teacapán. They fly from Vancouver to Mazatlán, then take a bus to Teacapán. They have no vehicle down here for the winter. They had walked into town to use their laptop at an Internet café . They have been retired and travelling since 1993, so I presume they must be about 80 years old. We chatted, and they offered to "show us the sights" and treat us to lunch if we would drive them back to their RV park. Well ... okay ... !
First they took us to the "fishing camp" a couple of miles out of town where all the local fishermen have their boats tied up. There is a two table restaurant there. This couple like the beer and snacks there. The restaurant serves "half size" Corona beers, called Coronitas, of course. And with the beer comes free snacks. Freshly made ceviche ( shrimp salad ), cucumber slices, salsa, and tortilla chips which we watched the woman make by slicing up tortillas and then deep frying them in a large pot of oil on an open fire. Can't get tortilla chips any fresher than that, I guess ! We drank our beer and ate our snacks and chatted. Odd couple ! They pointed out to us the freshly paved one mile stretch of road from the airport to the town, the only decent road in the area, because the President of Mexico had visited the town last week to announce a Fonatur tourism development project for this area. To be completed in fifteen to twenty years ! Good luck with that ! ! ! We returned to town and back to the panaderia. The bread and buns still weren't ready, but the pan dulce ( pastries ) were ready. What the hell ... we bought some pan dulce. HA HA HA ! The old couple wanted to buy a pollo asado ( barbecued chicken ) in town, to have for lunch, so we stopped at the pollo asado stand and they got one. As we drove along the malecon they showed us Loretta Lynn's former beach house. Just a non-descript little house along the beach where somebody somewhat rich and famous can spend some anonymous time in the winter. There seems to be quite a bit of that down here. We drove to their RV park. The restaurant adjacent to their RV park was lively, filled with music by a performing high school band. Although only about half the band members were playing instruments. The other half of the band were all throwing one another into the swimming pool. Everybody seemed to be having fun ! We had lunch sitting outside the couple's old trailer. Very odd, old couple !
We drove back into town to check at the panaderia again. ( sigh ) We were too late. The bread and buns were all sold out. We returned to our RV park, rehitched the truck to the trailer, and spent the rest of the afternoon playing and resting on the beach.
HA HA HA HA HA ... Bo is very funny, playing with his fishing net float / beach doughnut. If I time the throw just right, he rushes out into the surf, grabs the doughnut, and turns back to shore just as an incoming wave hits him, lifting him up onto its crest and body surfing him back to the beach. It's hilarious ! And he's fearless ! If my timing or distance are a bit off, he's grabbing for the doughnut just as a wave crashes over him, tumbling him and rolling him into shore. But he's game, ready for another attempt. He just snorts the saltwater out of his nose and wags his tail. HA HA HA HA HA ! Good dog, Bo ! Gringos from our RV park walking along the beach were stunned that a ( mostly ) Yorkshire Terrier would romp so fearlessly in big surf. As the sun got low in the sky and the air cooled we returned to the trailer for our nightly ritual of watching the sun set on the Pacific Ocean. Tonight we noticed that just as the sun "sat" on the ocean, the bottom flared out making it look like a bright orange ball mounted on a bright orange stand. Stupendous ! ! !
Sunday ; Teacapán to Mazatlán, Sinaloa
Today was another sunny, hot day. Mazatlán was a big disappointment. It wasn't worth the effort. And it certainly wasn't worth the expense.
This morning while I was preparing for departure I kept getting distracted by dolphins swimming by ... and flying fish ! Obviously they don't really fly, but when they leap out of the water, they are moving so fast that they fly through the air for ten or twenty feet before landing in the ocean again.
We drove north on Carreterra ( literally "Carland" ) Escuinapa - Teacapán back to Escuinapa, then north on Mex 15 to Mazatlán. Just on the southern edge of Mazatlán, at the airport, we turned onto the 15 mile road leading to Isla de la Piedra ( Stone Island ). The last 8½ miles was an extremely rough gravel road that took us almost an hour to drive. And finally, at the end, was the little village of Isla de la Piedra, at the end of a peninsula across from Mazatlán Harbour. Joanne selected the campground here as it seemed to be convenient to get to downtown Mazatlán by simply taking a water taxi panga across to Mazatlán Harbour. We checked into Tres Amigos RV Park. Outrageously expensive ! ! ! And nothing to justify it, except perhaps proximity to Mazatlán. The first person we met upon checking into the RV park was a woman from Washington who told us that she loves this place so much they have made a reservation for the next ten winters ! ! ! It's astounding that people can travel this far and be so unaware of what's just around the next corner !
We walked about a mile along the beach to catch a water taxi panga for the short ride across to Mazatlán Harbour. The campground manager had drawn us a map to find our way downtown, to the main square, and the Mercado. We started to walk from the harbour to downtown, a distance of perhaps a couple of miles, but we were tired from our long walk on the beach to catch the water taxi, so when a bus came by we flagged it down and hopped on. We got off the bus at the Mercado ( Market ). We wandered around the Mercado for awhile. It was a disappointment. The Mercado in Veracruz was larger and much more interesting. Many of the merchants in Mazatlán's Mercado weren't even open today. Many more closed at 2:00 P.M.. We walked over to the main town square, sat and rested for awhile, then went looking for an ice cream shop. We had some ice cream while sitting in the main town square, then wandered back to the Mercado for another last look around. I haggled with a few vendors to buy a Carnaval t-shirt, but was unsuccessful. The vendors were unwilling to negotiate their prices, which is ... unheard of in Mexico ! And especially unusual since I was trying to buy a "leftover" t-shirt from Carnaval which ended five days ago. Tired and disappointed we caught a bus back to the Embarcadero ( Harbour ), took a water taxi across to Isla de la Piedra, and walked home along the beach.
The young woman at the water taxi ticket window “made an error” in giving me my change. When I brought the “error” to her attention, I didn’t even get the usual “apology” for “making an error”. She just handed me an additional 10 pesos, and looked annoyed that she had failed to score her “buck a gringo”. That petty “buck a gringo” rip off routine ( and the “error” is always ten pesos ) is getting tiresome !
We sat on the beach and watched the sun set. Then we walked into the RV park's restaurant to check on the live music on Sunday nights advertised on their website. No ... no Sunday night live music ! I am really irritated by a business that is not only very overpriced but also fails to deliver what they advertise. We walked through the little village, then back along the beach in the dark. There was a bar / restaurant along the beach that had live music, but it was a band of out of tune amateurs playing awful Norteño ( Mexican country & western ) music.
Monday ; Mazatlán to Guasave, Sinaloa
Today was sunny and hot. We departed Isla de la Piedra, taking almost an hour to drive back on the 8½ mile section of gravel road. I'm certain that 17 miles of that gravel road was equivalent wear and tear on Harvey ( the trailer ) to 100,000 miles of Interstate travel ! As we were driving on the gravel road there was a vaquero ( cowboy ) driving a herd of about 50 horses down the road toward us. Bo was looking out the side window and didn't see the horses until I came to a stop and the horses began to surround us as they passed by. He went totally ballistic, out of control. Trapped inside a truck, surrounded by horses ... the world is coming to an end ! ! ! After the horses passed, it took Joanne a couple of minutes to get him calmed down and breathing normally again. Bo ... you have to remember to breathe ! You can't just bark until you pass out !
We drove into Mazatlán, refilled with diesel, and replenished groceries at a large Soriana supermarket. That may have been our last opportunity to shop at a big city supermarket, so Joanne did some stocking up of products on our "must buy before leaving Mexico" list. We now have a "must buy before leaving" list for three countries. HA HA HA !
We departed Mazatlán heading north on "free" Mex 15. From Mazatlán north we will be following the coast line of the Sea of Cortez. From Mazatlán north to the American border, a distance of almost 1000 miles, there is a four lane, divided, high speed highway, but it is an expensive toll road. Our guide book said that the stretch from Mazatlán to Culiacán was extremely expensive, and recommended the "free" road. So we drove the "free" road from Mazatlán to Culiacán. Our objective for today was to make it at least as far as Culiacán, hopefully a bit further. When we got to Culiacán it was early enough to keep driving for awhile.
Without explaining why, our guide book recommends taking the toll road north from Culiacán. So that's what we did. But ... it cost a fortune, and we were only on the toll road for an hour and a half ! Two highway tolls, and a bridge toll, for a total of 345 pesos, as much as it would cost for 2 nights in an inexpensive campground. However, the toll road was wonderful. Four lanes, divided, smooth and straight, with shoulders. Proving that Mexicans can indeed build good roads if they want to. It was just like driving on an American Interstate ! On the toll road we had to pass through a food inspection station. We don't know why, we weren't crossing from one state into another. The inspector confiscated three mandarins from us.
It was our plan to stay overnight for free at a Pemex station, to help offset the outrageous expense of the RV park last night. But ... the free stay at a Pemex was more than offset by today's tolls ! We refilled with diesel for the second time today at a Pemex just north of Guasave, and obtained permission to park overnight. This was our third overnight stay at a Pemex, and this one was even more noisy than the Pemex we stayed at near Acapulco. Whew ... Mexicans certainly are noisy !
Tuesday ; Guasave to Las Glorias, Sinaloa
We didn't get much sleep last night at the Pemex. It was very noisy. We were about 300 meters / 1000 feet up the road from a set of vibradores / topecitos ( small speed bumps ) so every tractor trailer that came down the highway downshifted to engage their engine braking right about at the Pemex. This morning at 6:30 A.M. I took Bo for a walk out behind the Pemex's back fence. There was a Policia Municipal truck parked up tight behind the fence, hidden from view, fresh vomit on the ground outside both the passenger's and the driver's doors, two cops sleeping it off in the truck ! ! !
We drove only a short distance today, following back roads from Guasave out to the little beachside village of Las Glorias on the Sea of Cortez coast. We're heading north now, along the Sea of Cortez, and it's getting cooler. The temperatures are a bit lower, and the breezes off the sea are cooler. We arrived by 10:30 and got set up at Mr. Moro Hotel & RV Resort, a seaside campground that had been recommended to us. We spent the rest of the morning on the beach, mostly playing with Bo and his beach doughnut / fishing net float. We hadn't slept much last night, and were very tired, so we spent much of the afternoon napping. We returned to the beach late in the afternoon to watch the sun set, our first sunset on the Sea of Cortez.
After dark, but before I barbecued supper, I went to the hotel's outdoor restaurant, sat in a corner, and used their free Wi-Fi to retrieve e-mail, bank statements, and investment updates. I thought I had retrieved bank statements and investment updates a few days ago and sent them to my printer queue, but something had gone wrong in the process. We were quite surprised to discover that Teddy loooooves barbecued chorizo ( very spicy Mexican chile sausage ) de pavo ( turkey ). After supper I reconciled bank statements and updated investment files. Tonight was the first time in about two months that it was cool enough to inspire me to wear long pants.
Wednesday ; This morning the passenger's side front tire of the truck was flat ( sigh ). I hate changing tires, especially on the truck. But, as was the case with the cut trailer tire a week or so ago, better to have to change a tire in a campground than on the side of the road. The flat tire was the one with the least amount of use, and the one I was planning to keep as the spare when I buy six new truck tires in a couple of weeks in Yuma, Arizona. Tomorrow I'll try to find a vulcanizadora and have it repaired. That shouldn't be difficult. Every third building in every town is an aborrote ( small convenience store ), and every fourth building is a vulcanizadora ( tire repair shop ). There's a huge nail in the tire. Maybe after repair at a vulcanizadora it can still be used as the spare when I buy new tires. I'm glad I decided to delay buying new tires until after this Mexico trip, otherwise I would have ended up with a huge nail in a new tire.
Today was sunny and hot, but with a cool breeze off the Sea of Cortez. Joanne wasn't feeling well today. I trimmed my beard. I changed the truck tire. I took some photos, then downloaded them to the laptop and processed them. After lunch I took Bo for some beach doughnut surf play. I brought my camera, trying to capture a video of Bo playing fetch in the surf. My digital camera doesn't make very good videos. And / or my skills as a videographer leave a lot to be desired. Joanne spent much of today in bed, resting, trying to feel better. After playing in the surf, Bo and I joined her for a nap. Somebody ... or two somebodies ... left a lot of sand on the bed ! When we got up, all three of us returned to the beach for more surf play. Joanne played with Bo while I tried to make a video of it. Not very successfully, I'm afraid. We decided to walk through town. Las Glorias is one street, perhaps a mile long, following the shore line. We walked all the way through town on the street, then came back along the beach, picking up pretty shells on the way. Bo was off leash all the way home. He's become very well behaved while off leash on the beach, romping in the sand and the surf but never getting very far from us. Good dog, Bo !
We watched the sunset, a nightly ritual. We decided to have dinner in the outdoor restaurant that is part of Mr. Moro Hotel & RV Resort. Another lovely Mexican dinner. I had Especial de Sinaloa ( the name of the state we are in ), a seasoned ( con gusto ) Red Snapper fillet baked on a sheet of foil, smothered in a thick layer of onions and a sauce made of mayonnaise, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Joanne ordered Red Snapper fillet but ended up with an entire baked Red Snapper. All the seafood dishes of this restaurant were either ( gigantic ) shrimp or Red Snapper. I guess that's what's caught locally. Today's "buck a gringo" was a 10 peso overcharge "error" on our restaurant bill. I didn't even bother mentioning it, I just reduced the waiter's tip by 10 pesos. There's more than one way to skin a gato.
DSK
Thursday ; La Peñita de Jaltemba, Nayarit to Teacapán, Sinaloa
WOW ... I think I've finally found the beachside RV resort I've been looking for on this entire trip !
Today was very hot ... but the much lower humidity along the west Pacific coast makes the weather quite pleasant. And the nights are cooler. Today was a long day that started out very poorly but ended superbly ! This morning as we were preparing for departure I noticed a severe cut on one of the trailer tires. About six inches long, very deep, through the tread and into the steel belts underneath. Before leaving the campground I changed the tire, putting on the trailer's brand new spare tire. I hate changing tires ! But much better to change a tire in a campground than have it blow out on the road, probably damaging the trailer's lower fiberglass skirt, as has happened in the past, and have to dangerously change a tire on the side of a road with no shoulders. Hopefully I won't need to use the damaged tire which is now the spare before we get to Yuma, Arizona, where I will buy a new tire.
We had three routes to choose from today to get to where we were going. We could take the toll road through the mountains, a good road, but steep, winding, and expensive. We could take the free road through the mountains, a poor road, also steep and winding. Or we could meander along the coast line, on back roads, passing through many interesting little villages. We chose the coast roads. At the first village we passed through we stopped on the side of the road to buy some interesting looking coconut confections. They are called cocada de leche. They're difficult to describe. They are made of a mixture of coconut and milk or cream, with toasted coconut on top, and a very thin layer underneath of ... we think it's pineapple pulp and sugar. They must be baked in a pan like a cake, then cut into rectangular bars. They're very good. At that roadside stand we also bought a stalk of miniature bananas ... Bonanas ! At another little village we stopped to buy a freshly baked loaf of banana bread ... and a couple of pineapple muffins. Bo thinks that buying food on the side of the road and eating it while we drive is an excellent idea. HA HA HA !
The areas that we drove through today were agricultural, along the low slopes of the mountains. Lots of coffee plantations, tobacco farms, banana plantations, coconut groves, and vegetable crops. After the back roads along the coast we joined Mex 15 heading northwest towards Mazatlán. At Escuinapa we refilled with diesel, then turned south onto the road leading to Teacapán. Our guide book said that there were three campgrounds in the Teacapán area. We were planning to stay at the furthest, the third one. As we passed the first one, it was obviously closed, no longer in business. The third one was ... well ... an all but abandoned dump of a campground. We returned to the second one.
And what a fortuitous decision that was ! Villas Onac RV Park is stupendous ! The campsites are in a long row, backing onto the Pacific Ocean beach. Each site is a concrete pad with full hookups. Free Wi-Fi. Great swimming pool area. Laundromat. Did I mention the beach ? ! ? And cheap ! ! ! It is very unfortunate that our schedule does not permit staying more than a few days. We sorely regret spending a week at Paa Mul near Playa del Carmen. This place is immeasurably better, and at less than half the price ! ! ! In years well into the future, when we are likely to become winter residents of Yuma, Arizona, it might be worth 4 or 5 days of hard driving to come down here from Yuma for part of the winter.
When we pulled in, we parked by the office, then walked in to check out the few available sites. We selected this site, and chatted very briefly with the neighbours. We mentioned that we were pulling into this site, and we were going back to the office to pay and drive the rig over. Obviously, that would only take a few minutes. And it was obvious, and I thought it would be rude to state, that their truck was blocking access to this site. When we returned 5 minutes later with the rig, not only had they not moved their truck, the a******s had gone for a walk on the beach ! ! ! I was livid ! ! ! And remained so until well after they returned 15 or 20 minutes later, commenting that they had just realized as they were walking on the beach that we wouldn't be able to get into this site unless if they moved their truck. **** ! **** ! **** ! ! ! Take a deep breath, Dan !
We got set up in our site just in time to watch the sun set on the ocean behind us. Spectacular !
Friday ; Today was a perfect "June 18" day, weatherwise. It cooled off just enough after dark that I had to put on a shirt, the first time I've put on a shirt in about a month. We spent most of this lovely day on the beach behind our campsite.
There was an electricity problem in the RV park from about 1:30 A.M. until about 9:30 A.M.. Not unusual for Mexico ! The power fluctuated during that time from nothing to about 80 volts, causing problems with our carbon monoxide detector, microwave, and the GFI plug in the bathroom. After being wakened a couple of times by the low voltage problems, I finally went outside and just flipped off the circuit breaker. We started off the day by sitting outside beside the trailer watching pods of dolphins swimming by, frolicking in the surf just a couple of hundred feet offshore. We took Bo for a walk around the campground, then out along the beach. Once on the beach we allowed him to be off leash, as we have frequently on beaches lately. He's been behaving very well off leash ... for the most part. Back at the trailer I searched for a screwdriver of mine that I've lost. I completely emptied the large aluminum storage box in the back of the truck, and didn't find it. I repaired a broken drawer in the bedroom. Too much weight bouncing around in there on Mexico's roads ! I took some photos of the RV park and beach. I took about a dozen books that I have read to be exchanged at the park's book exchange library.
We played on the beach all afternoon. Bo and I found a large crab, and I was able to catch it to take photos. Guiltily I admit that I then let Bo play with it until it was dead. Hey ... he's a Terrier. His instinct tells him to pick things up and shake them until they're dead. We found a doughnut shaped float from a fishing net washed up on the beach. Bo had a great time retrieving it when we tossed it out into the surf. He became bolder and bolder, and we threw it out further and further. With a bit of beach experience he has become fearless about the surf. We kept the float, now known as Bo's beach doughnut. Late in the afternoon while we were sitting in our folding chairs, resting and drying, Bo disappeared behind us for a few minutes. We thought he had decided to walk back to the trailer by himself, as it was right behind us on the edge of the beach. We headed back to the trailer, and found him in the dune grass behind the trailer ... eating a fish ! It looked reasonably fresh, probably caught today by one of our fishing neighbours then discarded as too small, but still ... it was a dead fish ! Coupled with a lot of ingested salt water, it didn't take long for Bo's tummy to be upset ! Saltwater and dead fish ( and maybe a little crab leg or two ) makes for pretty vile dog puke ! Fortunately, it was Joanne's turn to clean it up. HA HA HA ! We sat beside the trailer and watched the sun set on the Pacific Ocean. WOW !
Saturday ; Today was sunny and hot, with a cool breeze coming in off the ocean. We decided to stay here another day, and check out the little village of Teacapán. We met and spent half a day with a very strange old couple from Vancouver, B.C..
We unhitched the truck from the trailer and drove into the nearby village of Teacapán. We refilled a water jug at an agua purificado place. We stopped at three or four aborrotes ( aborROTays ) looking for my brand of cigarettes. I didn't find them and had to settle for a different brand I don't particularly like. Aborrotes are very small, family run "convenience stores". Usually it's just the family's "front room" converted into a tiny store. In many villages, it seems as if every third building is an aborrote. We had been told that the panaderia in the village had fresh pan ( bread ) and bolillos ( boLEEyos / buns ) coming out of the oven every day about 1:30 and were sold out by 2:30. We parked the truck near the town square and went searching for the panaderia. We found it, but it was too early, the bread and buns weren't baked yet. We saw the malecon ( waterfront walkway ) and walked down to take a look. As we returned to the parked truck there was an elderly couple standing by our truck waiting for our return. They had noticed the Escapees decal on the truck. They introduced themselves. They were formerly Escapees. They have a home in Vancouver, and spend the winters in an old trailer in Teacapán. They fly from Vancouver to Mazatlán, then take a bus to Teacapán. They have no vehicle down here for the winter. They had walked into town to use their laptop at an Internet café . They have been retired and travelling since 1993, so I presume they must be about 80 years old. We chatted, and they offered to "show us the sights" and treat us to lunch if we would drive them back to their RV park. Well ... okay ... !
First they took us to the "fishing camp" a couple of miles out of town where all the local fishermen have their boats tied up. There is a two table restaurant there. This couple like the beer and snacks there. The restaurant serves "half size" Corona beers, called Coronitas, of course. And with the beer comes free snacks. Freshly made ceviche ( shrimp salad ), cucumber slices, salsa, and tortilla chips which we watched the woman make by slicing up tortillas and then deep frying them in a large pot of oil on an open fire. Can't get tortilla chips any fresher than that, I guess ! We drank our beer and ate our snacks and chatted. Odd couple ! They pointed out to us the freshly paved one mile stretch of road from the airport to the town, the only decent road in the area, because the President of Mexico had visited the town last week to announce a Fonatur tourism development project for this area. To be completed in fifteen to twenty years ! Good luck with that ! ! ! We returned to town and back to the panaderia. The bread and buns still weren't ready, but the pan dulce ( pastries ) were ready. What the hell ... we bought some pan dulce. HA HA HA ! The old couple wanted to buy a pollo asado ( barbecued chicken ) in town, to have for lunch, so we stopped at the pollo asado stand and they got one. As we drove along the malecon they showed us Loretta Lynn's former beach house. Just a non-descript little house along the beach where somebody somewhat rich and famous can spend some anonymous time in the winter. There seems to be quite a bit of that down here. We drove to their RV park. The restaurant adjacent to their RV park was lively, filled with music by a performing high school band. Although only about half the band members were playing instruments. The other half of the band were all throwing one another into the swimming pool. Everybody seemed to be having fun ! We had lunch sitting outside the couple's old trailer. Very odd, old couple !
We drove back into town to check at the panaderia again. ( sigh ) We were too late. The bread and buns were all sold out. We returned to our RV park, rehitched the truck to the trailer, and spent the rest of the afternoon playing and resting on the beach.
HA HA HA HA HA ... Bo is very funny, playing with his fishing net float / beach doughnut. If I time the throw just right, he rushes out into the surf, grabs the doughnut, and turns back to shore just as an incoming wave hits him, lifting him up onto its crest and body surfing him back to the beach. It's hilarious ! And he's fearless ! If my timing or distance are a bit off, he's grabbing for the doughnut just as a wave crashes over him, tumbling him and rolling him into shore. But he's game, ready for another attempt. He just snorts the saltwater out of his nose and wags his tail. HA HA HA HA HA ! Good dog, Bo ! Gringos from our RV park walking along the beach were stunned that a ( mostly ) Yorkshire Terrier would romp so fearlessly in big surf. As the sun got low in the sky and the air cooled we returned to the trailer for our nightly ritual of watching the sun set on the Pacific Ocean. Tonight we noticed that just as the sun "sat" on the ocean, the bottom flared out making it look like a bright orange ball mounted on a bright orange stand. Stupendous ! ! !
Sunday ; Teacapán to Mazatlán, Sinaloa
Today was another sunny, hot day. Mazatlán was a big disappointment. It wasn't worth the effort. And it certainly wasn't worth the expense.
This morning while I was preparing for departure I kept getting distracted by dolphins swimming by ... and flying fish ! Obviously they don't really fly, but when they leap out of the water, they are moving so fast that they fly through the air for ten or twenty feet before landing in the ocean again.
We drove north on Carreterra ( literally "Carland" ) Escuinapa - Teacapán back to Escuinapa, then north on Mex 15 to Mazatlán. Just on the southern edge of Mazatlán, at the airport, we turned onto the 15 mile road leading to Isla de la Piedra ( Stone Island ). The last 8½ miles was an extremely rough gravel road that took us almost an hour to drive. And finally, at the end, was the little village of Isla de la Piedra, at the end of a peninsula across from Mazatlán Harbour. Joanne selected the campground here as it seemed to be convenient to get to downtown Mazatlán by simply taking a water taxi panga across to Mazatlán Harbour. We checked into Tres Amigos RV Park. Outrageously expensive ! ! ! And nothing to justify it, except perhaps proximity to Mazatlán. The first person we met upon checking into the RV park was a woman from Washington who told us that she loves this place so much they have made a reservation for the next ten winters ! ! ! It's astounding that people can travel this far and be so unaware of what's just around the next corner !
We walked about a mile along the beach to catch a water taxi panga for the short ride across to Mazatlán Harbour. The campground manager had drawn us a map to find our way downtown, to the main square, and the Mercado. We started to walk from the harbour to downtown, a distance of perhaps a couple of miles, but we were tired from our long walk on the beach to catch the water taxi, so when a bus came by we flagged it down and hopped on. We got off the bus at the Mercado ( Market ). We wandered around the Mercado for awhile. It was a disappointment. The Mercado in Veracruz was larger and much more interesting. Many of the merchants in Mazatlán's Mercado weren't even open today. Many more closed at 2:00 P.M.. We walked over to the main town square, sat and rested for awhile, then went looking for an ice cream shop. We had some ice cream while sitting in the main town square, then wandered back to the Mercado for another last look around. I haggled with a few vendors to buy a Carnaval t-shirt, but was unsuccessful. The vendors were unwilling to negotiate their prices, which is ... unheard of in Mexico ! And especially unusual since I was trying to buy a "leftover" t-shirt from Carnaval which ended five days ago. Tired and disappointed we caught a bus back to the Embarcadero ( Harbour ), took a water taxi across to Isla de la Piedra, and walked home along the beach.
The young woman at the water taxi ticket window “made an error” in giving me my change. When I brought the “error” to her attention, I didn’t even get the usual “apology” for “making an error”. She just handed me an additional 10 pesos, and looked annoyed that she had failed to score her “buck a gringo”. That petty “buck a gringo” rip off routine ( and the “error” is always ten pesos ) is getting tiresome !
We sat on the beach and watched the sun set. Then we walked into the RV park's restaurant to check on the live music on Sunday nights advertised on their website. No ... no Sunday night live music ! I am really irritated by a business that is not only very overpriced but also fails to deliver what they advertise. We walked through the little village, then back along the beach in the dark. There was a bar / restaurant along the beach that had live music, but it was a band of out of tune amateurs playing awful Norteño ( Mexican country & western ) music.
Monday ; Mazatlán to Guasave, Sinaloa
Today was sunny and hot. We departed Isla de la Piedra, taking almost an hour to drive back on the 8½ mile section of gravel road. I'm certain that 17 miles of that gravel road was equivalent wear and tear on Harvey ( the trailer ) to 100,000 miles of Interstate travel ! As we were driving on the gravel road there was a vaquero ( cowboy ) driving a herd of about 50 horses down the road toward us. Bo was looking out the side window and didn't see the horses until I came to a stop and the horses began to surround us as they passed by. He went totally ballistic, out of control. Trapped inside a truck, surrounded by horses ... the world is coming to an end ! ! ! After the horses passed, it took Joanne a couple of minutes to get him calmed down and breathing normally again. Bo ... you have to remember to breathe ! You can't just bark until you pass out !
We drove into Mazatlán, refilled with diesel, and replenished groceries at a large Soriana supermarket. That may have been our last opportunity to shop at a big city supermarket, so Joanne did some stocking up of products on our "must buy before leaving Mexico" list. We now have a "must buy before leaving" list for three countries. HA HA HA !
We departed Mazatlán heading north on "free" Mex 15. From Mazatlán north we will be following the coast line of the Sea of Cortez. From Mazatlán north to the American border, a distance of almost 1000 miles, there is a four lane, divided, high speed highway, but it is an expensive toll road. Our guide book said that the stretch from Mazatlán to Culiacán was extremely expensive, and recommended the "free" road. So we drove the "free" road from Mazatlán to Culiacán. Our objective for today was to make it at least as far as Culiacán, hopefully a bit further. When we got to Culiacán it was early enough to keep driving for awhile.
Without explaining why, our guide book recommends taking the toll road north from Culiacán. So that's what we did. But ... it cost a fortune, and we were only on the toll road for an hour and a half ! Two highway tolls, and a bridge toll, for a total of 345 pesos, as much as it would cost for 2 nights in an inexpensive campground. However, the toll road was wonderful. Four lanes, divided, smooth and straight, with shoulders. Proving that Mexicans can indeed build good roads if they want to. It was just like driving on an American Interstate ! On the toll road we had to pass through a food inspection station. We don't know why, we weren't crossing from one state into another. The inspector confiscated three mandarins from us.
It was our plan to stay overnight for free at a Pemex station, to help offset the outrageous expense of the RV park last night. But ... the free stay at a Pemex was more than offset by today's tolls ! We refilled with diesel for the second time today at a Pemex just north of Guasave, and obtained permission to park overnight. This was our third overnight stay at a Pemex, and this one was even more noisy than the Pemex we stayed at near Acapulco. Whew ... Mexicans certainly are noisy !
Tuesday ; Guasave to Las Glorias, Sinaloa
We didn't get much sleep last night at the Pemex. It was very noisy. We were about 300 meters / 1000 feet up the road from a set of vibradores / topecitos ( small speed bumps ) so every tractor trailer that came down the highway downshifted to engage their engine braking right about at the Pemex. This morning at 6:30 A.M. I took Bo for a walk out behind the Pemex's back fence. There was a Policia Municipal truck parked up tight behind the fence, hidden from view, fresh vomit on the ground outside both the passenger's and the driver's doors, two cops sleeping it off in the truck ! ! !
We drove only a short distance today, following back roads from Guasave out to the little beachside village of Las Glorias on the Sea of Cortez coast. We're heading north now, along the Sea of Cortez, and it's getting cooler. The temperatures are a bit lower, and the breezes off the sea are cooler. We arrived by 10:30 and got set up at Mr. Moro Hotel & RV Resort, a seaside campground that had been recommended to us. We spent the rest of the morning on the beach, mostly playing with Bo and his beach doughnut / fishing net float. We hadn't slept much last night, and were very tired, so we spent much of the afternoon napping. We returned to the beach late in the afternoon to watch the sun set, our first sunset on the Sea of Cortez.
After dark, but before I barbecued supper, I went to the hotel's outdoor restaurant, sat in a corner, and used their free Wi-Fi to retrieve e-mail, bank statements, and investment updates. I thought I had retrieved bank statements and investment updates a few days ago and sent them to my printer queue, but something had gone wrong in the process. We were quite surprised to discover that Teddy loooooves barbecued chorizo ( very spicy Mexican chile sausage ) de pavo ( turkey ). After supper I reconciled bank statements and updated investment files. Tonight was the first time in about two months that it was cool enough to inspire me to wear long pants.
Wednesday ; This morning the passenger's side front tire of the truck was flat ( sigh ). I hate changing tires, especially on the truck. But, as was the case with the cut trailer tire a week or so ago, better to have to change a tire in a campground than on the side of the road. The flat tire was the one with the least amount of use, and the one I was planning to keep as the spare when I buy six new truck tires in a couple of weeks in Yuma, Arizona. Tomorrow I'll try to find a vulcanizadora and have it repaired. That shouldn't be difficult. Every third building in every town is an aborrote ( small convenience store ), and every fourth building is a vulcanizadora ( tire repair shop ). There's a huge nail in the tire. Maybe after repair at a vulcanizadora it can still be used as the spare when I buy new tires. I'm glad I decided to delay buying new tires until after this Mexico trip, otherwise I would have ended up with a huge nail in a new tire.
Today was sunny and hot, but with a cool breeze off the Sea of Cortez. Joanne wasn't feeling well today. I trimmed my beard. I changed the truck tire. I took some photos, then downloaded them to the laptop and processed them. After lunch I took Bo for some beach doughnut surf play. I brought my camera, trying to capture a video of Bo playing fetch in the surf. My digital camera doesn't make very good videos. And / or my skills as a videographer leave a lot to be desired. Joanne spent much of today in bed, resting, trying to feel better. After playing in the surf, Bo and I joined her for a nap. Somebody ... or two somebodies ... left a lot of sand on the bed ! When we got up, all three of us returned to the beach for more surf play. Joanne played with Bo while I tried to make a video of it. Not very successfully, I'm afraid. We decided to walk through town. Las Glorias is one street, perhaps a mile long, following the shore line. We walked all the way through town on the street, then came back along the beach, picking up pretty shells on the way. Bo was off leash all the way home. He's become very well behaved while off leash on the beach, romping in the sand and the surf but never getting very far from us. Good dog, Bo !
We watched the sunset, a nightly ritual. We decided to have dinner in the outdoor restaurant that is part of Mr. Moro Hotel & RV Resort. Another lovely Mexican dinner. I had Especial de Sinaloa ( the name of the state we are in ), a seasoned ( con gusto ) Red Snapper fillet baked on a sheet of foil, smothered in a thick layer of onions and a sauce made of mayonnaise, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Joanne ordered Red Snapper fillet but ended up with an entire baked Red Snapper. All the seafood dishes of this restaurant were either ( gigantic ) shrimp or Red Snapper. I guess that's what's caught locally. Today's "buck a gringo" was a 10 peso overcharge "error" on our restaurant bill. I didn't even bother mentioning it, I just reduced the waiter's tip by 10 pesos. There's more than one way to skin a gato.
DSK
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