Apr 02, 2012
Expect the Unexpected!!!!
What a trip!!!!
First off I have to say I love you Verizon Wireless!!
Yes we are back in the USA but………
…to start at the beginning. We did leave at 5:50AM on Sunday, the 1st, after I stepped out to say goodbye to the beach with tears in my eyes. The “road” as l call it was very good and we got thru the 8 or 9 miles in 55 minutes. It seemed to us that there had been a recent grading and for certain some trimming. We had no problems. In fact there is serious work going on to clear and widen the road. A wonderful surprise.
We got through Mazatlan very very quickly and stopped just before the quota road to Culiacan at a grassy patch for the girls to do their business. I made us coffee, fixed some fruit and muffins and fed the girls and we were off 20 minutes later at 7:20AM.
Problema…Colin hears a horrid vibration at a certain RPM. Not sure the cause or the location, we worked on that for a bit, finally he added some injector cleaner just in case….nothing we can do but carry on…very carefully and alertly, if that is a word.
In Mexico you have to expect the unexpected!!!! Colin felt it safe enough to travel on without damage to the engine. So at 7:50AM we approach HWY 15 and we see it is blocked off. No one is allowed through, ‘you have to use the libre’ we are told. No, no says I, more time we don’t have….’there is a march on this road and you can’t pass’.
With no choice we proceed…..all is well for the first 30 minutes and we think that all will be just fine when suddenly we come to a dead stop!!! Bumper to bumper traffic.
...this just went on and on and on.....
At this point we had gone a grand total on 75 miles, from our RV site at Tres Amigos to here……a very very frustrating 75 miles in 5 hours!!!! So there was a march, which you can read about here, it started on Friday and the 3 RV’s that had left that morning were also affected.
...the march.....sure wish we had known ahead of time!!!
By the way, Tris thanks for the invite to the sunset cruise in Guaymas but we pushed through to the USA.
Now as you know I don't drive our coach but Colin thought that this stop and go pace might be a good time for me to get a feel for driving the RV. I had been doing just fine for about 30 minutes when the bottleneck suddenly opened up and it was full speed ahead, going up & down hills, around curves and I had to deal with oncoming semi's with almost touching mirrors. Not to mention concentrating on looking straight ahead, looking in the backup camera to try and keep the tow car on the road and not over the right edge, keeping us aligned to the left with the yellow line.....and not to PANIC!!!!!!!!! Finally we were able to slow, stop and let Colin take over the wheel....thank you!!!
We finally got to Culiacan and quickly found the quota road. You also have to remember we do the CPS ( Contessa Positioning System versus the usual GPS ). We created a new world record for us today, 163 miles in 7.5 hours!!! Colin mentioned that our friend Gord, from Vernon, could do it faster on his bike:)
At this point we stopped for lunch and pee breaks for all four of us. I realized that there was no way we would make San Carlos Sunday night but where would we end up?
Just before Guasave we were boarded for an agriculture check. The fellow saw my mandarin and avocado in the fruit bowl and didn’t take them?? I had expected him to as this was my diversion fruit. I had already hidden the fruit for the next morning. Expect the unexpected!!
I'm sure this fellow was not expecting to roll his truck load of sweet peppers just before the Sonora border.
Hope the driver was okay!
Finally, at 6:35PM we pulled into the truck stop North of Navojoa and fuelled up. Wow, 10.36 pesos per litre for diesel….sorry folks, way too tired to do the math!! We spoke with the security guard about the safety of staying here for the night. He led us to a spot for the night where he would see us and our front door from his post all night long. We gratefully gave him 50 pesos and many many thanks.
He is located in the orange colored room above the mirror. So now with some wine in my system, I realize this was the time to get busy with a post....especially with free WIFI all over this place. After 45 minutes of trying, using both computers, wifi extenders and asking for various passwords we gave up. Seems we were in the only place with no reception! So we ate, drank, showered and went to bed.
Perhaps it was the 391 miles we drove over 13 hours, but we slept very very well in that truck stop.
…to be continued……
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Does not sound like a fun trip when it seems like you are in such a hurry to leave Mexico. We like to take our time and enjoy the areas as we pass thru. Took us 3 weeks to get from Tres Amigos to the USA.
George, I keep telling you we are not retired and have to chose our time carefully. We prefer to stay on the Isla as long as we can. It is only 900 miles from there to the US and we have no desire to be anywhere else but the beach so it is an easy 2 day drive as we have done for years and years. Just so happened that we had a few snafu’s. Don’t forget we have travelled all over Mexico for over 10 years before settling on the Isla. There are times to travel slowly and smell the roses but not till we retire.
We never plan a long travel day, especially in Mexico. Too stressful for my liking. But then we are all about the journey, not necessarily the destination, so each to their own.
Kevin…I think we would be more stressed just sitting wasting time. We would rather have that extra day at the Isla.
Elaine….I just might start driving this thing for real but first I have to get my air brake ticket.
Bless your hearts what a day you had….glad you had a good night’s rest…stay safe…I’m proud of you “driving the rig” you go girl….
Quite the day!! anxiously awaiting part 2.