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Sunday, March 25, 2018

Los Mochis Pemex 4925 to Guaymas Playa de Cortez RV park

 

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Yesteday morning we were up around 6:30 ish and ready to go by about 8:15.  No hurry as we only had 400 kms to go to Guaymas.  This little palapa restaurant was hidden by a 5th wheel the night before and it seems to be an odd addition to the parking lot.  There is a Subway restaurant as well as the new Elba restaurant in the gas station. 

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Pretty quiet in the parking lot. 

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There is an airstream next to us but last night there was a motorhome with a towed in between us.    There were also two other motorhomes and a 5th wheel so 6 in total.  Everyone else is gone!

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We used to eat in this restaurant when it was something else and then it closed.  It has now reopened as the Elba and it is part of some sort of chain.  We ate here last night and it was mediocre.  A Spanish/English menu with above what I would call average prices.  35 pesos for a beer.  Eric had tacos that were deep fried (greasy) and I had breaded fish that was deep fried (greasy) but the salad was good.  Not gourmet dining…but adequate if you don’t want to cook.  Two beers, two meals 350 pesos plus tip.   A very large, clean restaurant. 

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Heading out of Los Mochis and they have repaved so the road is good. 

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First toll booth and the trucks are really backed up.

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Spring must be coming.

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Heading north and the road is good….boy I like to say that!

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Our first fuel stop and we pay for another gallon that we don’t actually get.  Our truck computer lets us know whether the pump is accurate and in Mexico it rarely is.  Sigh!

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Coming up to the first military inspection and we were waved through.

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Bye bye Sinaloa and hello Sonora.

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Here we’re in the Agricultural fruit inspection ( I said no fruitas) and we were waved through but the road out was atrocious.

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We bounce our way out.  New road construction to the right.

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Ahhh…..the beautiful concrete of Sonora.

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Here we have switched to the west side but they’ve added a lift of pavement and it isn’t bad.

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Here crappy but it doesn’t last long. 

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Now we’re on the east side and it’s not bad either.

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We’ve been following this grader for a while but pretty soon he leaves us and gets to work on the road.

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No passing here but…..this is a bus and he’ll do what he wants!

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Dirt….not a great road bed.

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By next year this should all be concrete…how nice will that be. 

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Road to Las Bocas and we’re getting close to Navojoa and another toll booth.

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Still switching back and forth.

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Goats at the edge of the road….I sure hope they are penned up at night when you can’t see them.

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I tried to get a picture of the giant Tecate can but….the tree got in the way.

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We used the Navojoa periferico a number of years ago but it was so rough we gave up on it.    Carol’s blog (Golden Years) said that it had been redone and she and Bill took it a week or so ago.  So…lets give it a try.

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Rough right where you turn but then….

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….it’s beautiful.   Four lanes of concrete, how great is that.

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Lots of activity over here with lots of new businesses.

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Okay….and a feed lot.

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This will be our new route.

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Hey…this guy could even feed us!

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We stopped at Pemex 4143 for lunch.  This one is right at the junction where you rejoin the cuota heading north.  Lots of room to park over night but it would be really noisy.

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On to Obregon.

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Carol had also mentioned that the Obregon bypass was open but not completely finished at the north end and….there was a toll on it.  However we decided to give it a shot.

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We leave 15 and take the 30km bypass around Obregon.

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Looks pretty nice.

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Must have cost a fortune to build.

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Lots of drainage and correctly sloped banks for run off.

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You can see where the bypass intersects 117 and stops. 

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Up ahead the bypass toll booth.  It appears that the road will keep going and join up with 15D north but the quesiton is ….will it be before the next toll booth or after.  If it’s before I will guess no one will use the bypass and pay an extra toll because it’s a hefty one.  199 pesos on the bypass and 199 pesos at the Caseta de Esperanza.  Remains to be seen. 

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Off the bypass and onto 17 heading “south” and then west to join up with 15D.   A crappy old road that no one will have to use after they complete the bypass, I hope.  We will look next next year to see if the bypass starts north of the Esperanza toll booth and if so we’ll take it. 

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We’re now on 15D heading north and it appears to be under construction as well.

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It used to be four lanes here and now it’s two so I guess big changes are coming here as well.

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Esperanza toll booth just north of Obregon and another 199 pesos.  We pay a lot because we have 5 axles. 

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We’re into Yaqui Indian land here and there’s police check point with no one around. 

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Is it really safe having cattle next to traffic that’s going 110km max.  Probably not.

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Road to Bacum just before Vicam and we switch yet again.

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Doesn’t matter what side you’re on the concrete is nice….if it holds up.  Farther south by Navojoa there are already big cracks and small holes.

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Coming through Vicam and they appear to be ready for Semana Santa.  Do Mexicans buy all this junk?  I guess someone must or they wouldn’t have it for sale.

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Yikes!

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The southbound traffic has been really heavy today.  Lots of people taking their weeks vacation by the beach for Semana Santa. 

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Still some two way traffic on pavement. 

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But most of it is concrete.  Look at all the dust in the air in the distance.

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It doesn’t appear to be very windy so it’s a mystery.

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Coming up to where we’ll leave 15D and head into Empalme and then Guaymas.

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Stay right. 

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Busy through Empalme as everyone is out eating seafood.

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All the weekend seafood restaurants along the causeway are open today.

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East side of the causeway.

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Heading over.   There is an area in the middle where the boats can go through.

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If you head right here you can bypass downtown Guaymas and come out on the north end.  We tried it a couple of times but it was quite rough so now we just go through town.  It’s Sunday so it should be quiet.

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Looking toward the ocean and it’s pretty today.

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Hardly a soul on the streets on the south end of town.  We worked our way through and then went over the overpass to head down to the Playa de Cortez.

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New sign up on the mountain.

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Lots of people at the edge of the road selling fruit, vegetables and ceviche.  Those potatoes look nice but I can’t take them into the USA.

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Lots of big topes heading down to the RV park.

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Here we are!

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Looking out from the office and there are a few rigs here but it’s pretty quiet…..at this point. 

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The hotel is a popular spot for picture taking.

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I will guess this is a young lady in her “quinceaneras” dress.  A young lady of 15 makes the transition from childhood to womanhood.  Historically in the years prior to the 15th birthday girls were taught cooking, weaving, and about childbearing by the elder woman in their communities in preparation for their future roles as wives.  A different time now but the traditon continues.

Later in the evening three rigs rolled arrived in the dark.  They set up with a clatter, ate and then started a late, loud happy hour that lasted until 10pm.  Thought it would be quiet but I guess not. 

P.S. =  Cost of tolls to this point….$138.00.

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