Kathy creates a blog.

Dec. 6, 2009

Well Croft suggested I create a blog and I have decided that it would make all this easier. So here it is starting with my last saved document from Dec. 4th, 2009. It's all pretty rough but I'll keep working on it.

Kathy



Dec 4, 2009

From Quartzite Az., Imperial Dam, Yuma Az., Ajo, Az., Santa Ana Mexico to San Carlos, Mexico in one fell swoop!

So the last time I wrote we were in Laughlin. We moved on to Quartzite and stayed there for four days. The weather was good but cold at night. We were on the search for a heater and found one at Gramma’s Heaters. We bought a Glow Warm propane blue flame with a thermostat and although we paid too much we really needed it and wanted one with a thermostat. The small heaters mostly have high, med, low and a thermostat is better. Eric already had the propane plumbed and ready to go so we are set now. Warm, warm, warm! We looked at batteries and solar panels but as we don’t know how much boon docking we will do we didn’t buy. We then moved closer to Yuma to the Imperial Dam site and spent ten days there. A couple of days the wind didn’t blow and it was nice but the rest of the time it was windy as hell. Eric says we are never going back to that dump! He really hates the wind. It was so windy the day we packed up it took both of us to open the door. We picked up our stereo equipment from Bill & Arlie and Eric now has his tunes back and he is a happy man. We shopped, visited and saw Brian & Bobbie Phillips from Terrace and then were ready to move on. Brian & Bobbie usually go to southern Baja but are in a park in Yuma this year and seem to be in every activity there is. Quite a change after boondock camping on a beach for ten winters. Apparently Brian has some concerns with Mexican high sulphur fuel and their new truck and so they are in Yuma for the winter. We moved from the Imperial Dam site to Ajo just north of the Soyonita crossing into Mexico and spent two nights there plugged in. I had hoped to eat at the Chinese Restaurant there but they are closed on Mondays. We ate there two years ago and it was outstanding. Oh well, next time. On to the Organ Pipe national park for one night and it was great. So quiet it was deafening! We will stay there again for a few days another time and do some hiking. We went through the border on Tuesday morning and it took about 2 hours to get the paperwork done. There have been big issues with trailer paperwork for many people so we wanted to get it right. They give you a hologram for each vehicle that you turn in when you go back so that they know you didn’t sell any vehicles in Mexico. Now they give you a ten year permit for the trailer (and also motor homes) and that creates a problem if you don’t turn in the hologram and then sell the trailer or it gets wrecked. They will not take back the hologram for the trailer unless it is attached to the trailer. So, many people now cannot bring a trailer (ever again) back into Mexico because of this. The hologram is registered to your tourist visa and you are now hooped. We will turn in our trailer hologram whether they want it or not and just pay again next year. We went through Sonoyta the first Mexican town over the border and we were amazed at how much they had cleaned it up. Brightly painted and not much garbage. The Mexican government has committed a lot of money to the state of Sonora and that must be part of it. As we left town we passed a Mexican inspecting his dead Hereford beef at the edge of the road and a Mexican with his transport truck tipped over in the ditch. Ah Mexico! The road south was quite clean so they are working on that too. The Mexican truck drivers are insane and with no shoulder and a big drop off it is quite nerve wracking. From Caborca to Altar the drivers were out of their minds. Only two lanes and they were driving at top speed in every direction. You just hold on and hope they don’t hit you. We pulled into Santa Ana about 2pm on Thursday and stayed at Edgar’s Punta Vista Park. Just a city lot sized park with lots of people from B.C. Met some people from Coquitlam (Fred & Jean) who have been going to Mexico for 20 years. She went blind over the last five years and although elderly she is still up for the trip. She can see shadows and so still swims because she can see the shore! Quite gutsy. Fred has a Hobie cat and loves to sail it. He is German and remembers the Second World War so who knows how old he is. They travel to Teacipan just south of Mazatlan. Another set of couples from the island traveling together for awhile and they had lots of good information. They also had lots of horror stories about being lost and tires burning up etc. Somehow that makes you feel better. One of the women, Barb was born in Rupert and was excited that we knew some people that she did. Small, small world. So yesterday we left Santa Ana for San Carlos and made our way through the capital city of Hermisillo. We had two sets of written directions but were worried because you DO NOT WANT TO GET LOST IN A BIG CITY WITH AN RV! The signage was good and we made it through with no problems. Again back on the highway with large trucks passing and those incredibly narrow shoulders. As we passed south the military checkpoint going north had created the hugest traffic jam you have ever seen. There must have been a thousand trucks over 10km stopped dead. Not to mention that they had pulled into the fast lane and blocked the car traffic as well. Not a good thing for anyone but I guess it is standard procedure. Note to self make sure you always have extra fuel on board. We headed south and as we approached San Carlos the four lane traffic became two lanes due to the huge flood damage that had occurred in September. They got 50 inches of rain and huge damage was done. Bridges washed out and much flooding. We pulled into the Totonaka Park and had to wiggle our way into a spot. Too many trees to deal with. Live and learn and next time pick a spot with no trees. The bridge on the road out front is gone and again four lanes down to two. It is quite quiet in here and again most of the people are from B.C. So, it is good to be back in San Carlos as it is a nice town and we know it and like it from staying here two years ago. Eric has the Harley unloaded, the Star choice set up and has taken a ride through town on his bicycle. We will stay a week and then move on. I will email again next week. Take care all and email us if you have time as it’s always good to hear from home. Oh by the way it is 20C and sunny. Sorry for that!

Dec 6, 2009

San Carlos, Mexico

Thursday late afternoon I took a walk on the beach. It is so good for the soul! As I was walking I noticed a Mexican woman looking out at the water and turned to see what she saw. The dolphins were about 15ft from shore lazily swimming and having a late afternoon snack. A lady I passed walking said she and her grandchildren had been swimming with them a few days ago and it was just amazing. They have a dolphin wellness centre for people just up the bay and I perhaps we’ll go have a look. It’s good to be back by the sea. Late Friday some people from Summerland pulled in beside us and we struck up a brief friendship while they were here. Adrian & Sandi have moved on to Mazatlan today and will email back to us what they see along the way. Every bit helps and this is their first trip pulling an RV south so they are in the same boat as we are. They expect to get just north of Puerto Vallarta the same as us so we may see them down the road. At the same time they arrived a couple of rigs from B.C. pulled in across the way and it was the loudest, longest most embarrassing RV docking you have ever seen. Not only Americans can be loud and embarrassing! We toured the area of San Carlos yesterday and found it much damaged by the loss of the Yankee bucks. Tons of places for sale, places started and not finished and lots of businesses gone and closed up. The project that Sheldon and Holly (who we met here two years ago) bought into has never started and the realtor (Pelican Pete) has pulled up shop and moved. I hope they got their money back out of it. Last night the bar across the road had the loudest Mexican band playing from 8pm to 2am. It was so bad (congas and tubas) and loud I couldn't hear the T.V. Ah Mexico! Larry from across the way said it used to be disco so I guess we should be grateful for that. Eric is out on the Harley and I have done some washing and have it hanging behind the rig. Seems to be permissible to hang laundry in the park so it’s a good thing I brought a clothesline and some pegs. Well that’s all for now and I’ll continue to email later in the week.

Kathy