Tucson, AZ to Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico!For once, we were the family idling slowly out of the RV park at an ungodly early hour. The photo shows us enjoying our first proper family meal in the van the night before. Looks pretty cosy, doesn't it?
We made our way to the Walmart in Nogales, AZ for final provisioning before heading to the border. Crossing proved to be rather anticlimactic, as we apparently do not fit the profile of drug or people smugglers, as we were waved through the multitude of checkpoints along the way, and the only true hangup was at the point where we had to pay the multivarious fees required to enter Mexico legally. After $230 for vehicle insurance in Nogales on the US side, and $50 for the vehicle permit and $75 for visitor visas, we were in-country!
The highway to Magdalena was characterized by miles and miles of fencing to keep the illegal immigrants from jumping on a truck. It must be a test of patience to drive a truck across the border. At one point, we saw a military checkpoint that had trucks backed up for about 5 kilometers and the soldiers were moving none too fast. It appears the government is building a checkpoint with multiple inspection stations, so maybe that will change soon.
The highway itself was nerve-wracking. It is divided the whole way, with two lanes per side, but the shoulders are so close and steep that even the Mexicans consider them dangerous. And that is saying a lot! We figured out pretty quickly what "Orilla peligroso" means.
Contrary to the common wisdom, we ended up on the highway after sunset, which with the above-mentioned road feature coupled with the presence of some huge mule deer made driving perilous, so we committed to our first night of boondocking. The second photo shows the sweet spot we selected, located at an abandoned gas station site next door to a Pemex station. We felt better when other trucks pulled into the same lot to spend the night, but when the drivers got out and began to party, the combined noise of an impromptu Mexican fiesta and the liberal use of engine brakes by those trucks that passed by made sleep a difficult proposition.
We rousted ourselves early in order to get a good start on the day and made it to San Carlos, our first Mexican beach town. It is good to be by the sea! We wrestled with where to stay in the town, then got directions to a beautiful boondocking location on the beach north of town. We have provisioned ourselves and will be living completely off the grid, so please do not expect a post for a couple of days. We should have some cool photos to post when we return to the cyber world!
-Remy
Posts
Reading anything, on the road (no pun intended...)?
ReplyDeleteHi James,
ReplyDeleteSorry I have not been particularly assiduous in responding to comments to date but I am committed to making an effort. It has been years since "On the Road", but I have just recently finished a similar tome by Wade Davis entitiled "The Serpent and the Rainbow". He is an ethnobotanist famous in our part of the world for his study in the highlands of Mexico of the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms. He did his work in the late 70's, which was a continuation of some earlier work in the 50's by a French botanist. When he returned to his post at UBC, some of his students noticed that similar mushrooms to the ones he had studied in Mexico were growing on the endowment lands and so the psychedelic movement in lower mainland BC took root (pun intended). The book relates his study of the use of poisons in Haiti for zombification and their place in Haitian society. Not as dry as it sounds- he is an excellent and very humanistic writer with a genius for illustrating the cultural aspect of the use of plant-based substances.
Recently, I have read both of Joe Boyden's novels, "The Three Day Road" and "Through Black Spruce". The latter is this year's GG Award winner I think. Both are excellent novels and pertinent to your part of the world. I would suggest reading them in the order above if you have not yet done so.
So, are you teaching now? I surmise that from your e-mail address. Let me know.
Remy
Hi guys --
ReplyDeleteAre you still on the beach? Or languishing in a crumbling adobe jail somewhere? Post please!
I'm interested in hearing how the Obama inauguration was covered down Mexico-way.
Joni
Hi Joni,
ReplyDeleteWe are getting caught up on blogging at the moment while we enjoy the amazing FAOT music festival here in Alamos ( google it!) Visitors and performers come from all over the world to attend and we just happen to be in the area. It's been great watching the town of around 7,000 people, i think, come alive with anticipation in true Mexican form.
Had we known we'd stay so long this would have been the perfect place to meet up. The Rancho Acosta, where we are staying boasts a beautiful little Inn with about 5 or 6 rooms that open onto the pool and patio. We are camped less than 100 yards away. The rooms rent for $75 a night a have 2 rooms ( one for kiddies) and a fireplace. Full breakfast is included poolside!
We'll be back sometime for sure.
All is well and I'l try to post a blog about Alamos today!!
Hope all is well on your end. Any movement on the houses?
Liz