JAN 25, Sunday, Playa Amor
We stayed home today and read. I did go to the hotel to download our mail and upload the rest of my pictures but the connection was really slow so all I did was the mail.
We had the Kirkby’s over for dinner then sat outside for an after dinner drinks. Our neighbors across the way came over to join us and then later, our neighbors beside us came home and joined us too. It was a very nice and fun evening. Sunny and hot again today!
JAN 26, Monday, Playa Amor
Val was supposed to go with the Kirkby’s on an outing this morning but when she went out at 6:45 a.m. as planned, they were gone already!???? Misunderstanding?? They said later that they called but we had all the windows closed so we didn’t hear. I washed the right side of the rig this morning including the awning. It was filthy. At noon we went for our massage in Aticama and while Val was in, I went to San Blas and got some money and downloaded more pictures then drove back and had my massage. We all went to Miramar in the afternoon for happy hours with friends from San Carlos,
JAN 27, Tuesday, Playa Amor
A bit cooler this morning and everything is wet from the dew! I washed the underneath of the slides and all the wheels, so that’s it for the washing.
In the afternoon, we went to check our e-mail, uploaded more pictures then went for a drive to Santa Cruz, approx. 5 miles from here; a small village by the ocean. We had a beer there then came home. Happy hour at 5 p.m. with the gang and watched a beautiful sunset
JAN. 28, Wednesday, a boat cruise
We got up at 5:30 a.m. this morning and were on the road by 6:30! We drove to a local crocodile reserve where we got on a panga; there were 7 of us as our neighbors Charlotte, Phil and Sandy came with us too. A friend by the name of Marlene the “bird lady” also joined us. Our guide Miguel was wonderful, playful and knowledgeable. We rode along a canal covered with palm trees, figs and vines and tall tree. It looked like a real jungle which it is, of course. We saw dozens of birds, egrets, blue heron, inhangas and vultures. After a while, the scene changed to tall grass and more palm trees then we arrived at our destination where, as we entered the canal, we saw a few huge iguanas of beautiful color. The crocodile oasis was well done and very clean. They were in pens and this is where the Mexicans breed them then release the young juveniles in the wild. It is a program to replenish the population as it is almost extinct due to hunting for their hide. We stayed for about 30 minutes then headed out back along the way we came then turned into another canal where we ended up at a place where they have made a swimming pool with trees, grass and restaurants to accommodate the visitors. We could have stayed there for two hours had we wanted to but we didn’t. The water was really warm here too. We returned to our starting point and paid 110 pesos for the whole thing and were each given a cerveza to quench our thirst…pretty cheap. On the way back we also saw an alligator in the wild and took pictures of course.
We went to San Blas for breakfast at McDonald restaurant then came home. I loaded the kayaks and got ready for our trip tomorrow
JAN 29, Thursday, to Rincon de Guayabitas
We were up by 7 and on the road by 9:15 a.m. We drove hwy 12 to Las Veras then got on Hwy 200. We arrived in Rincon around 11:30 and drove on to Lo de Marcos where Savage RV Park is situated, approx 10 km south of Rincon. It is a small park with only 12 spaces and there were 8 rigs in there. We met Lynden and Charlie’s friend, Rick and Judy then got installed in our motel room which is right in the park. We were above the office and had the whole floor to ourselves. The room consisted of 2 bedrooms, a small sitting room, a big room with table and chairs and a bathroom. It was clean and nice. We paid 600 pesos a night for the four of us (about $56 cdn). After settling in, we all went for a walk on the beach and the main street in town. We walked back to our vehicles and drove to Sayulitas, about 10 miles south of here, parked and walked the beach. This is a yuppie community with more gringos than Mexicans. Many, many bikinis on the beach and lots of surfers to watch! The waves were big but not too exciting. We had a couple of drinks then went home and Judy served a couple of cold dish and we had it all by the pool. A fun and exciting day.
N 20* 57’ 18”
W 105* 21’ 27”
Alt: 23 feet
Distance today: 87 km in one hour and 45 minutes.
JAN 30, Friday, Lo de Marcos
I got up at 6:30 and Lynden was already up and making coffee; we brought a stove and our coffee making stuff. At 8, the girls went bird watching and we boys went cycling. Rick had borrowed a bike from a neighbor, a 5 miles run in the country side. On our return, Rick made scrambled eggs, bacon and toast served with fruits. It was delicious.
In the afternoon, we went kayaking to a beach in Rincon but unfortunately the surf was too strong so we walked the beach and had a couple of cerveza and lunch. We then walked in town where we looked for a boogie board but it was too expensive. Rincon is famous for its beaches and warm water which we tried out of course. It is also a popular destination for the gringos. We drove back to our RV Park and after showering and dressing, we walked into town where we treated ourselves and Judy and Rick to a wonderful fish dinner. It was delicious, cheap and we had lots of laughs. We had a nightcap back at the Park then all went to bed.
JAN 31, Saturday, kayaking and back to Los Cocos
Our last day here! We went to Rick and Judy for coffee, toast and fruits then we loaded all our gear and drove to Chacala Punta for a day of kayaking and beaching. We were successful in launching our kayaks and I managed to swamp and lose my sunglasses upon returning in front of a beach full of people. Needless to say I got the full applause and even was lucky enough to find my glasses by a lady who helped me looking for them. We swam and surf on our new boogie board which we bought in Piñata de Jaltemba, a town on the way here. Good thing the water was clear and the bottom sandy! We had a couple of cerveza after reloading the kayaks, said good-bye to Rick and Judy and left for home around 4 p,m. but the adventure wasn’t over. About 8 miles for Los Cocos, we had a flat, stopped and had the girls directing the traffic while we changed the tire. This happened right on a hill of course. A Mexican stopped to help who turned out to be our water delivery man. We were on our way quicker than a NASDAG Race, well almost! We got home, unloaded, showered then went to Casa Manana for pizza and beer. It was to bed early!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
January 21 to 24, 2009 In San Blas
JAN 21, Wednesday, wash day
I spent a good part of the morning washing the roof. It was filthy. Val went with Charlie bird-watching. By 10:30, I was finished (started at 8 a.m.), took a shower and went to the hotel down the road with Lynden to do internet stuff. As we were driving down, we both realized that we didn’t have our wallets as they were in his truck which Charlie was driving but I had 100 pesos which would be ample. As we neared the hotel, we met the girls coming back so they came with us. We had breakfast and did our internet stuff and so did the Kirkby’s. I uploaded my blog, downloaded my mail, and checked my bank.
We came back to our site and just lazed around. I went to the bank to get more cash and cerveza.
JAN 22, Thursday, Playa Amor
I washed the front and the rear of the rig this morning. The sun is out and it is very warm. Val did another load of laundry. About two dozen cattle ran by our campsite this morning driven by a single caballero. They were on the road and the field across from us. Quite interesting to see.
In the afternoon, we read, snoozed, lazed around, went for a walk on the beach then met the group for happy hour.
JAN 23, Friday, Playa Amor
This morning I washed the left side of the rig and Val went with the girls to visit a home and go bird-watching. Another tough day in progress!!!
The balance of the day, we just relaxed, went to the hotel to do some banking on the net, downloaded our mail and uploaded some pictures to Picasa Folder. Cooked some Mexican sausages that I had bought for lunch which turned out to be pretty good. We had our usual happy hour but the group was much smaller today. I think it was because of the wind and it was cooler today, only 80*F. Funny how one gets acclimatized to this heat.
JAN 24, Saturday, visit Santiago
We, the Kirkby’s and us, went to a town named Santiago, approx 70 km from here. We also wanted to see the road as it was recommended as a way out back to Hwy 15. Santiago was like any other big village. There were lots of shops and markets, all kinds of meat and fish for sale. We walked around, visited the town square and the local church, looked at few trinklets, bought a small backpack and a little money purse for our change then we hunted for a restaurant for lunch with no success so we wended up in the bus station at a small eatery where we had the best sandwich I ever tasted. It was made on pannelli bread and toasted with ham and chili.
From here, we walked back to the truck and drove home. It was a good day. We were just in time for happy hour. Afterwards, we went for the traditional pizza night at the hotel.
A good day overall!
I spent a good part of the morning washing the roof. It was filthy. Val went with Charlie bird-watching. By 10:30, I was finished (started at 8 a.m.), took a shower and went to the hotel down the road with Lynden to do internet stuff. As we were driving down, we both realized that we didn’t have our wallets as they were in his truck which Charlie was driving but I had 100 pesos which would be ample. As we neared the hotel, we met the girls coming back so they came with us. We had breakfast and did our internet stuff and so did the Kirkby’s. I uploaded my blog, downloaded my mail, and checked my bank.
We came back to our site and just lazed around. I went to the bank to get more cash and cerveza.
JAN 22, Thursday, Playa Amor
I washed the front and the rear of the rig this morning. The sun is out and it is very warm. Val did another load of laundry. About two dozen cattle ran by our campsite this morning driven by a single caballero. They were on the road and the field across from us. Quite interesting to see.
In the afternoon, we read, snoozed, lazed around, went for a walk on the beach then met the group for happy hour.
JAN 23, Friday, Playa Amor
This morning I washed the left side of the rig and Val went with the girls to visit a home and go bird-watching. Another tough day in progress!!!
The balance of the day, we just relaxed, went to the hotel to do some banking on the net, downloaded our mail and uploaded some pictures to Picasa Folder. Cooked some Mexican sausages that I had bought for lunch which turned out to be pretty good. We had our usual happy hour but the group was much smaller today. I think it was because of the wind and it was cooler today, only 80*F. Funny how one gets acclimatized to this heat.
JAN 24, Saturday, visit Santiago
We, the Kirkby’s and us, went to a town named Santiago, approx 70 km from here. We also wanted to see the road as it was recommended as a way out back to Hwy 15. Santiago was like any other big village. There were lots of shops and markets, all kinds of meat and fish for sale. We walked around, visited the town square and the local church, looked at few trinklets, bought a small backpack and a little money purse for our change then we hunted for a restaurant for lunch with no success so we wended up in the bus station at a small eatery where we had the best sandwich I ever tasted. It was made on pannelli bread and toasted with ham and chili.
From here, we walked back to the truck and drove home. It was a good day. We were just in time for happy hour. Afterwards, we went for the traditional pizza night at the hotel.
A good day overall!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
January 15 to 20, 2009, Mazatlan to San Blas
JAN 15, Thursday, Mazatlan
A lazy and warm morning, we finally got going around by noon. We went for a walk on the beach with Tucker. There are a lot of people walking about, mostly tourist. We met a couple from Sand Point, Idaho, Cliff and Carol. We walked with them and chatted and on the return, we stopped for a cerveza. Very nice and friendly couple. They flew down for a week only and are staying in a time share. Tucker enjoyed his Taco!
We came home and had fish for dinner. It is war, but comfortable. It JAN 16, Friday, last day in Mazatlan
We went to MEGA shopping for groceries. This store is actually cheaper than WalMart. Came home and unloaded the groceries than read for a while. At the end of the day, I packed pretty well everything and loaded the bikes.
Afterwards, we went for a walk along the strip. Being Friday night, there was lots of music being played. We watched an artist for a while painting scene with just sparay paint and strips of papers, no brush. Quite amazing and talented. Tucker also enjoyed this long walk.
JAN 17, Saturday, to San Blas
We left around 9 a.m. and as we drove out of town, I took the wrong turn and ended up doing a long detour. Finally, we got on Hwy 15 libre and headed south. We went through a military check point but weren’t stopped. South of Rosamorada, we stopped for lunch and fuel, 66.849 litres.
As we drove further south, the vegetation became thicker, lushier and we saw lot of fruit trees and banana palm. We are in the real tropical south now. We turned onto Hwy 54 to San Blas and again missed our turn and ended up in San Blas which we were told NOT to do. We turned around in a Pemex and found our turn along the coast, Hwy 012. Eight miles later, we arrived at our destination, PLAYA AMOR RV Park, south of ATICAMA. Our friends, the Kirkby’s, are here and met us with open arms. We haven’t seen them for over a year so it was a good reunion.
We set up in lot #14, paid 4149 pesos (approx $370 cdn) for 4 weeks and had a beer to celebrate. It is very warm and humid but there is a breeze off the ocean which is right across from us. In the evening, we went for pizza with almost everyone at a local restaurant near by. The pizza was good and cheap…$14 for that and 4 beers! We came home and went to bed.
We travelled 327 KM in 6.5 hours at an average speed of 38 MPH
N 21* 28’ 29”
W 105* 11’ 46”
Alt 30 feet
JAN 18, Sunday, in San Blas
We got up to a beautiful sunshine and warm weather already at 7 a.m. Val did her Tai-Chi and Yoga then we went back to the hotel for WIFI and internet connection. We skyped (internet phone) Gilles and wish him happy 50th birthday.
In the afternoon we went for a swim in the ocean, The water is perfect and the beach is sandy and is shallow for a distance. At 5 p.m. we met with the group at the grassy knoll (see pictures) for happy hour. This is to become our nightly ritual. There are approx 20 rigs in here staying for a lengthy period. Everyone is friendly and jovial.
JAN 19, Monday, Exploring
A cloudy day but the sun did come out in the afternoon. We went to the village of San Blas, approx 30 thousand people. We visited the old Spanish fort built in the 1600-1700 which they are in the process of repairing. It was interesting and because it was built on a bluff, we had a wonderful view of the village and the surroundings. We had an lady, Rosa, who gave us an impromptu visit and showed us carving we properly would have missed. She was quite neat and we gave 25 pesos at the end which pleased her. San Blas was a major departure point to explore north to California and other points. The French tried to take possession but were defeated. This was also where the original San Blas was located before moving int o the valley below. We drove down to the square centre and walked around. We looked at the market, and old church from the 1800’s then went for lunch at McDonald restaurant (Not the golden M), very popular with the gringos and they make excellent burgers
In the afternoon, we all went for a swim. The waves were bigger which made it fun. I almost lost my bathing suits to the delight of the girls around. Needless to say, I got teased at the happy hour. I finally got my satellite working, thanks to Mac so we now have news from home
JAN 20, Tuesday, Kayaking day
Cloudy and humid today. Eight of us (Charlene, Lynden, Walt, Marlene, Leo and Lynn) went kayaking today to a river about 20 miles from here on the way to Puerto Vallarta. We actually had to use the 4X4 on the truck to get in (we were with the Kirkby’s). We kayaked up the river amongst the mangrove and we saw lot of birds but no crocodiles. There were about 6 or 7 fishermen working their nets on the river but it seemed a slow day. We paddled for about 2 miles to this delta and had lunch there then returned. It was a lazy paddle and the breeze made it comfortable.
We drove back to our camp, had happy hour after washing the equipment and showering then had dinner. L & C came over for a nightcap and discuss future plans.
always seems to cool off in the evening so we can sleep without any problems.
I WILL UPLOAD PICTURES LATER, Ran out of time
A lazy and warm morning, we finally got going around by noon. We went for a walk on the beach with Tucker. There are a lot of people walking about, mostly tourist. We met a couple from Sand Point, Idaho, Cliff and Carol. We walked with them and chatted and on the return, we stopped for a cerveza. Very nice and friendly couple. They flew down for a week only and are staying in a time share. Tucker enjoyed his Taco!
We came home and had fish for dinner. It is war, but comfortable. It JAN 16, Friday, last day in Mazatlan
We went to MEGA shopping for groceries. This store is actually cheaper than WalMart. Came home and unloaded the groceries than read for a while. At the end of the day, I packed pretty well everything and loaded the bikes.
Afterwards, we went for a walk along the strip. Being Friday night, there was lots of music being played. We watched an artist for a while painting scene with just sparay paint and strips of papers, no brush. Quite amazing and talented. Tucker also enjoyed this long walk.
JAN 17, Saturday, to San Blas
We left around 9 a.m. and as we drove out of town, I took the wrong turn and ended up doing a long detour. Finally, we got on Hwy 15 libre and headed south. We went through a military check point but weren’t stopped. South of Rosamorada, we stopped for lunch and fuel, 66.849 litres.
As we drove further south, the vegetation became thicker, lushier and we saw lot of fruit trees and banana palm. We are in the real tropical south now. We turned onto Hwy 54 to San Blas and again missed our turn and ended up in San Blas which we were told NOT to do. We turned around in a Pemex and found our turn along the coast, Hwy 012. Eight miles later, we arrived at our destination, PLAYA AMOR RV Park, south of ATICAMA. Our friends, the Kirkby’s, are here and met us with open arms. We haven’t seen them for over a year so it was a good reunion.
We set up in lot #14, paid 4149 pesos (approx $370 cdn) for 4 weeks and had a beer to celebrate. It is very warm and humid but there is a breeze off the ocean which is right across from us. In the evening, we went for pizza with almost everyone at a local restaurant near by. The pizza was good and cheap…$14 for that and 4 beers! We came home and went to bed.
We travelled 327 KM in 6.5 hours at an average speed of 38 MPH
N 21* 28’ 29”
W 105* 11’ 46”
Alt 30 feet
JAN 18, Sunday, in San Blas
We got up to a beautiful sunshine and warm weather already at 7 a.m. Val did her Tai-Chi and Yoga then we went back to the hotel for WIFI and internet connection. We skyped (internet phone) Gilles and wish him happy 50th birthday.
In the afternoon we went for a swim in the ocean, The water is perfect and the beach is sandy and is shallow for a distance. At 5 p.m. we met with the group at the grassy knoll (see pictures) for happy hour. This is to become our nightly ritual. There are approx 20 rigs in here staying for a lengthy period. Everyone is friendly and jovial.
JAN 19, Monday, Exploring
A cloudy day but the sun did come out in the afternoon. We went to the village of San Blas, approx 30 thousand people. We visited the old Spanish fort built in the 1600-1700 which they are in the process of repairing. It was interesting and because it was built on a bluff, we had a wonderful view of the village and the surroundings. We had an lady, Rosa, who gave us an impromptu visit and showed us carving we properly would have missed. She was quite neat and we gave 25 pesos at the end which pleased her. San Blas was a major departure point to explore north to California and other points. The French tried to take possession but were defeated. This was also where the original San Blas was located before moving int o the valley below. We drove down to the square centre and walked around. We looked at the market, and old church from the 1800’s then went for lunch at McDonald restaurant (Not the golden M), very popular with the gringos and they make excellent burgers
In the afternoon, we all went for a swim. The waves were bigger which made it fun. I almost lost my bathing suits to the delight of the girls around. Needless to say, I got teased at the happy hour. I finally got my satellite working, thanks to Mac so we now have news from home
JAN 20, Tuesday, Kayaking day
Cloudy and humid today. Eight of us (Charlene, Lynden, Walt, Marlene, Leo and Lynn) went kayaking today to a river about 20 miles from here on the way to Puerto Vallarta. We actually had to use the 4X4 on the truck to get in (we were with the Kirkby’s). We kayaked up the river amongst the mangrove and we saw lot of birds but no crocodiles. There were about 6 or 7 fishermen working their nets on the river but it seemed a slow day. We paddled for about 2 miles to this delta and had lunch there then returned. It was a lazy paddle and the breeze made it comfortable.
We drove back to our camp, had happy hour after washing the equipment and showering then had dinner. L & C came over for a nightcap and discuss future plans.
always seems to cool off in the evening so we can sleep without any problems.
I WILL UPLOAD PICTURES LATER, Ran out of time
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
January 10 to 14, 2009, To mazatlan, Mexico
JAN 10, Saturday to Mexico
We were up by 6 a.m. and on the road by 7:15 after showering, dumping and having a quick breakfast. We drove Hwy 83 to 282 then south to the border. We fuelled just before crossing and took the International bridge after paying $8.
We arrived at the Mexican border and had all our papers filled out and paid for within an hour. Total cost was $160 cdn (1628 pesos) for our visa and permits for the truck & trailer. The truck permit is good for 6 months only but the trailer is good for 10 years. We met another Cdn couple form Quebec at the border but they are going to Cancun.
We drove on to Hwy 2 then hwy 40 which will take us all the way to Mazatlan. The hwy was fairly good and we took the “Libre” side and not the toll. We stopped in Juarez for lunch and to fill up (.73cents/litre) then we went on. We got stopped by a local police who wanted and insisted on a cola. After telling him I had none, he persisted so I got out and gave a can of Tonic Water. Val is still laughing thinking about his face puckering up after he tasted that. We didn’t stick around and left. We’ve been climbing steadily and as we arrived in Monterrey, we finally got a glimpse of the mountains but they are shrouded in pollution. Monterrey has a population of over 3 million people. I missed my turn so we had to drive through the city which took us a good 2 hours. I finally made it without any incident and we went on to Saltillo. We kept climbing to 5000 feet and finally arrived at our destination for the day. We are parked in the back of a hotel with an RV park which consists of about 12 parking spot with water and 15 amps electricity. After we parked, 3 other rigs came in….2 Canadians from Ontario and one American from Michigan.
Saltillo has a population of approx. 600,000 people. The RV park is near the east side of town and was easy to find. We arrived at 3;15 and paid 250 pesos (about $22 cdn). We can’t really see the mountains due to the pollution but we hope to see them better tomorrow. Overall it’s been a good day
N 25* 27’ 27”
W 100* 59’ 12”
Alt: 4975 feet
Distance today 353 KM at 37 MPH in 8 hours
JAN 11, Sunday, to Durango, MX
We got up early and were on the road by 8:15 a.m. We drove through Saltillo on 40 libre (no tolls) and began our ascend to 5000 feet where we encountered a plateau. For a while, it was like ranch country then changed to desert like with very little vegetation. The road was straight for miles and miles. We arrived in Torreon, another big city, went around it via hwy 40 and on the west side, we stopped for lunch. I also took on fuel here @ 7.409 pesos for 53.84 litres. ( approx. $2.20 cdn a gallon). Soon after, we were stopped at a military check point, the first we saw since leaving, and the young soldiers wanted to see inside the rig so we obliged. They were really impressed and the officer spoke a little English and had many questions. They were very polite. They thought we were Americans and seemed surprise to hear we were Canadians. They were fascinated by our map on the side of the rig and all the places we had been.
From here, we really turned southwest and began climbing to 6000 feet until Durango, our last stop before the coast. This is a city of over 400,000 people, big and polluted. Poverty is evident near the edge of the city with shacks built of bamboo and tar paper, just like what we saw in the Phillipines. The temperature all day never went over 55*F (11*C) We got to the hotel we were supposed to stay after getting lost but quickly recovered and found out that they no longer have camping. Beside the hotel was a “City Superclub” (like Costco) so we asked permission to stay in their parking lot out of the way and were given permission. They have 24 hours security so we are pretty safe. Again, we are on the East side of town.
We drove a total of 536 KM in 8.5 hours at an average speed of 43 MPH
N 24* 01’ 51”
W 104* 30’ 36”
Alt: 6190 feet
JAN 12, Monday, onwards to Mazatlan
Once again we were up early and on the road by 8:15 a.m. The place was very quiet considering. We by-passed the city by driving north on hwy 45 then around on hwy 40. Once on the west side of town we began climbing to 8000 feet where we drove on a plateau that looked like ranch country with lots of grass. We crossed a small town, El Salto, where I took on fuel 60 litres and soon we began seeing more and more evergreen until that’s all there was and we climbed again and reached our highest point, 9,500 feet. We were in the Sierra “Madre Occidental” and, WOW!!!!!, what a view! A huge canyon opened up beside us and we could see for miles. We began going up and down, crossing three canyons until we reached the mother of them all, the “Devil’s Spine”, a natural bridge between two canyon. (see pictures) There was room here to park so we stopped and looked around and took lots of pictures. What a view! We were between two canyon and below us, we could see houses and roads on this one knoll.
From here, 8900 feet, we began crossing our last ridge and our descend to Mazatlan. The road was tortuous and lots of switch back. Fortunately the road was good and wide. We saw a truck turned on its side, I guess he took the corner too fast which is common here. I had people passing us in curves. Our average speed here was around 20 MPH, first and second gear with the Jake on whenever needed.
We eventually crossed into Sinaloa States where we changed our clock one hour back to Mountain Zone. Finally we passed the “Tropic of Cancer” a little bit lower with the usual round ball of cement as we saw in the Baja near Cabo. The scenery was absolutely incredible throughout and we were amazed at these little houses on the side of the road just hanging over the canyons. The poverty is evident but people seemed happy in their way of life. We went from a temperature of 54* at the top to 85* below in the valley near the ocean. We are now in the tropics.
We arrived in Mazatlan and our site for the next 5 days, at Bartolo RV Park, full of BC’ers and Albertans and a few Americans. We paid 1635 pesos for 5 days ( 26$ US/night). Within an hour, half the park had come over to introduce themselves and see these “new” arrivals. Very friendly park. We are very in the “Golden Corridor”, where all the hotels and restaurants are. We are set one block back from the main strip. It should be interesting to explore.
We travelled 331 KM in 8hrs at an average speed of 29 MPH for the whole day.
N 23* 15’ 40”
W 106* 27’ 48”
Alt: 20 feet
JAN 13, Tuesday, in Mazatlan
Not much to report on this day. We completed our set up, unloaded the bikes and met our neighbors. People here are very friendly and talktavive. We went for a walk on the strip and the beach which is one block away. I got drinking water and fill our tank as the water pressure is really lousy here. This means we use our water pump instead. We sat outside in the evening and went for another walk around the area. The climate is quite comfortable…warm during the day and there is a breeze blowing in the evening which cools things to a comfortable level.
My bloody throttle switch is acting up again.
JAN 14, Wednesday, Mazatlan
Val did a couple loads of laundry and then we went for a drive up the coast a way and looked at other campgrounds. It is expensive here. We then drove back on hwy 15 and went into Mazatlan centro. It was interesting and busy, which I expected. We stopped at a Wal-Mart and picked up some beer and I wanted to buy a new map book but I found that it was basically the same so I didn’t bother. I stopped to fuel up, 400 pesos for 53.845 litres. We drove along the water, parked and walked the beach and took some pictures. We had Cameron tacos and cerveza then came home following the beach road. This is a nice place but a little too busy for us although the climate is wonderful.
We were up by 6 a.m. and on the road by 7:15 after showering, dumping and having a quick breakfast. We drove Hwy 83 to 282 then south to the border. We fuelled just before crossing and took the International bridge after paying $8.
We arrived at the Mexican border and had all our papers filled out and paid for within an hour. Total cost was $160 cdn (1628 pesos) for our visa and permits for the truck & trailer. The truck permit is good for 6 months only but the trailer is good for 10 years. We met another Cdn couple form Quebec at the border but they are going to Cancun.
We drove on to Hwy 2 then hwy 40 which will take us all the way to Mazatlan. The hwy was fairly good and we took the “Libre” side and not the toll. We stopped in Juarez for lunch and to fill up (.73cents/litre) then we went on. We got stopped by a local police who wanted and insisted on a cola. After telling him I had none, he persisted so I got out and gave a can of Tonic Water. Val is still laughing thinking about his face puckering up after he tasted that. We didn’t stick around and left. We’ve been climbing steadily and as we arrived in Monterrey, we finally got a glimpse of the mountains but they are shrouded in pollution. Monterrey has a population of over 3 million people. I missed my turn so we had to drive through the city which took us a good 2 hours. I finally made it without any incident and we went on to Saltillo. We kept climbing to 5000 feet and finally arrived at our destination for the day. We are parked in the back of a hotel with an RV park which consists of about 12 parking spot with water and 15 amps electricity. After we parked, 3 other rigs came in….2 Canadians from Ontario and one American from Michigan.
Saltillo has a population of approx. 600,000 people. The RV park is near the east side of town and was easy to find. We arrived at 3;15 and paid 250 pesos (about $22 cdn). We can’t really see the mountains due to the pollution but we hope to see them better tomorrow. Overall it’s been a good day
N 25* 27’ 27”
W 100* 59’ 12”
Alt: 4975 feet
Distance today 353 KM at 37 MPH in 8 hours
JAN 11, Sunday, to Durango, MX
We got up early and were on the road by 8:15 a.m. We drove through Saltillo on 40 libre (no tolls) and began our ascend to 5000 feet where we encountered a plateau. For a while, it was like ranch country then changed to desert like with very little vegetation. The road was straight for miles and miles. We arrived in Torreon, another big city, went around it via hwy 40 and on the west side, we stopped for lunch. I also took on fuel here @ 7.409 pesos for 53.84 litres. ( approx. $2.20 cdn a gallon). Soon after, we were stopped at a military check point, the first we saw since leaving, and the young soldiers wanted to see inside the rig so we obliged. They were really impressed and the officer spoke a little English and had many questions. They were very polite. They thought we were Americans and seemed surprise to hear we were Canadians. They were fascinated by our map on the side of the rig and all the places we had been.
From here, we really turned southwest and began climbing to 6000 feet until Durango, our last stop before the coast. This is a city of over 400,000 people, big and polluted. Poverty is evident near the edge of the city with shacks built of bamboo and tar paper, just like what we saw in the Phillipines. The temperature all day never went over 55*F (11*C) We got to the hotel we were supposed to stay after getting lost but quickly recovered and found out that they no longer have camping. Beside the hotel was a “City Superclub” (like Costco) so we asked permission to stay in their parking lot out of the way and were given permission. They have 24 hours security so we are pretty safe. Again, we are on the East side of town.
We drove a total of 536 KM in 8.5 hours at an average speed of 43 MPH
N 24* 01’ 51”
W 104* 30’ 36”
Alt: 6190 feet
JAN 12, Monday, onwards to Mazatlan
Once again we were up early and on the road by 8:15 a.m. The place was very quiet considering. We by-passed the city by driving north on hwy 45 then around on hwy 40. Once on the west side of town we began climbing to 8000 feet where we drove on a plateau that looked like ranch country with lots of grass. We crossed a small town, El Salto, where I took on fuel 60 litres and soon we began seeing more and more evergreen until that’s all there was and we climbed again and reached our highest point, 9,500 feet. We were in the Sierra “Madre Occidental” and, WOW!!!!!, what a view! A huge canyon opened up beside us and we could see for miles. We began going up and down, crossing three canyons until we reached the mother of them all, the “Devil’s Spine”, a natural bridge between two canyon. (see pictures) There was room here to park so we stopped and looked around and took lots of pictures. What a view! We were between two canyon and below us, we could see houses and roads on this one knoll.
From here, 8900 feet, we began crossing our last ridge and our descend to Mazatlan. The road was tortuous and lots of switch back. Fortunately the road was good and wide. We saw a truck turned on its side, I guess he took the corner too fast which is common here. I had people passing us in curves. Our average speed here was around 20 MPH, first and second gear with the Jake on whenever needed.
We eventually crossed into Sinaloa States where we changed our clock one hour back to Mountain Zone. Finally we passed the “Tropic of Cancer” a little bit lower with the usual round ball of cement as we saw in the Baja near Cabo. The scenery was absolutely incredible throughout and we were amazed at these little houses on the side of the road just hanging over the canyons. The poverty is evident but people seemed happy in their way of life. We went from a temperature of 54* at the top to 85* below in the valley near the ocean. We are now in the tropics.
We arrived in Mazatlan and our site for the next 5 days, at Bartolo RV Park, full of BC’ers and Albertans and a few Americans. We paid 1635 pesos for 5 days ( 26$ US/night). Within an hour, half the park had come over to introduce themselves and see these “new” arrivals. Very friendly park. We are very in the “Golden Corridor”, where all the hotels and restaurants are. We are set one block back from the main strip. It should be interesting to explore.
We travelled 331 KM in 8hrs at an average speed of 29 MPH for the whole day.
N 23* 15’ 40”
W 106* 27’ 48”
Alt: 20 feet
JAN 13, Tuesday, in Mazatlan
Not much to report on this day. We completed our set up, unloaded the bikes and met our neighbors. People here are very friendly and talktavive. We went for a walk on the strip and the beach which is one block away. I got drinking water and fill our tank as the water pressure is really lousy here. This means we use our water pump instead. We sat outside in the evening and went for another walk around the area. The climate is quite comfortable…warm during the day and there is a breeze blowing in the evening which cools things to a comfortable level.
My bloody throttle switch is acting up again.
JAN 14, Wednesday, Mazatlan
Val did a couple loads of laundry and then we went for a drive up the coast a way and looked at other campgrounds. It is expensive here. We then drove back on hwy 15 and went into Mazatlan centro. It was interesting and busy, which I expected. We stopped at a Wal-Mart and picked up some beer and I wanted to buy a new map book but I found that it was basically the same so I didn’t bother. I stopped to fuel up, 400 pesos for 53.845 litres. We drove along the water, parked and walked the beach and took some pictures. We had Cameron tacos and cerveza then came home following the beach road. This is a nice place but a little too busy for us although the climate is wonderful.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
January 6 to 9, 2009 Rockport to Donna, Texas
JAN 6, Tuesday
I had to get up early today to get early to take Tucker out for his haircut. On the way back, I stopped at Dairy Queen to access the internet (free) and download my blog and upload the e-mail or is that the other way around!?? The day began rainy and cold but it’s now clearing up and warming up. I ordered my Mexican insurance from Mexicobob@aol.com and updated our finances and checked our bank balances.
We picked up Tucker in the afternoon and Val made an appointment to get her hair done tomorrow.
JAN 7, Wednesday, last day in Rockport
Our last day here. I loaded the kayaks and the bikes and the rest of the stuff laying around. Val got her hair cut in the afternoon and I picked up a couple light bulbs for the rig and went to DQ to download our e-mail.
JAN 8, Thursday, To Donna, Rio Grande Valley, Texas
We left at 9:30 for Donna in the Rio Grande Valley. We drove south on hwy35 then west on 44 and eventually south on 77. We arrived at our site in Donna on hwy 83 by 2:30 p,m, We are at Country Side RV Park, a Passport park for $11 a night. We are here for two nights. It is hot (82*F, 24*C) and windy. We have WIFI so I can catch up to my mail. We also got our regular mail today so double bonus.
In the evening, we phoned almost everyone to let them know that we will be in Mexico as of Saturday and our cellular will be on hold until we return to the States.
We covered 323 KM in 5 hours at an average of 45 MPH
N 26* 10’ 33”
W 98* 04” 41”
Alt: 86 feet
JAN 9, Friday, last day in Donna, Tx
A very hot day, but windy which saved us. I washed the truck and the front of the rig then we went shopping for last minute items. Basically got the truck ready for tomorrow. I am a bit nervous going across but it should be OK. I am not the first nor the last that has done this trip. I am hoping though that we meet someone else at the border that is going across. I have made copies of all the necessary papers for the crossing and we have our Mexican Insurance.
I’ve downloaded the last of our pictures to folder #32 in Picasa link. Now, we begin our second to last leg to home.
I had to get up early today to get early to take Tucker out for his haircut. On the way back, I stopped at Dairy Queen to access the internet (free) and download my blog and upload the e-mail or is that the other way around!?? The day began rainy and cold but it’s now clearing up and warming up. I ordered my Mexican insurance from Mexicobob@aol.com and updated our finances and checked our bank balances.
We picked up Tucker in the afternoon and Val made an appointment to get her hair done tomorrow.
JAN 7, Wednesday, last day in Rockport
Our last day here. I loaded the kayaks and the bikes and the rest of the stuff laying around. Val got her hair cut in the afternoon and I picked up a couple light bulbs for the rig and went to DQ to download our e-mail.
JAN 8, Thursday, To Donna, Rio Grande Valley, Texas
We left at 9:30 for Donna in the Rio Grande Valley. We drove south on hwy35 then west on 44 and eventually south on 77. We arrived at our site in Donna on hwy 83 by 2:30 p,m, We are at Country Side RV Park, a Passport park for $11 a night. We are here for two nights. It is hot (82*F, 24*C) and windy. We have WIFI so I can catch up to my mail. We also got our regular mail today so double bonus.
In the evening, we phoned almost everyone to let them know that we will be in Mexico as of Saturday and our cellular will be on hold until we return to the States.
We covered 323 KM in 5 hours at an average of 45 MPH
N 26* 10’ 33”
W 98* 04” 41”
Alt: 86 feet
JAN 9, Friday, last day in Donna, Tx
A very hot day, but windy which saved us. I washed the truck and the front of the rig then we went shopping for last minute items. Basically got the truck ready for tomorrow. I am a bit nervous going across but it should be OK. I am not the first nor the last that has done this trip. I am hoping though that we meet someone else at the border that is going across. I have made copies of all the necessary papers for the crossing and we have our Mexican Insurance.
I’ve downloaded the last of our pictures to folder #32 in Picasa link. Now, we begin our second to last leg to home.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
January 1 to 5, 2009 In Texas
JAN. 1, 2009, Thursday, HAPPY NEW-YEAR!
WHAT A NIGHT!!!!! Andre and Claudette showed up at our place around 4 p.m. with steaks which I BBQ’ed then we left for New Orleans. On the way there, we had to stop for an accident and were stuck in traffic for about an hour. We finally arrived at the French Quarter, found a parking spot about 5 blocks away and walked in. The place was packed solid with people. Bourbon Street was the worst, shoulder to shoulder but what fun. Everyone was happy and in a good mood. There were people on balconies throwing bead necklaces and we had to reach up to catch one. The idea was to collect as many as one could. There were all kinds. Val and Claudette got quite a few. Some, the people would ask the girls to bare their chest and some actually did. Midnight finally arrived and there was a lot of yelling and kissing. They sure know how to celebrate in New Orleans. We went inside a pub and had a small bite to eat then headed back. We arrived back at our house around 4 a.m. We went straight to bed and got up at 10 a.m. We had breakfast and Andre and Claudette left for good to other adventures. We said our goodbyes and then we just relaxed for the rest of the day and caught up to our sleep.
JAN 2, Friday, leave for Texas
We were on the road by 10 a.m. We drove south on Hwy 90, west on 14 to Abbeville then south on 82 to the Gulf. We rode along and saw a lot of damage from Hurricane Gustave and Ike. People here are resilient and we saw a lot of construction going on. Along the way, we had to take a ferry to cross a river where we had lunch on the other side.
We crossed into Texas and drove on 73 through Port Arthur where we saw lots of oil rigs and big cranes. Then it was on I-10, through Houston, and south on 59 for our final leg. We spent the night in El Campo at a Wal-Mart.
N 29* 12’ 58”
W 96* 17’ 28”
Alt: 119 feet
Distance: 540 KM at an average of 50 MPH in almost 8 hours
JAN 3, Saturday, to Rockport
We got up at 8 a.m. and were on the road by 9:15 after a McDonald egg mcmuffin and a coffee. We headed south on 59, then 77 through Victoria. We stopped for some fuel at 2.399/gal. Unfortunately, I had seen some for sale at 1.999 earlier but didn’t stop. South of Victoria, we turned east on 188 then north on 35 and eventually arrived at Bayview Park, a Western Horizon Park, in Rockport. We are here for 5 nights, time to get things ready for Mexico. It is sunny and 80*F (25*C)
N 28* 06’ 14”
W 97* 01’ 58”
Alt: 20 feet
Distance: at an average speed of 50 MPH for 4.5 hours
JAN 4, Sunday, in Rockport
Foggy and humid again. After lunch, we took a drive to town to reminisce in the places we had seen before. I also wanted to find out a place to get an oil change and where Tucker could get a haircut. On the way in the throttle acted up again. It just quit while driving and came back on a few seconds later. This thing never quits.
We stopped at Wal-Mart for some groceries then came home. The wind has picked up and there are heavy black clouds, the temperature dropped from 78 to 56 to about an hour and kept dropping all evening. A cold front is coming down from the north.
JAN 5, Monday, Rockport
A cold day, temperature only got to 49*F (9*C). I got the oil changed on the truck today and put a new air filter then I went for a haircut and made an appointment for Tucker for tomorrow morning. Val did the laundry and vacuumed and cleaned inside "Q". It is too cold to do anything outside so we read and relaxed.
WHAT A NIGHT!!!!! Andre and Claudette showed up at our place around 4 p.m. with steaks which I BBQ’ed then we left for New Orleans. On the way there, we had to stop for an accident and were stuck in traffic for about an hour. We finally arrived at the French Quarter, found a parking spot about 5 blocks away and walked in. The place was packed solid with people. Bourbon Street was the worst, shoulder to shoulder but what fun. Everyone was happy and in a good mood. There were people on balconies throwing bead necklaces and we had to reach up to catch one. The idea was to collect as many as one could. There were all kinds. Val and Claudette got quite a few. Some, the people would ask the girls to bare their chest and some actually did. Midnight finally arrived and there was a lot of yelling and kissing. They sure know how to celebrate in New Orleans. We went inside a pub and had a small bite to eat then headed back. We arrived back at our house around 4 a.m. We went straight to bed and got up at 10 a.m. We had breakfast and Andre and Claudette left for good to other adventures. We said our goodbyes and then we just relaxed for the rest of the day and caught up to our sleep.
JAN 2, Friday, leave for Texas
We were on the road by 10 a.m. We drove south on Hwy 90, west on 14 to Abbeville then south on 82 to the Gulf. We rode along and saw a lot of damage from Hurricane Gustave and Ike. People here are resilient and we saw a lot of construction going on. Along the way, we had to take a ferry to cross a river where we had lunch on the other side.
We crossed into Texas and drove on 73 through Port Arthur where we saw lots of oil rigs and big cranes. Then it was on I-10, through Houston, and south on 59 for our final leg. We spent the night in El Campo at a Wal-Mart.
N 29* 12’ 58”
W 96* 17’ 28”
Alt: 119 feet
Distance: 540 KM at an average of 50 MPH in almost 8 hours
JAN 3, Saturday, to Rockport
We got up at 8 a.m. and were on the road by 9:15 after a McDonald egg mcmuffin and a coffee. We headed south on 59, then 77 through Victoria. We stopped for some fuel at 2.399/gal. Unfortunately, I had seen some for sale at 1.999 earlier but didn’t stop. South of Victoria, we turned east on 188 then north on 35 and eventually arrived at Bayview Park, a Western Horizon Park, in Rockport. We are here for 5 nights, time to get things ready for Mexico. It is sunny and 80*F (25*C)
N 28* 06’ 14”
W 97* 01’ 58”
Alt: 20 feet
Distance: at an average speed of 50 MPH for 4.5 hours
JAN 4, Sunday, in Rockport
Foggy and humid again. After lunch, we took a drive to town to reminisce in the places we had seen before. I also wanted to find out a place to get an oil change and where Tucker could get a haircut. On the way in the throttle acted up again. It just quit while driving and came back on a few seconds later. This thing never quits.
We stopped at Wal-Mart for some groceries then came home. The wind has picked up and there are heavy black clouds, the temperature dropped from 78 to 56 to about an hour and kept dropping all evening. A cold front is coming down from the north.
JAN 5, Monday, Rockport
A cold day, temperature only got to 49*F (9*C). I got the oil changed on the truck today and put a new air filter then I went for a haircut and made an appointment for Tucker for tomorrow morning. Val did the laundry and vacuumed and cleaned inside "Q". It is too cold to do anything outside so we read and relaxed.
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