Mazatlan es Muy Agradable

Just a few kilometers south of the Tropic of Cancer, Mazatlan is a breezy, pleasant place for a holiday. And it's absolutely full of tourists in a holiday frame of mind. We're finding it an interesting and entertaining place to hang out for a while. Because of the tourists, there are lots of services, stores and restaurants, but Mazatlan is much more than that; it is also a prosperous city with a working seaport and a thriving cultural centre. In addition, the weather is lovely—not hot and dusty but soft and soothing, with a breeze off the ocean.

When I first came here 34 years ago, the tourist zone was along the Malecon called Olas Altas (for the high waves on the beach). Even then the hotels were older, some dating from the forties and fifties. This area has fallen out of favour because of the rough waves and so many of the hotels here are a bit crumbly around the edges. There are great bargains to be had here though and it is still a bustling area. Now the major tourist area is the Zona Dorada a bit to the north along a safer and more gentle beach. And more hotels, condos and houses are being built beyond that.

Today after taking the dogs for their morning jaunt along the beach, Harry and I took the bus into the old part of Mazatlan. In recent years, this “old town” has come alive with colonial buildings, an incredibly beautiful restored theatre, a traditional plaza with bandstand, elegant restaurants as well as art galleries and coffee shops. Just beyond that is the malecon with its aging restaurants and funky feel. This is a really cool place to explore.

We're going to have visitors for a few days as well. Our friends Linette and Mark are flying down from Victoria to join us for a while. It's going to be a lot of fun discovering even more of Mazatlan's charms with them.

Made it to Mazatlan

Wow—two days in a row driving Mohita without mishap. We are feeling much more confident about her now. We arrived in Mazatlan this morning at around 11:00 and found a spot at the San Fernando RV park just a block back from the beach and near lots of tourist amenities. It has a nice pool and hot tub and a cute little outdoor clubhouse room as well as a laundry, good showers, and wireless internet—everything we need for a pleasant stay. The weather is lovely, warm (not hot) in the afternoon and cool at night. We signed up for four days but are now thinking of staying longer. There's lots to see and do here. This afternoon we took one of the open-air cabs they call pulmonias down to the municipal market to buy some provisions. Once you get away from the tourist zone the prices are quite reasonable. The dogs like it here too as there are no resident dogs lording it over them. Geordie's not too happy about the fireworks that went off about an hour ago, but aside from that, all is good.

Entering the State of Sinaloa

After a noisy night along the highway, we left left the Sonoran desert behind this morning and entered Sinaloa, the state to the south. We noticed quite a change as we made the transition from the dry desert climate to the semi-tropical zone. Cactus and dry earth give way to greener trees and huge fields. Now we see very few cactus, although it may be a factor of the intense irrigation in the area around Los Mochis and Culiacan. These cities are agricultural centres and export most of their crops to the USA and Canada. We saw fields stretching to the horizon on boths sides of the highway. Most seem to be planted with corn in various stages of growth. It occurred to me that here there is no planting season, crops can be started at any time of the year. So different from Canada where there is a definite season for various vegetables. We have heard that there is a huge demand for corn in the US to make ethanol to fuel biodiesel cars. Apparently this has drastically increased the price of maize and thus tortillas here in Mexico. Amazing how interconnected it all is.

The toll roads in Sinaloa are better than those to the north, but also more expensive. It seems that about every 20 miles there's another caseta de cuota (toll booth). Our total in tolls today was $31.30 to travel 329 kilometers—more than ten cents per km. We're debating whether to take the free roads as there is an alternate route everywhere. But since we drive fairly slowly in Mohita we don't want the pressure of big trucks trying to pass us. Also, our gas mileage isn't great so the longer distance of the free roads may end up costing more. Tomorrow we'll drive about 210 km to Mazatlan. We'll see how much that toll will cost.

We met some people traveling who eschew the toll roads completely and enjoy taking the free roads. Allison and Ches have driven from the New Mexico border down to Patscuaro and back up the west coast pretty well on free roads. However, they're driving a small diesel van so it makes more sense for them. We also met a young couple in an old Westphalia who are planning to take the back roads all the way down to the tip of South America. We've met some friendly and interesting travellers. The most adventurous ones so far have to be the couple couple from Sonoma County in California, who are tenting with their three littles ones aged one, two and three—plus a three-month old puppy. They're traveling into Central America and my hat is off to them.

Monday at the Mexican Muffler Shop

Yet again(!) we are spending the day at a mechanic's shop. This time it's in a pueblo so small that it doesn't even seem to have a name. It's on the toll road between Navojoa and Los Mochis, an agricultural crossroads area. Mohita started choking and sputtering on the hills and we decided to pull in and see if we could get someone to look at it. As we thought, it is clogged fuel filters which were easily changed. Since this place also replaces mufflers and ours was starting to go, we decided to have that done at the same time. That may have been a big mistake. It's not like Midas Muffler where you're in and out in an hour. This is a much slower process; we've been here for four hours now and the old muffler and tailpipe have been sawed off but the new stuff isn't on yet. Two guys are down in the well underneath Mohita but who know's what they're doing down there—maybe smoking pot. In any case, it's definitely happening on Mexican time.

My hope (prayer!) for today is that we can get going in time to get to Los Mochis (about 100 km down the road) in time to find a spot to camp before dark. Oh my, I'm having deju vu (again)! We are getting heartily sick of this process. This is the fifth time we've hung around mechanics shops since the start of our trip, actually the sixth if you count the guys putting on the chains way back there in Oregon. That seems like a lifetime ago. Meanwhile I'm sitting in Mohita in the blazing sun with all the blinds pulled down and the hatches and windows open trying to catch a breeze from the big trucks the rush by. The dogs are panting on the floor and Harry's sitting in a chair oustside watching for signs of progress. There don't seem to be any. Well, enough of my whining--I'll take the dogs out for another walk. We've found an abandoned building just down the way that has some shade where we can hang out for a bit before the resident dogs start barking insanely at us (see photo). This is how we while away the afternoon. We're rapidly improving our Spanish vocabulary for car parts. Bet you're glad you're not here with us today.

Later--
They finished the job around 6:45 pm—and by then they were our dearest friends. Raoul, the owner of the shop, invited us to park in his front yard overnight and even offered us the use of his kitchen and an extra bedroom (which we declined). However, again the kindness of the Mexican people is pretty overwhelming. Three people worked on Mohita. They replaced the muffler and tailpipe system completely (including fabricating the tailpipe), they replaced several filters and did some other necessary welding. It took them seven hours and they charged us $245. All in all, I think we did ok with that. Tomorrow morning early we'll head south for Culiacan, then to Mazatlan.

Dogs and Culture in Alamos

A fellow we met the other day told us Alamos is home to 10,000 people, 8,000 dogs and 11,000 roosters; he may not be far off the mark. I can't speak for the roosters (although they crow day and night)...but the dog life in this town is pretty in-your-face. Here at the Acosta Ranch there are three resident dogs that take pains to show their superiority and ownership of the place. One especially (we call her Lady) is a serious pack leader. She patrols from campsite to campsite several times a day, tail up, gaze direct, and all the other dogs defer to her. Apparently when one didn't, she bit him in the neck. The other two are her thugs, and they also patrol at regular intervals. Sometimes they'll play with dogs belonging to campers here, especially the 6-month old Lab pup who often wanders loose. Things seem to work out pretty well as all the visiting dogs (usually six or more) tend to mind their manners. Even Geordie keeps his distance from the resident dogs.

In town there are lots of dogs, either behind fences or wandering the streets, sometimes in groups but more often singly. The ones behind fences take pains to tell you you're not welcome, by growling and barking as you pass. The ones on the streets are more circumspect, sometimes cringing if you come too close. But even these ones in general look well fed and healthy. The first night we were here I woke up several times to a chorus of yipping and barking . I wondered at first if these were coyotes but I'm pretty sure it's packs of dogs communicating. I don't know what sets them off, whether it's someone coming by or maybe some kind of nightly ritual. In any case, the dog life in this town prevails.

We spent yesterday experiencing the culture of Alamos. We toured some of the beautifully restored houses, and attended an art gallery opening as well as the performance by the children of the Wizard of Oz. It was a treat to see the little ones in costume singing and dancing. The play was a little too long to hold the attention of some of the children in the audience and one little guy of about five in a cowboy hat climbed right up on the stage to take part.

There is a very relaxed feeling between the Mexican and Gringo families here. A group of American women raise money through the house tours and other ways to provide scholarships for village children to attend high school. The house tour was interesting and gave us an insight into the difficulties of actually living here. We heard about water shortages, termites, building methods and other details that made us realize it's not as easy as it seems to live here.

The art gallery was created in a partially-restored building. Apparently two guys rented it, cleaned it up, painted it out, and installed a show done by a young Tucson woman. It looked lovely with candles in niches in the walls and strings of lights in the courtyard. Everyone who was anyone in town was there last night at the opening, many in their fancy clothes. We keep seeing the same faces here and there in town. So after a week we're getting ready to be on the road again. Tomorrow we'll head south toward Mazatlan and the holiday crowds, probably spending one night at a campground on the way.

Mexico Awakens all the Senses

This is our fourth day in Alamos and we find we're more relaxed and more alive each day. Mexico is such a feast for all the senses. We wake up to the sound of birdsong and the tang of woodsmoke on the cool air. A couple of hours later, the sun is warm on our shoulders and we're tasting fresh squeezed orange juice or mango. As we walk along the cobbled streets we're dazzled with the riotous reds and magentas of bouganvillia spilling over the whitewashed walls. Everywhere there are sounds of kids laughing, roosters crowing, dogs barking, motors and occasionally the reverb Spanish of the roving advertising cars. People smile and greet us, and the scent of lemon blossom wafts over the cow dung smell. At midday, walking in the shade, we peek through the wrought iron gates into the courtyards with fountains and palm trees and patio furniture.

The pace of life here is languorous. People drift into town and then back again with their purchases from the market, the truck comes by to deliver the fresh water jugs, a man with a donkey unloads firewood, the dogs wander by on their patrol, and the gringos chat and trade tips on where to head to next. I'll stop now--as I don't want to make you too, too jealous. Probably we'll get tired of it sometime, but it won't be for a while. There are people who come here for six months of every year. It's a magical spot and we're so glad we found it.

Discovering Alamos, Sonora

It's 1:30 in the afternoon and I'm sitting here at a picnic table in the shade, sipping on lemonade made from the lemons that we picked up from behind our campsite. It's about 70 F and a little breeze is keeping the bugs away. The coconut palm fronds are moving just a bit and a rooster is crowing in the background. Both the dogs are at my feet having their siesta and the scent of orange blossom wafts by from time to time. This is the Rancho Acosta Trailer Park, just outside of Alamos, up in the foothills above Navojoa. What an amazingly beautiful place this is! The town is a restored mining village from the 17th century. It was abandoned after the Mexican revolution in 1910 and rediscovered in the 50s by artists and retirees. There are many gringos here but there is also a thriving Mexican presence. The gringos are muy sympatico and interesante, and take an enormous interest in keeping the town authentic. The weather is lovely—warm in the day and cool at night and the air is clear.

We spent this morning walking around the main plaza with the church and the central zocalo and its incredibly ornate bandstand. Many of the buildings are restored, but not all. We had our coffee in a little courtyard cafe, then stopped by the indoor mercado to buy some fruit and vegetables.

Tomorrow we'll be taking a tour of some of the historic houses and we plan to stay for at least four more days. On Saturday there is a performance at the Palacio of The Wizard of Oz—in Spanish. This is put on by a theatre company from Montana that works with the local children to put on the play. It should be a wonderful experience. I'm posting some photos of Alamos to give a flavour of this special place.

Driving in Mexico

It's always an adventure driving in Mexico—an entirely different experience from Canada and the US. For one thing, the roads have no shoulders, even the pricey four-lane toll roads. The right hand edge is marked with a white line and the pavement extends a couple of inches past that. In some places, there's an actual drop-off of up to 8 inches or more beyond that. From time to time there is a gravel or dirt pull-off but if you run into trouble you just have to pray that you can safely manage to get off the road.

Also, there are lots of topes. This is the word for speed bumps in the road and they can occur at any time, especially around little settlements. Sometimes there are signs warning you of topes ahead (see photo), but other times they just appear. In some places there are multiple tiny topes called “vibradoras” which are usually marked by parallel white lines across the road. It doesn't take long before both driver and passenger become very alert for topes and vibardoras.

We went over our first big one just past the border and we came down with such a crash that the closet door flew open and all the clothes on their hangers landed on the floor. We suffered some breakage of wine glasses and mugs in that one. Since then we've been extremely careful.

Another difference is the numerous shrines along the side of the road. Some are just simple crosses with a wreath; others are elaborate cement chapels with steeples and crosses, often painted a bright colour like turquoise or salmon pink or lemon yellow. We're not sure but we think these mark a place where someone was killed on the road. So there are warnings about safe driving as you go along. Other warnings are given by overturned cars and by the road kill along the way. We've seen two dead cows, a dead horse, and numerous dogs as well as smaller wild animals. The cows and horses are often being driven along paths by the side of the road by Mexican cowboys, but sometimes they're just wandering along.

Despite the warnings, the buses and trucks speed by at well over 100 km per hour on the straight sections. These vehicles take the toll roads and so do we, because the other roads are filled with slow farm trucks and pedestrian traffic. Being passed by a huge bus going that fast on a road with no shoulder is a challenge indeed. Harry is developing nerves of steel.

This afternoon we drove south from Guymas heading for Alamos. We passed through Ciudad Obregon, an agricultural area with lots of bright green fields, resulting from irrigation in the desert. Where there isn't any irrigation, the desert is a soft green right now with bushes and shrubs scattered around among carpets of tiny wild marigolds. My book tells me that these are harvested and sent to the US for chicken feed. Apparently it gives the egg yolks a nice orange colour. In places it's a lovely sight.

Right now, I'm sitting in Mohita in Navojoa at a llantera—a place that fixes flat tires. By some miracle, Harry noticed that one of our dual rear tires was looking a bit low. In fact it was flat. We're not sure if it was a puncture or a slow leak but it's totally flat. We're waiting for the fellows to fix it before we head on to Alamos to join Lorne and Anne. It may be that we end up here for the night as we've been advised never to drive after dark and it's now 4:30. It's 56 kilometers to Alamos so we may have to wait until tomorrow morning to get there. I'm crossing my fingers that it won't take too long.

Sunday at Totonaka RV Park

We're into the swing of things here at Totonaka. We woke up early after a night of listening to the disco music across the street (things rev up on Saturday night). The sky is blue, the sun shines and all the gringoes are cheerful. The dogs enjoyed their morning walk along the beach and then we returned to a breakfast of fresh papaya and bananas with yogurt and lattes. I made the lattes on Mohita's stove with coffee from the Caffe Fantastico and a little battery-operated frother. Here's Harry sitting in the sun enjoying his.

This is a nice park in a good location. There are about 100 spots and all are filled every day. When people pull in and there aren't spots, they just park on the road in the middle and wait for someone to pull out. Lots of people have been here for weeks or even months. Most of them are in very large bus-type Rvs or big trucks with trailers. There is a thriving Gringo community here in San Carlos. An art league, cooking classes, line dancing etc. All appear to be retirees. There isn't a soul under fifty here, unless you count the children of the workmen who occasionally come through to fix something in the park or bringing water or fresh fish to sell.

People just seem to hang around most of the day and visit from campsite to campsite. Some collect shells, some do crafts or paint, others charter boats and go fishing, or go out for dinner or shop at the variety of tourist shops. There is a group that goes hiking and a group that meets every afternoon at 4:00 for happy hour. For some, happy hour goes on till late in the evening. We've been avoiding that—not wanting to wake up with hangovers. Everyone is very friendly and lots of people have dogs. Because of Geordie's “issues” we haven't been able to talk much to the dog owners, but we meet others in the “clubhouse” where people go with their computers to check email, stock prices, or talk to their friends and family back home on Skype.

Pleasant as it is here, we're not ready to hunker down and join the expats. We're heading south tomorrow with Lorne and Anne to a restored colonial town called Alamos. After that they are going to take the train up to the Copper Canyon and we'll continue our adventures on the road.

A day in Guymas and San Carlos

This is our second day at the Totonaka RV Park in San Carlos. It's very popular because it's right across from the beach and within walking distance of shops and restaurants. Probably 60% of the people here are from BC so we feel right at home. In fact, we were approached by a woman who recognized Mohita by the boxes on the back. She andher husband lived in Surrey and owned the motorhome in the early 80s. The husband built the boxes so they could carry more stuff. The woman still had the chair that one of the boxes was built to fit. What are the chances of that?

The weather is coolish with a bit of a breeze and some clouds, but that's OK—we hear they had snow in San Diego! The dogs are settling down now and starting to relax—and so are we. There's also a lovely estuary nearby where we can take the dogs for a good run. It's nice to just kick back a bit and relax. These photos were taken in Guymas this morning. Unlike San Carlos, it is a very Mexican town with an old central area. This afternoon I went shopping with Annie to Tony's—a Mexican fellow who brings his truck full of fresh produce and sets up to sell to the Gringos. Lovely fresh fruit and veggies, fish, seafood, and even refried beans and guacamole. Harry did a little upkeep on Mohita. Tonight we're going to the potluck fish fry and tomorrow we're going to an art show.

Mohita Undergoes Bypass Surgery

Yesterday Mohita was in a dusty Wal-Mart parking lot; this morning she was in a cobblestone courtyard surrounded by flowers and tropical birds. But in between she underwent another tow and bypass surgery. We left Nogales early and made it through the border very smoothly, then drove through the desert to the city of Hermosillo and headed for San Carlos. About forty miles out, Mohita started choking and sputtering again and died. After trying to start her (and a few frustrated tears) we managed to get a tow truck to pull us into Guymas and to a mechanic. This was a different experience from the Ford service place. It was a cement block building with a barbed wire fence around it, crowded with cars and guys, some of them teenagers. The mechanic looked to be about fifteen--but he was a genius. He was able to diagnose the problem that all the other mechanics missed within about fifteen minutes. It turns out that all the stalling was from air locks that would occur when we switched from our main gas tank to the auxilliary. He bypassed the switching mechanism so we are now operating just from the main tank. We have our fingers and toes crossed that this will resolve the problem.

We spent last night in a lovely hotel in Guymas and are now heading off to San Carlos. It's been a long and grueling week trying to get Mohita fixed, but we finally made it to Mexico. I'd forgotten just how beautiful and different it is here. It's such a change from the US. Smiling children in school uniforms waving to us, beautiful flowers growing out of heaps of garbage, the kindness and politeness of the people, and the lovely sunny weather.

Today is el dia de Santo Valentino and all of Guymas is in fiesta mode. The hotel restaurant was full of people having a special breakfast. All the ladies were wearing their best red dresses and carrying red wrapped packages. Flower sellers did a great business selling red roses and balloons. The waiters in the restaurant gave all the ladies a red rose. What a wonderful welcome this has been!

Deja Vu

Our trip back last night ended with us stalling in rush hour traffic right across the intersection from the Walmart where we were heading to camp. We couldn't get it started again and had to get out and direct traffic around us. We were thinking we'd have to call a tow truck again, but some very kind Mexican guys with a big truck rescued us. They managed to tow us (with a rope) right across the intersection and into the safety area where campers can park. Today was essentially a repeat of yesterday. We spent most of the day in the Ford service area and then took Mohita on a test run up to Green Valley. This time the mechanic, Enrique, seems to have solved the problem--with a new fuel pump and some new fuel lines. The test run up and back Highway 19 went well, with no major stalling or choking. By now we know this part of the road pretty well having driven it five times in four days.

Anyway--we're ready now to head over the border to Mexico tomorrow. If we manage to get through the Mariposa gate in good time, we may be in San Carlos on the beach with Lorne and Anne tomorrow night. Wish us luck.

Ocho en Punto—Eh?

This morning we made sure to get to the mechanics well before 8:00 as instructed. We arrived about 7:45 and nobody was there except the friendly little guard dog. About 8:00 a truck driver showed up—also waiting for it to open. An hour later there was still no sign of the mechanics. Maybe they were on Mexican time—but we took it as a message from the universe to try somewhere else. We drove directly to the Ford Sales and Service Centre (which was right beside where we had been staying). Within 20 minutes they had diagnosed the problem as a malfunctioning ignition module. Two hours later we had a new module and were ready. However, just to be safe we headed back up the road towards Tucson for a test drive. Unfortunately, there is still a problem--when the engine heats up we can't start it again for a couple of hours. ARRGH! We're thinking we'll go back to the Ford service place and go to the next step to sorting this out. I mean, what are our options? We can fly home or we can fix this sucker and head down to Mexico. We'll keep you posted.

Passing the Weekend in a Border Town

Saturday morning we left Tucson and headed south again to Nogales. We planned to pick up a few things there and then cross the border into Mexico, but it turned out not to be. The work that was done in Tucson may have helped but it hasn't completely solved the problem. Mohita is still stalling and refusing to start when she's overheated. We couldn't get her started after we stopped to buy water. So Harry's tracked down another mechanic here in Nogales to see if we can sort this out. It may be something as simple as a malfunctioning choke but we need to be confident that we won't get stranded on a narrow Mexican road in a dangerous spot.

We have an appointment with the mechanics for Monday morning (a ocho en punto)...and until then we're here in Nogales. We checked into the Motel 6 to clean up, do laundry, and sleep in a real bed for a change while we wait. So here we are in a border town, just about as far south as we can be in the west without being in Mexico. We can see the hills across the border and there are signs of Mexican life everywhere. Lots of Mexican restaurants and signs in Spanish. Rattletrap buses run up and down the main street with white letters painted on the front windshield for “Walmart” and “Ross” stores. Our guess is that these buses pick up people who walk across the border and ferry them to the big American stores to do their shopping. We see lots of cars and trucks with plates from Sonora and Oaxaca and Spanish is spoken everywhere.

It's a big contrast from the little town of Tubac, about 40 miles north, where there are architect designed homes, upscale coffee shops, furniture stores and art galleries. (I don't need to tell you which photo is which, do I?) We thought we'd be able to find a coffee shop with wireless internet here but there seems to be nothing of the sort. This morning we walked all the way into town and the only suggestion people had about internet access was the library—which turned to be closed. Finally, a fellow told us that if you stand outside the Motel Americana you can get wireless in their parking lot. So that's how this is being sent.

The Kindness of Strangers

We spent all day Friday in Tucson while Eastside Auto Repair worked on the motor. It wasn't a big deal but it took all day before the work was done. We took advantage of the day to get the dogs in to see a vet about precautions for them in Mexico. Turns out they needed another vaccination and a tick preventive. We really lucked out with the repair shop—these were the kindest and most helpful people we've ever encountered. They allowed us to camp in front of their office and strung an electrical cord for two nights and a day. Julie who dispaches the tow trucks helped me find a vet and even got one of the drivers to take us and the dogs over there. The people at the vet's office were wonderful too, making copies of documents for us and calling a taxi. Then when we couldn't get a taxi (because Tucson is in the middle of a huge gem show and rodeo) a fellow who was just leaving the vet's with his dog offered us all a ride back. These people didn't even know us yet they went out of their way to assist us. Tucson is really a freindly place and we'd like to come back sometime.

Fear of Mexico

The closer we get to the border, the more we encounter people who are fearful of entering Mexico. A number of people we've met or talked to have expressed concern about our plan to drive there, especially when they find out that we're going deeper into the the country than just the border towns or the Baja. We've heard comments like “Why would you want to do that?” “Are you sure it's safe there?” Or, “You're very brave.” People seem to think that it's safe to fly in and hang out on the beach for a week but unsafe to drive across the border. We've heard stories of Mexican drug wars, stabbings, and robbery.

Because we haven't actually driven in Mexico before, we're starting to get a bit jittery, even though we know people who have travelled down the west coast before without any problem. My theory is that people in the southern part of California and Arizona know about Mexico only from the media and from stories of the border towns. We've spent quite a bit of time in various parts of Mexico and have never felt unsafe, however it has been a while since we were there. This morning we spoke to a Mexican mechanic who assured us that if we speak even a little Spanish everyone will love us—and in fact this has been our experience in the past.

The border crossing itself makes us a little nervous though, with the paperwork for the vehicle, the dogs, the passports, the insurance etc. But I expect that it will all work out and before long we'll be joining Lorne and Anne in San Carlos—that is once we get this rig back on the road. We're still waiting for parts to fix the starting problem.

Oh Lord, Stuck in Tucson

We're still in Tucson, waiting to have the motor home tuned up before we head south. She was running a bit rough and coughing and burping a bit--and then this afternoon she died on an on-ramp just as we were heading south to Nogales. So we've had her towed to a repair shop.

We're staying here overnight, plugged in with a cord so we have electricity and someone named Manny is providing us with wireless internet. It probably doesn't matter that we're parked beside a tattoo parlour and across from a 7-11 that chains up their wine. These perks are what we pay the big bucks for at the RV parks but tonight they're free. Some consolation for the $185 tow charge to get Mohita here tonight. We're actually glad this happened because we now realize we needed to address these problems before we get to Mexico. So tomorrow morning we'll get her tuned up and then head on down the road.

Dogs in the Desert

Yesterday we came through the Sonoran Desert on a bypass route. It was lovely freewheeling along beside the cactus and sage without too many big trucks. We took the dogs to play in several washes—these are dry river beds that snake through the area. A lot of dog owners in this area use these as off-leash areas. They are also home to coyotes and jackrabbits. Here's a picture of our desert dogs keeping an eye out for prey.

Last night we camped on the road outside a full RV park. Things are bit tight here with all the snowbirds from the US. Many of them (particularly the ones from Minnesota, Iowa, New Hampshire etc.) pull in for several months. I think things will be less crowded once we get into Mexico. We're spending the day trying to get a few things fixed on Mohita--controls for the stove and fridge are old and worn and not working very well. It turns out that parts are no longer available for this 30-year old relic, so we're improvising.

This is being sent from a coffee shop just outside the University of Arizona. We're going to try to find the exhibit of Ansell Adams photos and maybe take in the museum. The plan tomorrow is to cross into Mexico and try to hook up with Lorne and Anne in San Carlos. It may take another day before we get there though. We'll see how things go.

Across the Desert

Monday was spent recovering from the windstorm and visiting with Corinne. Early yesterday we left Beaumont and headed off along Highway 10 across the desert to Arizona. Passing through Palm Springs we encountered palm trees with snow-capped mountains in the background. It's still cool but getting warmer and the skies are now unremittingly blue. All day long we saw only one little cloud, and it turned out be hovering over the Palo Verde nuclear generating station.

We saw our first sajuaro cactus as we passed into Arizona. There are beginning to signs of Mexican culture as well. Increasingly we hear Spanish being spoken and packages of papaya with chile powder and colourful Mexican custards are for sale in gas stations and truck stops.

Yesterday we stopped for lunch at Quartzsite, an interesting spot where hundreds of campers and Rvs park willy-nilly in the desert among the sagebrush. This is a favourite place for snow birds and rockhounds. There was a sort of flea market gemstone show taking place there, with an amazing assortment of humanity including leathery brown wanderers, desert rats, and hucksters. The variety of gemstones is remarkable.

Last night was spent at a huge RV park in Buckeye, 30 miles west of Phoenix. When we saw the little dot called Buckeye on the map, we imagined a rustic Western town—but this appears to be a suburb of Phoenix. Just like at Beaumont, there are miles and miles of new housing developments and big malls. There's a huge Wal-Mart complex there that must have just opened because it doesn't even show on our list. Today we'll bypass Phoenix and head south towards Tucson. Our plan is to spend the next day or so preparing for our entry to Mexico.

Flyball and Windstorms in Palm Springs

Last night we arrived at Corinne's place and this morning we headed off to Palm Springs with her two dogs and our two dogs to a flyball practice. It poured rain last night in Beaumont but Corine assured us that there would be sun in Palm Springs, and indeed there was. By the time we got there at 9:00 the sun was peeking though the clouds and it got lovely and warm at times--up to 70 degrees. Both Geordie and Maggie got a chance to play flyball with their team "2 Fast 4 Paws" and they had a great time. I'm posting a photo of Maggie and me with the rest of the team.

After the practice we went out for lunch, then took the dogs for a bit of play and headed back to Beaumont. And that's when the windstorm kicked up. On the road to the freeway there was so much sand blowing across the road that we couldn't see a thing. It was like being in a blender full of sand. The wind was hitting the side of Mohita so hard that it sounded like a kettle drum. We crept along for about fifteen minutes and it was so bad that we decided to pull into a gas station and wait for things to settle down. The gas station was in crisis because the wind had blown over one of the gas pumps, spraying gasoline everywhere. We waited about an hour and then Brenda (one of the flyball team members) came over and led us around a back way to avoid the worst of the wind. By the time we got back to Corinne's we had come through blowing sand, blasting wind, whipping rain, whiteouts, and flooded roads. The only thing we didn't experience today was an earthquake. It was a horrendous trip. Such a treat to get back to Beaumont and cook a nice dinner and relax. All in all, an adventure. We're hoping that the rest of the trip will have easier weather. The other photo shows Mohita parked outside Corinne's place. The motorhome definitely stands out in this neighbourhood.

A visit to Los Alamos, CA

We left Berkeley Friday morning and took Highway 101 South on the advice of Helen and Sam (to avoid another snow-bound mountain pass). The dogs are glad to be back on the road after hanging out in Mohita alone for almost two days, since Helen's dog Addie was not willing to allow other canines in her home.

Last night we stopped at a little town in the Santa Ynez mountains. There was no formal RV park and certainly no Wal-Mart so Harry went into an old hotel to ask about parking on a side street. They said that would be fine and invited us to have dinner in their newly opened restaurant. This place is an amazing piece of old highway history. The hotel was built in 1908 and the gas station beside it in 1923 (when the highway went right through Los Alamos). The hotel was derelict last year but a group of people have been restoring it and as it turned out, last night was their grand opening. So we had a wonderful dinner of ribs with an asparagus sauce and bones left over for the dogs. We parked beside a little park (also being renovated) and took a walk under a canopy of brilliant stars.

This morning we said goodbye to Los Alamos but we plan to come back to explore this lovely area. This is being sent from a surfer coffee shop in Ventura and now we're heading east to meet up with our friend Corinne in Beaumont. Maggie will be over the moon to participate in a flyball practice tomorrow.