Today is scheduled be a beach day but first we had to do some grocery shopping which means driving about 5 blocks. First we hit the butcher shop to get their very tasty bacon and it seems that everyone raves about. Then I dropped Carroll off at the "Fruitieria " ( while I looked for a parking spot ) which is where we get our fruits and veggies. We do not by in large quantities, like we would at home, because we want it fresh and not all veggies are kept cool or on ice.
I picked up a package of raspberries and put them in our fridge for one day and when I checked they were all mouldy. No I did not return them but I will not buy anymore.
By the time we returned home it was getting hot , as it does everyday, so we grabbed our chairs, our umbrella , a book and a beer and headed for the beach. The beach is about 200 feet from our MH. We spent a few hours soaking up the Sun , enjoying a nice swim in the ocean and I may have grabbed a bit of " Shut eye " . ha ha
Happy Hour starts at approximately 4:30 PM so we join the crowd to get the latest gossip. The weather is so nice that we always eat supper outside and of course the meal is usually Bar-B-Q style. Another day in Paradise. cheers
Saturday, 27 December 2014
Friday, 26 December 2014
Winter of 2014 in Mexico ( Dec 15 )
Yesterday I said I got "organized" but that basically meant digging out 2 chairs, connecting the power and water and opening a beer. Today, I did not like the power as I had a live ground and that is not uncommon in MX. So I called on my friend in the camp next door and he is an Electrical Engr so he checked it out and thinks the problem is internal . To solve the problem he made up a connector and we wired it into the transfer switch and everything works great.
Then I went to connect the sewer line and my connector is a 2 inch diameter connector and the MX sewer drain is 2 inch dia drain so we have a problem. I called the maintenance man and he said No Problemo. I said , good; solve it. He left and returned with a 2 inch coupling... problem solved.
By this time it was getting hot and I did see several of the campers sitting under the umbrellas, by the Happy Hour gathering area so I grab a beer and decided to join them. I ask if there was any special topic but they said no, that they were having a drink and shooting BS. I thought that I could handle that, with all the experience I have doing the same with the Ball Team so it was hard to fit in.
In the afternoon we went to the pool, as it is heated, and we met a few more camper and was surprised that one guy was from Med Hat, and his name is Roger Roy and he is a retailor.
So that is how you kill a day in MX. cheers
Then I went to connect the sewer line and my connector is a 2 inch diameter connector and the MX sewer drain is 2 inch dia drain so we have a problem. I called the maintenance man and he said No Problemo. I said , good; solve it. He left and returned with a 2 inch coupling... problem solved.
By this time it was getting hot and I did see several of the campers sitting under the umbrellas, by the Happy Hour gathering area so I grab a beer and decided to join them. I ask if there was any special topic but they said no, that they were having a drink and shooting BS. I thought that I could handle that, with all the experience I have doing the same with the Ball Team so it was hard to fit in.
In the afternoon we went to the pool, as it is heated, and we met a few more camper and was surprised that one guy was from Med Hat, and his name is Roger Roy and he is a retailor.
So that is how you kill a day in MX. cheers
Thursday, 25 December 2014
Winter of 2014 in Mexico ( Dec 14 )
We and Ken and Miriam left Cerritos, which is on the north end of Mazatlan , at 8AM hoping to arrive at our destination in Rincon around 1 PM. The first hurdle was to get thru Mazatlan. It appears that they are building a bypass but it was not open yet. However, the roads thru Mazatlan have been improved since we were last here but it is the stop lights and the traffic that slows us down.
Once thru Mazatlan it was all 4 lane tolls until we reached Tepic. Oh !! Tepic; we had to drive thru the city and it was busy and to make matters worst, the streets are narrow. We also had to go thru 2 other small town that were not any better.
Finally we reached Compostella and this is the start of a very long narrow ,winding 2 lane road with no shoulders for the next hour. There seems to be about a foot clearance between us and the oncoming traffic, mostly Buses travel way too fast for my liking. In fact it was too close and I went off the road for a few feet and now I have a small scratch about half the length of the MH. I found a body mechanic who says he can polish out the scratch . I also have some scratches that I inherit when I bought the MH. He will repair and paint and polish it all for 150.00. Bonus.
We arrive in Rincon around 1:30 PM and got park quit quickly. It took us a couple of hours to get setup, including the TV of course.
We already know about 6 couples from other years and the others drop by to welcome us. It is a very friendly park, The weather is great and the ocean water in super. They also have a heated pool. Life is great in MX. cheers
Once thru Mazatlan it was all 4 lane tolls until we reached Tepic. Oh !! Tepic; we had to drive thru the city and it was busy and to make matters worst, the streets are narrow. We also had to go thru 2 other small town that were not any better.
Finally we reached Compostella and this is the start of a very long narrow ,winding 2 lane road with no shoulders for the next hour. There seems to be about a foot clearance between us and the oncoming traffic, mostly Buses travel way too fast for my liking. In fact it was too close and I went off the road for a few feet and now I have a small scratch about half the length of the MH. I found a body mechanic who says he can polish out the scratch . I also have some scratches that I inherit when I bought the MH. He will repair and paint and polish it all for 150.00. Bonus.
We arrive in Rincon around 1:30 PM and got park quit quickly. It took us a couple of hours to get setup, including the TV of course.
We already know about 6 couples from other years and the others drop by to welcome us. It is a very friendly park, The weather is great and the ocean water in super. They also have a heated pool. Life is great in MX. cheers
Winter of 2014 Mexico ( Dec 13 )
As mentioned, yesterday we stayed overnight in a field, on a grassy patch next to the Pemex. The gas attendant told us it was OK as if he has the authority over private property. However, we did feel secure and assumed we were not bothering anyone. The police circled around us every hour.
Around 6 AM, I awoke to the sound of loud Mexican music which I thought was coming from the Pemex as they were opening for the day. After turning on the hot water for my tea, I took a peek out the window knowing it was still dark but as normal you look anyway, never knowing what you might see.
Holy Moly... we were surrounded by what I thought was two bus loads of farm workers which I assumed where waiting for a pick up to go to the fields for the day. Two guys were about 2 feet from my door.
"Don't even ask what thru my head next. " Then I looked out the front and there was a guy with his Bicycle cart selling coffee, peanuts and whatever and he was the Music Man. I then told Carroll to get dress as we might be in trouble. I then took another peek and I seen Reg buying something from the Bicycle cart. Within minutes , Ken was out talking ( he speaks passable Española ) to the group so I immediately (brave as I am), went out to ask Ken what the heck was going on. With a smile on his face he says " we are parked on their space to set up their Saturday Market so they want us to move".
We quickly fired up the MH to get enough air to release the brakes and then we move to the Pemex area to decide where we would stop for breakfast. Can you imagine that those friendly Mexican did not want to disturb us so they were willing to wait until we moved. If that had been in Canada or the US someone would have banged on our door and told us to get the Hell out of their area.
We drove about 1 1/2 hours before we could find a spot for 3 Rigs to pull over mainly because one Pemex was not completed yet and another was full of truckers , probably having breakfast so there was not room for us.
After that , the day went pretty smooth except for the overpriced toll fees. We pulled into Cerrito's RV park ; this is were Reg and Bev are staying , about 2 PM. Luckily, they had 3 spaces left. One for Reg and Bev but not the one the reserved, ( as I told Reg... welcome to MX, first come , first served) and one each for us and Ken as long as we were only staying overnight. This park is right on the water ; fishy smell and all but I would never stay here because most sites are permanents , meaning the same people return every year, and they appear to be : Clicky ". Incidentally, they seemed to be mostly Canadians.
After getting set up , TV and all, we went to another park to find some friends from Armstrong , BC whom we travel with in MX a few years ago. We had a great visit as always.
All three of us went for supper at a real nice restaurant on the beach only to realized that we had supper here 11 years ago with the people we met from South Africa. They we the folks who actually convinced us to tour South Africa and were also the people who met us in SA and help us to start our tour over there.
After a great supper and a few drinks, and many stories and laughs it was time to "Hit the Hay" so to speak. Incidentally, Carroll had a Pina Coloa for the first time in many years... no she did not drink it all. Cheers
Around 6 AM, I awoke to the sound of loud Mexican music which I thought was coming from the Pemex as they were opening for the day. After turning on the hot water for my tea, I took a peek out the window knowing it was still dark but as normal you look anyway, never knowing what you might see.
Holy Moly... we were surrounded by what I thought was two bus loads of farm workers which I assumed where waiting for a pick up to go to the fields for the day. Two guys were about 2 feet from my door.
"Don't even ask what thru my head next. " Then I looked out the front and there was a guy with his Bicycle cart selling coffee, peanuts and whatever and he was the Music Man. I then told Carroll to get dress as we might be in trouble. I then took another peek and I seen Reg buying something from the Bicycle cart. Within minutes , Ken was out talking ( he speaks passable Española ) to the group so I immediately (brave as I am), went out to ask Ken what the heck was going on. With a smile on his face he says " we are parked on their space to set up their Saturday Market so they want us to move".
We quickly fired up the MH to get enough air to release the brakes and then we move to the Pemex area to decide where we would stop for breakfast. Can you imagine that those friendly Mexican did not want to disturb us so they were willing to wait until we moved. If that had been in Canada or the US someone would have banged on our door and told us to get the Hell out of their area.
We drove about 1 1/2 hours before we could find a spot for 3 Rigs to pull over mainly because one Pemex was not completed yet and another was full of truckers , probably having breakfast so there was not room for us.
After that , the day went pretty smooth except for the overpriced toll fees. We pulled into Cerrito's RV park ; this is were Reg and Bev are staying , about 2 PM. Luckily, they had 3 spaces left. One for Reg and Bev but not the one the reserved, ( as I told Reg... welcome to MX, first come , first served) and one each for us and Ken as long as we were only staying overnight. This park is right on the water ; fishy smell and all but I would never stay here because most sites are permanents , meaning the same people return every year, and they appear to be : Clicky ". Incidentally, they seemed to be mostly Canadians.
After getting set up , TV and all, we went to another park to find some friends from Armstrong , BC whom we travel with in MX a few years ago. We had a great visit as always.
All three of us went for supper at a real nice restaurant on the beach only to realized that we had supper here 11 years ago with the people we met from South Africa. They we the folks who actually convinced us to tour South Africa and were also the people who met us in SA and help us to start our tour over there.
After a great supper and a few drinks, and many stories and laughs it was time to "Hit the Hay" so to speak. Incidentally, Carroll had a Pina Coloa for the first time in many years... no she did not drink it all. Cheers
Wednesday, 24 December 2014
Winter of 2014 in Mexico (Dec 12)
We left San Carlos around 8 AM and had previously decided that we would not even try to get to Mazatlan which would have been a 12 hour drive. Our target was a Pemex ( MX Truck stop ) somewhere south of Los Mochis. For those unfamiliar with the word Pemex, all gas station in MX are own by the MX government and they always have a confectionarie store ( ie Max Milk store ) attached. Most are free but some charge 5 or 6 dollars which includes a shower. Not all have enough room for MH like us as we can not back up into the space provided.
Anyway, Ken had to lead us out od San Carlos because we had to back track about 5 KM to get on the Autopista ( toll road ) and I was not familiar with that procedure. Incidental, a couple from BC pulling a trailer , pulled out at the same time and followed us for 50 KM mainly because the road was narrow with no shoulders as they were widening the road to 4 lanes. Apparently we were going to slow for his liking so he pulled out to pass and he had to take all 3 of us and a truck in one shot. Due to his speed and the rough road, his trailer got a little out of control and he touched Ken's mirror but did not break. I'm sure he did not realize he had touched the mirror but the white paint made it obvious.
Anyhow , we made it to a Pemex where we planned to spend the night but after filling with fuel we realized we could not stay as it was one of the smaller station. However, I fuelled up first and then realized there was a 20 acre area next to the station with several trucks park close by so I pulled into the field and founded a grassed area , albeit brown grass, where we would camp for the night if we were not ask to leave.
It appear that the area was used for large farm trucks to meet and load their products on to 18 wheelers and this seemed to continue all night but did not bother us. Also the Municipal Police circled around our units every hour so we feel quite safe. Until 6 AM the next morning. cheers
Anyway, Ken had to lead us out od San Carlos because we had to back track about 5 KM to get on the Autopista ( toll road ) and I was not familiar with that procedure. Incidental, a couple from BC pulling a trailer , pulled out at the same time and followed us for 50 KM mainly because the road was narrow with no shoulders as they were widening the road to 4 lanes. Apparently we were going to slow for his liking so he pulled out to pass and he had to take all 3 of us and a truck in one shot. Due to his speed and the rough road, his trailer got a little out of control and he touched Ken's mirror but did not break. I'm sure he did not realize he had touched the mirror but the white paint made it obvious.
Anyhow , we made it to a Pemex where we planned to spend the night but after filling with fuel we realized we could not stay as it was one of the smaller station. However, I fuelled up first and then realized there was a 20 acre area next to the station with several trucks park close by so I pulled into the field and founded a grassed area , albeit brown grass, where we would camp for the night if we were not ask to leave.
It appear that the area was used for large farm trucks to meet and load their products on to 18 wheelers and this seemed to continue all night but did not bother us. Also the Municipal Police circled around our units every hour so we feel quite safe. Until 6 AM the next morning. cheers
Winter of 2014 crossing into Mexico ( DEc 11 )
We were all up and around by 6 AM today as we were anxious to get going. It was decided that we would be the lead Dog and knowing we had full day with a 10 hour drive to San Carlos we got on the road before 7 AM. Since I had not crossed here for 5 years I was somewhat concerned that I would lead the other astray.
When we reached the Border there were no US Customer in sight as per 5 yrs ago when they clear us thru the US customs first. We then "inched " up to the MX Customs where we were all pulled aside ( this was new to us ) and they checked our TIP docs and then bid us a good day.
We are now on a two lane highway and I advised our travel members that if I got behind a 18 wheeler, it was unlikely that I could pass do to the hills and curves. Yes , I got behind a truck but he was motoring right along so there was no need to pass. Finally he signaled for what I thought was a left turn or possible pulling over to let me pass.
So I kicked the MH down for a "quick " pass and OH was I so wrong. What I did not know was that there was a customs check 1 KM ahead and the truck I just past was at the end of a 1 KM long lineup of trucks all parked on the 4 foot shoulder and on 1/2 of my lane. Bare in mind I am on a two lane highway and I'm staring down at an 18 wheeler coming at me. I hit the brakes , not know whether " to shit; go blind or wind my watch. " One of the parked truckers notice my delemia so he waved me thru as if to say the 18 wheeler will move over to the 4 ft shoulder on his lane. By this time , I'm doing about 30 KPH ; the 18 wheeler is probably doing 80 KM and my brain is trying to process the clearance between me and the truck when he arrives. I'm also advising Carroll ( in a louder than normal voice ) to radio the other two that an 18 wheeler is coming. I checked my mirror after the 18 wheeler passed and there was somewhere between a foot and 18 inch clearance. This gave a little more confidence until I notice the next oncoming vehicle was a Bus and they are notorious for squeezing you for room.
When we got to the front of the line we realized this was another check stop but I assumed it would be for Trucks and Bus. Also the sun was in my eyes and I did not see the " gate " for autos. So I entered the line for " Auto Bus " again assuming that must be my lane. Wrong! but I can not back up so Carroll " the radio Man " called to the others to go thru the Auto gate even thought it looked to low. Once they were thru a Soldier wave me to an exit gate which put me back in the auto line. Incidentally there was no line up. Once thru the gate we were again checked for TIP docs. This is obviously a " make work " project as we had already been cleared into the country. However, this was a cursory check and we were on our way in a few minutes.
We now had clear sailing for 1 1/2 hours until we reached Santa Anna we had another cursory check stop probably because we were about to enter a toll road. Our next glitch would be Hermosillo which was 175 KM down the road and we would take the "Perifico " which means bypass. It probably was a Bypass 20 or 30 years ago but now it pretty much "winds " its' way thru the city with many stop lights and turns. Not to mention one stretch that was under construction. One 4 lane street with two way traffic , turned into a one way with 4 lanes and then turned back into two way traffic with 4 lanes. Of course I'm in the wrong lane but there was a Police vehicle in the lane I needed so he politely backed off as soon a I signaled. Luckily Carroll was able to provide directions ahead of time so we managed to exit the city in tact. Reg and Ken were able to keep me in sight so they also cleared the city without a hitch.
Now we only had 175 KM and several overpriced tolls overcome before we reached our overnight accn in San Carlos.
When we arrived at San Carlos around 4 PM, Ken took the lead as he had a better memory to lead us to the camp site.
Upon our arrival at the Camp site the operator ask how long we intended to stay as he parks people in specific areas according to there length of stay. Since we were only staying overnight we get to parked in the exit lane but in such a position that we still have full hookups. This allows us to park without disconnecting our tow vehicles to leave early without disturbing others.
Luckily, I parked beside a very congenial couple for BC so I quickly drummed up a conversation using my best "Alberta " charm , noticing that he had a spare terminal on his ShawDirect satellite well within the reach of my of our MH. After a drink and some more BS I ask if I could Hook up and he said of course. So now we had TV so we could at lease watch the news. RVers are great!!!
The camp operator gave us a coupon for 2 free drinks per Rig if we ate at a local restaurant and since we had no intends of making supper we took the offer after we had a Happy session to discuss the day and for tomorrows launch. Supper was great and not that pricey so the drinks were a nice touch. The first day in MX was now history. cheers
When we reached the Border there were no US Customer in sight as per 5 yrs ago when they clear us thru the US customs first. We then "inched " up to the MX Customs where we were all pulled aside ( this was new to us ) and they checked our TIP docs and then bid us a good day.
We are now on a two lane highway and I advised our travel members that if I got behind a 18 wheeler, it was unlikely that I could pass do to the hills and curves. Yes , I got behind a truck but he was motoring right along so there was no need to pass. Finally he signaled for what I thought was a left turn or possible pulling over to let me pass.
So I kicked the MH down for a "quick " pass and OH was I so wrong. What I did not know was that there was a customs check 1 KM ahead and the truck I just past was at the end of a 1 KM long lineup of trucks all parked on the 4 foot shoulder and on 1/2 of my lane. Bare in mind I am on a two lane highway and I'm staring down at an 18 wheeler coming at me. I hit the brakes , not know whether " to shit; go blind or wind my watch. " One of the parked truckers notice my delemia so he waved me thru as if to say the 18 wheeler will move over to the 4 ft shoulder on his lane. By this time , I'm doing about 30 KPH ; the 18 wheeler is probably doing 80 KM and my brain is trying to process the clearance between me and the truck when he arrives. I'm also advising Carroll ( in a louder than normal voice ) to radio the other two that an 18 wheeler is coming. I checked my mirror after the 18 wheeler passed and there was somewhere between a foot and 18 inch clearance. This gave a little more confidence until I notice the next oncoming vehicle was a Bus and they are notorious for squeezing you for room.
When we got to the front of the line we realized this was another check stop but I assumed it would be for Trucks and Bus. Also the sun was in my eyes and I did not see the " gate " for autos. So I entered the line for " Auto Bus " again assuming that must be my lane. Wrong! but I can not back up so Carroll " the radio Man " called to the others to go thru the Auto gate even thought it looked to low. Once they were thru a Soldier wave me to an exit gate which put me back in the auto line. Incidentally there was no line up. Once thru the gate we were again checked for TIP docs. This is obviously a " make work " project as we had already been cleared into the country. However, this was a cursory check and we were on our way in a few minutes.
We now had clear sailing for 1 1/2 hours until we reached Santa Anna we had another cursory check stop probably because we were about to enter a toll road. Our next glitch would be Hermosillo which was 175 KM down the road and we would take the "Perifico " which means bypass. It probably was a Bypass 20 or 30 years ago but now it pretty much "winds " its' way thru the city with many stop lights and turns. Not to mention one stretch that was under construction. One 4 lane street with two way traffic , turned into a one way with 4 lanes and then turned back into two way traffic with 4 lanes. Of course I'm in the wrong lane but there was a Police vehicle in the lane I needed so he politely backed off as soon a I signaled. Luckily Carroll was able to provide directions ahead of time so we managed to exit the city in tact. Reg and Ken were able to keep me in sight so they also cleared the city without a hitch.
Now we only had 175 KM and several overpriced tolls overcome before we reached our overnight accn in San Carlos.
When we arrived at San Carlos around 4 PM, Ken took the lead as he had a better memory to lead us to the camp site.
Upon our arrival at the Camp site the operator ask how long we intended to stay as he parks people in specific areas according to there length of stay. Since we were only staying overnight we get to parked in the exit lane but in such a position that we still have full hookups. This allows us to park without disconnecting our tow vehicles to leave early without disturbing others.
Luckily, I parked beside a very congenial couple for BC so I quickly drummed up a conversation using my best "Alberta " charm , noticing that he had a spare terminal on his ShawDirect satellite well within the reach of my of our MH. After a drink and some more BS I ask if I could Hook up and he said of course. So now we had TV so we could at lease watch the news. RVers are great!!!
The camp operator gave us a coupon for 2 free drinks per Rig if we ate at a local restaurant and since we had no intends of making supper we took the offer after we had a Happy session to discuss the day and for tomorrows launch. Supper was great and not that pricey so the drinks were a nice touch. The first day in MX was now history. cheers
Sunday, 21 December 2014
Winter of 2014going to Mexico (Dec 10 )
Today we head for the Organ Pipe State Park where we will stay overnight and get an early start to cross into MX at Lukeville. By 10 AM we were hooked up and ready to fly. We did a radio check with Reg and Bev and ask them to delay there start for 20 minutes as I wanted to fill my propane tank as you do not want to "try " to find a propane station in MX if you can help. It is not that MX does not have Propane; it's that not all there stations are "easy in; easy out". Better safe than sorry.
Once we hit the road our next stop was Gila Bend, 3 hours down the I-8 where we would fill up with fuel as we definitely wanted full tanks so we would not have to stop until we reached our overnight stop once we crossed into MX.
Now we headed for the State Park which we found mostly empty when we arrived. Once all three members of the travel group got parked we had a Happy Hour and confirmed our start time for tomorrow which was 0700 hrs sharp. It got dark around 6 PM and State parks do not have street light or lights of any kind so when it is dark it's dark . "Lights out" was about 9 PM as tomorrow will be a long day with a 10 hours to San Carlos. Cheers
Once we hit the road our next stop was Gila Bend, 3 hours down the I-8 where we would fill up with fuel as we definitely wanted full tanks so we would not have to stop until we reached our overnight stop once we crossed into MX.
Now we headed for the State Park which we found mostly empty when we arrived. Once all three members of the travel group got parked we had a Happy Hour and confirmed our start time for tomorrow which was 0700 hrs sharp. It got dark around 6 PM and State parks do not have street light or lights of any kind so when it is dark it's dark . "Lights out" was about 9 PM as tomorrow will be a long day with a 10 hours to San Carlos. Cheers
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)