We found this hotel by accident. We had not booked one on line and when we got here, we had to take a major detour due to construction down main street (or centro)..took a left and then a right and here it was.
Navojoa (website for the hotel)
No lingering effects from the drunk driver rear ending us last night!! (other then a slightly damaged bumper)
So the day started at 645am and we were in the car and getting gas by 750am. I was in charge of the last "sweep" of the room and did a great job!! Until 50 km into Mexico and nap time could not happen for you know who....as I had forgotten her pillow in the room. Argh. Oh well...we picked up a new one at Walmart in Cidudad Obregon....$100 pesos or $8.50!!
The border was a 5 minute drive from the hotel and what an experience. No website I read EVER gave me all the information we needed for this experience.
We drove past some US Customs guards (looking for $$ heading South...they found 1/2 million last week) and the next thing we know we are at a gate and there is a "self declaration" building to our right, but a guy standing at the gate in a pair of jeans and old golf shirt, just waves us through and points us down the road. The self declaration is just that, if you are going to declare purchases or over the limit personal belongings.
At the 10 km mark, we drive up to an almost identical building as we saw at the border. You enter a lane similar to going through US Customs at Blaine and if a red light comes on (alto), you get searched. If it is green like ours (passe), you proceed.
At several points on highway 15, that takes us all the way to Puerto Vallerta, you hit toll booths. I think they are called "cobras" or something like that. Anyway, we passed through 6 of them ranging in tolls of 20 to 61 pesos. That equates in Cdn dollars to between $1.70 and $5.70. We drove some 575 km today for $22 in tolls!!
At the 21 km mark you pull over and here is where you park you car, walk into immigration, walk another 50 feet down the way to line up at some bank windows to pay for immigration as well as your vehicle permit, and then go through the red light/green light process again.
It took us an hour but could probably have been done in 30 minutes, but again no website can get you ready for this experience.
Our treasured Mexican visas that we picked up in Vancouver, have done nothing for us yet. Today we were given 60 day visas ($22 each) and I think once we are in Huatulco, we go to immigration there, turn in the 60 day visas and get the one year FM3. Any how...we filled out the visa paper work then had to pay for them. This took 15 minutes of waiting and 10 minutes of the "bank" filling out forms and accepting payment. While still in Vancouver, I had been told by fellow Canadians that if you have an FM3, you do not need a vehicle permit. But...we did not have our FM3 yet so we had to get the permit (a $38 sticker that goes on your front window and MUST be returned at the end of the period it was issued for). I had read on line that you needed several photocopied documents (license, registration etc) but they also needed the immigration forms photocopied so we went an did that on site (very convenient) and back in line.
At the window the gal states she now needs the original registration, so Bex the sprinter ran back to the car and retrieved the originals, while the gal started her work...which took 20 minutes to finish.
We drove through and got another passe, and we were on our way!!
By 930am we were 90 km away from Hermosillo and 340 away from today's stop in Navojoa.
We were stopped on the highway by the first of many topes. These are speed bumps which force you to come to a complete stop as they are 12 inches high. Locals stand by the topes as they know you will stop, and they try to sell you fruit, drinks, chairs and today we saw a guy with bird cages and parrots. We picked one up hoping it can teach us Spanish.
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New country, new animals sleeping on the side of the road. A cow (yes a cow), several skunks and some REALLY thin snakes. A lot of butterflies are attracted to our wind shield, and this does make me feel bad.
Pulled into a Pemex for our first tank of gas. "Lleno con premium, por favor" got me the full tank of the good stuff for $45...$25 cheaper then in Vancouver. With all the water and diet cokes being drank, a bano stop at the Pemex is in order. All for the sum of 5 pesos at some locations or 3 pesos at other (50 cents and 33 cents)...bring your own t-p just in case and definitely soap for washing your hands.
We saw one driver who was a genius. They had figured out a way to avoid these outrageous washroom charges and conditions. Bex took this photo of them:
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| Peso saver |
Along the way, we saw this sign:
and not knowing what it meant, we gave it our own meaning. Bex did not hassle me about forgetting the pillow and I did not hassle her about the several naps a day she takes while I am driving!!
Got hungry around 2pm and pulled into the OXOX (like a 7-11), bought an apple for Bex and some sliced jamon (ham) for me. We pulled out the bread, margarine and cheese (from the handy 12 volt cooler), and made some lunch right there in the parking lot.
The rain started again near Obregon and it came down HARD. It is still rainy season here and we benefit from the green environment, but they do not pave the roads here to help rain drain. Many pools of water on the roads. In Navojoa we drove around looking for dinner and we entered a flood!! The streets have no drains so the water, over a foot deep in certain areas, is running down the streets headed for the concrete waterway that runs in the middle of town. Welcome to Mexico, but they seem to take it in stride. We saw peeps on motorcycles and bicycles riding through this deep water...all the norm for them.
We love Mexican food and Portales is a favorite haunt of ours in Huatulco. Great food there...ask Dad who learned about quesadillas there and TS who had the grilled cactus.
But until I have "ironed" up the stomach a bit (hee x3), and know enough Spanish to ask for the right things, we play it safe. Dominos pizza tonite...somehow I ordered a large pepperoni with tocino (bacon) and salchicha (sausage), paid the 230 pesos ($21 Cdn) and ended up with two pizzas!! We gave some to the counter guy at the hotel as he was quite accommodating to my Spanglish when we had first checked in. Quanto cuesta una noche? How much for one night?
I would like to thank my wing-woman for all her help with the blog. Yes I do the typing and these are my words, but we do talk about these things in the car, and the while fighting off car sickness brought on by writing while I drive, she bravely makes the notes I will use when putting the blog together. The Arnold's would be proud!! I am told a little yellow bowl (with lid) used to travel with Rebecca in the car on family road trips!!
850pm and we are settled in for the night. We are up early again tomorrow and have a 560 km drive to Mazatlan where we will spend two night recharging our batteries, hit the gym, lay on the beach and also get some wash done at the lavanderia. We know our way around Maz, so it makes it a nice break...easy on the brain.
Forecast in Maz is 32 degrees and cloudy for tomorrow (we arrive at 2pm'ish and will hit the ocean for a swim) and then 33 and sunny for Thursday. Can you say sun tan on the beach and pan frances (French toast) for breakfast? Yummy!!
We had a great day and felt VERY safe crossing where we did, even though the whole border/immigration process was confusing. Essentially we bypassed both Nogales AZ and Nogales Mexico, avoiding the possibilities of any "problems". I feel right at home in Mexcio, with the smiling elderly Mexican who pumped the gas for us at Pemex, just making my day. But....must remember not to brush teeth with tap water!! lol And after 30 some trips to Mexico...I better learn the language this time.
Ok...you will all get an update tomorrow from Mazatlan, but I am taking Thursday off!!
Until manana,
Saludos
PS Your spanish lessons are through out today's blog.
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