Arrival to Mexico

We left home!  Marking the date:  March 14, 2015.  Bruno puts on his first few hundred miles traveling through the Sonoran Desert in southeast California and into Arizona.  Lunch was had on the road, wherever we could find a nice place to stop.

We spent two nights in Apache Junction, just outside Phoenix. We stayed with my uncle and aunt, Hans & Anna. Their home on Paradiso Lane was paradise indeed: homemade gnocchi, fish tacos and lessons playing Pickleball. Comfort that felt just like home was a great kickoff to this trip.

We kept Travis from his desires to hug the giant Saguaro cacti.

One night at Colossal Cave Mountain Park, east of Tucson.  To Travis’ excitement, Bruno’s 4WD was put to the test on some of the rocky roads leading to a very secluded camp site.  We’re still working out the kinks, like the fact that I need to grow an extra foot taller.

The drive south from Tucson to the border was full of anticipation, as well as some apprehension.  Why didn’t we learn more Spanish than we did? 60 Pimsleur audio lessons felt like enough at the time!  Do we have everything we need?  Passing more and more U.S. border patrol cars, Travis is untrusting, quote: I think we’ll be safer in Mexico.

Everything went as well as it could have.  The paperwork I thought we needed was useless.  Fill out this form instead.  O.K.  Very friendly border guard in a very tiny room listened to our broken Spanish and spoke very good English.  Pay 295 pesos each, done.  Now drive to kilometer 21 and find the Bajercito to pay for your temporary vehicle import.  A few stops in the wrong places (Bruno reads in miles!  Our gauge of how long kilometers are is a forgotten Canadian skill), we find it.  Photocopies of everything, another friendly, hardworking Mexican to help us through – no English this time – we do very well!  All in all, super smooth and we’re on our way.

Three separate nights to get to our first destination of Puerto Vallarta:  San Carlos, Los Mochis and Mazatlan, all on the coast of the Sea of Cortez.  Colorful RV parks, filled with mucho Snow Birds and friendly cats.  We’ve had some good sleeps in Bruno!  Getting into our routine.  Latte’s in the morning, episodes of House of Cards at night – we’re really roughing it.