End of the trip

Our last night in Huatabampito we had a pleasant surprise when Al & Carol showed up quite unexpectedly. We had hoped to run into them in San Carlos, but this was just a bonus. The 4 of us travelled on to the Hotel de Cortez. It was fun to spend some time with them before they headed for Yuma and we were to go to Kino. Unfortunately, on Friday night, Merle experienced a tightness in his chest and arm pain which escalated into a tachycardia topping out at 240 bpm. We checked with the hotel desk for directions to the hospital and even better than that a young man named Luis accompanyed Merle and I, and directed me to the hospital which I would have never found otherwise. He stayed until they had Merle's heart rate down and was able to translate and help us communicate with the doctors and nurses. He left around midnight and returned the next morning to be sure we were ok. It took 36 hours to stabilize Merle's heart so that he could be transported to Hermosillo to a much more modern facility. I even had to bring Merle's meals to him in Guaymas and he was never moved out of the emergency room. In Hermosillo they were able to take EKG's and more sophisticated blood tests. They kept him for two days before they felt he could fly home. Our son, Randy, had flown in on Sunday and was able to help me get the 5th wheel and atv trailer moved to Hermosillo ... 100 miles closer to the border. He had never pulled anything bigger than a U-Haul trailer, but he did quite good and got his training on Mexican highways. On Tuesday, Randy's father-in-law, Bob, flew in. On Wednesday, Randy and Merle flew to Denver, while Bob and Tris took the rig out of Mexico and on to Denver. I had to stay with the rig in order to comply with Mexican import paperwork and to keep our insurance valid. At the vehicle station, they would not accept our import paperwork as they could not find the ID number on the atv trailer. After consultations with the Aduana and then the Hefe Aduana, we took the rig about 5 miles down the road to a welder who literally tattooed the number on the tongue of the trailer. Back to the vehicle station and everything went smoothly. It took us 36 minutes from the time we got in line to cross the border at Nogales until we were through the US side and on our way. There have been horror stories all winter about the long waits at the Nogales border, but you wouldn't know it when we went through. Bob pushed through and we were at our home in Indian Hills by 4:30 pm on Thursday. Many who know the route have been amazed that we made it in that little time. Merle will pursue his heart issues with his cardiologist here and we have every intention of being on the road next winter. Our winter travels were a bit abbreviated from our original itinerary, but the part of the trip we got to do was wonderful. Hasta la Vista ... until next year, Adios

Two of the 4 day in Huatabampito were terrifically windy. We took one of the windy days to go out to a shell beach that was quite a long bumpy, dirty road, but well worth the drive once we got there. Never have I seen so many shells on one beach. We passed a shrimp farm and an oyster farm on the way, so stopped to buy oysters on the way home. Mario shucked them for me and we got 2 dozen for about $5 US. We had part of them fried and part of them in a stew. Our last night at Huatabampito as we ate dinner there was a loud knock on the door and there was Carol of Carol & Al. So glad to see them ... the 4 of us headed north to Hotel de Cortes near Guaymas. What fun to get to spend a couple more days with them.

Huatabampito

We got off fairly early Saturday, but had problems with the small trailer hitch and monkeyed with it for about 45 minutes before getting it figured out. Then it took an hour and a half to get the 12 miles to the pavement. All the rains had left ponds in the road and it was a bit more washed out and bumpy. We took the libre out of Mazatlan and stopped around 4 in the afternoon in a Pemex just a few miles from Culiacan. This morning we got on the road and drove on to Huatabampito using the Maxipista and the cuota roads. It is a bit cooler here than it was on Stone Island when we left , but beautiful with a nice breeze off the sea. Even on the 4 lane highways you will see horses, cattle and goats grazing beside the highway and in the middle between the lanes. Usually the horses are tied or hobbled, but not the cattle and goats. Another good argument not to drive after dark in Mexico. When we were on the Baja a few years back the main animal you would find on the road were donkeys. And you can just drive around them, they are not going to move!!!

Villa Union

This is the small mercada in Villa Union and their beautiful cathedral. Note the German Shepherd in the aisle about halfway down.

I know I have remarked on the fact that you can buy anything in the Old Mazatlan Mercada ... I took this picture just to reinforce the wide range of good available. Not only can you get a pig's head, but any other part of that pig is available as well!!! Tomorrow, Saturday, we hook up and head north. We will take about a week to get to Kino Bay where we will stay for most of the month of March. We do plan to be across the border before Easter. Mazatlan and all the friends, old and new, have just been wonderful this year. It is nice to have the quiet of the island with the easy access to the city.

Aquarium and Manicure

It was rainy here on Wednesday, so we took the opportunity to go into town and do our laundry, grocery shopping, etc. We visited the Acuario Mazatlan. We caught 2 of the 3 shows they have ... the sea lions and the birds. I thought when I got home I would check my dictionary and find out what the show we missed was. Unfortunately, none of my dictionaries have the word "bucco". Anyone know what this is? The sea lion show was just exceptional .. the bird show and the walk through the gardens was beautiful.

Check out these fingernails!!! This young lady was on the water taxi with us the other day and I couldn't resist asking if I could take a picture of her hands. These are definitely "Carnaval" fingernails. Carnaval and Valentines Day fell at the same time and both are big celebrations in Mexico. One of the girls in the park had a manicure and she got hers done similar to this, but not quite so bejewelled. It took 4 1/2 hours for them to finish her manicure. I am afraid I would never be able to do anything with all of that on the end of my fingers

The water taxi dock and the unique Mazatlan conveyance ... the Pulmonia

Our tractor pulled carriage and the Puesta de Sol

Happy hour at Al & Carol's

Mazatlan Cathedral

The Mercada where you can buy almost anything

Pizza at Benji's on the Island ... Garlic shrimp pizza was the best!