Driving to Oconahua and back again; 2003

Driving trip to Mexico, 2003
Michelle Salima Kelley and Ana Torres Nieves

(please forgive the scattered use of tense, I wrote some after the trip and some during….)

3/6/03
Left Seattle at 4:30 PM or so for Mexico. Starting out with a fresh cold……We brought a lot of things in the back of the truck for people in Mexico; tools, clothing, shoes, silverware, sheets, towels, gifts, etc. We stopped in Olympia for a celebration dinner at the Oyster House for the trip.
3/7/03
Ate breakfast this AM near Grants Pass (typical American style) then lunch was veggies, sushi and watermelon. Wanted to pick up some postcards as I planned to send them back to work each day as a kind of trip journal. Who could know that postcards are harder to find on the road than I thought? I decided to keep this journal as a substitute.
After lunch. Stopped at rest area outside Sacramento, nice and sunny-warm. Had sandals and just a t-shirt on…fed my soul. Some kind of bird was there that sounded like woody wood pecker, little blackish ones with yellow eyes.
South and central Oregon is lovely! I am enjoying the views in the Spring; all is green and lush.
The first day of the trip was really rainy. Friday was cloudy in the AM but not it’s So Sunny! Yes! On our way to LA.
3/8/03
Stayed in LA last night at Ana’s cousin’s house; Reina. She fed us real tacos, what a treat (in Seattle, there is not much food that I would call true Mexican style. The closest we have found is at Taqueria Guaymas). She also had some fresh, homemade lentil soup that was fabulous.
Left early in the AM with more items for people in Mexico.
Crossing the border was easy, there is a “stop light” item that either lights up green or red as you pass through it. If it turns red, you need to stop and talk to immigration. Green, go right on through….we got green.
We are now in Tijuana getting the paperwork done for the car. Ana went into some building and I am waiting for her out in the truck and made a few last phone calls on the cell phone to say I would be out of touch for awhile.
Later: We had a bit of stress locating the Banjercito to get proper papers for traveling in Mexico but we got the insurance and all documents that we needed. (Insurance is absolutely necessary…it cost us about $106 dollars and is worth every penny) We got a little lost getting out of Tijuana but we made it. The first toll was 61 pesos. (roughly 6 dollars-tolls are located throughout Mexico as this is the way they pay for their nicer highways-you use them, you pay)
Some scraggly American guy just staggered up to the car and gave us some hard luck story about jail-his brother-no money and asked for funds. He looked a bit drugged out and filthy so I pointed him in the direction of the American Consulate/Immigration, no money for him. Locked the doors.
1,250 miles from Seattle to Tijuana.
The pass from Tecate to Mexicali on highway 2 is gorgeous and very dangerous. Need to drive slowly and the rocks could fall down from either side and smash the car like a bug. We saw buses, a semi and cars that had fallen over the edge. An abandoned SUV to the side was stripped to the base. Will look for a different route on the way home.
Mexicali is big, dirty and ugly. We stopped to get some gas and get out but this town is crazy and it took forever. The highway will end at the beginning of a town and you have to crawl through traffic to get to the other side where the highway begins again. We stopped at a large grocery store and bought some cooked chicken and sodas…off we go again.
The road to San Luis de Colorado is about 50 mph. Similar driving as highway 99. Freeways here are probably destroying the smaller towns much as in the US when large ones were constructed and by-passed them. The larger freeways (or Cuota’s as they are called in Mexico-these are the ones with tolls and are highly recommended for less wear and tear on the car) sometimes bypass the towns; sometimes not. Although it’s charming to take the Libre road (free) it can be rather slow going.
In the state of Sonora at 2:00 PM.
Outside San Luis, for some reason we are stopped on the road, they (heavily armed police) looked in the truck and asked if we had merchandise from the US.
1,524 miles from Seattle
State of Sonora...cactus that looks like the Taco Time commercial everywhere (Saguaro). Jagged mountains to the sides.
1,538 miles
First sighting of sand dunes. A beautiful mountain to one side has a large streak of red running diagonally through it. Others are much darker brown to black in color.
Way to Ciudad Sonoyta.
The bathrooms were SO clean at the Pemex station….a real treat here as most places do not have toilet paper (bring your own) and missing the seats. Pemex stations are everywhere and are run by the government; they are the best bet for bathrooms although sometimes you will need to pay a peso or 2 for toilet paper on the way in. Pay the pesos as it helps support the locals, usually senior citizens. Remember, they do not have social security.
It’s so great to be back in Mexico even though we did not get far this first day. Oh well, next time we will think better and come through Tucson and Nogales instead of across on 2 through upper Mexico.
Got stopped outside Sonoyta and charged 205 pesos (roughly $20) for my immigration fee as I did not fill out papers at the border….
6:05 PM
Getting dark, hope we make it someplace soon.
1,618 miles
More cactus. More mountains on our way to Caborca on highway 2.
1,632
Sun is setting but we are not yet to Caborca. This should be an adventure as we are in the middle of the desert. Driving on roads at night in Mexico is very different from the states. First, there are little or no street lights on the highways. Second, there are far too many things to hit (animals-tractors-people crossing the highway) and drive into (potholes) so it is not recommended.
1,654 miles
Getting dark now, Ana is following a truck which keeps the road clear for us of cattle and deer. We will stay in Caborca, find a nice hotel and food, get up early and off again.
In Caborca 7:30 PM
3/9/03
5:30 AM Pacific time
Last night stayed at the Posada de Desierta motel, ate fish and 7 Mares at local café in hotel. The waiter explained that a large party was coming in as a good-bye event. A local business man was kidnapped and this party of 40 men had been hired to search for him for the past few days. The party was led by an American man, a “mercenary”, the kind with guns-for hire. The rest were locals and police. They did not find the missing man.
They lock the gates to the motel at night and you need to have them unlock in the AM so you can leave…I guess this is to keep down car theft or something. In the middle of the night we were woken up by a loud conversation outside the window of the room by 2 men and their prostitutes or so we guessed. Won’t disclose the conversation but you can guess what was being said.
6:34 AM
Sunrise near Santa Ana. The road is not better here. Gassed up in Santa Ana.
1,804 miles
Passed Guadalajara Café in the middle of the desert on way to Hermosillo. Probably will make it to Mazatlan tonight.
Cactus here looks like a hand with many fingers sticking up out of the ground.
9:00 AM in Ciudad Hermosillo.
This place is so clean, I like it here. Turn left toward Guaymas.
Virgen de Guadalupe painted on the side of a hill. This is a common sight here.
10:25 in Guaymas.
Cute little coastal town. We are in the gringo section with very nice houses lining the beach. Waiting for a café on the beach to open at 11, we get restless and get back on the road to find food elsewhere. We pass through the Yacqui Indian Reservation, they stop us and ask for donations. We contribute to their fund. They do not have much financial support as in the states.
2000 miles
Close to Ciudad Obregon.
2,077 miles
To Ciudad Navojoa. 2:00 PM.
Lots of Yacqui Natives here on this land.
2,124 miles
Crossed to Sinaloa State. Very green at the border, took collections here for local hospital. The good road (quality of pavement) is 100 kilometers per hour, the bad road is 110 km…..hmmmm.
Vulture sighting sitting on a fence post.
2,170 miles
In Los Mochis for gas and snacks.
3:20 PM. We are trying to make it to Mazatlan tonight. It will be dark in 2 ½ hours and have 200 miles left to go. Outside Guasave was a protest at the closed toll booth. Vicente Fox is reducing the toll fees as the road is now paid for and the local people are protesting as this reduces funds for their area.
4:00 Pacific time
2,233 miles
It is cloudy which helps keep down the heat. We are on a great road outside Guasave, 15D; the pay road to Culiacan. Passed a cool looking cemetery with little houses, I guess they are crypts.
2,270 miles.
3 days exactly since we left Seattle!
4:55 PM Pacific time 2,300 miles
Culiacan. Should be getting dark in about an hour.
2,366
Completely dark, still driving. Ana is following a semi with the lights on the back to guide her.
7:10 PM
Made it to Mazatlan. It’s huge and noisy; Spring Break AND Lent…..what were we thinking.
3/10/03
Morning in Mazatlan. Got up early, had a fitful sleep due to the noise. Huge cockroach crawled up the back of my pajamas as I was brushing my teeth. Ugh. I screamed and jumped on the bed, Ana got it. The hotel was right across the street from the beach and the major activity as it turned out, a rather loud disco. I don’t think I have a burning desire to come back here. Looked around for an internet café to send in my homework. Found a nice hotel on the beach with internet access and had a great breakfast while watching the pelicans fish. That was pleasant. We should be in Oconahua today, will take about 4 or 5 hours to get there if all goes well. I still have this darned cold which is driving me nuts. The hotel name is Costa de Oro, nice place…if we come back here again we will stay there.
2,448 miles just outside Mazatlan
12:15 2,600 miles
Just outside Tepic, Nayarit
12:50 or so
Just passed Tepic at 2,623 miles. Was slow going through the jungle, lots of sugar cane here. I love the pay road as there is absolutely nobody on it. It is beautiful outside Tepic. Lush, green, fresh.
2,690 miles
Toll booth before Magdalina ( our exit ) was 100 pesos between Tepic and Oconahua is VERY hilly. There is a bridge named “get off if you can”.
Road from Magdalina (known for it’s opals) stinks; way too many cows here.
2,750 miles
2:35 PM
Reached Oconahua at around 3:15
3/11/03
Last night hung out with the family and talked. Today we went to see the agave and the land where the house is being built. Not much there yet, just the foundation has been dug. The agave looks absolutely beautiful. Ana’s brother (Lito) has taken great care of it. At the land; Ana and I provided Lito with additional instructions for how the place should be built as there are no formal plans in Mexico, especially in small towns. You just show the people how you want it to look, measure out how many meters and go. We asked Ana’s father if we could have the old wooden door that is currently on her grandmothers house to use inside the new house. It will look great. Now we are at her sister Luci’s house getting papers fixed for the property to be in Ana’s name. We hired a young lawyer that is one of Luci’s friends to do the paperwork and provide advice. Little Marguerita is here (Luci’s daughter who is 9 years old) watching me and is very curious about what I am writing.
I am sitting outside Ana’s aunts house (Tia Maria) eating boiled peanuts we bought from a peddler at the gas station.
3/12/03
The food is fabulous here as all is purchased and made fresh the same day; rarely is anything prepared ahead of time to sit in the fridge or be defrosted from the freezer. Fresh tortillas are purchased twice daily, once in the morning and once around 1:30-2. You just walk to the tortilleria and pick them up, bring a basket with a towel to wrap them in to keep them warm.

There have been loud bangs like big firecrackers or small dynamite going off. Ana says it is because a small baby died and this is how the townspeople are informed; we hear he was 3 months old.

We went to Etzatlan for a copy of the lawyer papers last night as the copy machine in Oconahua here was not in operation, rather, the person who owns it could not figure out how to operate it. There is only one copy machine in Oconahua.
In Etzatlan
We went to one of the new local internet places here to send email to my mother to let her know we had arrived okay. I spoke to 3 children in the plaza who wanted to practice the English they learned in school. They were very curious about me and I got to practice my Spanish with them as well. They were pretty cute and mostly counted in English and knew their colors.

Later in the afternoon
We are with the lawyer and architect at the land in Oconahua; things are different here about levels of service. People do a lot of in person discussion and delivery of service at your place or home. For example, during the day trucks will drive through the town advertising their wares via horn honking (containers of gas for cooking and heating water), loud speakers (anything from announcing a town meeting to political campaigning) and people just plain knocking on the door; actually, front doors are left open during the day and people just call into the house and ask if you need anything like fresh fish or eggs. Doors are left open as a welcoming for people to visit anytime. Seriously, people generally do not have phones to check in and schedule a visit, they simply show up. You need to be prepared for visitors anytime the door is open and then some.
The lawyer comes right to the land or home, same with the architect. They are measuring for accurate and legal records. The lawyer and architect will take on the responsibility of filing papers at the local town hall, we need to be available for some of the process but since we do not have a lot of time in Mexico, them taking on the additional responsibility and workload is a blessing.
Night
We had food at Luci’s house. Calabasa squash (similar to zucchini), chicken and tomatoes with garlic. Fresh tortillas and jocoqui which is similar to yogurt with salt or sour cream. I ate nopales also, cactus leaves. Very good and healthy meal.
3/13/03
On the way to Tonala for a shopping day. Our plans changed as the lawyer could not make it today for additional business so we went shopping instead. We stopped in Tequila for breakfast, everything opens relatively late for my culture….9:00 AM. The breakfast was tasty. People love to eat tacos in the morning. I had eggs instead, with fresh tortillas of course.
On Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays there is a large open market in Tonala. This market is extremely easy to find; just go past Guadalajara on the main highway and exit to Tonala. The minute you exit you will see the market; can’t miss it. This market is endless….The stores on the sides are marketing to gringos and therefore charge lots more money; my advice is to shop at the stalls instead. Everything is packaged and presented quite nicely in the gringo stores and you can avoid the strange sights and smells of the public market, but what for? How fun it is to browse the crowded market and buy all kinds of interesting items. I think having a shopping guide service there for gringos would be a good idea as I could see them quite hesitantly enter the market looking scared and overwhelmed. I must admit having Ana there to bargain for me was a lifesaver. I pointed to what I wanted and she made the deals. We bought all kinds of stuff. Everything is so cheap it’s almost free!
We are now on our way to Teuchitlan for dinner at our favorite restaurant in the area. We found Walmart on our way and stopped to shop. That was actually fun. People there dress up for work, it must be a comparison to us going to Nordstrom’s. We bought a lot of groceries and household items.
I am constantly overwhelmed by the beauty of this area. So clean, so many mountains and beautiful views….wow.
We stopped at a roadside stand and bought a copper pot, I have been wanting one for years….it was about $30.00.
I am impressed with the people here, so giving and so very nice.
Had dinner at Teutchitlan right at the lake….fish so incredibly good, looks like a red snapper that was barbequed. There was a group of Mariachi’s playing for some drunk guys so we got to enjoy the music for free. Tomorrow we will come early and bring Ana’s mother to see the old pyramid here that is in a round style which is pre-Aztec. The free road back is bumpy but okay.
Sunset.
Ana is teaching Lito to drive the truck. I put on my seatbelt. His first time driving and he is actually doing fine but I am still nervous.
We visited Eliseo and was good to see a friend. I really like Eliseo and his family; he has 7 daughters and has raised them all to get an education. He is actually an educated man, has a degree in seed conservation but there is not much work in Mexico now for this specialty so he works with his tractor and works in the states for more money. That means leaving his family for months at a time. His oldest daughter has her own practice as a dentist in Etzatlan, I hear she is quite good.

3/14/03
Last night we kept getting woken up, Ana’s mother had a stomachache, Marguerita stayed over and she had a toothache; I am a bit tired today.
There is the most beautiful new hotel in Etzatlan; a restored colonial home. It is the exact replica of my visualization from coaching class…..I love it, gorgeous. An old Spanish/French influenced place with the really high ceilings and tall doors……beautiful courtyard in the center. Anyone who is interested, here is the address:
Hotel El Centenario
Escobedo #290
Etzatlan, Jalisco – Mexico
Reservations: 01-386-7531561
Today we went to the swap meet here in Etzatlan which is smaller than the one in Tonala but fun as well. I got a few things but then Ana needed to do some business with the lawyer and architect. We just went to the land and looked at the pile of rocks that were delivered. They needed to blast them out of a local quarry. The rocks are whitish with yellow in them. Should make for an interesting structure. We brought 3 books from the states with us that have examples of how the garden and house could look; we looked over them with Lito and picked out our favorite examples for him to model the place after. Lito and I have the same taste.
Right now I am sitting in the truck with Marguerita listening to music and talking. Ana needed to talk with the neighbors on either side of her land to have them sign papers regarding the boundary of the land.
Did not make it back to see the round pyramid at Teutchitlan as Ana’s mother felt sick. Oh well, there is always next time.
3/15 Saturday
Today we went to a place called El Monto which has a cascade waterfall. It cost about $2 per person to get in. It is lovely and located in a very steep and narrow canyon that has been modified for people to comfortably enjoy but still retains the splendor of nature. This will be a wonderful place to take tourists; it is about 40 minutes from the town. We enjoyed the water and picnicked with her nieces and brother. Lovely place. We had sandwiches and a cucumber salad with lime and chile. The sandwiches had something similar to cream cheese but softer, avocado, ham, tomato, cucumber, pickled chilis..there is no alcohol allowed but I saw a few sneak it in. We could have brought charcoal to barbeque some food as it is set up for that. There are many small pools and areas to get in the “stream” that runs along side the walkway. Little trickles run out of the rocks and into the stream; the trickles are warm either from the earth or perhaps there is geothermal activity in the area.
On the sides are areas with tables to set up your picnics and hang out for the day. We stayed about 2 ½ hours, the trip back was fine and at the border of Nayarit and Jalisco there were police stationed waiting for someone. Glad it was not us.
At Aunt Marias house; she spoke about a lot of the family history and I filmed her speaking…ran out of tape toward the end and was unable to capture some of the discussion.
3/16/03
When we have the truck here we need to park it inside a locked gate at Ana’s cousins house that lives one block away. They are very pleasant when we bring it each evening and get it out in the morning.
Today is Monica’s birthday; 22 years old. We are having a party at Ana’s mothers house as Monica’s brother is the one who died last year and it is too soon for a party in their family home. They still requested no music be played out of respect.
We are in Etzatlan getting breakfast. It takes forever in this place. Lito thinks this restaurant used to be the place where people would leave their horses and wagons while they took the train to Guadalajara. It could be. There is a large open space in the middle that has been cemented over and looks like a great dance floor. Totally open to the sky.
Last night at Aunt Maria’s house they were talking about how she and her siblings went to school, walking for miles in the moonlight or using a lantern to see the path. It was VERY important to her father (Ana’s grandfather) that the children all get an education-no excuses.
I completely forget about life in the US when I am here. This is heaven for me, I can see myself painting, gardening and making art here.
At the house; Ana bought a cake in Etzatlan-3 leches (3 milks). A huge pot of pozole is cooking (chicken soup with hominy). It is so incredibly large but you never know how many people will show up at an event so you need to be completely prepared to handle the numbers as it is considered quite rude to run out of food or drink. When one person is invited, typically they will bring their friends as well.
I went to see Natty (she is the local witch/psychic) to get a fortune told for a friend. The process was interesting and she lives on the top of a little hill that looks directly into the courtyard of the Catholic church.
Back at the house; the party is starting and I ate some pozole, it is very good. We were visited by Eliseo’s wife, Sylvia, who asked us to come to their house as they had some things to show us.
3/17/03
Leaving today. This morning Eliseo took us on a tour of the Ocomo which is an old temple (currently in ruins) that was “discovered” by an archeologist from the states. The temple is larger than the one in Mexico city that Moctezuma had there. Currently, the space is rectangular shaped (Aztec style) and has not been built upon. We walked the entire space; roughly one half is completely flat, the other is higher and has trees growing upon it. In the middle there is an opening to a tunnel that runs under the town and up to an exit on the mountain located to the west of the church. It is believed that this tunnel was used by the townspeople to escape warring tribes. The tunnel is currently closed with dirt and will be excavated sometime next year. When Eliseo was a child, he sometimes would look in the tunnel opening and could see the walls of stone but was too afraid to enter. It was left untouched for many years until recently. Eliseo was the first President of the Ocomo; the title of President is presented with great honor and distinction. He is very proud of this fact and was the person to “present” the temple to the governor and other visiting dignitaries about 6 years back.
In Etzatlan later that morning
We went to purchase some groceries for the trip and ice for the cooler at a small supermarket. I was excited to try a latte at a new coffee shop but discovered them closed at about 9:00 AM. We stopped by later after shopping and were told they would open at 10 or so. We had breakfast first and then stopped back by to pick up our lattes. They were ready for us and we picked them up and left. I waited for mine to cool a bit before sipping and when I did I had a big surprise….I have no idea what it was but that was no latte. It tasted like watered down Nescafe with a bit of milk poured in. We declared them undrinkable and poured them out.
We are back on the pay road heading toward my son David’s house on the coast in the small town of Las Penitas. It is now about 11:00 am. We look bedraggled; Ana’s shirt is dirty and we have not had much time to wash clothes. I hope we can wash them at the little house. I also need a shower….I hope all is ready there. It is so dry and windy here today. The sand can get in everywhere and is all over inside the truck.
Last night after seeing Eliseo and talking about business ideas we visited Ana’s cousin, Salvador, He and his family live in an older home that has a dirt floor and is being restored while they live there. His wife was making tortillas by hand and cooking them; we were offered fresh tortillas….a real treat. As Ana and Salvador spoke, I looked around the simple house; next to the entrance was a room with several cages full of chickens and roosters. The roosters, as it turned out, were being raised by Salvador to be fighting ones. This is his business. The money he raises by this business is put aside for his children’s education. In Mexico, going to school is free but all the books and supplies do not come cheap and must be purchased at great expense by the family. His children were beautiful; 4 children all under the age of 11 and all of them absolutely spotless in spite of the rough living conditions.
Eliseo’s brother explained to us that he grows a new kind of cantaloupe that is extra sweet. He sells it to the local fruit market at a higher price due to the unusual quality. He learned companion planting from some visiting “engineers”; the one he learned from happened to be a woman.
We just drove over an old volcano flow just outside Jala on our way to Tepic. There is a beautiful valley here where there must have been water as the flow stops abruptly at an edge.
It is slow going through the jungle outside Compostela. There are many cars and buses backed up on the road.
Ana says there is a new road being built near Oconahua that will cut directly across to Puerto Vallarta; this is good news as currently one needs to drive far south or north in order to get to that part of the coast.
Out of the jungle near Las Varas is great as I love driving those turns. Right at turn to Tonino you can feel the humidity bear down on you. Completely different atmosphere than Oconahua which is quite dry this time of year. I see a new road being started in the front of Las Penitas to Rincon de Guayabitos. Making it wider.
3 hours from Oconahua to here.
We have not seen the Nunez’s yet (the family that sold my son the house). Took a shower but could not figure out the water heater. The water was warm as the containers in Mexico are located on the roof. I cleaned the house and killed a spider big enough to eat me; broke the floor duster doing it. We ate in a decent restaurant in Guayabitos and were so tired after that we fell promptly to sleep.
I woke up disoriented about 2:30 AM. For some reason, I thought it was 6:00 in the morning; the sky was bright from the full moon and I heard some noises so went outside to look at the moon. It was incredibly beautiful…
3/18/03
In the morning discovered it had rained and everything outside was rather wet. Ana made some coffee but there is no milk or cream here.
Someone got in the truck last night. They popped open the sliding windows on the canopy and slit the screens. Don’t know what they took but it looks like they reached in and grabbed what they could reach. So far, some silverware and a small cutting board is missing from my picnic basket; also some cd’s. I wonder if I scared them off last night when I woke up as many things were left untouched…..
This morning we visited the Nunez family. They were wonderful and explained that they look after the plants in the front of the house, I did not mention the backyard and the “leftovers”. The Nunez family will put out the garbage for us as it is inside the locked gate and we did not want to leave it at the curb for several days. They are very nice people; Senor Nunez is a retired police officer and his wife has little businesses she conducts like selling women’s shoes, etc. They have been wonderful to my family and looked after my mother when she stayed in my son’s house a few winters back. I am very grateful to them.
Back through the jungle toward Compostela then off to Tepic. We need some breakfast.
We stopped in Compostela as Ana was told that someone there holds the history for her little town. It seems a bit strange as Compostela is in another state from Oconahua. We visit the small museum and find out that a local man, Salvador, is the author for some history books about the region. He has a business and we walk to visit him. It turned out that he is away for the day but his business is: Botica Compostela, is located at Morelos and T. Grande. We will need to see him another time.
2:10.
On the way to Mazatlan. Stopped near Acaponeta at the Federale station to use the bathroom. Crossed into Sinaloa.
You get used to seeing dead things here. Seems everyone and everything is so busy surviving it’s hard to stop long enough to notice. People scratch out a living from the direst of conditions.
Here the birds weave nests that look like old long stockings swaying from branches. I can hear many different types of birds but they are usually hidden in the trees and bushes. We see vultures and many falcons.
4:15 Near Mazatlan
We are trying to make it to Culiacan. Passed through Mazatlan long enough to gas up and get more water. We will see how far we get tonight.
4:40
Just crossed Tropic of Cancer. Spotted 2 blue birds with long tails behind them; Quite slender.
This time we will go over the border at Nogales then to Tucson and across the desert to LA.
The Saguaros have fruit now, round balls attached to the tops of their “arms”.
The ocean is to the left and stretches for miles with no buildings upon it. There are huge trees here that look like giant gray mushrooms. So many old volcano’s here…they blew years/centuries ago and towns have sprung up in their valleys and shadows. The soil is rich for farming.
At Sr. Nunez’s house we discussed the 24 hour ultimatum that Bush gave to give up or the war would begin. I hope it does not come true.
3/19/03
Last night was quite the adventure. Right before sunset there was a grating sound coming from one tire when we went through a toll booth. We pulled over in the parking area and inspected but did not find anything. It was apparent that we were not going anywhere like that so Ana went to phone the Green Angels that patrol the highways and help people with stranded vehicles. She came back with about 5 Federales; machine guns and all. They took off the tire and found a rock stuck somewhere. As the sun set, 2 men were under the truck trying to chip out the rock with anything we had available; knives, screwdrivers….they finally got it mostly chipped out. We thanked them, handed them some sweets we had and we went off on our way. It was a bit nerve racking to have 5 guys with guns surround the car. I appreciated the help immensely.
In Culiacan we stayed at the Holiday Inn which we discovered is quite the fancy place in Mexico; also expensive…..$100 dollars! Whew….we were tired and decided to stay rather than continue driving to find another place in an unfamiliar area. I got to watch ER in English (with Spanish subtitles) which was worth a little of the extra money.
This AM at 5:30 we woke up and tried to use the coffee maker located in the room. It turned into a comedy of cracked coffee pots, mis-matched coffee filters, not-very-helpful room assistants and in the end, no coffee. The good news was when Ana checked the tire, the rock had completely fallen out. On our way to Los Mochis.
The news is all about the impending war. I want to get home to see my family. I need to try and call them tonight.
Stopped in Los Mochis for gas and candy as gifts in the states. There was a parade full of children dressed in adorable costumes that we watched for a bit.
You need to be an aggressive driver in Mexico; if you can’t handle it, don’t drive there. Period.
Out of Los Mochis into the desert area. We will be here for a long time.
The falcons here have white tipped wings.
3:45
Stopped for gas outside Guaymas. Think we want to make it to the border tonight. All over the news in Spanish they are reporting on extra troops being stationed near the coastal areas where oil refineries are located. We are near such a location and they are all over the road and are stopping the traffic.
Need to stop in Hermosillo for cash and gas.
5:05
Trying to make it to at least Magdalena de Kino tonight; don’t think we will make the border. It is about 95 miles to the next town where we will stay.
Just passed Rancho La India. I have been searching for news on the radio about the war. In the states it would be all over but I hear music and discussions about all else in the world. There are clouds forming and I think it will rain tonight. I wish to speak to my kids. They are what pull me home.
There is still not any news on the radio. In the middle of the desert it is just not big news I guess.
There are cows everywhere here. Here is the Café Guadalajara again. I remember the first time we saw it. To the east is a huge, flat valley that seems endless. Farther in the distance are more mountains…I think it is raining there.
There seems to be a constant repairing of roads in this area. Maybe I just notice it more as I am in the car so much.
We get stopped often by Federales looking for drugs and guns. The State police are looking for fruit…they are protecting their agriculture here. I have not seen any drugs here nor do I support the use or purchase….especially after hearing stories in Oconahua about drug lords and mafia. The people who grow “harmless” pot up in the mountains are ruthless and kill easily. Many families have been devastated by this industry and I would not support it due to this. It is not a harmless business for many people who have suffered trying to stop the growers from domination and control.
It is after six now and the only news I can hear is far away stations from the US that are sounding quite supportive of the force against Iraq. I can’t stand to hear it.
When I look at these mountain ranges they often resemble people sleeping; the profiles of sleeping giants.
We are stopping at another area to search for drugs, etc. It is now about 6:15 and I am getting anxious to be someplace safe by dark. We are close to our destination.
We always get stopped but never searched. I wonder what will happen at the border.
6:30
The sun is beginning to set and looks beautiful in the desert. Burnt Sienna, Oranges, pinks, reds, blue, gray….all are colors here. There is so much texture to everything; I can imagine how it all feels, the cactus, the sand, the rocks…there is an extreme lack of moisture and softness. The dead limbs from trees come back to life as fence posts that are wrapped with barbed wire.
I do not like driving in the dark. Ana will just follow a bus or truck into the town; the lights help to guide us on the way.
There are little altars located on the sides of the road to mark where people died. Sometimes there is a painting of Jesus as well.
We are about one hour from the border but will not try to make it across tonight. It is too dark to drive and I suspect backed up in light of the news. We will stay in Magdalena de Kino tonight and head out first thing in the AM.
3/20/03
Stayed in Magdalena last night in a nice little (El Toro) hotel (450 pesos; about $43) . The guests were all from the states and I could not help but wonder about that…..
Saw Bush speak as we picked up a station in English…very sad it came to this. I want to get home.
It is freezing here this AM. Put on my jeans (long pants) for the first time in 2 weeks or so…listening to Roy Orbison is somehow comforting as we drive. After a recent rain the cactus are fatter, there are orange flowers now at the tips of the bushes.
Tried to use the cell phone here, still too far from the border. Will call the family as soon as we cross over.
The mountains and hills are smoother here. I can see an old train on the side that has been converted to housing. Found my “Frida” CD, don’t know what CD’s they got out of the back yet.
We are very close to the border now. 4 police cars with their lights flashing just passed us up heading toward the border.
In line: Just called my family to check in. They are glad we are heading back; me too.
Crossing the border: Finally got searched at the border to the US. They had a dog that got in the cab and back of the truck sniffing for fruit. We had to pull the breakable items from the back of the truck so the dog would not crush or break them.
Stopped outside Tucson at an IHOP for “breakfast”. Strange to be back here.
Tucson is smaller than I had imagined. I could not find a bank machine readily so we will need to find another location. Still have pesos and need some dollars. More attacks on Baghdad.
Too much fat in the breakfast, don’t feel so well. Ana is feeling sick also.
Been eating way too much…need to eat more veggies.
Thursday
65 miles to Yuma.
2:21
Yuma. Will cross the time zone soon; lots of ugly places for RV’s here.
4:50
Live Oak Springs, cold here. We just drove through a really rocky area just like Rumerosa in Mexico. Probably close to it, just located across the border from each other.
Looks like rain ahead across this mountain range at Pine Valley area. Stopped where the sand dunes are for a late lunch from the tailgate of the truck. We should have done this more often as it saves time and money. Stopped at a grocery store in Yuma for some supplies…there were mostly senior citizens there, wow. All those RV’s for miles camped out in the desert….they went on and on! I guess people like to come here, must be some kind of paradise area for seniors. Maybe this is their “singles meat market”.
Coming into the outskirts of San Diego. Lots more traffic and houses here. Greener on this side of the mountains.
Beautiful, rich colors of wild flowers on the sides of the highway; purple, orange, yellow…
On I-5; traffic almost stand still, must be rush hour. There are 2 hot air balloons to the right; probably a great way to see the area from up there, away from this traffic. We are now in the carpool lane going faster. Getting dark now. Sunset at Oceanside. $2.43 a gallon for gas!!!!
3/21
Got to Ana’s cousin Raina’s place last night about 7:45. Visited until late, Philipe, her brother, came by for chatting and visiting and to get some cheese we brought back from his mother in Mexico. We are leaving at 8:00 AM.
I can see the mountains a little here. The air gets cleaner each time I visit LA. We are taking 605 N to 210 West to avoid downtown traffic as it is backed up right now.
I just saw my first Starbucks since coming back in the states….I have a Starbucks card that a friend bought me as a travel gift and was unable to find one in Mexico to spend my “Starbucks”….ha ha.
Out of LA at 9:00 AM on I-5 now heading to Castroville for veggies.
Some snow on the mountains here, heading up and out of the valley. 4000 ft.
Birds at a gas station jump up to eat dead bugs stuck to the front of bumpers when they stop for gas, amazing adaptability.
Yesterday I got to drive into Castroville as I have wanted to go back there for years. Well, I don’t think I will need to do that again as there is not much there and it looks a lot different than I remembered as a teenager. I got some deep fried artichoke hearts to share with my aunt.
We drove into San Francisco to see my friend Raina who lives in the Sunset neighborhood. Raina and Tom have a cute apartment there and the neighborhood is so diverse! The building was from 1928 and had these great adobe walls and wonderful walk in closets. They always find great places to live. We had coffee at the Starbucks around the corner (got to use my card again) and visited for a while before I called my uncle Bill who lives in Daly City.
At Uncle Bill’s; we all went out for dinner at my uncles favorite restaurant, Luci’s place. I don’t remember if that is the actual name but that is the owners name and she knows my uncle and my cousin Kelly well as they have gone there at least once per week for the past 20 years. They never need to order as Luci just brings them a plate of food and it always satisfies them. Luci is originally from Guatemala but the restaurant is Mexican food. Uncle Bill is a creature of habit and quite set in his ways. I love him and my cousin Kelly dearly.
At my aunt Bonnynes place.
My aunt lives in Oroville and loves the area. We did not get to visit long but were able to make a nice breakfast for her and swap stories. She is getting sicker although on this visit she looked pretty good. Her back hurts too much to stand and cook for herself but she is tough and refuses to ask for much help. Told her about a red poppy painting that I saw in Tonala but refused to pay the outrageous price of $390 for ….she would have loved it as she loves poppies. We had a nice visit, helped her restore her internet access, an accounting error. Swept up a broken bottle that someone had left in her driveway before her tire was flattened. I showed her shots of our trip on our video camera. I wish I could have taken her on the trip as she would have appreciated it there.
On our way to see Steven in Ashland. We are outside Redding and it is raining like crazy. We slowed down to be safer and it will take us longer.
Steven is doing well and the town is pretty cute. His roommate, Helga, likes textiles and her collection is interesting; mostly from Guatemala where her brother lives. Had dinner at a local place which was good, gave him a fossil we picked up in Tonala.
3/22/03
This morning we left Roseburg at about 7:30 AM. On our way to see Sarah, Victor and the kids in Portland. Saw 3 deer on the side of the road. Called my grandmother to let her know I am okay, she sounds good and happy today. The weather in NY is getting better and she actually was able to get out yesterday. She loves to get pushed in her wheelchair and look for new construction in her neighborhood on Long Island; she likes to peek in people’s yards and watch the progress of home construction. She admits that she is a little “snoopy”. I made her laugh; we had a good time talking. I promised to send her photos of the trip.
10:25
First sign for Seattle; 224 miles to go. It is nice to see the reminder of home. My mom and son will meet us there this afternoon and have some dinner…
Visit with Sarah, Victor and the kids. It was fantastic to see them…I have never seen their youngest daughter (another Raina…hmmm a theme going on here) and she was born over 5 years ago. I made a commitment to stay in touch, even if it’s just email. Sigh. I miss Sarah’s laughter and creativity.
3:00 PM
Home! It was a delightful trip and one that I would love to do again!