288 Miles into Mexico

As you can tell by the header and the title we are now in San Carlos, MX.
We left Mountain View RV at 7:30 this morning. As you can see another cloudy and overcast day. But that made for a nice drive.On the 19 heading south.

 At Exit 12 - Ruby Rd we stopped at the Pilot to fill the tank. Our last cheap gasoline. $2.45 a gallon. We left there at 8:05, back onto the 19. 

 If you have done this trip a zillion times, just skip the next part. For any one who is doing it for the first time, Take Exit 4 to the border. This route does NOT go through the town of Nogales, it is the truck route. 

 And it is well marked. 

 Mariposa Rd. 

 Just follow it to the U.S. border exit. There are four exits - two say cars - if you are in an RV do not go through the CARS exits - you will be stuck! Today the two cars were lite and the end stall was closed. Usually the exit under the arrow says TRUCKS - today it said nothing. But that is the one  to go through. 

 Nice and wide and no sharp turns coming out of it. Just a smooth curve to the left.

 Then to the right heading for the 15D. For years no US personnel have  been interested in us going through. 

 Another curve and you come out to the highway.

 Be SURE that here you are in the left lane. Well marked. 

 YES you are supposed to be to the left of the divider. 

 The first toll booth, this is BEFORE KM 21 - and yes it was open and collecting money. For the RV AND the Jeep it was 200 Pesos.

 Still staying to the far left of the divider you are now headed to the Mexican customs area. 

 It gets very narrow especially between this pole and the divider - just follow around the curve. 

 You're heading for the white arch on the right. 

Well great - that is the way we have to go. Truck and boat just coming out of some kind of impound lot had to cross in front of traffic to get to the northbound lanes. 

 No place or other way to go. As I said kind of narrow.

 Now be careful again. DO NOT go through the far left lanes. The MOTOR HOME with Arrow sign is new this year. And it points you in the right direction. Buses. 

Nice wide exit. Sometimes there is a barricade down across it. Some one will come out and lift it eventually. Today it was wide open. Goody maybe we won't get stopped. For four years we've been stopped here and checked. First year they just asked for registration for the Jeep. The next year they inspected the Jeep and discovered Bill's drones - we had to pay to import them, a couple hundred dollars. They went on to the Internet to check how much they were worth. Last year they wanted registration for Jeep and came inside and looked around, opened cupboards and doors. Very polite and non threatening. Just doing their job. This year we thought we were home free but a young man came out and waved us over to the curb. He wanted the registration for the motorhome and our passports. First time for that. He checked the vin number and the names on the passport and waved us on our way. 

 Took about five minutes. 

 Not long after leaving the Mexican customs - on the nice new concrete roads we came to the vibradores and topes I wrote about the other day. SLOW WAY DOWN. Two sets of them. 

 See the tope - it is hard to see but know it is there.  We still aren't to KM 21.

 Just before KM 21 the road divides DO NOT GO up the hill. Stay to the left.

This is the entrance to KM 21 - not writing about it today because I all ready did on the blog on Thursdays blog. Click here to read it. 

Continuing on past KM 21. Some of the stripping on the road is a little disconcerting. They are old markings from when there were detours along here. Our lane straddles the old double yellow line.

That is an old arrow too. 

 Coming into Cibuta. There are three big Topes in this little town. 

 The sign saying Reductor de Velocidad - "reduce your speed" is right at the tope. Hopefully you have already slowed way down. There is also a crosswalk right there. 

 Another tope and crosswalk. See the lady getting ready to cross.

 We are just coming up to the big tope.

 And the last one. 

 There is some construction still going on. Where the southbound lane is shared. 

 Not much in the way of marking the lanes. Good thing there is a wide shoulder along here. 

 A little off roading here. But not very long. 

 It looked like part of the highway along here had been washed out and is in process of getting repaired. 

 More off roading. 

 Lovely - a truck is broke down in the northbound side of the southbound road.

 If you see somebody selling something beside the road watch for a tope. 

I am going to stop here for now, we are just coming up to Los Janos.. This was the ONLY part of the road that had so many topes and construction. So tomorrow's blog about the rest of the drive to San Carlos won't be so discouraging.