Back in USA

Yes we are back in the USA - about 25 miles north of the border and it is COLD at night. It was an interesting trip. 

We left San Carlos about 8 o'clock but stopped at a gas station to fill up so were really on the road heading north about 8:30.

The road between San Carlos and the Hermosillo Bypass was good. More truck traffic than usual. 

They have taken down some of the old "here is the bypass" signs. So as soon as you see the overpass slow down and start watching for the turn off. It comes up quick. Pretty much here at this sign. 

The bypass was good. The toll was 265 pesos for RV and car. Only a couple of pesos more than in November. In fact all the tolls from here on were just about the same as before. Road was in good condition. Continuing north road was good. Watch for cows, horses and goats grazing near road. 

Around km 112 is the north bound military check point. We were waved though. But lots of barriers and topes to go over and around. 

Just past Benjamin Hill is a little town with some topes. They are marked, but be prepared. 

And lots of stuff for sale

Also when you see a Pemex coming up, a lot of them have vibradores out on the highway. Passing through Santa and to the Magdalena by pass the road is completely done and great.

As you come to Imus a few topes, again marked.

Ciburta has three topes and a lot of traffic. 

Then you come to the only part of the rode that isn't finished yet. It is the part where you kind of go through a gully, down around and up around curves. It is very rough.

No way if your driving an RV you can miss all the potholes.  

It is not a long stretch of highway, but it sure seems like it. Ends soon after all these memorials. Must have been a bad curve at one time.

Coming up to Km 21 where you have to return your vehicle paper work to get your deposit back. It is around Km 255. Watch for the big cell or microwave towers. And of course the  orange cones. No smooth way to make the transition from the highway into the area. 

What we wonder is why they use the booth on the right the hardest one to get into and out of when they could have built it closer to the highway.  Only took a couple of minutes to turn in the paperwork. 

After leaving the paper return area we decided to get gasoline to use up our pesos. And the gasoline was only 16.99 a liter. Cheaper there than in the US. Then on to the Mexican aduana. Just have to drive through it. Getting closer to the border. Make sure you are on the left of the concrete barrier. Between it and the double yellow lines. I always get the feeling we are going the wrong way in this part. 

Well Crap. We got to the end of the concrete barrier and knew we had to cross the other incoming lane to get to the bus lane. BUT the bus lane was blocked off with orange cones. We sat there for a while thinking a border person would come and move the cones. Soon horns were blowing at us as we had both of the incoming lanes blocked. No one showed up so we turned into a regular car lane. Not what we wanted to do but...Who knows things seem to be always changing at the border. 

So here we are in a regular car lane in our RV with Jeep in tow. Pulled in the mirrors and JUST BRELY could squeeze between the posts. Got up to the booth and guard asked us why were in the car lanes instead of the bus lane. Yah, that is what we wanted to know too. We said it is blocked off with orange cones. He said some one would have moved them. We told him no one was there to move them, we had waited. We sure won't going to move them. He said well you could have. SO IF WHEN YOU GET THERE AND IF THERE ARE ORANGE CONES AND NO ONE AROUND - MOVE THEM YOURSELF. 

Things went pretty normal from there, except they had to open another gate to have us go to an inspection  area. They did take our two tomatoes, but had told them they were there. So no problems. One funny thing was, when the inspection lady saw Bill's name on his passport - Guillermo - she started speaking to him in Spanish. We were like WHAT!?? Then of course because we were not in the normal inspection area we had to take a convoluted way out - where the autos leave. Fun day. 

All the work on the interchange from the border to highway 19 is done. Just after the round about keep your eyes open for the new on ramp it is from the left lane. So much easier then having to go to the light and turn up the old ramp. 

One more border patrol check point and we were headed to the RV park. Glad to get there. Some changing of our space so it took until almost 3 o'clock before we were parked and done for the day. Got things settled and went out to Denny's for dinner. Got there about 4 so it was almost empty. Seemed strange to be eating inside.