Driving day from Los Mochis to San Carlos, Sonora, MX

We started the day in the Smart Gas truck stop in Los Mochis. We left there at 9:30 - drove 240 miles and arrived in San Carlos at 3:00 in the afternoon. It was an eventful day to say the least. 

The road from Los Mochis to the first toll booth was okay. Again the toll has gone up since we came down in November. Five toll booths, increase of 200 pesos since November. 1392 in tolls for RV and tow car.

One of the better portions of the highway, we'd just paid a toll of 169 pesos to drive on. US 9.44.

A military check point for north bound traffic just before the state border. Just waved us through. 

Oh goody the roads will be better. Mostly. Except for going over any of the small bridges. Some of them are really rough. 

The agricultural check point in Sonora. Bless their hearts - they have completely repaved it. The entrance.

We stopped, guard asked if we had any fruit, we said No, He smiled and waved us on. 

The exit has also been paved all the way to the road!!!

Clear sailing for a while until we approached the little town of Estacion Luis (just past Lucio Blanco)Be alert there are two nasty topes at each end of the area. Plenty of signs warning and they mean it.

The two leaving the area. 

And a while up the road a check point by the guys in the beige pants and black shirts. They just waved us through. But had a couple of  pickups and a truck pulled over. 

After the toll near the Road to Huatabampo there are some unexpected TOPES!!! Around Km135. Then on into Navojoa. We only made one of the traffic lights green, all the rest were red.  At least we had entertainment while stopped. This guy was amazing. He also had the hula hoops going around on one of his legs while juggling! 

Another red light - she was pretty good too. Had one hula hoop going around on her nose!

Just like the PINK bus. 

And on up the road. Another toll booth where it went from 240 to 260 now. Uneventful drive on the Obregon by pass. Which now costs 572 pesos to take. No more blockades at the big Indian rest stop. Only a few sheep and cows grazing along the side of the highway. And then we got to the lovely little town of Vicam.

Just one of the MANY topes in the town. If there isn't someone standing there selling something, they can be hard to see. 

So here is our ride through Vicam. Sorry the camera bounces around so much. Hard to keep it still when going over that road. Turn on the sound and you can hear every thing rattling. And our comments. Almost PG, not quite. At the end of the video you will see a brown truck pass us. Just before he came into view a 5 gallon black plastic empty bucket rolled out of his truck and rolled right under us. Horrid racket when we started to move. But worse part it managed to damage something to do with the waste system - either a tank crack or the release mechanism cracked. Willie was full of waste and of course we now leak. Lovely. Oh yes, the best part - really - a young man came out to crawl under the RV and managed to pull the bucket free. Gave him 200 pesos. God bless him. And then we were on our way again. Click here to view in full screen - worth it. 

Now before every RETURNO and intersection and curve there are vibradores in the road. Not too bad but they can shake you up some. Continuing on MORE topes four of them at Estacion Oroz. 

After the toll just before the turn off to San Carlos - watch for the signs if you want to go to SC. We took the RETOURNO which takes you up though the gas station and the under the toll road and back to San Carlos. 

So here we are in San Carlos. The Jeep has been washed - thank you Martin! But sill have to clean off back of RV - ick. And then to complete the day. Put the awning out a couple of feet. All of a sudden we heard a flap and thud. Awning came in but mechanism stayed out. The screws holding the awning to the mechanism lost their nuts somewhere in all the shake rattle and rolling. 

So any way not sure how long we will be staying here. Depends if we can get nasty leak fixed or jerry rigged so it doesn't leak. Awning is not problem. Replace its nuts. 

Totanaka is full, only one or two spaces open. We are parked in the street. Fine with me. Except of course we have to use the parks bathrooms.