We are in San Carlos Mexico

 Here in SanCarlos. Not doing a real post just letting every one know we are here. This was a VERY LONG day. Started out with "You have to be kidding!!" at Mexican customs  and ended up with me tripping in the campground. I am fine  just sore. The you have got to be kidding will get the same reaction from all who go through towing a car or truck. More about it tomorrow - will be a long blog. Hand is sore to type and I'm tired. Tomorrow is another day. 

Good News mostly

I am going to write this post early as my MiFi Verizon Jetpack has a serious problem and might go up in smoke at any time. The battery is swollen so much it popped the back of the MiFi off. Right now it is still working and charged but it is sitting outside in the gravel - just in case. Will go buy a new one, if the stores in this area have one, later this afternoon. (they did)

Yesterday I heard pops outside and went out to check to see if it had blown up. But then saw lots of smoke coming from the direction of the highway. A car was on fire what I heard was the first tire blowing up. I hope every one got out. Don't know any more than that about it. 

We were out shopping the other day and I saw this neat javelin all gussied up. There are a lot of these colorful statues around the state. 

Thought this was a funny sign. Just off the road way leading to the campground. I wonder what it is about. Good advice though.

Well we got a second opinion on the water heater. Now I'm glad the first mobile RV people were going on vacation and couldn't finish the job. According to them we had to buy and install a whole new water heater. NOT SO

We called Alarie Mobile RV Service out of Tucson. Any of you who travel in this area their phone number is 520-220-7829. We have used them before for our generator a couple of years ago. Excellent service. Really knows his business. And he came out on Sunday... 

He too had to work through the vent holes. Wasn't long before he found the problem. A sensor had come loose.  It just had to be reattached and problem was fixed. Well it was more complicated than that and took a while to get fixed. But we did not need a new water heater. David is very knowledgeable and his prices are great. 

Thank you David. 

Tomorrow morning we leave and head to San Carlos, Mexico. Will take pictures and make comments on the road. 

Today we'll make one last grocery trip and go to Verizon. 

Managed to watch the NASCAR race yesterday, parts of it anyway. My favorite driver lucked out and made it above the cut line by 1 point. Doesn't mean much though as there is one more race that he has to do well in to make it to the final championship deciding race. 

Well...have new Verizon MiFi, so good to go when we get home next Spring and probably for years to come. Also picked up some last minute groceries. Now if I could just figure out where to put them. 

Next post should be from San Carlos, MX of us eating fish and chips on the beach. 

KM 21 out of Nogales

 Continuing our trip to KM 21. As you continue on down the highway eventually you will see this off ramp. When you see it you are very close to KM21 – Do not go up the ramp continue on the highway.

You will also see two or three very high towers another indication you are very close to where you turn off to the right to KM 21 Slow down.

KM 21 turn off (sorry about the bugs on the windshield) See the big sign white on the bottom, blue on the top. Very hard to read. The turn off is right in front of the sign. It is not paved. It does not look like you would turn off there, but you do - don't miss it. 

A better look at it. You turn off on the gravel or the little bit of pavement. Go really slow it is a very rough section. Lots of big holes  and rough spots to watch out for.

Pull into the parking lot. There is lots of parking for RVs.

You will need your passports and copies of them. The original registration and copy for any vehicle you are going to get permits for. Also the drivers license and a copy of it for the person whose name is going to be on the permit.

Your first stop is in this little building. Only a few people are allowed in at a time. So you might have to stand in a line outside. Once you are inside you will show your passport and fill out the information for your tourist card. 

When your card information is filled in the clerk will give your passport and the card back to you and you will exit the building out the side door. If you need any copies made they will do it here for you. Very inexpensive.

Then you will go to the Banjercito to pay for your Tourist card and get the paperwork for your vehicle or vehicles. The guard will have you stand on the top step and you must remove your hat to have a picture taken. Only one person will be allowed to go to the window with all the paper work. The one whose name will be on the vehicles paperwork. We use a credit card (the credit card must also be in that persons name) for everything. When we come home and turn in the paper work we always get our deposit for the car back on our card within two or three days.  The tourists cards were US$32.00  The 2005 Jeep was US$364. We already have a 10 year permit for the RV.  After you get all your paper work done you have to return to the first building to get everything stamped and then you are done. 

We were there for about an hour and fifteen minutes, mostly due to the wait to get into the building to get our tourist cards. We wore our masks as do the clerks. Hand sanitizer is available. 

A short video of the road just before and into KM21 Hope this helps. When we get into Mexico in a few days I will continue commenting on the roads and tolls and any other interesting things. 

Going to post this now as my MiFi is about to blow up. Its battery is swollen so bad it popped the cover off. Also we are expecting the RV tech in about 1/2 hour to check out the water heater.  I guess this is one of those trips that if it can happen it will. I post as long as I have the MiFi. Then will have to wait until we get to San Carlos in Mexico to catch up. 

The post below this is crossing the US border to KM 21.