Tucson to El Fuerte
February 28, 2018
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The first couple of days were spent in Tucson with my sister and brother-in-law. It was great to catch up and hang out a little before I started my journey. Joe finished the fine tuning of the engine and added a few last minute accessories. The beast is purely bare bones and no frills, just as requested. I wanted to just look like a bum traveling south in search of a better life. On Friday morning the 23rd, I set out early. Par for the course, issues arose immediately, as it was hovering around freezing when I started. Historically VW bugs have shitty heating units but this one had NO heating unit at all. No problem, as I shivered for the first 2.5 hour(s). Within the first hour, the needle fell off the gas gauge and the door kept opening at 60mph. I thought “no way” and began talking to the beast. It seems that he did not care and promptly added that he refused to go any faster than 65mph, PERIOD. After a day of learning what he would and would not do for me, I came to the simple conclusion that I was at his mercy! So, we are trying to “work” together. Crossing the border and seeing the USA verses the Mexico side, I kept thinking that the wall divides opportunities and does not define the character of individuals. It was a sharp contrast to say the least. I spent several hours in endless lines to get paperwork completed at the border. Everyone was helpful in Spanish only…hence, trial and error was the order of the day. After 7-hours, I made it, exhausted, to my Airbnb in not-so-quant Guaymas. I am no princess but hot water and at least small towel would have been helpful. I know that all AirBNB’s are different but silly me for assuming that these things were standard. Oh well, I was still excited about finally starting my trip. The next day I checked fluids and headed straight out of Guaymas. The roads were rough, which is an understatement. I did appreciate highway construction, which is never ending, because it gave me a reason to stop every mile or so. This highway went through numerous small towns. Rather than using stop lights they have chosen to employ speed bumps (with or without warning). I immediately learned that these serve two purposes. One, to test your suspension and, second, as small business opportunities. Every hump came equipped with someone hawking something, which appeared to be food, trinket, or a hat that no one would actually wear. The first two days of driving were through the Sonora area. This is rather a poor area with limited opportunities, however, I saw progress in many ways. From the factories, nicer cars, and limited chain stores, it is moving in a more Western direction. I do not know if that is good at not, but progress is needed because they are decades behind. It is still marred with the shacks, pollution, and makeshift roadside stores, as one would expect. Nothing really surprise me, as I made my way to Alamos in the mountains. This old mining town is charming in every way. The people were out and lounging around the main square. The town is a maze of colonial passageways. It was small; so, exploring never took me far from the main square. It was much nicer than I had anticipated. At lunch I mapped out my next stop, El Fuerte, which is literally 100km straight south. There was a direct mountain road that went there. I noticed that google maps recommended that I take the 225km “out-of-the-way” route instead. Curious, I asked the waiter if he would recommend me taking the shorter and faster route. He instantly left the restaurant to retrieve an English speaking woman who set me straight. Basically, the shortest route runs through the drug country and she said it is too dangerous. I asked whether is it more dangerous than kids going to school in America? She laughed and said even locals are afraid to drive there. Fair enough, I took the long way and headed for El Fuerte and my hotel. After, say 1,000 speed bumps, I arrive at El Fuerte. It is a very small town with tons of charm. The town clearly benefits from the many tourist that use it as the starting point for the railroad to the Copper Canyon. It is well preserved and the buildings all hide courtyards which are lush oasis’s from the cobblestone streets. The restored buildings and streets are well cared for and charming. I could not help but notice that they were being patrolled by hoards of army units that must be monitoring and tracking the drug routes. I instantly resigned myself to the fact I would not score anything here. Oh well, tomorrow, I will start my train trip through copper canyon and stay at a hotel perched on the rim of the canyon.
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From Arizona to Panama Canal 