Nogales Border Crossing - Truck Route

Nogales Crossing - Truck Route
I came into Nogales late afternoon from El Centro California and decided to overnight there and start into Mexico early. Fotos except the last are in the afternoon. Lots of motels at that exit if you choose to stay over ... and last minute shopping.

You can read and see more of my activities on the web site below

Sparks Mexico Web
Border Crossing Nogales - Truck Crossing
Kilometer 21 - Immigration

Exit Ramp to truck route

Border crossing the next morning
"Kilometer 21" - Mexican Immigration Nogales
What nobody mentions is that Nogales is 4 thousand feet elevation and in the winter often very cold. It was in the mid-30's at 7am (early December) and I'd suggest not standing in line in shorts and a tee-shirt. I've heard stories of long waits for your car permits (banjercito) but it took me less than a 1/2 hour



Immigration offices from the parking lot

The banjercito windows for vehicle permits
The banjercito windows. There's a sign (the red one) telling you what number they are serving - but no place to get a number. Luckily I walked into the top of the stairs and was next in line. Remember - copies of your Passport, Drivers License, Vehicle Registration and Tourist Visa. You can throw in a copy of your Title but it's not necessary. Have your Credit Card ready.

Just past this building there is a guard gate that will take a quick look at you as you drive past. If you have the window sticker they just wave you through. Not sure how they handle 'Sonora Only' permits.

It's not for another 6-8-10(?) miles until you run into Mexican Aduana (Customs). This is where they look into your car if you get the Red Light as you cross over the metal strip. The sign says STOP and all the agents were getting warm inside the office -- so I just proceeded slowly -- got the Red Light -- and pulled into the first inspection lane. The agent gave me big smile, said good morning, waited until I opened the rear door (my van), asked what's in that box -- and said goodbye.

Very easy and smooth.

December 3rd and headed south to Mexico

December 3rd - I just have to head south after visiting friends and family in Seattle for over a month. I hope this is the last snow the Red Car sees in quite awhile. Hitting the road in a few hours and hope to get away from rain/snow before Portland.
What are my chances

December 4th - I'm in Lost Hills California ... somewhere north of Bakerfield along I-5. Found a Days Inn with a good wireless signal. The Super 8 in Medford last night I wasn't able to connect to. Now I'm not sure if it was my configuration or the signal. Here I needed to let them manage and not use Windows wireless manager. Anyway ... should be in San Diego tomorrow ... for maybe two days. Then on to Tucson before crossing at Nogales.

December 5th - Picked up my Tourist Visa (prepay) at Discover Baja Travel Club in San Diego, checked out a few of my old hangouts, watched some parasail-surfers in Pacific Beach ... and headed for El Centro where I stayed in the Howard Johnson - with good internet.

December 6th - Stayed over night in Nogales on the American side - Super 8 with no internet. All of Nogales is pretty basic so don't expect much. It is good for last minute shopping. On to the next BLOG and crossing the border.

Driving the Michoacan Coast

This is about the drive from Cuernavaca over to the coast bypassing Acapulco with the intention of over-nighting in Zihuatanejo. To my surprise Zihuatanejo was/is just another large, well (over) developed beach town like Vallarta. Manzanillo is just as interesting and attractive and probably cheaper - sorry you Zihua fans.

Soooo.... I just made a quick loop around town and headed for Playa Azul which is only about 2 hours north. At least Playa Azul is a reasonably sized (small) beach town but it's also tired and just about vacant during the week during the summer. Really nothing to take a picture of in the way of a beach or town. There are a few nice hotels and a beach full of palapa restaurants. I stayed at the Hotel María Teresa with parking, a restaurant and a pool that was not clean enough to swim - $420mx.

Anyway next comes the best part - Caleta de Campos and the Michoacan coast. These fotos are more-or-less in order heading north ... but I'm not going to be able to remember all (many) of the names because they don't show on my maps. (They are in the Pacific Mexico Handbook by Bruce Wipperman). The slowest going along the road is north of Caleta de Campos, not due to bad road conditions, but because of the twists and turns along the sides of the mountains. The road is usually safely wide enough in the critical sections but you're often not able to get rolling over 40 MPH. At times the small white and yellow butterflies were so thick it was like driving in snow.

Getting close to the state of Colima there are some little tourist boom towns with construction going on everywhere ... but still very small and tranquillo.

Now I'm back in Melaque
Drive times were
Cuernavaca -> Acapulco - 3 hours (Cuota cost $45us +/-)
Acapulco -> Playa Azul - 6 hours
Playa Azul -> Melaque - 8 hours (Cuota cost $15 +/-)

You can read and see more of my activities on the web site below.
sparks-mexico web


Michoacan Coast Hyway - Curves in other parts do get exciting

Caleta de Campos

Maruata

Michoacan Coast

Michoacan Coast

Cuernavaca - City of Eternal Spring

Well another month of Spanish language school at Encuentros and I'm sure I know more but damned if I can tell. Got an apartment for around $300us, had some great young neighbors, played a little music, drank a few Victorias and drove to a number of places close by ... including Tepoztlán, Taxco, Mexico city and a Balneario (spa). I left Cuernavaca around the 1st of September.

You can read and see more of my activities in the Cuernavaca area on the web site below.
sparks-mexico web

Cuernavaca is a modern and busy city


Tepoztlán


Apartment patio with music, food and beer


Part of the Museo Dolores Olmedo Patiño in Mexico City. Best of the three Museums we went to that day.

Through Patzcuaro and on to Cuernavaca

Just didn't seem to have time in Patzcuaro to update this Blog along with the web site and studying Spanish. Now I've continued on to Cuernavaca and started another school this week. Should be here for a month before returning to Melaque ... on the way back north. I'll break out my camera and take a few trips here pretty soon

You can read and see my activities in the Patzcuaro area on the web site below.
sparks-mexico web


Tzintzuntzan Sunday Market near Patzcuaro