Friday, February 5, 2010

Memories of Mexico. Travel with parents

4AM in Scottsdale and it is raining just a little. We get 2 miles down the road, and it's a bit harder. Keith says "it will let up in a bit" now we are I-10, and it is raining harder than I have ever seen. 18 wheel trucks doing 80 miles an hour in the dark, in the rain. We have to keep up or be hit from the rear. I am so tense that every muscle in my body is burning. I decide that once we stop in Tucson to fuel up and to pick up a package from a friend to take down to his son in San Carlos, that I will refuse to get back into the car until it is either light out or the rain stops. My prayers are answered and both happen while we are stopped in Tucson.




Our first stop is at Immigration. My parents are so excited to get their first FMT. I explain that they had one before when we all went to Troncones years ago, but filling out one on your flight and actually doing one in a Mexican Office is all together different.



One of the first things we did once we got into San Carlos was eat. This is Rosa's Cantina. Nice place and OK prices. We have noticed that prices are pretty high in San Carlos. Similar to prices in Phoenix. But we were not there to pinch pennies, we were there to show my parents a good time and for them to feel safe about the possibility of bringing their Motor coach down for a month or 2 next year.




This is the Pearl Farm in Guaymas. This is an interesting tour and only took about 1 hour. The pearls they harvest are a beautiful color. They implant 250 thousand oysters every year and only yield about 4 thousand for sale.






This is on the way up to the Mirador. San Carlos is so lovely. It reminds me a lot of how Cabo San Lucas must have looked before all the US Dollars started flowing there.





Doing a little Pilates/Yoga move up at the Mirador.







Keith holding some pearl oysters. The oysters have to be cleaned 5 times per year and will not be harvested for 4 years. Lots of work. Little return.








Ok, So we thought it would be fun to rent a Rhino for the day and go exploring into locations that I did not want to take my car. It was fun. And... we thought it would be funny to take a photo of Mom and Dad going through a puddle. We all thought the water would go to the sides. With no wind screen on the Rhino, that water went right in. My Mom was covered in cow pee muddy water. Yuck. And it was a bit chilly out. But, she is a real trooper and did not complain. Well, until we couldn't get the stains out of her pretty pink sweatshirt. No fear! I used my Mexican "Zote" soap and some elbow grease and her shirt is as good as new. No more brown smelly marks.



This is the public beach entry on the Caracol. Small beach and probably one of the most northern points you will find Coconut Palms in Mexico.









Our last meal in Mexico. A road side taco stand on the south end of Santa Ana. Boy, let me tell you what happens when 4 gringos pull up in a Lexus. We get charged triple the going rate. My fault for not asking the price to begin with. So anyway, we paid $22.00 USD for 12 tiny tacos and 2 cokes. We should have gone to the same Burrito stand we always do just North of Magdalena. We got 4 LARGE Bistek burros with 2 cokes and a coffee all for under $9.00 USD.
Oh well. Sometimes you just have to let things drop.