Guaymas Sonora and our Mexican siesta...

We entered Mexico at Nogales and officially filed the paperwork at km 21, As with most things, Mexico does this differently. One doesn't stop for immigration at the border crossing but 21 kms down the quota (toll highway). I already have a resident visa so only Rick goes in and gets his visitor's visa. The vehicle importation was all arranged in advance online, and they shipped it to us at Gabriola. They are very prompt and organized about getting it to you by courier.  The  immigration at km 21 is as usual a Mexican maze of parking, signs, offices, bank, bathrooms, customs lanes and overhead signs in Spanish.

We felt very at home here, strange as that may sound. It was our 5th or 6th crossing, and this time it felt very familiar and comforting. Usually we have a "re-entry" issue, similar to coming back to earth from outer space, a major adjustment to the change in culture, language, people and so forth. This time the Spanish signs and directions were easy. Maybe these aging brains were actually learning and retaining something from the previous years??

The next 240 miles to the twin cities of Guaymas/San Carlos were painful....literally!!  Never has the road been in such bad state of repair, and pulling the fifth wheel accentuated the bumps and grinds. We only saw one other RV on the way down, and like the trucks and buses, he was travelling straight down the centre line to reduce the jolts. Finally, we got to the turn off, negotiated the entrance to Guaymas, found our exit to the hotel and followed that to the end of the road, to Hotel Playa de Cortes. The RV side of the parking lot had 2 other rigs, out of a sea of maybe 100 plus slots? The place was as it was last year when we checked it out....virtually empty. Rick went in and paid the RV fee of $23. For that we got a parking space with full hookups, overlooking the gardens and main entrance of this historic hotel complex of traditional Mexican/Spanish design. We also got high speed internet, a lap-sized swimming pool, gourmet restaurant and beautiful grounds overlooking the Sea of Cortez. Here is a small collection of photos from the hotel:

This is the beach in front of the hotel...

One wing of the u-shaped hotel...They also have freestanding bungalows they rent...

 The interior courtyard and fountain...

 Lovely lovely 50 foot completely empty pool (except for me) to do my laps...

 Evening shot of setting sun on the mountain in the middle of Guaymas. The whole city is
built around these mountains, giving the city its unique shape. It is on a peninsula jutting out into
the Sea of Cortes, has salt water all around it, many little coves and bays, and a jumble of neighbourhoods and cityscape built around the flat areas in among these mountains...

 Side entrance to the grounds and beach in front of the hotel...

Our little rig in its temporary home...

 

The view from our little patio...

 

My fella, enjoying the view from the hotel. I wonder which one it was??

 

 

Maybe this one??  

 

Or this one???

 

Or maybe these chaps???

Well, we are off today to do more exploring of Guaymas, so will check back in with all of you a bit later to share the harvest (of whatever we find)...