2023 Pueblos Mágicos

Day 4 – TIP

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A TIP is a Temporary Import Permit for foreign vehicles. They are needed to bring a vehicle into Mexico beyond a few border states such as Baja and Sonora. There are several types of TIPs, but basically, to get one, you need current registration, money, and the vehicle in question.

There are different ways to obtain a TIP, the easiest way is with anticipation before you leave – online. I did this and I got my TIP via email weeks ago. Due to the -newness- of Gary’s truck, there were… complications. The VIN was not decodable by the online system, so he was unable to get a TIP online. No worries, we could easily do it at the aduana or customs.

The struggle begins…

Upon arrival in Sonoyta, the border town, we asked the immigration official where the customs office was. He said it was on the highway to Caborca. I explained that we were not taking that highway and if there was another one on the highway between Puerto Peñasco and Caborba – he assured us that there was.

Sonoyta, Puerto Peñasco and Caborca make a triangle, and we were planning taking only two legs of the three for the third would make a full circle out of the triangle.

Not feeling entirely confident about the information we got from the immigration official, we asked the office manager at the RV Park in Peñasco. He said there was both a customs office on the road from Peñasco to Caborca, AND there was a Banjercito – the national bank that processes the TIPs. Yesterday, we went to the Banjercito to get the TIP and they told us that they didn’t issue them, but he gave us the number of the customs office in Sonoyta. He also said that there was a place on the highway between Peñasco and Caborca (three for three now).

Still not feeling entirely confident and having an extra hour to kill, we decided to -drive- without the trailer and the bus, to the customs office on the highway we wanted to take. 30 minutes later and we are arriving. We hop out and I go talk to the soldiers. They assured me that they were only secondary inspection and that we would have to return to Sonoyta.

After resigning to the fact that we would now have to return to the border and get the permit on a highway that we didn’t want to take, we decide to go back to Sonoyta and then direct to Caborca. After two hours on the road, we made it to the customs office where we got the vehicles inspected and headed inside. The young woman who was at the window was very pleasant to work with. She reviewed my paperwork and assured me it was all in order. She then took Gary’s paperwork and started to process it.

  • Clerk: sir, this registration is expired. Do you have the current one?
  • Gary: um, yes, right here in my super-over-the-top organized folder…
  • Gary: …
  • Gary: … it’s in the truck. I’ll be right back…
  • Rocco:… it’s been a few minutes, should I go help him look?
  • Me: … no, he will find it… or not…
  • Gary: … after 10 minutes, with head hung low and shoulders folded inward… I screwed up… I don’t have it. I checked the tags on the plate and they are expired.
  • Me: …
  • Gary: …
  • Me: Señorita – can we use the title instead?
  • Clerk: yes that would work
  • Gary: … jumping up and down with excitement, pulling out a copy of the title and handing it to the clerk
  • Clerk: … do you have the -original-?
  • Gary: …
  • Gary: … in the safe… at home
  • Clerk:… I’m sorry, we need either a current registration or the original title.

It goes on, but yes, you get the idea. Our solution was to have Gary’s wife get the title out of the safe and send it down next day via FedEx, but that didn’t work out so well either, and that’s a story for Gary to tell. The best we could do was two day delivery, not guaranteed.

So the title is now on it’s way via UPS to the RV park in… Puerto Peñasco, and we are here for three? more nights.

All of the nonsense travel to get a TIP – not all, we still have the last day out – back to Sonoyta and then on to Caborca

What to do in Peñasco

May is the beginning of the off-season in Puerto Peñasco. This is both good and bad. The bad… It gets bloody hot. It was 105F today on the way back here, although in Peñasco, it was considerably cooler – 83F. The good… there aren’t very many people here so RV reservations are not needed and we can always find a table.

Sunset on the Sea of Cortez

Tomorrow we will be doing laundry, having some parts fabricated, visiting a hardware store to get mesh screens for my windows so I can open them without getting eaten.

We will have a few down days which is fine, we have about 1300 miles so far.

Accepting what is for what is, and being OK with it

It is not the destination, but rather the road traveled and the experiences gained by the traveling of said road that is of value. The journey -is- the destination.

When we first started planning this journey, we wanted it to be fluid without an itinerary. Because we have a friend flying down to meet us in June, I mapped out how we could get to where we needed to pick him up on the day he arrived. This was just a rough idea to see if it was doable without killing ourselves. I bragged about how after Peñasco, I really didn’t know where we would go (I had an idea), and that if we found something else to do that was of interest, we could do it. Well, second day in Mexico and our hands were forced to change. The key here is that while the reasons are disappointing, the actual change is not a big deal. What is, is and I’m OK with that.

Pueblos Mágicos – Day Three

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Crossing the border…

Today Gary and I met up in Ajo, AZ. we headed south through Saguaro National Monument. a beautiful drive through the Saguaro and Palo Verde forests. Both of which were in bloom. Large yellow/white flowers at the top of the towering monoliths with a lower canopy of yellow from the Palo Verdes. The desert is tríelo a wonder to see.

Palo Verde in bloom and giant Saguaro

The border town of Lukeville is at the southern edge of SNM. There’s not much to it other than a gas station, border patrol and The Wall. Crossing the US border is simple – just drove through. They don’t care who leaves. There are no stops, no checks, no cares.

Entering Mexico is also practically a non-event. While a visa (FMM) is required for all, it’s not checked unless it is. And if you don’t have one, well, that was dumb. the immigration process is easy.

The customs portion of the border crossing is confusing. Especially if you are bringing a vehicle in and not staying in Sonora or Baja. At which point, you have to purchase a TIP – a temporary import permit.l for your vehicle.

I got mine (for a motorhome) online and it was pretty straight forward. Gary couldn’t get his online and has to have the vehicle inspected. But there’s no where anywhere near that border crossing to do so. From what we gathered, we have to drive on until the inspection site before we get to Caborca – two days from now. Let’s hope they don’t make us go back to the border.

Sonoyta, the town on the southern side of the border, is a typical border town. They have speed traps, so they take you license and force a bribe – unless you want to drive to the police station with your truck and trailer on a Sunday. Welcome to Mexico. PS – they ignored the bus…

Puerto Peñasco

We arrived in Rocky Point or Puerto Peñasco around noon. Set up and walked to the Malecón where we were assaulted by all of the pharmacy and cash exchange vendors. Then by the restaurateurs. They all want the contents of our wallets.

One thing of note is that all of the ATMs in the malecón only dispense US$. And all of the vendors accept US$ at a terrible exchange rate. In these situations, I tend to purchase on my CC and have them charge me in pesos, my bank gives the daily rate with no markup and no fees.

We’re staying at an RV park near the beach. Which is basically an empty lot with a bunch of RVs in it. Not my thing, but they have power and that’s important if it’s hot outside.

Sea of Cortez – looking southwest

This trip is about adventures outside of the comfort zone…

Being flexible and ok with things that you’re not familiar with is ok. They aren’t bad, they just are. This trip is all about doing things differently and, well… let the adventures begin.

Pueblos Mágicos – Day Two…

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Little things we normally take for granted – like air conditioning!

Today from Palm Springs, CA to Ajo, AZ, it was a good 93° on the highway. It wasn’t a long day – a medium day. The heat wasn’t too bad inside. And there’s a story behind the aircon.

This bus came from Louisiana where it -had- a huge air conditioning unit. It was engine driven and was big and noisy. It also took up room inside, and room outside where I now have the holding tanks. So I ripped it out. I did put in an RV aircon unit, but they work off of 110v, not the engine. Meaning that it works while parked and plugged into shore power, not on the road.

The aircon only uses about 1200w of power and I had a 2000w inverter to power it – or so I thought. The brand I have is rated is VA and not watts. So that 2000 on the model – nope. More like 1600w. BUT… that’s the rating at 70°. Who needs aircon at 70°? As the ambient temperature goes up, the rating for the inverter goes down. So when the temps reach the 90’s or 100’s, the inverter won’t power the aircon.

So… I bought a larger inverter – a 3k. I had tried it off and on to make sure that it would work, but never -really- stressed it.

The other issue I had was that my batteries would only power the aircon for 2-3 hours. That wouldn’t work for long trips through the desert, so I connected it to the alternator on the engine. That worked for a while, until the engine computer complained of low voltage during high draw situation – I was drawing too much current from the old 135amp alternator.

So, a month ago, I replaced the alternator with a 200amp one.

So this combination of the aircon running off of my inverter powered by the batteries, solar, and the engine works great. It’s not -cold-, but it isn’t hot/uncomfortable either.

In mobile environments with limited resources, we learn how to conserve. I closed the dividing curtain and am just cooling the cab/kitchen area and not the back of the bus.

After five hours and 300 miles on the road in 90° temps outside, the inside is in the high 70’s to low 80’s.

Unrelated, I also put new tires on it a couple of months ago at $800 apiece I was hoping for a quieter, smoother ride – and I got it. It’s still a big truck chassis, and not a town car, but hey…

To combat the noise, I have a pair of noise cancelling earbuds. Things are good…

So where am I?

I’m in a little town just 40 miles north of the US-Mexican border called Ajo – Spanish for garlic. But they don’t grow garlic here. It’s possible it was named after the Tohono O’odaham word oʼoho meaning red paint or red tint. Ajo is rich in minerals and is home to the first copper mine in the state of Arizona. It’s interesting to see a satellite picture of it.

Ajo is also close to Saguaro National Park. And the saguaros are in bloom. Beautiful majestic cacti. a keystone species in the Sonoran desert.

Tomorrow my friend catches up to me and we will cross the border into Mexico. Puerto Peñasco is our first stop.

Pueblos Mágicos – The journey has begun…

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Well, after years of talking and months of planning, the journey has begun. I left yesterday and it was a long day. All interstate. All 520 miles of interstate. Ok – mostly interstate with some US highways thrown in.

Took the 101 to the 580, to the 5, to the 210. I was going to stay in San Bernardino but decided the extra 80 miles to Palm Springs to meet up with my friend was worth it. He’s staying at an established campground. When I got here, my frugalness led me to opt out of the $88/night KOA and park under the security trailer at the local Home Depot the price is good – free. No hassles. For transitory nights, I just can’t justify spending money like that.

I woke up before 0600 and my first urge was to hit the road. Wait – why? I have everything I need with me, my destination is only five hours away, I can leave at any time. So, I decided to sit back and enjoy my coffee in the cool morning desert air. Forecast today is 100° so better enjoy outside now than later.

The bus performed exceedingly well. Not towing the Jeep makes a big difference. I don’t have to monitor the temps, and I can travel with the flow of traffic. Not towing the Jeep, I’ve gained 150 miles range on one tank of fuel. Now I’m up to about 600 miles. heading over the grapevine, I stayed at 65 up and over. No struggle – it just went.

I’ve named the bus “El Alebrije”. Which is a fairly modern term in Mexico. It’s a piece of art. But more than that, it’s a fantastical creature with multiple aspects of spirit protectors or guides, or nahual. They are there to guide and protect you in every day life. Alebrijes are guided for the spirits. To guide them back to the world of the living, to the altar that those that remember them have built for Día de Los Muertos in November.

While my Alebrije is not guiding the dead, it is a fantastical merging of a school bus and a home on wheels, and it is guiding my inner Pizote, or mischievous self in this journey – where there is no destination, only the road traveled.

Wish me well on this journey and welcome along in the telling of it.

Alebrijes – What are they?

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Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. Originally, these creatures are created using a technique called papier-mâché, but are now carved in wood, and are often adorned with intricate patterns and designs. Alebrijes have become a beloved symbol of Mexican culture and are now popular all over the world.

History

The history of alebrijes dates back to the 1930s, when a Mexican artist named Pedro Linares fell seriously ill. While he was in bed, he dreamed or hallucinated of a strange place resembling a forest. There, he saw trees, animals, rocks, clouds, and other things that suddenly transformed into strange, fantastical creatures. In his dream, these creatures repeated a word to him: “alebrijes.” When Linares recovered from his illness, he started to create sculptures of these creatures, using papier-mâché as the main material. Over time, the craft of creating alebrijes transitioned into wood carving, and became a tradition in Mexico, passed down from generation to generation.

Meaning

The word “alebrijes” comes from two Nahuatl words, “alebrije” and “ixtle.” “Alebrije” means something that is not real or something that does not exist, while “ixtle” is a type of paper made from the bark of a tree. Together, the two words refer to the process of creating something that does not exist in reality.

Alebrijes are not only fanciful creations; they also carry important cultural and symbolic meanings. Many of these creatures are inspired by animals that are considered sacred in Mexican folklore, such as jaguars, eagles, and snakes. These animals represent different spiritual forces, such as courage, strength, and wisdom.

The intricate patterns and designs on alebrijes are also significant. These patterns are often inspired by pre-Hispanic art and motifs, which carry their own symbolic meanings. For example, the use of circles and spirals represents the cycle of life and death, while the use of triangles symbolizes the connection between heaven and earth.

Today, alebrijes continue to be an important part of Mexican culture. They are often created and sold by artisans in markets and shops throughout Mexico, but mainly in the state of Oaxaca. In recent years, alebrijes have also been featured in popular culture, such as in the movie “Coco,” which tells the story of a young boy who dreams of becoming a musician and encounters a magical world filled with alebrijes.

Alebrijes have become important facets in Mexican culture and have been interpreted, not only as protectors but also spirit guides where an Alebrije is paired with the spirit of a loved one and guides the loved one back to the altar during day of the dead festivals so that the spirits can see their family members.

Conclusion

Alebrijes are an important part of Mexican culture, representing a fusion of indigenous and Spanish influences. These whimsical creatures have captivated people’s imaginations all over the world, and their symbolic meanings continue to resonate with many. Through the craft of creating alebrijes, artists are able to express their creativity, preserve cultural traditions, and honor the natural world.

Pueblos Mágicos 2023

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The time is rapidly approaching that I embark on another epic adventure with my good friend GLRay. This year, the adventure entails cultural exploration by visiting many Pueblos Mágicos and UNESCO sites in the central highlands of México. The general idea, as my brother-from-another-mother says, is to not have a plan. This year, we have a general idea of what we want to do, but it’s open ended and with a few exceptions, there is no itinerary. We will be traveling in a pattern guided by vagaries.

Our method of travel will be that of dérive. This word literally translates to “drift,” but thanks to some mid-20th century French philosophers, it can also refer to a spontaneous trip, completely free of plans, in which you let your surroundings guide you. This is a much different method of travel than either of us typically embark on, with lots of planning and strict itineraries. This is a journey of change, growth, awareness, and acceptance for what is.

We have some dates and timelines we must abide by, meeting up to leave, when to be at certain airports to pickup/drop-off family and friends that are visiting, visa limitations, etc. Other than the initial getting to México and our first couple of nights, we don’t know where this adventure will take us.

In my past adventures, I have been asked to write about them as most people don’t have the opportunities of travel that I have, and my stories are educational, funny, and inspirational – or so I’m told. I have found that the easiest way to reach people is on social media, but the little red flags and bells have me drooling worse than Pavlov’s dog, and I have better things to do with my time than watch cat videos and engage in toxic exchanges on social media. So the birth of this blog. If I can figure out a way to post my blogs posts of past adventures here, I will, but some of those are many years old and it might not be worth it.

The Dates

The current dérive plan – an oxymoron in itself is to enter México on May 14th, and to return sometime mid-late August, or maybe September… So as mid-May approaches, you will see more and more posts, and possibly a daily post once we enter México.

Meet the Players

El Alebrije – this is my beast. It’s a school bus conversion, it took me about 18 months to build. Another 24 months in fine tuning and changing things up to meet my needs. The latest iteration was to take out the two captain’s chairs and large dining room table, and in place install a sofa/lounge/bed and a smaller table (still sizable) for mobile work area/dining table, etc. For this trip, I will be taking just the bus. The Jeep (Pizote) stays home.

The word Alebrije is a new term in Mexican Spanish. For more information – visit El Alebrije

Owlbear – this combination is my friend GLRay’s rig. He bought the truck 18 months ago and the trailer about 8 months ago. We’ve been working on modifying the solar and electrical system of the trailer.