Crazy or not, here I am…. sitting comfortably in SV Shannon’s Spirit in the works yard, at Marina Seca in San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico. The temperature is very comfortable and there are quite a few other cruisers here, working on their boats too. It’s been dark since about 1830 hrs and it’s so quiet it feels like we’re out in the middle of nowhere. I must admit the boat is pretty filthy, inside and out, covered with wind-driven dirt and dust. She’ll get a good washing tomorrow before I start any of the projects.
When I set out to plan this trip I looked at other blogs, etc., hoping to find reports of recent experiences in getting from Vancouver to San Carlos. I didn’t find any so, for those of you who might be wondering how I traveled, the following is a short synopsis of what I did and what I experienced.
Our journey started in Duncan, BC at 0600 hrs. Kathy drove a friend, George (who was flying to Palm Springs about the same time), and I to the Departure Bay ferry. We took the 0830 ferry and arrived in Horseshoe Bay just in time to get soaked waiting in line to board the Vancouver Express bus. But board we did, with all our luggage. They must select drivers of “express” buses carefully as ours had evidently been a race car driver before taking on the big-boy buses. The vehicle was one of those buses that are about a block long with a swing bridge at the mid-point. Guess where I sat… and I had to cuz a very nice young gentleman (dreads and all) offered me his seat (I guess I look even older when I’m soaking wet :-( Anyway, when someone offers you a seat on a flying bus, and there are no others… you take it.. and so I did. What a ride. It reminded me of the roller coaster at the PNE, especially when he took the corners on what felt like only the leeward wheels. Anyway we survived the bus ride, caught the Skytrain and rode the rails all the way to the airport.. very nice. We had time for lunch together and then George was off on his flight.. and mine was delayed. A couple of long hours later I was able to board and flew from Vancouver to Phoenix on a US Airways flight . I spent the night in a Phoenix hotel, the nearby Best Western, because I didn’t want to be travelling alone in darkness once I arrived in Mexico. I flew out the next morning at 1050 hrs. and arrived in Hermisillo fairly close to noon. Green lights and a smooth Visa application had me out the door quite quickly. As most of you know there has been much trouble with Mexican paperwork of late. I’m happy to report they have updated their description of what you may bring into the country, if you’re flying or if you’re driving (they’re different, but both seem quite reasonable). If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll repeat the description herein. Now where was I? Oh yes, arrived in Hermisillo and then had to get to the bus terminal. That required a Taxi. There is a taxi counter inside the airport, and you go there first. They sell you the ticket for the taxi and you then go outside and down to the right where the taxis and their handler are waiting. Once at the Bus station I bought my ticket for Guaymas and managed to catch the bus that was leaving right then… barely had time to hit the loo. The bus ride was uneventful although I did get to watch one of the early episodes of Downton Abbey… in Spanish. I arrived in Guaymas mid-afternoon, caught yet another taxi, stopped briefly at Walmart to pick up a blanket and a pillow, and arrived at the marina about 1600 hrs. Voila!! Easy peazy.
So here I am, all tucked in…. I’m finishing this on Wednesday as I was too tired last night and fell asleep early. Today was cloudy, with a bit of rain.. well, drizzle really. Anyway, it’s all good. I spent most of the day trying to tidy up and wipe up some of the dust inside. Eduardo and a couple of the fellows helped me out by washing down the outside…I couldn’t even find a scrub brush, never mind the energy. So tomorrow I will take a run at emptying each of the cabins and washing them down. Then I can pile lots of stuff in the aft cabin and begin some of the work requiring access to lockers. Tonight, I’m dining at a wine bar with friends who are picking me up shortly.
So for now me amigas y amigos… adios… stay well… stay warm. CJ
