Jan 27 Day 6
The temperature as we left Guaymas was in the fifties and it is a beautiful sunny day as most days in Mexico this time of the year. We have 160 miles to go to make it to Alamos, our next stop where we will be for 2 nights. We found out that Alamos is having a Festival this weekend with lots of music and artisans. We should get there in time to enjoy that. On the main street of Guaymas we found many topes (toe-pay) which are known as a Mexican stop light but in the states better known as a speed bump. That is the way they slow traffic in the city as well as small towns. Gets pretty annoying after a time, especially with big RV’s. We see lots of city buses. They are school buses that appear about 100 years old and have been painted flat white. Not sure I want to ride in one. As we left Guaymas we saw another junk yard. Junk in Spanish is Yunky so we now say “there is another yunky yard. J This road takes us through crop land, fruit and nut orchards, chicken farms and several very large green houses. It is definitely an agricultural area in this desert land. We stopped in the city Vicam for some to get fuel and had an opportunity to give some of the toys we brought along to some boys. They are very appreciative but recently learned the adults do not want them to beg for things or food. We will try to give to kids who do not beg. The roadside along Highway 15 are very trashy. This just seems to be part of the culture. They have passed some laws with a fine for littering but that will take some time for people to change their habits.
In CD Obregon we had some tricky turns, traffic was heavy and 3 rigs did not make the turn so we were quite some time getting the caravan back together again. Also in this town we see a beer manufacturing firm making Corona and one other beer popular in the US. Back in the country we see cows grazing in the median between the lanes of traffic and on the rail road tracks usually being herded by one Mexican on horseback. It didn’t appear to be very good grazing land but better than the desert I suppose. The next city was Navajoa, a city of 82, 600. As we sat waiting through a couple of lights in very heavy traffic we saw a man in a wheel chair who had both legs amputated and being pushed by another man. He was passing between 2 lanes of traffic begging for money. I did open the door and give him some pecos. It is those kinds of situations that make us so aware of the cultural differences between the USA and Mexico. There is a big LEY store here which is similar to a Walmart and includes very nice grocery departments. Not too far from Alamos we see the White Mountains where talc is mined and a ways back we saw a manufacturing plant for talc. We have arrived in Alamos. Gene and I quickly set up the RV and walked up the hill where we had seen some of the Festival activities as we came in to town. Most things were shutting down so we decided to return to the RV and perhaps go back in the evening when we thought more music entertainment would be happening. We arrived back and found out we had gone the wrong way and most of the activity was down town…in the other direction. So after dinner we walked down town, found many artisans there and many Mexican food booths. We waited till after 8 pm thinking the some musical group would perform but that did not happen. We went home and later found out the excellent musical performance was earlier while we were at the other end of town.