Our Last Day in Mexico

May 14, 2021

Last night at dinner, we all decided that we would head for the border the next day. Given the hot temperatures and our location in Mexico, it seemed the best option was to head north. However we did want to visit a Seri Indian village about 25 miles from Bahia de Kino. Frenchie had told us of the baskets they sell. They are woven so tight that they hold water. So we wanted to visit and see a little more of the Mexico culture.

In the morning Eva and I enjoyed the nice ocean view from the patio at the hotel. We decided that we need to come back and have a relaxing vacation at this hotel. A similar hotel in the US would probably be over $400 per night.

The drive to the Seri village of A Punta Chueca was on a paved road and the village is near the coast. The Seri tribe was relocated, by the Mexican government, from their historic home onTiburon island to this location many years ago. The town is very poor and while they have a paved road and electricity, it still looks like a rough life.

We pulled into town and parked at the town square. There was no one around when we parked, but Frenchie had warned us what would happen next. The people quickly learned that we were in town and they poured out of their homes with items to sell. They were selling necklaces, bracelets, wood carvings and baskets. They mostly gathered around Eva and she looked at many items. We spent about $120 USD on several necklaces and bracelets and a basket. We really didn’t need any of it, but they are in such poverty, we wanted to help in some way. We also gave away the last of our fruit snacks and the kids gathered around Frenchie as he gave away handfuls of candy.

They were all very nice and courteous, but were continually showing us their items. Eva also met a special friend that was carrying his pet bird that he had found.

After returning to Bahia de Kino we gassed up and headed for the border. It was about a 3-4 hour drive, but it was mostly on toll roads, so we were able to cover ground quickly. At Imuris we all separated. Frenchie, Chris and JC turned east on highway 2. They were headed to the border crossing at Naco and Eva and I continued north to the border crossing at Nogales. 

The border crossing was quick, but we did have to stop at the agriculture inspection station. They told us they stop anyone with a refrigerator. They took our avocado pit and some old oranges that we had in the trash. They warned us about other food items that we had, but let us keep them.

We had a great tour of Mexico. We were glad to see this beautiful part of the world with such a great group of people. Frenchie, our unofficial tour guide, did a great job directing us through this remote part of Mexico. Without his experience, we would have never been able to visit the Copper Canyon area.

We drove north to Tucson and gassed up at Costco and then found a nearby manual car wash. It cost $7 to just spray off the main dirt and dust from our 3 weeks of travel in Mexico. The van is not clean, but at least most of the dust is gone. 

We spent the night at our favorite campsite about 20 miles north of Tucson in the Ironwood National Forest. When we stayed here in January and February and the area was full of campers that had escaped the cold. However today, there was no one camped in the area. After setting up camp I noticed that we have a tire that is losing air. We had driven thousands of miles in Mexico and we ended up getting a flat tire in the US. It is a slow leak, so I will just fill it with air and fix it when we get home. We spend the evening at our warm, quiet and dark camp looking at the stars.