I was up and out on the road leaving behind my hidden hideout on the beach at 7am..I was well stocked with drink, food, good music….a great car…GPS and a couple of towel wraps with ice for my knee and neck..it really was an uneventful drive I went through 2 immigration inspections and 3 military inspections and I was waved right through them all.
After the first couple of hours I was travelling on major toll highways that are well maintained.
10 Toll booths which cost me 600 pesos….
Not much to photos of
Too funny!!
I like this photo the translation is self explanatory
Seeing the word Camino which means way got me to thinking about my proposed Pilgrimage of 550 miles next summer on the Camino Santiago!!!!
I do love my beach walks and long drives as it gives me lots of time to think about stuff, my life, the direction I am going, the blessings, the family, the friendships……after I put that photo on the blog yesterday of Connie it got me to thinking about my marriage and how it went so bad so quickly and the aftermath and the suffering but I rebounded and now I think on those times with an insight that it needed to happen to allow me to me exactly where I am today!!
It was about 5pm and I needed gas so I pulled in here
The gas stations in Mexico are Government owned and all called Pemex with virtually the same price everywhere so what is special about this gas station??
Free life subscription to the blog if anyone guesses correctly!!!!!!
This is the gas station that I drove Ramona into on November 12th 2010…..and read the extract from the blog that day!!!!
I knew it was time to find a Pemex gas station to spend the night and after 495 miles of driving I did find one and stopped for the night after asking permission and filling up with gas.
I feel very safe here and as luck would have it there was another motorhome parked here for the night. This was the first RV I saw all day. I went over and introduced myself to the couple and got invited in and had a chat for an hour, they are lovely and from Vancouver and going down to Puerto Vallarta for the winter.
So a good first day…I plan another long drive tomorrow and maybe hit the little town of Rincon de Guayabitos where I plan to have a few days of beach…..
WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In hind sight I should have parked next to the other RV because I went and parked in the corner away from the traffic and I have just been robbed at gunpoint!!!!
I heard a knock on the door so I turned on the outside light and heard this voice shouting at me to open the door, I shouted back no and the next thing there is another man standing outside the small window by the sink he pushed in the screen and is aiming a gun at me and telling me to give him my money……..I remained very calm and told him OK OK my money is in the front so I grabbed the keys pulled in the slide went to the front where he was telling me to open the door so what I did was open the window a crack and threw him my wallet and I immediately started up and drove around the parking lot, I saw them leave in a black car at a fast speed, they were really only young men not scruffy and I have no idea if the gun was not real BUT>>>>
One of the security precautions that I took this year was to order a new visa with a 500 dollar limit, bought a wallet put 200 pesos(20 dollars) in it and some old cards and kept it by the drivers side door and that is what they got…..not the 500 dollars I had gotten earlier in the day at the bank machine which is hidden in the RV….
I tried calling the emergency number of the police from the phone at the gas station but I could get no reply so I will try and report the crime tomorrow.
So after all these years of coming to Mexico this is the very first nasty incident and I just feel lucky that it could have been much worse..there was no way I was going to fight with a gun pointed at my head…..….I am now parked right behind the other RV .
I am surprised at myself and pleased that I remained calm I could have challenged them in the parking lot but what is the point, didn’t get the licence plate number nor really a good description.. ………I think a cup of tea is well earned!!!!
I know some of you will be alarmed and worried for me but now 2 hours after the incident I feel OK and just thankful that it went down the way it did the last time I had to face a similar situation was in the Police in Bermuda but that was a totally different scenario……
What a shame my first night this happens but it will not deter me from my journey but I guess tomorrow I should buy another throw away wallet…..blessings to all.
WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Woke up at 5.30am and decided to do another long days drive, went to the drivers door and there under the wind shield wiper is my WALLET!!!!
The 200 pesos are of course gone but all the cards are intact including my credit card!!!! I have no idea how it got there I don’t believe the punks had chance to go through it and ditch it whilst running to their car, did they come back? What happened did the attendant find it in the bushes I have no idea all I know is that it is awesome that I don’t have to go through the hassle of reporting the card…so there is good news!!!
I will post later about todays drive but rest easy I am happy, safe and at my favourite beach town, parked 50 feet from the water safe and doing good!!!
That sure was an experience and it was fun to come to the scene of the crime and I must say the gas station still had some unsavory characters hanging around.
So 7pm and I found this nice hotel in Culiacan..a total of 1140 km about 700 miles a long day and I can hear some of you saying I am nuts but I beg to differ…I enjoy driving Little Bluey never once felt tired and it was a good day and I just hope my stuff will be Ok I am sure it will be it is a classier hotel and Little Bluey is right out side the front door and the un iformed and armed guard received a nice tip…
I had a long hot shower did not feel really hungry so had some cereal and now the blog and then bed……I have looked at the maps and have decided that with another long driving day I can be home in my lovely casita in SMA before dark tomorrow….Blessings to all Les
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