Call and Response

Ajo

Just west of Gila Bend, Arizona, hwy 8 junctions with hwy 85 south, the road to Lukeville and the international border crossing.  We got our Mexico travel insurance in Ajo, Arizona, and where we rested up for two days at the Shadow Ridge RV park just 45 minutes north of the border.  We were only going to stay one night, but we decided to get an extra day of rest before crossing.  No point in rushing; the prospect of driving across for the first time was stressful (irrationally so) enough.  Time is always the enemy, whether you have too little or too much.

Shadow Ridge RV Park was very pleasant. The gravel sites were set into a hill on the southwest part of the park, and each site had a concrete pad with easy drive-in or back-in access.  Each site was separated by large oleander bushes which were blooming at the time.  The folks in the colorful office were very nice, and since and since it was November, early yet for seasonal snow birds from the north, there were plenty of prime sites to choose from.

The extra day gave us a chance to stock up with Americano supplies that we knew we may not be able to get later on in Mexico. Unfortunately, Shadow Ridge was nowhere near a market of any kind.  The closest one was an IGA supermarket about two miles north of the park.  Of course, that’s one of the things you don’t think about when choosing a place to camp.  So we could either unhook the Coach House and drive the two miles (which is what we should have done) or walk.  We walked.  But the weather was not at all hot, in fact, it was very mild.  If you’re not towing a vehicle or you don’t have bicycles, then walking is the only option.  The exercise was much preferable in any case, since we slept so well that night.  Next time, however, we have to bring bicycles or scooters.  But our trip is a learning experience, as it should be, especially if we get serious about traveling with the Coach House in the future.

The town of Ajo, which means garlic in Spanish, is naturally more Hispanic than American, as many U.S. towns are this close to the border.  Traces of colonial-style Mexico are in the town plaza; churches like the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, for example, reflect that colonial architectural characteristic, as do some of the single family homes.

Lukeville:

The Lukeville crossing into Mexico was uneventful except for a quick inspection of our coach by a very polite female border guard who spoke no English.  She waved us over right in front of the immigration office.  She quickly looked around and asked about illegal foods.  She spotted an opened package of dog food for Roscoe and confiscated it immediately.  We showed her our passports and Roscoe’s immunization papers, which she, curiously enough, took pictures of, including one of Roscoe himself.  We paid for our 180 day visas.  I asked about our temporary import papers and the Banjercito.  Caborca, he said, solamente en Caborca.  Finally, on the road in Mexico.

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