Got Beat up in a Shakedown near Culiacan.

WHERE ARE WE? Baraka's Beach Club, Mazatlan, Mexico

We left the Smartgas compound about 8:30 this morning and headed on down the road.  We have about 400 kms to go today.  I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but there are lots of slow downs and stops at toll booths to slow you down.  I figure 7 hours will be our on the road time.

Before we left I took Archie for a walk and this field was by where we were parked.  They have set it all up for sprinkler type irrigation and I was taken aback with the accuracy of the sprinkler placements.  If you look carefully, no matter which way you look the posts are all in a straight line.  And I doubt that they use any kind of gps for this, but rather a Mexican with a straight eye!!

Have you ever watched any of the drug cartel shows and movies about Mexico?  If you have then you will know that Queen of the South is set in Culiacan Sinaloa.  This is one of the areas of Mexico where they just want you to move along and mind your own business. 

Now you would think with this region having lots of dollars flowing through it and lots of agriculture going on along the coast, and as a major truck route south to north, they would be able to afford good roads.  Well apparently not cause we saw some of the worst highways of the trip so far.  Not impassible but lots of pots and pans jangling going on.  At times I  wondered if the whole front end might come loose on poor old Percy!!!  I would say that about 150 kms of the 400 were on roads that were less than pleasant to drive on.  Not all on one stretch but rather when you least expected it, the shakedown would start again.  Sorry if I got you excited with my blog title today!!

Like I said lots of agriculture where we travelled and we are now getting into some nice lush greenery.  And there are lots of good areas on the highway.

We thought this plastic covered field was snow!!

Acres and acres of fields covered in mesh to keep birds off.

Hills are now all covered in greenery as well even though there are cactus.

Always lots of trucks stopped in every little town and great big topes that slow you down to about 2 mph.   Oh yes and always some vendors to sell you something.  We didn't encounter any check stops anywhere along the way.  Is it possible that Mexico is not as big and bad a place as some would have you believe?

Well mid afternoon we finally found our turn into Mazatlan.  We have been here a couple times before so we knew where we were going.  Just follow the cement truck!!!

Baraka's Beach Club has been a big RV park at one time but it is pretty run down now.  I had to try a couple places to find power.  Its just a stop off for a couple nights so it will do.

We got things up and running and then we walked down the road to Roys restaurant for supper.  I say we are in Mazatlan, but we are actually in a little suburb called Cerritos.  It is on a little bay on the north end of Mazatlan.  Sue likes the shrimp and they always have good ribs.  We were not disappointed.  It is by the ocean about 1/2 mile away.

Almost a sunset

New running/biking rubber road in the boulevard.  

Mmmm  good!!

The view out our window/door tonight is the RIU hotel. It is just down the street and is a big tourist hotel.  It is all inclusive I think so they keep to themselves.  Good Nite!!!