Day 32, Monday, 01/28/08

We finally left Catalina SP and headed for the border on Saturday. We drove about 200 miles to get to Ajo, AZ. We are still about 5o miles north of Mexico. There is next to nothing here except for the RV park, a grocery, gas station, and car wash. Oh, and lots of places selling Mexican auto insurance. You have to have auto liability insurance before going into Mexico. Not your American liability, but Mexican liability. In Mexico, if you are involved in an auto accident without Mexican insurance you go to jail until you can "settle up". With the Mexican insurance you do the paperwork with the police and then go home.

The plan was to stay here a few days, work out at the fitness center, get insurance for the Honda, and drive across the border for a day trip to check out availability of space for the motor home. When we got here Saturday afternoon it was sunny and warm so we did nothing but enjoy the rest of the day. By morning it was raining, and it rained all day and all Sunday night. We did drive to the border, but did not cross. There were flash flood warnings out and we did not want to get stranded away from the RV park. In addition, when we pulled into a gas station right at the border we were immediately surrounded by six stray dogs barking and growling. They must have smelled our dogs in the car. Now way were we getting out! In fact, as we drove off, the dogs followed until I got going faster than they could run.

We stopped by Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on the way back, but it was just raining too much to do anything but go into the visitor center and get some information. Back to the RV park thinking we could get indoor exercise. Couldn't work out, however, because the advertised "fitness center" here looks about 25 years old and the equipment is ancient. So we both just spent the rest of the afternoon/evening online. Wow!

New day! Today, Monday, it's blue sky and 70's. We signed up for one more night here in Ajo. Tomorrow we will go to Organ Pipe and camp for one or two nights. Take a ranger guided tour, hike with the children, enjoy the peace and quiet of the desert. Then on to Mexico for a week or two. I called an RV park in Puerto Penasco and they have lots of space available. I expected them to be full this time of year. That is why we were going to drive down there in the Honda - check thing out and then return in the motor home when space became available.

When we leave here tomorrow, we will not have phone or internet service while in the National Monument. Our phones won't work in Mexico either, but we should have internet service. If the internet connection at the RV park is high-speed, we will be able to use the "Magic-Jack" for phone service over the internet. That number is 602-539-0296. Google Magic-Jack if you want more info about how it works.