The Traveling Spirit

The following was copied from a Blog prepared by David Orozo who I met while I was in San Carlos.


Many people wander through Sonora, either on fixed itineraries, or haphazardly. Of the former, many are “snow birds”, retirees who escape the cold along the Western North American land mass. These hardy folks arrive from Alaska, British Columbia (B.C.), Alberta, Manitoba, Washington, Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon, California, Utah, and Colorado.
The snow birds, like the birds migrating south, follow the river valleys east of the Sierra Madre, and mainly travel along the Panamerican Highway, from beach town to beach town. Some venture into colonial Mexico to visit places like Guadalajara, and San Miguel de Allende. Some go to jungle highlands, like San Cristobal de las Casa in Chiapas.
Many stop along the Pacific beach towns, small places like Rincon de Guayabitos, Melaque, Barra de Navidad, Lo de Marcos. Others bypass the mainland altogether and find what they are looking for in the Baja Peninsula. Others, find good fishing and tranquility in the Sonoran Desert and remain north of The Tropic of Cancer in San Carlos.
Or, if you’re like the rare travelling soul, the latter, you travel without a fixed itinerary, and guide yourself by what the locals say and your sixth sense confirms. That is what James Allard is doing. He stayed at the Totonaka RV Hotel for several days. Every morning I would walk out of my bungalow and pass his. Outside, by his door, I would walk by his large cherry red BMW cruiser.
One day I saw his door opened and introduced myself. We started talking about his travels.
“I started in the Eastern coast of Canada.” He said. “Then worked across as far up north the Yukon you can go with a vehicle. Then to Alaska and down the coast to California. I was supposed to go to Baja but ended up here.”
“Do you have a travel plan?” I asked.
“No, I just go where the locals recommend. But I figure I’ll go down along the Pacific and then to Yucatan, then up Eastern Mexico to Veracruz, then up back home.”
“You should visit Alamos. It’s only a few hours south of here, and it is the real Mexico.”
“Why did you choose to stay here.”
“I wanted to rest and ease my way into Mexico. Learn more about the country. I was also taken back by the beauty here. This place is gorgeous. I’ll definitely be back.”
I mentioned this blog, and he told me he was writing about his trip. He handed me his card, which has a picture of him on his motorcycle traveling into a valley with the snow caps in the distance. To the lower left in block yellow letters is: “Live the Dream.” On the upper left corner is a Canadian flag. When you turn the card it says:
James Allard
No Fixed Address
Web Blog: www.4nfa.blogspot.com
E-Mail: jamesallard2005@yahoo.ca