La Paz & Ferry to Topolobampo, Sinaloa

 I have embarked on what I hope will be a 4 month, 17,000 mile motorcycle ride through the US and parts of Mexico and Canada to visit family and friends and to benefit Children International.  Please consider supporting me – learn more here Will's Charity Ride for Children International - PledgeIt

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April 4, 2024 La Paz, BCS Mexico

OK, catch up, since the last update, I did ride 200 plus miles through the desert from south of Loreto to La Paz, BCS.  Oddly enough there was cell service at one  point and I got a call from a realtor in Napa about a propery my wife is selling.  

A little of the curves between Loreto and La Paz

I thought to begin to include maps of my travels to help folks visualize the ride.

I relaxed in a cool little B&B Casa Juarez, 5 blocks from the Malecon, which is the few mile long road that fronts to the Sea of Cortez with statues, shops, bars, restaurants, and hotels.

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B&B Casa Juarez La Paz, BCS Mexico

April 5, 2024 Ferry from Pinchilingue to Topolobampo (Say that 5 times fast)

I had a reservation to take the ferry from Pinchilingue, 15 miles from La Paz, to Topolobampo, Sinaloa on the mainland.  As a reminder, my friend Etienne Ricardez helped me by finding and  calling  a Yamaha mechanic in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, just 18 miles from Topolobampo.   So off to the ferry.

At the ferry terminal, you go through Mexican customs/immigration.  You need  to provide the documents that you might be aware of if you read my previous blog about crossing into Mexico at Tecate.  Mostly easy.  However after passing through customs, paying a terminal fee and getting my reserved ticket verified, I was left to figure out what to do next.  Asked a guy standing in a uniform, (well you know, guys in uniform by the vurtue of wearing it, know some things.  Like where is the ferry to Topolobampo?  Well he waved his hand in the general directions of a particular ferry about 1/4 mile away.  Bueno, I rode there only to find that it was not THE ferry going to Topolobampo,  it was going to Matzatlan.  I had to exit the secure area and return through customs to get to THE ferry.  There was a long line wating to pass through  customs.  Sigh...Fortunately, I was able to find the same customs officer that cerified my documents and searched my motorcycle.  He graciously passed me right through.

My bike is the black one with the orange ratchet straps.  Notice the other bike.  It comes into the story shortly.

It's not that glamorous, but is serves.  Here, after securing the bike, I am entering the ferry to find my "birth."

Leaving the Pinchilungue Bay....our guide through the channel

While on board,  I met two other guys named Will.  They were sitting a table in the common area.  They had just met each other as well because one of the Wills was driving a car and the other Will was riding that motorcycle with the yellow straps.  Apparently the call Will backed into the motorcycle Will while parking on the ferry.

Anyway,... so of course we're all chatting because after all that is what Wills do!  The motorcycle Will asks about my ride.  I explain my recent issue with the starter issue and that I have my friend Etienne helping me with the Spanish translation.   Without pause, he offers to help me figure out the issue and offers to guide and escort me after the mechanic "fixes" whatever is the issue to make sure that I an OK and don't get stranded!  You get that?  A total stranger has offered to make sure I am safe!  Pretty cool making connections. 

His name is Will Ayala, he's a professor of Chemistry at Chihuahua University and lives in Chihuahua.

We arrive in Topolobampo and we go our separate ways.  For me, tomorrow I go to the Yamaha mechanic in Los Mochis.

Here's Hotel Marina Topolobampo...that's my room that they let me park in front of.  It's not a parking lot.