2012 Mexican Roadtrip: Mazatlan, Sinoloa to Los Mochis, Sin.

It took 4 hours to get from Mazatlan to Los Mochis. We got on the Hwy. 15D when it again was a 4 lane highway at the “Mazatlan Playas” exit.  Most of the trip was on a 4 lane highway. It was probably our best highway drive in Mexico. The toll road cost M$369/US$28. There were beautiful ocean views (like the 405 toward San Diego) until the road turned inland. It was 85° when we left at 9:30 a.m. and 94° at noon. We were passing farmland for most of the trip. Garmin (Senorita Garmina in Mexico) got us to Blvd. Rosales and we got to our hotel with only a little difficulty.

For the first time, we stayed at a City Express (City Express Los Mochis, Blvd. Centenario #1135, Sector Centro, Fracc. Delicias, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, room 617, tel. 668-816-9805). Our room cost M$991.27/US $76 and it was well laid out and it impressed us--it certainly was big enough. It had a view of Home Depot and Walmart and the street but the noise didn’t bother us. There was a standard double bed and an open closet. In the room was a table with 2 chairs, a kitchen area with a microwave,  a mini refrigerator and coffee maker. There was a sofa and a small low table in front of it. The TV was mounted on the wall across from the sofa and it could turn to face the sofa. The room was decorated in Ikea style Dimitri finally got the Internet working in the room and the air conditioner finally cooled the room down. For some reason it was necessary to ask and sign for a hair dryer. There was a gym in the hotel and it was adequate.

We decided to got to the restaurant recommend by Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor and Chow. It was called Restaurante El Farallon (Av. Alvaro Obregon #499, Col. Centro, Los Mochis).

We were disappointed. Nothing was bad but the place but the food was only okay. The music was too loud and the place was too dark. We ordered 7 oysters that were too creamy for Dimitri and were not a great success (M$18 each). Actually, before ordering a plate of 6 oysters, the waiter offered to bring Dimitri one to taste. We were charged for that oyster as well as the plate of 6 we ordered. Next we tried the Tuna tail soup (M$85). It was in a tomato base and had pieces of tuna tail and mushrooms in the broth. The broth was not interesting but the fish tasted okay. Next we ordered Grouper (Filet Zarandeado) al carbon with vegetables and rice (M$141). The grouper didn’t look like it had been barbequed over charcoal. It tasted okay and we ate most of it. The vegetables were okay as was the rice. We spent M$408 plus tip and would not recommend the place.

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel which was included in the room rate of US$76 at City Express. We ate our own cereal but used their banana and ate their papaya and cantaloupe (that wasn’t good) and drank their coffee. Then we packed up and started our drive to San Carlos, Guaymas for our next night's stay.