Christmas at Home

We flew home from Cancun to our home in Texas to be with our wonderful family at Christmastime. Lots of food, kids, dogs, games, and just good times together. But I am ready to come back to Mexico...I miss the simplicity, the quiet, and the gorgeous weather and sunsets. It has been cold, wet, and rainy for most of the holidays here in NE Texas. Nothing like the snow and ice of the northwest...thank goodness, but nothing like the tropical PaaMul. Can't wait to take that southbound plane next Thursday!

The ruins at Coba

We woke up to dreary skies and very cool weather today so we decided it was a perfect day to do some exploring in the jungle. We took Big Red for a highway tour and drove south to Tulum then a long 27 miles into the jungle to the Mayan ruins of Coba. It is a fascinating ruin only a small part of which has been uncovered. Not a lot of restoration has occured but it is still fascinating. We took the easy route and hired the bicycle "rickshaws" to carry us around the mile of grounds. Lots of screeching parrots and singing birds in the huge rain forest trees. We even saw the first Mayan road that we have seen. It used to run the length to Merida and down to Tulum and Akumal. The jungle took it over, of course and the roots of the trees have almost destroyed it but parts are intact. Saw the chicle trees and the incense trees that smell like the candles. The chicleros that used to collect the sap to sell to the gum trade have all disappeared. Very few of the old stellae and carved friezes remain on the buildings. Had 2 very interesting ballcourts. Dinner in Tulum and then home after dark. A good day!

Rubber duck's voyage

Dec 17th, Monday

We had a nice weekend in spite of the forecast..the storms never came in. We had a beautiful Sunday with calm seas, sprinkles from time to time. and warm sun. It was time for the Duck! We managed to make it out past the reef and perhaps a mile or so down the coast. Several fishing boats drifted by and 2 large snorkeling boats full of people. We didn't catch much but we did see a fantastic turtle. She was huge, with great flippers of mottled tan and cream colors. she lolled about for a few seconds, looked up, saw us, and dived! All I got was a swirl on the camera shot. The palapa is just about finished. I did not take my walk this morning. The fishing all day was too much and my back is not so young anymore. Maybe manana.

The waters around here may be wonderful and clear as a bell close to shore for about a block then they quickly slide off into the abyss! It gets very deep very quickly! The Garmin showed 150 ft before we knew it. I think Pop said he could see down to the bottom at 125 ft. When the sun is shining, it really helps to see the depths. We can watch our bait as it sinks.

Pop took doc into town where he bought a Mexican cell phone which is great, he says. So far, my cell is working fine. I usually am able to reach the family.

Karen, the neighbor that is involved with the ladies who have "adopted" a local school gave me a report of the last Santa meeting. I sent those 3 bags of clothes that Sue had packaged for me. They made one of the sleeping bags their "grand prize"...all wrapped up with a little toy inside. Made me almost embarrassed but pleased that so little went such a long way to help some child. The guy from the dive shop was Santa. Last year one little girl wanted a bicycle so badly. This year Santa gave her one. I would have liked to have seen her face. That is what Christmas should be about.

We are looking forward to going home for Christmas. Will be leaving out of Cancun this Friday. Can't wait to see everyone...Adios for now..

Ahhhh

Wed., Dec 12th (You gotta be kidding!)

How does the time get away so fast?? Holy cow...it will soon be time to fly home for Christmas. I don't think I have ever felt less like Christmastime than down here in Lala land. Pop finally drug out the Ducky today and is putting the finishing touches on it outside now. thinkgs like gps mount, rod holders, etc, etc. We stopped and went into Playa at noon...Doc had to get his burger fix! We then went into Chedrui, another big grocery store. We always find something we obviously need. 5 more rigs came in today from Ontario. they took up the few spaces in front of our place and I don't kn0w where the others went. One guy had had 2 broken springs, a flat tire and I don't know what all coming down.

They are having the crab races on the 21st...the day we fly home! Doc said he would race my crab when I catch him. Did I mention that they have huge iguanas here..especially in the rocks by the beach and the boatlaunch area. It is rull of rocks and there must be 2 dozen of them living there. The Christmas dance is on the 16th, I think. should be fun. There is a tropical storm supposed to be blowing in this weekend starting Friday. Just windy and rainy again. It was over Hispaniola this morning. Everybody watches the weather down here. Colin, the "Walmart Greeter", as Doc calls him, said that several years ago everybody that was mobile pulled out and went into Vallolidad (inland about 50 miles) but that was a hurricane. Everyone tries to avoid the water swell when the seas push the water up and over. Lots of the palapas here had the waters just flow right over their floors and out the back door during the last hurricane. Very little damage. Will post a few pics...am still awed at how beautiful this place is.

Life is Good

Thursday, Nov 6

Life keeps humming along. Pop worked so hard yesterday he was exhausted last night and slept most of today. But he should be well rested by tomorrow. I. on the other hand, went snorkeling this afternoon with Doc and Pat. The water is beautiful and nice and cool. There are thousands of fishes! Big yellow tail snapper, mangrove snapper, grunts, and lots of reef little bitty fellas. They must have been fed by the snorkelers because they followed us in mass! Doc thought they were going to eat him alive! Wait until Papa sees all of them. Just outside the reef Doc said was millions of blue fish. Probably blue runners. We did move our coach yesterday to a new site that has full hookups. By next week they tell us the place will be filled to capacity. Once we get everything cleaned up and our stuff in some kind of order I can send a pic. Unpacked the jeep today. Our spot is really nice altho we can't see the water. The beachfront is reserved for the pricey palapas but we are only a stroll up to the pool and beachfront.

PaaMul!

Our journey is finally over...or at least the long drive to this beautiful caribbean coast. We drove from east of Escarcega to PaaMul today! Pulled into the park at sundown....about 5pm. No chance to look around...the nice people here directed us to what is left (about 5 or 6 spots). We chose what looked like the best site and I think we may wind up staying here. Tomorrow we can talk to the manager and get the details. I don't know if it has sewer or not but it has 30 amp and water! I am delighted to see the 30 amps and we have the A/C going. Pop got the satellite up so he is happy. There is a beautiful pool and the beach and restaurant are just across the little camp road in front of us. Will take pictures tomorrow. Right now we are pooped! What a blessing to be off that road!

Running with the Big Dogs.

Dec 4th, 2007

We have been running with the big trucks now since we left the lovely park De Alba. At times it seems like a sea of hig doble remolques rule the roads...that is the word for the monster trucks pulling 2 full sized 45' flat beds and flying down these Mexico roads at breakneck speed. This is a picture of what happens when 2 such beasts collide. Sad but true.

We are making good time, I think. Pop and Doc are worn out at the evening stop. We came in early to a huge field behind a Pemex truck stop just outside of Escarcega. It was only 2:30 but Doc said he was exhausted. There is not much between here and Chetumal for nighttime pullovers so we stayed her last night. Villahermosa has rivers that have receeded leaving piles and piles of sandbags all along the levees and outside houses. Streets are still lined with them also. Standing water is everywhere. Livestock trying to feed in belly high water ; long lines waiting for the Walmart to open. Several hundred people milling around some big building comples. There were federal troops very visible going about the streets. The Cruz Roja (Red Cross) trucks were there. Life goes on even after the flood. We should make it beyond Chetumal for tonight. The best is yet to come!

El Tajin, the Totonic ruins, out of Papantla, Mx.

We rested yesterday so that today we could go north to see the Totonic ruins of El Tajin. they lie in a jungle setting about 25 miles or so north of our campground...near the town of Papantla. It is the vanilla growing center of Mexico. The site is an archaeological gem with beautifully restored buildings and pyramids. It was looted long ago until the government proclaimed it a protected site and is now continuing to uncover and rebuild the crumbling walls. It was occupied for many hundreds of years and flourished long after Palenque and Teotehuacan fell. It had some 25, 000 inhabitants at it's zenith. Many of the buildings depict days of the calendar with their cymbalism. The people were given names that corresponded to their birthday. They were prone to human sacrifice.

We are pulling out in the morning headed for Veracruz and the cuota route to the Yucatan. We have learned that PaaMul is filling up and our travel mates want to be sure we get a spot before the place is filled. Most of the people going through here are headed for that park. We will probably dry camp on the way down. We are about 800 miles from the Caribbean coast.

I now have a Picasa Web page where I am uploading more pictures. go to

http://picasaweb.google.com./ckaburick

The Emerald Coast!

Friday Nov 30,2007

Yesterday was a long day of driving insufferable roads and then stretches of wonderful autopistas over rolling hills covered with orange groves. We left La Pesca and the deserted beach in the early morning. We wound the sometimes torturoous roads to the bypass around Tampico and followed the Church's book to the letter. The directions were good and made it around Tampico in about an hour or more. The truck traffic is unbelievable. There is nothing much in the way of RV stops south on Mx 180. We had decided to stay at Cerro Azul and the Condado Western. Hah! Such a stop. There has been weeks of rain and the roads were cleared of numerous mud slides. The yard of the hotel was a swamp and we couldn't get into the back field behind the motel so the senora let us park in the mush in the front yard. We were not prepared for the clientele that constantly came and went out of the little rooms. A car or truck would pull in to the tiny "garage", a curtain was quickly drawn across the entrance, a hand stuck inside the curtain collected the fee and the curtain was drawn tightly again, securing the car inside from prying eyes. A few hours later, the car would back out again and be on it's way. At 3;30 that morning as we were laying in bed trying to sleep, some "boracho" hit the back of our coach with a big Bang! and before we could get our wits about us, he sped off! Pop stumbled around and found the flashlight and we went outdoors and checked. He had hit the Blue Ox hitch square dead center and never touched the coach!

We got out of that swamp early morning and headed for the coast. Arrived at this lovely oasis of De alba Campground and plan to rest here to renew our fragile nerves! Hope to go see the ruins of El Tajin maybe tomorrow and the voladeros (flying men) that perform there at the temple. It is only about 35 miles so, a nice day trip. Today we rest!

Into Old Mexico!

Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007

Left the land of Pharr, Pharr Away in the cool morning breeze. Crossed the International Bridge and took the Hwy2 freeway into Reynosa. Very tricky retorno as you are getting into the heavy traffic going into the city. You have to crossover the medium and get back in the east bound lane...there is no turn off access going west for Hwy 97 going to Ciudad Victoria which is south! Watch the signs! The highway itself once you take the narrow ramp becomes a good 2 lane straight as an arrow highway. It meets the 180 autopista coming from Matamoros and becomes 180 and 110. We chose to take the 110 to get to La Pesca for the first night. What will eventually be a good road is in the middle of major reconstruction and for about 50 miles we bumped and rattled along at about 15-25 mph on a good stretch. We got into Soto la Marina and breathed a sign or relief when we saw the turn off to the gulf was a fully paved new road. For about 30 miles it winds through the hills down to the ocean and along the river and lots of inlets. What looked like fish farms line the swampy areas on the left side. The town of La Pesca is a typical dusty little fishing town. We really slowed for the topes (speed bumps) about every 500 ft. Drove on through town looking for the lighthouse. We could see it in the distance and found a deserted beach area that goes for blocks with old palapas standing starkly in the sand. We did not care to drive onto the sand so we parked in the calechi roadbed to one side. The gulf is out the front window. Pat made ham and mac and cheese. I did salad, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Kids, those margaritas somebody put in the freezer hit the spot! Thanks! We finally feel like we are really out of Dodge!

And away we Go!

Nov 26,2007: We took the Pigtail (jeep) acrossed over the bridge at Pharr today and got our permits and papers. We just laughed when the young "Tramitador" asked for our marriage license! But he said no problem when I told him I hadn't seen it in years. I have never seen so many trucks backed up going north across the bridge...hundreds of them! We went on over to Progresso to buy some medications. didn't linger. Had a genuine Gonzalez burger in Donna that was delicious. Spent the next 3 hours running here and there for last minute items. Did our Peso changes (got 11 to$1).
We had noticed a vibration in the motorhome coming down from Houston and Pete and Doc discovered they had diagnosed it correctly. The joints in the drive shaft were shot so they disconnected it and put a new one in this afternoon. Doc said he should have replaced them both but Pete is one tracked minded of late so he only did one. We hope to leave and cross the border in the morning headed for our first night in Mexico. We hope to make it to LaPesca on the coast east of Ciudad Victoria. We will probably dry camp on the beach if it isn't rainy.
Stay tuned for more! Thinking of you guys back home.

Rain, wind and cold

It is now 2 days after Thanksgiving and we are in theRio Grande Valley at the Tropic star RV park. It turned so cold when we got to Shreveport to spend Thanksgiving with our families! Spent last night with Pauline/Chuck in Santa Fe, Tx (outside of Galveston) and left early this morning. Very windy and rainy all the way south. Got into the Valley about 4 PM. Had dinner early right next door at a Mexican restaurant. Pop really tired and he got a chill the short while he was outside. But the coach is nice and warm and the TV and internet work fine so he is a happy camper. Not a whole lot of folks here yet as the park is very sparsely populated. The stores and parking lots are so full of cars! We will get our Mexico papers Monday and cross over probably on Tuesday. Will review our maps, etc. tomorrow.

Preparation to leave!

It is a week before Thanksgiving and we are getting the Dreamcatcher ready to travel. This will be our 5th winter in beautiful Mexico. There has been horrendous flooding in the Ithmus area around Villahermosa and we do not know as yet how it will impact our travel plans. Hopefully, the main roads will be passable on our way to the Yucatan. We are headed for the Costa Maya and the PaaMul area. Plan to rendevous in the RGV with our friends, Doc and Pat from Michigan. They have a 36' 5th wheel and a big Dually Ford, "Big Red". Ours is a 40' Dutch Star Newmar DP. We have a 2004 Jeep "toad".

I will try to post every few days, depending on our travel parking. We can't always get the internet satellite working right (trees, buildings, etc). The Adventure begins SOON!