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