Yucatan/Mexico 08 with Brewers

We're enjoying your travels.  Thanks for your excellent job of reporting, Betty. 

I especially liked the picture of you in the doorway.  When we viewed it, I said to Tom, "Terry just loves to take pictures of Betty, as he should."  (Note to Terry:  if someone else took that picture .... WORRY! ... she just looks so danged cute!)   

More pictures! 

Margi

Betty,

As usual you're doing a GREAT job of presenting and describing your trip...thanks.  I laughed when you said the Fort took 300 years to build.  As I remember the Copper Canyon train tracks took over 100 years to complete.  It seems that things in Mexico happen slowly.

JerryF

Tom and Margi said:

We're enjoying your travels.  Thanks for your excellent job of reporting, Betty. 

I especially liked the picture of you in the doorway.  When we viewed it, I said to Tom, "Terry just loves to take pictures of Betty, as he should."  (Note to Terry:  if someone else took that picture .... WORRY! ... she just looks so danged cute!)   

More pictures! 

Margi

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Margi,

I was telling Pat that we've know Betty for 10 years and she still makes a great photo!!!

Betty,

You must remember you are a lot closer to the sun down there!!!!

Betty,

I'll bet some of the "locals" wondered what on earth those crazy gringos were doing out there on the beach!  Glad the gringos set a good example.  Great photos and a very interesting narrative.  Thanks!

ArdraF

Betty Brewer said:

...we tasted peanut butter liquor made locally with a 95% alcohol. ...

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Not much room left for the peanuts there, but then you may not care too much after a few sips.   

January 30, 2008

Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

We had a 7 am departure time and we scrambled for the one dump at this park in Veracruz.  At 7:15, under the light of a beautiful sunrise,  all of us had pulled out and as we had a pretty much straight shot  down the toll roads today. We were to travel ?on our own.?   Pressure was indeed on the navigator to follow ?the book? and get us to our destination.  It was a long mileage day and the first hurdle we encountered was a huge CRANE on a bridge under construction a few miles out of our RV park.  No problemo, just creep along at a snail pace but it did separate the group.  Much later in the day, we saw a bridge of astonishing engineering feat.  The book said to get off and look at the statue but we did not.  We followed the directions into Villahermosa.

  Last October when we knew we were going on this trip, we heard in the news, how Villa Hermosa was  90 %  flooded.  Today we found, the park, mostly grassy, wet in the middle and the good new is , it has not rained for 4 days.  We arrived way ahead of schedule as the roads today were better than before but still had their  ?moments of bumpy.?   We traversed a long narrow driveway and were directed onto a grassy field..  They have completely redone their pool and most of the group enjoyed it all afternoon.

  It was a significant day in that Bruce had a 70th birthday today.  The group had happy hour and made a baked potato feast. The only problem was that before cake could be served, Terry and I were swarmed with a biting insect so we hurried back inside to the comfort of our rig.  Thanks to a Russell Mahoney?s cure of Benadrly spray, our bites subsided and I decided we don?t have to go home after all.   Hopefully they saved cake and we can spread Bruce? birthday over a few days.  Our Villahemosa   tour begins  at 8:30 am.

Statistics:
Motorhome Miles Driven:  295
Temperatures:    High 89    Low  66   Humidity  84%
GPS Coordinates: N 17 58.927 W 093 2.782

Tolls $64.10 US  in tolls with no tow car.
Fuel    57.7 23 gallons for $130 Us dollars

Thanks for the reports Betty. I'm not sure about this group though; They give new meaning to partying.

Tom and Margi said:

More pictures! 

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Hi Margi,'
Yesterday when I tired to send up 10 photos,  the  connection timed out and I had to start all over.  So I only sent a few so they could get "up."  ok.  "Technology is my friend. " ommmmmnnnnnn.

Betty

This  is a project each eveing better than watching TV.

Betty

Betty:

Keep on keepin' on!    We are really enjoying your journal and the pictures. 

Margi

Thanks again for the great travel log and photos.  Looking forward to the next.

January 31, 2008

Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

We had an 8:30 rendezvous time with our tour busses. Two little mini VW vans pulled up to our RV ?park? to take us on today?s tours. The tour company calculated 3 vans for our 42 people.  Yes we have seen pick-ups with upwards of 15 people loaded onto them, but it was not the comfort level we would enjoy.  One of the vans was late so several people drove their cars but Terry and I were lucky enough to get a ride in this ?Tijuana Taxi.?  It was only about 5 miles to the Park/Museum and what a ride.  Speakers blared out the back with very exciting Mexican music and we hung onto the grab bars for dear life as this little town has quite a fast moving traffic pattern. 

We arrived at the Parque Museo La Venta and began a leisurely-guided tour through this lovely garden site, which was a combination zoo and archeological display.  It was actually a Poet who envisioned this park and established the surroundings in this tropical paradise.
The stone head artifacts are from the Olmec Culture, thought to be the original people of Mexico.  Terry thought the jungle environment reminded him of Viet Nam and he watched for trip wires all through out the display.  They had a huge flood here in October but with the efforts of sand bags were able to protect the stone figures from the floodwaters.  We learned the stone figures are dated from between 400 and 1200 BC.  The figures either depict humans, animals or a combination.  While our guide was limited in English, he had knowledge and pride in his heritage and history. The main God was that of the Sun and a jaguar was thought to be holy.

We saw two spotted  leopards, a crocodile, spider monkeys, a relative of the anteater, and numerous birds on our tour. 

We had the afternoon free to enjoy the biggest pools I have ever seen and partake of happy hour snacks yet again!

Tonight we were cautioned that a border stop in the route tomorrow would include an agriculture inspection.  Chicken, pork and eggs are subject to being taken from us.  So we had scrambled eggs for lunch and it is chicken for dinner.  Many others had pork chops.  Each Mexican State determines it?s own rules for imports.


Statistics:
Motorhome Miles Driven:  0
Temperatures:    High 91    Low  71  Humidity  96%
GPS Coordinates: N 17 58.927  W 093 2.782

Nice to have the government help decide what's for lunch and dinner, huh? Just curious, but when are you guys sleeping????

Enjoying the pics and travelogue. Keep it up.

Wendy
Quartzsite

Enjoying your tour - it sounds fantastic - explanations and pictures are excellent and we are enjoying it
Please pass our hello's on to Mike & Eileen Campbell - and tell them it has warmed up
from -37  with wind chill of -47 in good ole calgary alberta canada to now a warmer -17 -
We are very envious of you all -

Thanks for the great postings - Love it
Yvonne & Jack Krieger - Calgary Canada

I am so enjoying reading your daily journals, and I love the pictures.  You've convinced me, we are going to be planning a trip like this in the very near future.  Have fun...and keep up the great reports.

Ruth and Ken

yvonne said:

Please pass our hello's on to Mike & Eileen Campbell - and tell them it has warmed up
from -37  with wind chill of -47 in good ole calgary alberta canada to now a warmer -17 -

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Yvonne and Jack,

Thank you for reminding me that I should be greatful for our 88 degree temperatures with 96% humidity weather, even with my bug, fire ant and mosquito bites. It all beats the cold!!  Have passed on the hello to Mike and Eileen.
Betty

Betty,

Great travelogue! If you get bit by fire ants again try some stick underarm deodorant. It helps take the sting away. Won't all be gone but it will feel much better.

Jim Dick said:

If you get bit by fire ants again try some stick underarm deodorant. It helps take the sting away. Won't all be gone but it will feel much better.

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Jim,

Thanks for the "cure."  I have tried nail polish, chigger bite repellant, benadryl and some pills someone gave me.  I don't itch too much tonight but I can't move either.  I should have put on bug spray before getting these bite, much like Ishould have put on sun block BEFORE sun exposure.
Betty

February 1, 2008

It?s a new month and Day 11 of our Adventure.  We had a travel day today and are in Isla Aguada (Freedom Shores).

We left at 8 am and navigated the very busy city streets of Villhahermosa, complete with returnos (U TURNS), glorietas (traffic circles) and construction typical of all roads we?ve ever traveled anywhere.  Our destination was out on a  sand spit along the Gulf of Mexico and GPS coordinates have us in the water but we are in a lovely RV park.  The scenery today became more and more lush.  By lush I mean tropical, water standing, marshes and lots of green.  Trees are covered in bright flowers and the houses are bright too, even if only on the front side.  We saw many push, pedal carts out among us in traffic today.  As we neared our beachfront, the narrow strand of road showed definite signs of the recent past hurricane damage.  Parts of the road would be crumbly or missing so the driver had to pay attention to the erosion patterns.  At one point today our speed got up to 34 mph and it felt like we were doing 100 mph.  Our moving average today was 29.1 MPH.

Travel days are eventful.  With 22 rigs traveling together connected by CB radio we feel the pain of other who ?mess up.?  A few senior moments today resulted in missed turns, going under tunnels not expected, knocking off mirrors on trees and Terry and I found ourselves in the lead as the Wagon masters were held up at a Military Check point. We lost our eggs at the checkpoint as others lost their oranges. The last leg of the trip revealed the Mexico we came to visit.  The turquoise blue seas came up beside us and this RV Park is right on the ocean.  We do not have the ocean view tonight but we are very close to the restaurant and the bathrooms if we need.

At Happy Hour tonight Hex got Bull?s ladder and climbed a coconut tree to extract a coconut.  After several hacks with a machete by Pat, we enjoyed coconut milk and rum.  Ekkkkkkk.  Then we enjoyed sweet fresh coconut.  Yum. Animal awards were given tonight for those present.  Following that we put out our laundry in a big sack  for a morning pick up and headed to dinner.  I ate yet another shrimp dinner that was a 5 on a scale of 10. (By now I am getting picky). 

I caught up on email (thankful to have a signal between the many shade trees on our sight.) Tomorrow we rent a cart to tour the city. 

Statistics:
Motorhome Miles Driven: 143
Temperatures:    High 87    Low 63   Humidity 84%
GPS Coordinates: N 18 46.59 W 91 29.40

Hope that's not your motorhome missing the rear view mirror.....ouch. Shrimp dinner that's a 5? That's sad especially since the shrimp is probably so fresh. It all sounds lovely, especially the 80 degree temps as I look out at the snow in the yard. Keep sharing the adventure.

Wendy
cold and snowy in Colorado