Monday November 24

In english that means the Emerald Coast. We actually arrived Sunday afternoon after an uneventful drive from Cerro Azul. There are about a dozen RV parks on about a 10 or 12 mile stretch of beach. We have chosen Hotel Posada Del Zorro, a drop dead gorgeous park with 15 amp eectricity and running water. No pressure, but water. There are 3 RV’s here already, a good sign. Wow, People to talk with!

We meet our new neighbors. Ava and Manfred are from Germany, have a small European built motorhome. In it they have been to Canada and the US at least twice, have done Russia, China, the Himalayans and numerous other spots in the world. They have about 2 months left on this trip (they’ve been across America, down the west coast to Peurto Vallarta and across Mexico). They are moving North to Baltimore where their RV will be shipped home. They are, to say the least, interesting people to talk to.

Monday morning we are on the beach at 6:30 for the sunrise. Over the course of the day we meet Guy and RoseMary who are travelling with Chet and Carol. Like us, they too have reservations for Paa Mul, south of Playa Del Carmen, for December 15.

We agree on a 4:30 Happy Hour.

We begin to clean our motorhome and truck. We have some leftover Lodo we need to deal with. Later in the day we go to the local village to restock. In typical Mexican village fashion it’s one store for fruita, another for agua, yet another for vino tinto and cerveza. Marilyn is in love.We even buy 4 eggs, 3 of which I break on the way home. We find a restauarant with WiFi, so we lunch with our lap top and catch up. The world is functioning with out us. We walk the beach, we enjoy the 30 degree day. We clean up just in time for happy hour. It turns into happy hours, we have a great time.

This is what we drove all this way for.

Tags: Mexico, RV Adventures
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El Lodo II

Sunday Nov 23

It’s about 8 am, the sun is shining, the sky is blue. The coach has not miracuously risen above the mud overnight, maybe the opposite. We discuss our “situation.” We agree we will be lucky if we get on the road today, we mentally prepare for a long stay. We will need a SuperMercado (Grocery store). Among other things, we out of Vino Tinto. We figure out how how we can get water (we in the middle of almost a field) and where we can dump our grey water. We are hopeful but prepared. We have a view of the highway here, we have now seen 2 RV’s , we are not alone. I promise Mar that if she ever goes for divorce I will help her compile the list of charges. The places I have taken this gal, the stuff I put her through, she is truly one amazing lady! By the way, she is still positive and smiling. As I write this she is outside cross-stitching. I think I will find a book and join her. After all, I did dig out 2 lawnchairs.

At about 10 0′clock our Truck Gigantico arrives. It’s actually an older small Toyota with 3 Mexicans in it. They are going to push us out. In about 15 minutes they are gone. We are not. Our park owner shrugs his shoulders, I am losing it. I insist on a truck with a winch ( a wrecker or tow truck). He promises to go and find one.

11:30, two guys arrive. These are people who are used to getting things done, they have that attitude about them. They assess the situation. We all agree, I need to be winched back to higher ground and then go for it. They can do it, for a fee. Cuanto? 3,000 pesos they respond. It’s absolute robbery, I know, but we agree. 3,000 pesos when I am on the highway. We are being raped, but as long as they do a good job and don’t damage the coach I’ll pay.

By noon they are back with a tow truck. When I was a teenager in the 60’s I had a part time job driving a tow truck evenings and weekends. The one I drove was about a 1947 Ford. This one is newer, but not much. Just like poetry in motion, they hook up and very gently pull us out. I wish I could have seen it, but I was driving. We pay them, but at the entrance to the highway I am stuck again.True to their word, they pull me up on to the pavement. Mar meets me down the road where we hook up the truck.Other than mud there is no damage to the coach. It’s 12:30 and we are on the road….again.

Tags: Mexico, RV Adventures
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Saturday November 22

We are now just a few hours from Costa Esmeralda (The Emerald Coast). The books say it’s miles and miles of beautiful beach, lots of RV parks and hopefully some other RV’ers. We think we will spend a week there. At about 8:00 I go to move the motorhome. We are stuck. There is no one that can help here yet. The manager will be here at Nueve (nine) they tell us. We begin on our own. In the next hour and a half we move the motorhome about 40′. The manager comes, shakes his head, says he will get a tractor. We should wait. About 11 a farmer shows up with his tractor. At 12:30 we open our outdoor fridge and we all share some cold beers, Mar makes us peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Back to work. It’s now 2:30, the coach has moved maybe 150′ but we are still stuck. We will try again tomorrow with a bigger truck. We have the manager show us the way and point out a good restaurant. We need an hour or 2 away from the coach.

We pull out the lawn chairs, I find a couple more cold cerveza, we relax. Mar begins to clean some of the mud from inside the coach (we’ve been in and out 100 times today), With 2 dogs in my lap,I have a snooze.

At about 5:30 we go to supper. Here’s my dinner, its basically called Shrimp a la Mexican

We are nowhere near level so can’t get a satellite TV signal, our satellite radio is popping in and out. We put a Seinfeld DVD in our laptop. After about 10 minutes the computer crashes.

It’s 7:30, we go to bed.

So what’s El Lodo you ask? It’s the spanish word for the MUD.

Tags: Mexico, RV Adventures
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