Sewers and Mexican Soap Operas

When we arrived at the Rainbow RV Park here in Merida at about 2:00 in the afternoon there was nobody to check us in or take our money. We selected our own shaded spot and hooked up. There are two houses on the property but no one was home. This IS Mexico, so you do get used to these things and we just figured that somebody would eventually notice us.

The park is conveniently located across the street from a Liverpool Store and mall where Internet is available at a Chillies restaurant. The site we chose however has no water and a broken, unusable sewer connection. By the time we noticed this we had already aimed the StarChoice dish and did not want to move. We shall survive by stretching our hook-ups over to the next site that hopefully will remain unoccupied. Another problem is the electric service. Every three sites share a 20 amp breaker so if a neighbour is making coffee the same time as you, the addition of one more draw will trip the breaker. It is frustrating but the sight of our hook-ups using up two spots and our sign on the third saying “No Sewer, No Water” will hopefully prevent a newcomer from hooking into the same circuit. When we have the circuit to ourselves, we can actually run the AC on “Low” while we watch TV. This is a blessing in the humid, thirty degree Celsius Merida evenings.

Talking to our neighbours who had been here for some time, we heard of the local Park “saga”! It appears there is a divorce in the works and the conflict includes the RV park. “He” looks after the park and is actually in the process of enlarging it. He is also going to build a wall separating the property and is going to build a new entrance to the park that is away from “her” house. We were warned to be careful who we pay and to make sure we get a receipt because if we pay one of them, the other may come around later to collect as well.

Sure enough, there was a knock on the door at seven this morning and “she” was here for “her” money. We told her we were still in bed and to please come back later. She told us “No, no, you must pay now!” She was well dressed and driving a new Ford Explorer, perhaps on her way to work or perhaps on her way to see her lawyer…

We got up, found our glasses, found my wallet, figured out what seven times $250 Pesos was (not an easy task at seven am) and told her we had to have a receipt. This is an unusual request in Mexico but she handed us a receipt book and told us to fill it out ourselves which we did and then made sure she signed it.

Now we wait to see if “he” comes around to collect as well. It is a Mexican Soap Opera in which we have become unwitting bit players!

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

- This could be the name of my Blog but it is already taken by my friend Rae.