And still hanging around home avoiding the virus! There are rumours of a third shot becoming available for us old farts before the end of the year so I will be in the front of the line for it as soon as they release it. In the meantime I hear the seniors flu shots are available.
I winterized the motorhome so I guess that means no heading south for me this winter. The Canada - US border is just opening up for land travel but there are far too many anti-vax, science denying idiots down there for me to feel safe enough through the US and I don't think Mexico is completely ready for a snowbird invasion. Driving down there and hunkering down in one place might be OK but that is not my way to do it, I want to keep moving and mixing with the locals.
So, I will stay here for the fifth winter in a row. People keep asking if I am going to sell the motorhome but I know if I did I would immediately regret it. It is paid for and costs me very little. It is parked beside my house so no storage fees, just minimal insurance and depreciation. I have an electric heater in it to keep it above freezing but it so rarely freezes here across from the beach that that cost should not go above a few dollars a month.
I will have to decide if solo travel is something I would enjoy. The jury is still out on that question. To me. most of the enjoyment of RV travel came from having someone to talk to about our daily adventures, to enjoy funky seaside restaurants with and to just talk to. A few times every week when we were traveling I would ask Norma, "Should we go on an adventure today?" and unless there was some good reason like curling on TV she always said yes. We would choose some nearby town and go and explore it, finding a nice place to eat along the way. I just can't see doing that by myself and fear I would just do more of what I do at home - stay in the house, read, play on the Internet and watch TV! I can do that here and save a few thousand on ferries, gas, maintenance/repairs and RV park fees.
I am thinking about all this. It's a process.
They just approved the third booster shot for all vaccines here in the US, now if only we could get everyone to take the first two...
ReplyDeleteIt's terrible John. Is it time to accept the fact that those who have not yet had it do not intend to ever get it? Canada just announced that if you get fired from your job because of your refusal to get vaccinated you will not be eligible for unemployment insurance. Let's see what that does for their resolve.
DeleteWe're in the same situation as you Croft, having sold our fifth wheel and not planning any winter travels south. We still have our truck camper sitting in the shed and other than a couple local excursions haven't used it much. This will be our first full winter home and as much as I hate snow am hoping for the best. We still reminisce about the good times we had with you and Norma in Arizona.
ReplyDeleteMy father in law sat at home doing nothing the last ten years of his life after his wife passed on. What a waste it was. He also complained about not having a partner, but he made no effort to change that situation. He watched the news three times a day. I'm pretty sure that's what killed him.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta get on with life Croft.
My father was an industrial worker, good vacation time was the rule, we traveled by truck camper all over the US and Canada. When I, another industrial worker, aged into those long vacations, my wife and I went with hotels. I've done both methods. When she and I retired, we would book houses and condos for our Latin American snowbird winters. We stayed in Antigua Guatemala a few winters, flew in and out, rented cars for trips to the hinterlands. We did a few bus trips where we would fly into Cancun and bus from there, a week or two in different places around Belize, Guatemala and southern Mexico. We had one trip where 'The end of the blacktop', was the theme, our goal was to go and stay in places at the end of the 'good' road, frontier towns are safe enough if you avoid the nightlife. It worked for us and we did not have to worry about a camper. I ran the numbers, the long stay rental method was cheaper than running a rig. We rented a lot of cars and trucks, it was a major cost, having a rented home to come back to was nice.
ReplyDeleteWe did a trip, where we flew into Cancun, took an ADO bus to Bacalar , rented a long term hotel suite, toured the area by bus, taxi and rental car, went over to Belize for a few months. We liked Punta Gorda, a true end of the road place. The town is a ferry port for the Bay of Honduras, a cross roads of sorts, it has great bus service and the ferry service puts you in Guatemala or Honduras is a half day sail. Linda and I met a number of old men there who had found a nitch for avoiding northern winters. A guy who rented the apartment next to ours was Swedish, kept a pick-up truck in storage while he was home in Europe-he was maybe 80 years old. Fishing was his thing, I suspected drinking as well, they do go together.
You take Antigua, the house rental people pick you up at the capital's airport, take you to your place, the town is all walkable. I don't know how they managed to survive through the covid thing but when I was there, there had to be 50 or 60 restaurants in that little town. I never got through them all in five snowbird trips. You find a few you like, get to know the staff, kind of thing- why look elsewhere?
Keep the camper for local use-fly baby fly.
It's a good idea Norm. My son is planning a diving trip to Cozumel, I may tag along with them as a third wheel.
DeleteThe area around Bacalar is loaded with day trips, ruins, backwater towns, the ocean is close, with a nice tourist town that is not too over built. The whole area is getting new tourist pressure. The New York Times ran a double page spread on Bacalar a few years ago-that can't be good; a whole lot of people read that paper and many of them are travelers with money. Still, it is a big area, it can take a little heat.
DeleteWe flew into Cancun and got on the first ADO south, we were in Bacalar, well before dark. The border with Belize is about fifteen miles from Bacalar.
Belize is an old British colony, they speak a dialect of English that sounds like Jamaican. The university educated people speak the King's English if needed. That crew tends to be fluent is all of Belize's languages. It is interesting to watch a bureaucrat switch as different people interact with them.
Got our flu shot yesterday but the high dose one was only available for long term care,assisted living,immuno comprimised and First Nations on reserves so we got the regular one. We intend to venture out more this year in Mazatlan but...carefully! Hope BC has it's vaccine passport synchronized with the federal one by the time we come home.
ReplyDeleteI am booked to get my flu shot on the 28th but I will get what they have because they have no idea when they will get a supply of the senior's grade.
DeleteI got mine but only the regular dose, no seniors doses available on the Island or obviously in the North either. I wonder what the deal is?
DeleteThe way you and Norma travelled sounds like the perfect way to travel! I've never RV'd but have followed RV blogs for years (it's how I met the boys) and dreamed of owning one someday (that ship has sailed), and still dream of travelling in one before I die. I think it sounds idyllic!
ReplyDeleteStay safe, stay well, and hopefully one day soon you'll be heading this way again. Know if you fly you're welcome to stay!
The comment from "Unknown" is from me, Barbara Lane. No idea why it posted as it did.
ReplyDeleteAnd my initial response to you did not get posted at all. Weird. Thanks for clearing that up Barbara, Nothing more frustrating than an invitation when you don't know who it is from! LOL
DeleteYour travels with Norma sounded idyllic and that is just how I like to travel. However, I have travelled as a single, too, and it provides many opportunities to meet interesting like-minded people who also are likely to be up for a day's adventure and a meal in a new place. There is no substitute for the years of shared travel memories with your partner, but the adventure of solo travel seemed to me far superior to staying at home. Admittedly, I was MUCH younger then, but I still can easily imagine traveling solo in a rig small enough for me to handle easily. This fantasy is enhanced by the fact that I have many RV'ing friends all around the country (to visit or travel with for a bit) and a long list of places I never managed to revisit while traveling. I know you have long-term friendships developed while traveling, too. At least, if you give it a try and find it is not for you, your comfortable home waits patiently for your return! So much life ahead...
ReplyDeleteIt is so nice to hear from you Laurie! I can't tell you how many times I have thought about you and wondered how you were doing. Send me an email to croft.randle@gmail.com so I will have your address.
DeleteCroft you do what feels best for you..always welcome here..cheers les
ReplyDeleteI smiled.. this so sounded like me, except i have my son with me to do the 'heavy lifting' and my little dog that keeps me moving, in and out, in and out.
ReplyDelete