Quiet Day

Today was a quiet day. We laid around, made a shopping list and found the Mega store. I have been trying to replenish my eye drop prescription for two weeks now but all the pharmacias I have asked at were out of it. I did manage to find it at the pharmacia on Isle Mujeres but the price was much too high. In Canada I paid about $35 for a month’s worth and in Mexico they are two months worth for the same $35 CAN. A great half price deal but only if you can find them. Mexico has great drug prices and you do not need a prescription for most drugs. Mega had the eye drops!

We got our groceries and headed home. We passed a little palapa restaurant and stopped in. I had a medium sized cameron coctil and Norma had their fixed price lunch. Hers was a chicken/beef fajita with rice and fried bananas for $40 pesos and there was enough for two meals. Mine was a milkshake size glass full of delicious shrimp in a tomato clam sauce! Delicious and $65 pesos.

We got back to the motorhome with the intention of putting the groceries away and then driving further up the road to a public beach for a swim but after putting the groceries away the sky clouded over and the wind came up. So here we are, eating scrambled eggs for dinner and watching TV.

Tomorrow we head towards Merida with maybe a stop at Chichen Itza to buy some items. I doubt if I will bother with the ruins again this year but there were some nice handicraft shops on the way into town that we remembered from last year. We have a short list of things to buy.

We may or may not spend a night there and then it will be on to Merida and a visit with Jonna and Mimi of the “Blah… blah… blah… Ginger!” Blog. We met these two interesting women last year but missed an opportunity to see their house. Jonna emailed me today to see if we were stopping in Merida and to be sure to call them and that we shall do.

We are officially on the way home!

Isla Mujeres

We had a great three nights on Isla, walking for miles, exploring shops and beaches and eating. It is a nice little island with the population all centered on the North end. Daytimes are much busier with the boatloads of tourists from Cancun there to spend the day while night time is reserved for those living and staying on the island. There are many restaurants to choose from and we picked one on the pedestrian only street that featured grilled tuna. This is one of my favourite dishes in Mexico. It was grilled to perfection, very rare. We had an early night as we were up early.

Saturday morning we had breakfast and, after thinking about renting a $500 peso golf cart, decided on a taxi to the south end of the island instead. There we found the Zama Beach Club. This is a beautiful beach with a restaurant/bar, changing rooms, beach chairs and a pool. For the price of lunch and / or a drink you can enjoy the private beach all day. It is a perfect alternative for those of us too cheap to rent one of the very expensive beach front hotels. After sharing a guacamole salad with an ice cold cervesa for me and a glass of wine for Norma, we put on our bathing suits and went swimming. The water was clear and very salty. I was able to float on my back so easily, I could have gone to sleep. It was a beautiful day and after three hours, we caught another cab back to the hotel.

After a rest we headed out to a fish and chip restaurant on a dock on the west side of the island. The fish was grouper and it was very good with the Tamarind sauce recommended by the waitress. A very good feed and only $65 pesos. We walked for a while and stopped in at a salsa dance spot for a nightcap. We were too early for the salsa dancing but did get to enjoy a treat Mexican couple on guitar and traditional Mayan instruments. This was fantastic music using, among many other instruments, a Rain Stick much like the one we bought near San Migual de Allende.

Sunday morning we finally met Wayne of the Blog Isla Mujeres: Gringo in Paradise He is a great guy with a lot of knowledge of the area (and a 30% discount at the restaurant)! We missed one thing though. When I checked my email there was a message from John Calypso telling me to be sure to ask Wayne to show us his new leg tattoo! We missed our chance!

After breakfast we headed back to the hotel to pack and make our way to the ferry for another beautiful voyage across the Caribbean to Puerto Juarez.

Now those are poached eggs!

The West beach and some Mariachis:

North Beach (Many were topless but try as I might)… and the East Beach – 100 KM to Cuba

Zama Beach Club and Croft’s new “Sand…als”:

The Hotel Carmelina:

What Is It About Me?

Do I have a big "M" tattooed on my forehead? Do I look like a stupid, rich Gringo?

Today we got off the ferry from Isla Mujeres and jumped into a cab to get back to the RV park. It is only a few blocks away from the park but we decided not to take the car and leave it parked on a side street for two days. Instead we hitched a ride to the ferry with the RV park manager and planned on taking a cab back.

"They" say you should always negotiate the cab fare before you get in. We used to do this but as we got more used to hiring cabs, we stopped doing this. Cabs are always very cheap and we have never been cheated.

Today we rode the short distance to the RV park, got out and I asked him how much we owed him. I was prepared to give him thirty pesos. This would be the absolute highest charge for the distance we traveled and would include a very generous tip. The guy looked at me and said, "ten US dollars"! This is outrageous and I told him "No, I am not paying ten US dollars! I am not some stupid gringo. You are cheating us!" He immediately slammed the trunk closed, trapping our luggage inside. He said that was the charge and that he was a "special" taxi. I looked around for the Mexican park manager to help talk some sense into him but he was not around. It was a Mexican standoff and I was not the Mexican.

There was no easy way out of this so I handed him $100 pesos, about $8 USA and told him to give us our bags. He took the money, gave us our bags and as we walked away, I told him, "You are a thief! Have a good day". He gave us a dirty look and drove away. Drama over.

EDIT: I just asked the RV park manager what the cab fare from the ferry terminal is and he answered, "Twenty pesos". I was right in my estimate, thirty would have been very generous. Ten USA dollars is $125 pesos. He was a thief!

Gone To Isla

This morning we caught a ride with the RV park manager to the ferry and are now on Isla Mujeres. We booked into the Hotel Carmelina, a nice little hotel a block from the beach that was recommended by fellow Blogger Wayne of "Gringo In Paradise". It is very nice, clean and central for a reasonable $500 pesos a night. Very friendly and very Mexican.

We walked around he town today ending up in a little street side bar that was offering two for one drinks and now I am back in the room while Norma is getting a pedicure down the street. After a shower we will seek out a place for dinner.

Tomorrow morning we hope to meet Wayne for breakfast. Wayne initiated the "Warm Hands / Warm Hearts" program supplying mittens, scarves and toys at Christmas for the poor kids of a small puebla in the mountains near Veracruz. He has worked with John Calypso of the Blog "Viva Veracruz" for several years on this program and between them have put smiles on the faces of hundreds of kids who, if not for Wayne, John and their generous supporters, would get nothing for Christmas. I will have more information on the Blog later in the year on how we can help. A small donation buys a lot of mittens in Mexico and if you have ever seen a smile on a Mexican child's face you will agree it is all worthwhile! In these cold mountain regions of Mexico a pair of mittens is much more appreciated by a child than the latest Wii is by Canadian or American kids.

In the meantime, it is time for my shower and dinner. I am thinking grilled tuna....

Towing Advisable?

Lazybeacher has asked: "Now that you had a little fender bender, in you opinion, is it still a good idea to tow behind the motor home? Or could you manage without the toad?"

For me, the answer is simple. No, I could not do without a car. This is the advantage a truck and trailer combination has over a motorhome like ours. You can park, unhook, and you have a vehicle to get around in.

Most RV parks are not within walking distance of shopping. We use the car almost every day for picking something up at the grocery store or exploring. Several times we have abandoned the motorhome and used the car to visit nearby towns, sometimes staying in a hotel for a couple of nights in towns where motorhomes would be too large to maneuver.

Buses are sometimes an option but routes can be confusing, some are very crowded and it is very inconvenient to pack several bags of groceries on a bus. Taxis are plentiful and cheap in Mexico and that is a valid option but most are not radio controlled and cannot be called. Most RV parks are not in places where taxis regularly cruise for fares. You could end up walking many blocks waiting for an empty one to cruise by. In some places, San Miguel de Allende for example, taxis are always cruising by the RV park and when we were there we used them extensively. It was very convenient to be able to go to town and not have to worry about parking

For us, traveling in Mexico is all about exploring and we do not want to be "stuck" in an RV park. We have seen many people in this position. Some, like our Dutch friends, can pack up the camper very quickly to head out to the store or whatever. It is not a huge problem for them, but every time we mentioned to them that we were going to the store and would they like to come, they did. I am sure even they would like some form of secondary transportation, even a little motorscooter like our friend Les finally bought. It gives you freedom.

So, even with the added cost and risk of accidents, we will keep the old Honda. Yes, it is old. A 1989 Accord with 250,000 KM on it so a small unrepaired ding no longer hurts it's feelings. It is a good traveling companion and it blends right in here in Mexico so we will never be mistaken for "rich gringos" when we drive it.

There are costs involved. Insurance is required, there are four more tires to wear, road tolls are higher and it probably costs me one mile per gallon to tow it. It also makes U-turns harder to make. But, after weighing all the factors involved, the convenience of having the car outweighs the costs.

MecoLoco RV Park, Cancun

This is the only RV park in or near Cancun. It is about ten KM from town, run by a very friendly English speaking Mexican. Water pressure is good (for Mexico) and electricity seems good. It looks like there has been a lot of rewiring recently with the new wires laying on the ground. I would recoil in horror if I saw this in Canada or the USA but here, "it works, doesn’t it?" Price is $300 pesos a night and we got a discount as returning customers. There is free WIFI but it is not working at the moment. Maybe tomorrow...

Some Mayan ruins right on the site:

Ya, But You Should See The Other Guy

Aftermath of the little altercation yesterday.

Me:

The Other Guy:

"v10superduty" on RV.net responded on that forum with this comment:

Whether the guy in the Toyota didn't realize you were towing OR thought someone in a red Honda was trying to cut in out of turn; I would have liked to have heard what he was thinking when he realized he had collided with a driverless car.. --whose unseen driver he was probably cursing at as he showed him-- "hey your not cutting in on me a$$whole" or something like that, just before the collision!!!

I am surprised he didn't blurt out how stupid he was

Update On Telcel 3G Device

I have had the Telcel 3G Aircard for almost three weeks now. It has been working pretty good. I can always connect in the mornings but recently I have been having problems in the afternoons and evenings. I get a window saying it cannot connect and the odd time I do get on, it will drop off unexpectedly, leaving me with an unsent Blog entry or email. Very frustrating!

I am allowed 3 GB of data per month but have used less than one GB in three weeks so now I know I will never need all that capacity.

The MecoLoco RV Park has free WIFI but it is not working right now. The owner says he called the phone company two days ago and they told him it would be fixed "in two hours". As the say, "This is Mexico".

I have calmed down after yesterdays adventures and today we will head downtown in search of a haircut, a prescription refill and some fish tacos. I will report later.

The rain forecast for today has changed to scattered clouds. Tomorrow's forecast is for clear skies and 24 C. It is cooler here and this will continue as we head north. The party is drawing to a close.

My All Around Bad Day!

I have not had an accident in Canada since the 1960's! The last two winters in Mexico I have damaged the roof, once on a tunnel roof and once on a low, unmarked overpass. No other vehicle has ever been involved. Today put an end to that trend.

Today we were leaving Playa Del Carmen and came to road construction. We were in the right lane and it was closed ahead so people were merging left. Everyone was cooperating and letting one vehicle in front of them and going on. It was working fine. The guy beside me went ahead in front of me and I made eye contact with the van behind him. He saw me and dropped back a bit. I had my signal on and my hand out the window, pointing into the left lane, it was my turn and he slowed and dropped back to let me in. No problem.

I slowly turned into the left lane and suddenly heard a horn, a screech of brakes and a crash! I looked in the mirror just as he hit the median and the front bumper / grill of his Toyota van came flying off while the Honda and the dolly got pushed to the right! We had collided!

One of two things happened. 1) He let the motorhome in and did not see the car. He did not realize I was towing and tried to fall into line behind the motorhome, or 2) (most likely) He let the motorhome in and then thought someone in a red Honda was trying to squeeze in front of him as well and blasted his horn and accelerated to cut him off, not realizing I was towing the Honda. I think #2 is more like it because he beeped his horn a split second before making contact. That and I understand aggressive Mexican drivers.

The police were there before I could even get out of the drivers seat. There were two Traficos and one Municipal Police and they were all very professional and courteous, one spoke English. I called the 800 number on my insurance policy and an adjuster was there with a translator in twenty minutes. Great service!

I told them what happened and they and the police did all the paperwork and then the English speaking cop asked to speak to me. He told me he understood how it happened but the bad news was that in Mexico, the vehicle changing lanes is always responsible to do it safely. It was my fault! He said he had to write me a ticket "por cambiar de direction sin tomar precausion", an unsafe lane change. He took my drivers license to the Police kiosk which was less than a block away and I followed him on foot to pay the $272 pesos fine and get my license back. Everything took about two hours and we were on our way. Damage to the Honda is a small dent that spans both drivers side doors. I will probably get it fixed before we leave Mexico. It is not a big problem and both doors open easily.

And As If That Were Not Enoughl:

Just to finish off my crappy day a pair of Traficos tried to pull a fast one on the way into Cancun. Today they picked the wrong Canadian! One of them pulled his motorcycle up to my door and gave me the classic pointing over to the side gesture. I stopped and he walked up on the right motioning for me to get out. He spoke a little English and accused me of speeding! I never speed with the motorhome and all the way along the street I was being passed on both the left and right (parking lane) sides. I was doing at least 10 or 15 KM less than everyone else. After the earlier accident I was being super cautious! They simply thought they had an easy mark for a payoff.

I told him I was not speeding and he kept saying I was doing 50 in a 40 school zone. He said he would have to confiscate my drivers license and write me a ticket and do I have a problem with that? He said I would have to go downtown tomorrow to pay the ticket and get my license back and do I have a problem with that? It was not said in so many words but he gave me many opportunities to offer to pay the "fine" on the spot. He asked me "do you have a problem with that?" at least ten times. It must be code or something.

I told him I had no problem with him writing me a ticket but I will complain to his commanding officer about it because I was not speeding and he knew it. He made a show of walking to the motorcycle to get his ticket book. He told me that is what a ticket looks like and do I have a problem with him writing it. I said no, go ahead and write it and I would come downtown tomorrow and make a complaint. After ten or fifteen minutes he said that I was a nice guy and since I was a tourist he was going to let me off with a warning.

I told the guy running the MecoLoco RV park here about it and he said it is a huge problem on Bonempak Avenue. He said, "I don't know why they do that. If it was not for people like you, they would have no job!" This is a concept little understood throughout Mexico.

He picked the wrong day for nailing me. After the accident which I do not really think was 100% my fault, I was not going to be pushed around by two Traficos looking for a bribe! They picked the wrong day! I have always said that if I do something wrong, I have no problem paying a fine and this I did today, even though I do not agree I was 100% to blame. Mordita is another story! They can look somewhere else for their spending money, hopefully in the unemployment line.

EDIT: Today we drove the same route and there is NO school zone or any 40KM speed zone. The entire route is posted either 50 or 60. I wonder how many tourists pull out their wallets for these two crooks?

Blogs Finally Merged!

I finally did what I have wanted to do for two years but have been afraid to try. I merged the two Blogs, "Croft's Travels" and "Croft's Mexico". Now when you scroll back in "Croft's Mexico" you will eventually get to all the entries from the older Croft's Travels which chronicles our first winter in Mexico. The old "Croft's Travels" will eventually become obsolete and will be deleted. Or maybe saved in case we go somewhere besides Mexico.