Price of Gas

The price of gas just went up in Mexico overnight. It is now $10 pesos per liter which works out to $.785 Canadian. This is about half price to what Canadians are paying right now. For us it is "Almost free" but for Mexicans it has become very expensive. Fellow Blogger Kevin has worked this out to an equivalent of $3.00 US per gallon for those of you who think gallons.

$10 pesos per liter is about 40% higher than it was when we first started coming down to Mexico but like Kevin says, our Canadian dollar is better against the peso now than it was then. Life is still good for Canadians in Mexico but I should have filled up the tank in the motorhome and car before it happened.

Recent Reflections

A comment from Dee on my last post spurred me to write this. I have actually been searching for the right words for a couple of days so thanks for the inspiration Dee.

Croft -- I want you to know that dear husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed your blogs. Your blog and TiogaGeorge's blog are two of our favorites. If you have the time, please continue your blog. We have become tired of big Mexico resorts and Mexico cruises and are looking at other ways to see Mexico, and we do RV but have never done so in Mexico. But I have to ask this question. Is it just a coincidence that all this trouble is breaking loose now so close in time (i.e., your friends' carjacking and the shootouts at the border Wed. and Thurs. of this week) when so many people are traveling north from their winter hiatus? 
Take care, so that we may hear from you again.
Dee from South Carolina 

Dee, The troubles on the border are not connected to RVers at all. It is drug cartel members fighting over turf and this has been going on for years. Every once in a while the press takes notice of it and makes a big deal out of it. And it is a big deal, don't get me wrong, but it is not a deal that affects us. We have our own rules about the border. We do not spend the night within a hundred kilometers of the border, we stay on the toll roads and we always cross the border (in both directions) as early in the morning as possible. The bad guys are usually creatures of the night so never being within a hundred kilometers of the border after noon has kept us safe. 


Our RV'ing friend, Belgique (who just may possibly be retired CIA) explained his rule of "Situational Awareness" which would serve to keep all of us safer no matter where we are. He tells us to always be aware of our situation and surroundings. Never become so complacent that you do not recognize signs of possible or pending danger. If you are someplace and something does not feel right, leave. Get yourself out of that place or situation. This could be a lonely street, a restaurant or a lonely highway. Always be aware and diligent. Like I say, this is not just for Mexico, it works in New York or New Delhi just as well. 


For every story like this recent hijacking, there are thousands of happy stories that do not make it to the RV Forums and Blog pages. Anyone looking at these forums with no personal experiences of traveling in Mexico themselves would get the impression that this sort if thing happens to everyone. The doom and gloom forum hangers-on who have never been more than a few hundred miles from their own safe little houses all join in to say they would never come to Mexico when in actuality they would never go anywhere except perhaps fenced, guarded resorts or cruise terminals full of carbon copies of themselves. 


This is why we RV, and why we extend our boundaries a little further than many would be comfortable with. I remember the first time we crossed the Mexico border with the motorhome. The language and culture barriers made even the simplest things difficult. Buying gas, groceries, finding and paying for an RV park, getting a haircut... everything. Soon these things became just as easy as they were at home and we started looking deeper into the eyes and souls of the Mexican people and discovered what brought us here in the first place. It is a beautiful country with beautiful people. Yes it is a little different than what we are used to but that is why we are here. 


Cheryl and Frank followed all the safe travel rules and still got in trouble. They traveled in the daytime, stayed on the well traveled toll roads and did not flaunt their wealth. This sort of thing is not supposed to happen to them. But it did. Could it happen again? Sure, and it probably will. But it could happen to anyone, anywhere in the world. You could stay home and never leave your house but then the home invaders could come or a drunk could drive through your bedroom wall. Shit happens everywhere and it cannot be completely avoided. We just go on with our lives and reduce the danger as much as we reasonably can while still testing our boundaries and exploring our world in the little time we have to do it.


The fact remains that in recent years there have been more RVers murdered in Canada (2) and in the USA (2) than in Mexico (0). These are the facts.

Update On Shooting

I just got an update from Cheryl. They are safe and sound in Webers RV Park in San Miguel de Allende. They say they they were surrounded by a crowd before they could even back into their space by people who had read the story on RV,net or on my Blog. 

Yes, they reported the incident to the police. Yes, they did memorize the plate number and passed it on to the police. Yes, there is a big bullet hole in the windshield, a dent on the hood where the bullet hit first and a dent in the fender and bumper where they ran into the VW when it cut them off. They are going to stay in SMA for a few days until they stop shaking and they are going to the USA Embassy there to make a report.

They say to thank everyone for their concern. 


Here is a photo of the bullet hole in the windshield and the dent in the hood where it hit first! Too close for comfort!

Bread and Roses

This was the song that came out of the Textile Workers Strike of 1912 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. This was one of the first major strikes by a workforce composed of women. The song is traditionally associated with International Women's Day (March 8) when a gift of Bread and Roses is offered to socially active women whom we respect and admire.

As we come marching, marching in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray,
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,
For the people hear us singing: "Bread and roses! Bread and roses!"

As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men,
For they are women's children, and we mother them again.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses!

As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for -- but we fight for roses, too!

As we come marching, marching, we bring the greater days.
The rising of the women means the rising of the race.
No more the drudge and idler -- ten that toil where one reposes,
But a sharing of life's glories: Bread and roses! Bread and roses!

For those of you interested in this historic strike, check here.

Bad News!

This is a story I hate to relate! We stayed beside this couple here in Chetumal for two nights. We had long conversations and shared a dinner out. They are from Alaska and she is a council member of her village near Fairbanks. I have absolutely no doubts about their story.  Here is the email I got from Cheryl yesterday:

Hola dear friends,

Yesterday, about one hour after leaving campground, Rancho Hermanos Graham at Aqua Dulce, we were robbed on the highway. Driving along, a white VW suddenly passed us on the left and pulled immediately in front of us. We just thought they were crazy drivers. Frank tried to avoid a collision which looked imminent. However, they pulled in front again and while doing so, a gunman fired a shot aimed at Frank. It barely missed him, went through the windshield and hit the ceiling of the inside of the truck in the back. In fact, today, we got the bullet which looks like a 45. They forced us to the side, two gunmen got in and forced us into back seat with our dog Missy. We drove frantically up and down highways unknown to us. Then they pulled over, took me out of the truck and put me in their car with two banditos, while two banditos stayed with Frank in our truck. We then separated and drove up-down and who knows where for approx one hour. They had taken our bank cards and were taking me to bank machines, but, you won't believe this, I couldn't get money. The reason, which I figured out the next day was because I was using wrong password for wrong card. Eventually, they got $10,000 pesos and drove back to where Frank was. They stole both our computers, our two cell phones, one mp3 player, etc. We are at an internet cafe in Cholula right now. We stayed in a hotel last night and also tonight. It was terrifying, and hope you guys can notify all website-facebook sites that need to know! Please. We have no internet addresses. Yours was in my purse. We are heading north to the USA. 

We would appreciate it if you would let people know. We were on a Cuota, by the way. We wonder if perhaps we were set up. There were some people staying in a palapa at the campground mentioned above. We are terrified.

Great to meet you and sorry to contact you with sad news.
Cheryl and Frankie

This is the same road Norma and I have to take when we leave the Yucatan. It can be fairly desolate in places. Our plan is to get in with a group of trucks and stick with them the whole way through. It is very unlikely that lightening will strike twice in the same place and this is normally known as a safe highway. 

Minimalist Adventurers

A family from France recently passed by, spending two nights in our RV park. They are on a one year tour of the Americas on bicycles! They have three young children (two girls and a boy) aged about 5, 7 & 8 and are home schooling the older ones as they go. They have two hi-tech European bikes, both equipped with reclining seats at the front for the older children. These seats have pedals which can be engaged or disengaged if and when the children feel like helping pedal. When disengaged, they act as footrests. The youngest child rides in a trailer behind dad. They have minimal camping gear consisting mainly of a lightweight tent which is actually two tents fastened together forming a small covered common area between the two. Cooking is done on a single burner propane stove. Mom’s trailer carries the tent, sleeping bags and stove. They have no cooler and groceries are bought as they eat them.

I asked them how drivers treat them and he told me they take up a whole lane riding side by side and drivers have generally been very good, waiting to pass. They had only had one very close call when a car passed them at high speed with only centimeters to spare.

They had already done South and Central America and were on their way to the USA and Canada, averaging 50 kilometers per day. RV parks and campgrounds with showers are a once in a while treat because of their scarcity so they usually ask to spend the night in someone’s yard along the way. When they were parked beside us, they must have had ten showers each!

I neglected to ask how they deal with parts like tires along the way. That must be a challenge.

Our Little RV Park On Chetumal Bay

We are parked between the palms near the bottom of the photo. You can see the pool and the restaurant.



View Larger Map

Still Here

Living a very quiet life here. We have pretty much been by ourselves lately except for Frank and Cheryl, a couple from Alaska who were here for a couple of nights. We enjoyed a happy hour with them followed by dinner at the park's restaurant. It was nice to be able to speak English for a while! They were kindred spirits politically as well and that is always a treat!

The water pump is still working so I guess I did it right. I got to thinking (always dangerous) that maybe the significant amount of bleach I add to the tank every time I fill it might have a detrimental effect on the rubber parts of the pump.

Our StarChoice signal is weakening again I went out and looked up. There is a palm tree branch way up that might be in the way. It is too high to "fix' and I cannot move the dish slightly forward to avoid it as it is already near the seawall. It will take a complete move of the dish to the front and side of the motorhome to find clear sky and that would put the dish in the wind and also a little close to the next site, not that they are lining up to move in there. That may become our project for today.

We went grocery shopping yesterday in a tropical rainstorm. It was so loud hitting the roof of the Soriana store that you could not talk inside! It had quit by the time we left the store and the sun was out again.

Starchoice move completed and getting a good signal. Now if I can just keep from running into it!

That Was Easy!

I got tired of listening to the water pump struggle to pressurize the system so I threw caution to the wind and replaced the pump. Four screws to hold it down, two screw on water fittings, two wire splices and it was done. I did not have a new strainer so I reused the old one. It was spotless anyway. It now pressurizes instantly and shuts off as soon as the tap is closed. it is also much quieter.

I am always just a little cautious in Mexico when I have to tear something apart. Back home I always have the fallback position of taking it in to an RV shop if I screw up but in Mexico that is not an option. If something goes wrong down here you fix it yourself or hope a smart neighbor moves in.

We now have good as new water flow, no leaks, Norma is happy and Life Is Good!

Windy and Clear

We hunkered down in the wind yesterday and last night. There is not a cloud in the sky but there is a steady 30 KPH wind from the South. It is still warm, in the mid 80's so we will venture out to the store today as we are getting low on supplies. It does not look like the wind will be letting up so I may put the rear stabilizers down to stop the bedroom from rocking like it did all last night.

Water Pump Problems

We are having water pump problems in the RV's fresh water system. It is taking it a long time to re-pressurize the system after we turn a tap on/off. It has always been able to keep up but now the pump keeps loudly running for several seconds (5 - 10) after the tap is shut off and is slow to turn on when a tap is opened. I suspect the pressure switch in the pump is going (or maybe the diaphragm, I am no expert) .  I have a complete spare pump so it is just a matter of working in a very small space in one of the outside bins to replace it. It is (naturally) on the side that is exposed to the wind. We filled the water tank once when the park's well (or underground storage tank, I am not sure) was almost empty and sucking up a bit of mud so that might have something to do with it. Maybe later today or maybe manana.