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I ended the January narrative with the expectation that a mechanic would come from Freightliner the next morning
and hopefully figure out what is going on with the ignition system that won’t shut the engine down.
The mechanic, Jose Reyes, did show up the next morning and after some checking of various fuses and relays
decided that it was a particular relay that was causing the problem. We switched it out and then ran the engine to
get it hot but were never able to get it to fail…of course!!!! Isn’t that always the way it is with intermittent problems.
So I now have some spare relays and the problem continues. At least I now know there is a particular relay that I
can pull to shut the engine down instead of disconnecting the battery cables which was a real pain.
While waiting at Freightliner the next day to purchase relays and get the bill so we can get reimbursed for the
mechanic’s time, I got to talking to Jose about his family. He has a 3 year old son named Christopher Yasir Reyes
who loves McDonald’s Happy Meals. I commented on his son’s name and he told me that he feels badly that the
Americans and the Arabs don’t get along very well and by naming his son with an American first name and an
Arabic middle name, it will help to improve the relationship between the two countries and promote world peace.
Imagine that…a Mexican mechanic who is doing his part toward world peace…I wonder what might happen if
everyone did something? Now that’s a powerful concept.
We stayed in Acapulco for 7 days and were rested up and ready to move on down the road. We drove 161 miles
to Pinotepa, Oaxaca where we camped on another abandoned airstrip next to a soccer field (N 16:20 W 98:4).
That evening, after dark, a taxi drove up the airstrip past our rigs and then turned around to go back the way he
had come; he did this several times over a period of several hours. Sometimes he would stop in the dark and park
with his lights off for several minutes and then continue. Ken figured out that he was taking his customers on a
little sightseeing trip to see our caravan. We get lots of stares and lots of questions and have done quite a few
tours of our rig as we make our way through Mexico.
One of the interesting things that is happening to Colleen and me as we travel the back roads is being mistaken
for the regular bus. Many of the busses are also silver and about the same size and frequently people see us
coming and walk out to the edge of the road signaling for us to stop. When they see that we are not slowing down
they get more frantic with their signaling by shaking a sweater or hat at us. The look on their faces as we pass by
is quite funny. Colleen and I want to stop one of these times and pick someone up and deliver them down the
road to their destination. That would give them and us a funny story to tell!!!!
From Pinotepa we drove 90 miles to Puerto Escondido. The search committee did a fabulous job and found an
incredible boondock spot. We strung ourselves out along a sandy road that paralleled the main street right next to
the beach (N 15:51 W 97:3). As we parked, 2 men from a nearby hotel arrived to tell us that we couldn’t park
there as it was parking for their guests. The cook in the restaurant on the beach told us that it was really to keep
us from blocking the view of their guests and that it was a public street and it was fine to stay there. We found a
policeman who told us that it was fine and we stayed for two nights.
While in Pto. Escondido we swam and boogie boarded on the beach in front of us, walked the town and shopped,
and Larry, Ken, Joe and I went out for 5 hours to go fishing with a local fisherman. For 1000 pesos total (about
$90) we had a beautiful day but didn’t catch anything. We saw lots of sea turtles with birds standing on them as
they basked in the sun bobbing up and down. They reminded Larry of the comic strip BC. I saw a whale flip its tail
in the air about 200 yards from us and we circled the area to see if it would show up again. It surfaced and blew
about 20 feet from us!!!! That was exciting!!!! At one point we had a sailfish mouth our bait as we trolled, but we
weren’t able to get it to really take the bait.
From Pto. Escondido we continued on down the coast 43 miles to Zipolite Beach, where Colleen and I had a great
time 4 years ago on our Green Tortoise trip. We found a dirt lot (N 15:40 W 96:31) owned by the church and
Colleen negotiated a rate of 300 pesos for all the rigs for 2 nights. That works out to $2.50/night/rig. Again we
were right on the beach at the east end. This beach is known as a clothing optional beach and some of the
members of our group took advantage of the opportunity to work on an all-over tan. Others opted for a moonburn
and did their suitless swimming under cover of the dark.
The second day we took a ‘collectivo’ - a Volkswagen bus or pickup truck that runs along a route picking up and
dropping off passengers - to another beach called Estacahuite where we snorkeled and hung out under a palapa.
Generally we have found that the snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean is not nearly as good as in the Caribbean, but
this was a great spot with lots of colorful fish in a protected cove. We stayed for 2 nights at Zipolite Beach and
then took off inland. Zipolite was our last Pacific beach and we were now headed for the Caribbean via the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the narrowest part of Mexico.
Just as a sidebar to the narrative….In the US we can easily figure out what highway we are on by looking at the
map and following the signs. Here it is not that easy...we seem to find the roads we need by asking questions as
we approach the landmarks we have been told to watch for. For instance we found the road to El Fuerte by
finding the first town south of the Sonora/Sinaloa border and turning in there. At that point we were in a dusty,
small village and had to ask more questions until we actually found the road. When we are looking for a good
boondock spot we get close to the area and then send out scouts in Joe’s small rig to find a place that we can all
stay. If you are used to traveling from RV park to RV park, this is a little different. One member of our group thinks
in terms of RV parks and struggles with the patience it takes to find a great boondock spot that isn’t just behind a
gas station somewhere. We have found some really great spots!!!!
Regarding the road conditions: if we are on a toll road, the conditions are similar to most cement highways you
find in the US which bypass all the towns and villages and carry very little traffic. If we are on a free road - which
we almost always are - the road is cracked, no shoulder, narrow, with potholes and is very busy. Some areas
have more potholes than others. There are topes (speedbumps) as you go through each village to slow traffic
down. Most villages have one at each end and some have more in between the two end ones. We have heard
that there is a village with 23 topes. Some of the topes are marked ahead of time with signs warning you, others
are marked with a sign right at the tope and others are not marked at all. Some have paint on top of them and
some just blend into the pavement and can catch you unaware. Some topes are long and flat, some are short and
steep, most are perpendicular to the flow of traffic but some are angled and really rock us if we can’t maneuver to
cross them head on. Some short flat ones come in sets of 5-10 called vibradores.
From Zipolite we drove 214 miles to Tapanatepec and found a parking spot between a construction site and the
public market (N 16:22 W 94:11, Elevation 75’, Temperature 103F, Humidity 47%). We were all very tired as this
was a long drive. I know that 214 miles doesn’t seem like much, but consider the road conditions. In addition to all
described above, add donkeys and carts, pedestrians, bicyclists, speeding buses and taxis, loose pigs, chickens,
cattle, horses and donkeys and you might be getting an idea of what it is like to drive here.
Speaking of loose chickens, Joyce told us a story written by an RVer that has given our group its name; we are
now calling ourselves The Loose Chickens. The story was written by Nancy Vineski and goes like this:
It all started with a few loose chickens....
I was a real estate agent and had gone to check out one of our listed properties. It was an egg‑laying operation, a
commercial facility involving thousands of caged chickens. The warehouse‑like building held hundreds and
hundreds of small cages, each containing two hens. The cages were so small that the chickens were unable to
turn around. In front of the chickens, one conveyor belt brought feed and behind them was another belt that
carried their eggs away. While the plant manager was briefing us, I noticed a dozen loose chickens and an
employee following them and scattering grain.
"Do you need help catching them?" I asked.
"I'm not trying to catch these birds," he replied. "Oh no, we let these wander around. If the caged ones can't see a
few chickens living a free life, they'll lose hope and stop laying their eggs. Without these loose chickens, the rest
will just give up and die."
Instantly, it struck me how similar our lifestyle was to these caged birds. How many of us live our lives in cages,
looking out and seeing others having the adventures, living their dreams, being free? I realized that there are two
kinds of chickens: those who live in cages and those who roam freely. I wanted to be one of those loose chickens!
Within a couple of months, we wangled a year's unpaid leave of absence from my husband Tom's university
employers, closed my small business, found someone to house sit our home, took $10,000 out of our retirement
savings, bought an old VW camper‑van and set off to explore Mexico and Central America.
That year stretched into two, and we decided not to return to our old jobs.
It's been nine years now of full‑time RVing, full‑time exploring, fulltime living. The house‑sitter became a tenant
who became the guy who bought our house. The camper‑van turned into a twenty‑five foot trailer, which turned
into a thirty‑ seven‑foot motor home. And, a few years ago, our son Bill also became a full‑time RVer ‑ a family of
loose chickens, roaming free.
Now back to the story of these ‘Loose Chickens’…
We had spent the night next to the Tapanatepec Public Market….now markets in Latin America are wonderful,
colorful, almost daily events as the women go to purchase their food for the day. In this town we were awakened
at 6:00 by a series of cars with loudspeakers that cruised the area near the market in order to provide the daily
news bulletins with announcements of funerals, school goings-on, sales at local stores and other timely offerings.
There was no way to go back to sleep after that!!! So, we all got up and went through the market to purchase
what we needed to replenish our shelves and then got ready for the day’s jaunt.
We drove 77 miles to Ocozocoautla near Tuxtla Gutierrez to the Hogar Infantil (N 16:47 W 93:23) which is an
orphanage for children from the age of 6 to 18. They have seven RV full hookup RV sites and oodles of
boondock parking there to provide some additional income for the orphanage. The narrow entrance has a curved
archway sign over it and we just made it underneath; Larry and Joyce with their 5th wheel had to let the air out of
the airbags in order to make it. The grounds were beautiful with lawns, trees and low white buildings with colorful
trim. Sixty-two children live there and it was delightful listening to them running and playing when they weren’t in
school.
One day we went to the zoo where they have an example of each of the kinds of animals that are indigenous to
the state of Chiapas. They have done a wonderful job with the zoo with the cages as natural to the surroundings
as possible and all the walkways like taking a walk through a dense forest. Running around the grounds are some
of the animals that are also in cages; I guess they enjoy being the ‘loose chickens’ for the zoo animals and come
to visit.
In the afternoon, after the zoo, we went to Cahuate nearby to the boat launch to take a boat up the Rio Grijalva
through Sumidero Canyon. There were 15 of us in a speedboat that zoomed up the river about 20 miles with
frequent stops to enjoy crocodiles, birds, formations created by waterfalls that were dry now but come crashing
down the up to one mile high sides of the canyon during the rainy season. We were sickened by the sight of so
much plastic soda bottle and bag trash that was everywhere on the route. The trash doesn’t come from the
people who enjoy the canyon, but from villages on the rim that use the arroyos as trash dumps. Then, when it
rains, it all flows into the canyon.
Here’s another sidebar about trash. I have been coming into Mexico since I was a child and trash has always been
a problem here. Now, with the plastic soda pop bottles it is even worse in some of the poorer areas. Perhaps you
are thinking that it would be simple to just put some trash cans around and that would take care of the
problem…well it isn’t that simple. Some of these people have all they can do with a few tortillas and beans to feed
the body’s engine to get through a day to provide for their families. If they did have the energy to carry their trash
to a trash container, who is going to empty it? If you can find someone to empty it, where are they going to take it?
Many of the poorer villages don’t have the infrastructure in place to deal with all the trash. Some of it gets burned
and that leaves a stinky, burning plastic smell in the air. Apparently Vicente Fox, the president of Mexico, has
taken on the issue of trash with some amount of success. This trip is the first time I have seen people alongside
the road collecting trash. There must be some incentive to do it and you can see a difference in those towns. My
personal opinion is that they should devise a deposit system for the plastic bottles so that they are turned in and
recycled. Dim hope for that as New Mexico where we lived doesn’t even have a deposit on glass bottles yet. I
wonder whether the executives of the American soda manufacturers like Coca Cola and Pepsi are horrified by
seeing all of their containers strewn everywhere? Hmmmph, says I, climbing down from my soapbox…
After the trip up Sumidero Canyon, we all trooped to Sam’s Club to stock up on some of the things one can’t
easily get in the villages we travel through. Colleen and I are less enthusiastic shoppers of these big stores than
other members of our group, but even we succumb to the temptation when it appears in front of us.
After two nights at Hogar Infantil where we were able to dump our holding tanks and get fresh water, we were off
to San Cristobal de las Casas, the capital city of the state of Chiapas. In 2 hours we drove from about 750 feet of
elevation to 8000 feet and then down to 7000 feet in San Cristobal. We had been sweating with the heat and
humidity and now Colleen was quickly hunting down her flannel pajamas and wool sweaters. We are camped in a
grassy area near the edge of town at the local sports complex (N 16:44 W 92:39). Colleen found the man who is
in charge of the security here and got permission for us to stay for three nights. Her Spanish is really improving
and she has become a person the group relies on for making arrangements for places to stay. I appreciate not
having to always do the translating and making arrangements.
Last evening, February 13th, after our afternoon arrival we cooked a group dinner with the main course of salmon
purchased at Sam’s Club by Joe. Our group dinners are great with contributions from all members. After dinner
we went into town to a Valentine’s Day concert at a local theater; admission was 20 pesos per person (about
$1.80). It started at 7:30 and ended around 10:00 with no intermission…that was a long sit!!! The entertainment
was provided by various residents of the area and we were treated to some wonderful singing and musicianship
by individuals and groups…students and professionals. We had a great time!!
It is early in the morning on February 14th and I will end this in order to send it out today if we get the dish set up.
The evening of the 14th, in honor of St. Valentine’s Day, there was a public concert on the zocalo (main plaza)
and then afterward 6 of us went to the costume museum for a 7:00 appointment. Now Mary, another of the trip’s
chroniclers, has already written her piece about the visit to the costume museum so I am just going to plug it in
here.
“After enjoying some free music in the central plaza where another Valentine’s concert was in progress, we
walked over there and it was amazing. The costume museum is really just a house that a man named Sergio
Castro Martinez has rented to display his own personal collection of indigenous costumes, and he shows them
when he gets back from work in the evenings only. It was an impressive collection and he said that he has 90
more outfits that he doesn’t have room to display. He speaks 6 languages, so he told us lots of information about
the tribes as he showed us the costumes and artifacts. Additionally, he works among the tribes helping people
who are burned. They have many of these because people fall into the fires they use for cooking, usually
because they have epilepsy caused by trichinosis from the pork they raise which has parasites and isn’t
inspected. Often he has to walk long distances to get to these villages to help these people. We all left generous
donations in his box just before leaving, in order to help his work! The Lonely Planet calls him a male Mother
Teresa and I agree with them.”
The work he is doing is largely supported by donations from people from the US and Canada. He has tried to get
support from the Mexican government for his work with the burn victims and to preserve his museum, but,
according to him, no one wants to support work that has anything to do with the indigenous people of Chiapas. I
assumed that he would be a supporter of the Zapatista movement in Chiapas that presumably is working toward
enhanced rights for the indigenous people, but he was vehemently not in support of them. He feels that they have
abandoned their people and their customs to live violently and cause a lot of trouble for the people of Chiapas.
Just when you think you have something figured out, someone comes along to inform you differently. I guess that
is what keeping an open mind is all about. Just wish mine weren't so open to be positively sievelike.
Parked near us in San Cristobal was a couple from Quebec that were really enjoyable – Lucien and Nicole. They
were headed for Palenque where we were going and so they joined us as we left San Cristobal for Cascadas de
Agua Azul. On the trip we went from 7000 feet to about 600 feet in elevation so left the misty, cool area for the
humid, hot lowland. The trip was curvy, cloudy, rainy and very slow as we made our way down the mountain with
all of its local traffic – both 4 footed and 2 footed. There were many areas where the road had fallen away and
there was just one lane that hugged the cliffside. It took us 6 hours to go 98 miles. As we approached the
entrance to Agua Azul we were stopped by a group of people selling tickets to get in. Unfortunately, we didn’t get
a ticket, but instead a receipt thanking us for our donation. Down the road another ½ mile or so we got to the
actual entrance where we had to pay again or not get in. Colleen and I were here 4 years ago and had forgotten
that there are neighboring groups that are in contention for who gets to collect for the natural attraction. So we all
made donations of varying amounts. We parked on an abandoned airstrip just inside the actual entrance...the
local residents use it as a road, but there are nice grassy areas alongside the tarmac.
These ‘cascadas’ are a series of waterfalls that pour over interesting formations caused by the high level of
minerals in the water - one waterfall after another over a mile or so that is easily accessible. The water, when it
hasn’t been raining, is similar to the blue that you see on the glaciers in Alaska…kind of a milky cross between
turquoise and blue. Along the sides of the cascadas are rock paths (new since 4 years ago) and vendors selling
food, hand painted leather figures of Mayan gods, hats, tourist tchachkes (sp?) and T-shirts. Lest you think that
we were visiting a highly developed tourist attraction a la USA, there were several local people who came along
the paths in the late afternoon, after all the tour buses left, to wash clothes and bathe in the river as they had for
eons. We stayed one night.
The next day we continued on toward Palenque, another Mayan Brickworks. On the way we stopped at Misol Ha a
different kind of waterfall that falls from alongside a cave about 60 feet up a cliff. When Colleen and I were here 4
years ago I climbed behind the waterfall and up some steps that were put in and then into an adjacent cave with a
smaller waterfall. We went quite a ways back in to another interior waterfall. I was really excited about taking this
group on that adventure and 6 of us actually did make it all the way up the cliff into the mouth of the cave.
Unfortunately, since it had been raining, there was too much water pouring over the side of the cliff out of the
cave to make it very far. If you slipped, it was a long fall and would have ruined a good trip to have to be
evacuated out with broken bones or worse. So, discretion being the better part of valor, we disappointedly made
our way back down.
Another 28 miles and an hour and a half later we arrived in Palenque at the Maya Bell RV Park where we had
camped in our tent while with the Green Tortoise 4 years ago. Also, four years ago, that was where I flew in an
ultra-light aircraft over the ruins. Thankfully the fellow with the ultra-light wasn’t there and Colleen wouldn’t be
insisting I work on my acrophobia by doing it again…I didn’t ask where he was for fear that his remains were
splattered on top of the Temple of the Jaguar where I had envisioned I might end up four years ago.
With some tree trimming and quite a bit of maneuvering we were all able to get into the campground that is
designed for tenters and small rigs. We were able to get a clear view of the sky among the jungle around us to get
the satellite dish installed and we were a bunch of happy campers. We stayed 2 nights and visited the ruins for
several hours one day. Now, I am not much into ruins, but Palenque is very beautiful with its jungle setting, lovely
lawns and great waterfalls. I really enjoy sitting on the steps of the buildings and imagining what it might have
been like when they were inhabited a thousand years ago. It is also fun to talk to the children who are selling
trinkets and find out what their lives are like today.
Sidebar: Fuel and MPG
I have been keeping track of our mileage since we crossed the border and our average is 7.94 MPG over 3421
miles. The highest mileage has been 9.9 MPG and the worst has been 6.32 MPG. Since we hardly ever get going
50 MPH and have to drive so slowly on these roads, I am actually pleasantly surprised that the mileage is what it
is.
As of 2/21 we had traveled 3421 miles in 51 days averaging 67 miles per day.
Our fuel tank holds 100 gallons of diesel and all of us try to travel on the top half of the tank in case we ever get
in a jam and can’t find fuel or get some bad fuel. We are purchasing it at Pemex stations (the Mexican national
gas station) for about 5 pesos per liter. The lowest price so far has been 4.81 pesos/liter and the highest was
5.03 pesos/liter. Converting liters to gallons and pesos to dollars the cost is about $1.84 per gallon at 5.03
pesos/liter. Not bad considering the cost of fuel in the states.
When we left Palenque we headed for Uxmal (another brick works) by way of Punta Xochen south of Campeche.
We spent the night in a gravel quarry (N 19:09 W 90:57) near Punta Xochen. We traveled 173 miles that day on
great roads…the best ones we’ve seen so far. The next day we traveled 158 miles the rest of the way to Uxmal
and camped in the large parking lot of the ruins (N 20:22 W 89:46) for 100 pesos/night per rig (about $10). We
went in to the ruins during the day and to a light and sound show in the evening. We spent 2 nights there.
For the last couple of months we have been receiving email from Jonna and Mimi, friends of Mary and Elaine’s.
They have a condo south of Cancun in Akumal and each year travel down there from the states. They were a few
weeks ahead of us and had been sending us suggestions for places to stay as we traveled. They met us in Uxmal
at the ruins and then traveled with us from there back to Tulum (near their condo in Akumal). It was really great to
finally meet them!!!
Side Bar: Border Crossings
Most of the Mexico state border crossings have not involved stopping for any inspections, but crossing into the
first of the states in the area called the Yucatan, into Campeche involved an agricultural inspection that we had
been warned about by Mimi and Jonna. We had eaten up most of what they were going to confiscate (meat and
eggs) and hidden some of the frozen meat (chicken, pork and beef). After the border crossing our supplies were
low so we all went to the market in Punta Xochen and really stocked up. Then we crossed into the State of
Yucatan and faced another agricultural inspection not knowing that we could just tell them we had bought it all in
Campeche. We frantically pitched stuff out of the freezer and frig to toss it under the bed as they entered the
coach. We weren’t caught at it, but it wasn’t necessary anyway. They were a bit distracted by all of conferring
over Ken’s flat tire on the trailer that was noticed as we arrived at the inspection station.
Now, in a few days we are going to enter Belize and have been warned that all meat, eggs, citrus and alcohol over
1 liter will be confiscated as we cross. We have all been eating up our supplies of the above so as not to have to
hide much. Some members of the group laid in large supplies of their favorite wine (Two Buck Chuck) before they
left the states and have a couple of cases stored. They are figuring out where to put it so as not to lose it. Colleen
and I only have to deal with some frozen meat that we may not get eaten and our satellite dish for which the Belize
government apparently requires a permit. It’s quite a bit larger than a carton of eggs so presents a bit of a
challenge to hide – it may turn out to be the elephant that we are hoping will not be noticed in the middle of the
proverbial living room.
Continuing with the trip, we left Uxmal and traveled to Merida the capital city of the state of Yucatan. On the way
we stopped at the caves of Loltun – side trip on the way. In Merida we camped for 2 nights at the base of the large
flag just off the eastern side of the periferico – sorry I don’t have the lat and long – after getting permission from
the security guard in the large Liverpool department store. We arrived in Merida just in time for Carnaval and
headed in buses downtown for a huge parade that evening. There were lots of extravagant floats, music, dancers
and many booths selling food and other stuff. We had a great time and got home around midnight.
Off we went to Chichen Itza – you guessed it, another Mayan Brickworks – and stayed nearby in Piste in a ball
park across from the Piramide resort (N 20:42 W 88:35) for 80 pesos/night per rig. The ball field is owned by the
hotel and gave us access to the hotel pool and showers. We traveled 77 miles that day.
On the 24th we headed for the west coast of the Yucatan south of Cancun in Tulum. After Colleen and I saw the
beautiful beach boondocking spot that Jonna and Mimi had found for us, we took off 75 miles to the north to
Cancun to get the rig looked at for the same %$&*! engine problem that is driving us crazy. To make a long story
short, we spent 4 nights there at two different mechanic shops and the problem has not gone away. I think that we
are resigned to pulling a relay each time we want to turn off the engine when it is hot outside. We left Cancun in
time to join the rest of the Loose Chickens for a party that Mimi and Jonna held at their condo in honor of our visit.
We had a great time and ate some wonderful traditional Mayan chicken and turkey dishes that I think were cooked
underground in a pit. Before the dinner we went snorkeling at a lagoon within walking distance of their condo.
There was an amazing number of really beautiful fish in it including 2 huge parrot fish….it felt like swimming in an
aquarium!!!
We are now camped with the rest of the group in Tulum on the beach (N 20:12 W 87:26) and are leaving
tomorrow, March 2nd. We will be crossing into Belize on March 4th.
and hopefully figure out what is going on with the ignition system that won’t shut the engine down.
The mechanic, Jose Reyes, did show up the next morning and after some checking of various fuses and relays
decided that it was a particular relay that was causing the problem. We switched it out and then ran the engine to
get it hot but were never able to get it to fail…of course!!!! Isn’t that always the way it is with intermittent problems.
So I now have some spare relays and the problem continues. At least I now know there is a particular relay that I
can pull to shut the engine down instead of disconnecting the battery cables which was a real pain.
While waiting at Freightliner the next day to purchase relays and get the bill so we can get reimbursed for the
mechanic’s time, I got to talking to Jose about his family. He has a 3 year old son named Christopher Yasir Reyes
who loves McDonald’s Happy Meals. I commented on his son’s name and he told me that he feels badly that the
Americans and the Arabs don’t get along very well and by naming his son with an American first name and an
Arabic middle name, it will help to improve the relationship between the two countries and promote world peace.
Imagine that…a Mexican mechanic who is doing his part toward world peace…I wonder what might happen if
everyone did something? Now that’s a powerful concept.
We stayed in Acapulco for 7 days and were rested up and ready to move on down the road. We drove 161 miles
to Pinotepa, Oaxaca where we camped on another abandoned airstrip next to a soccer field (N 16:20 W 98:4).
That evening, after dark, a taxi drove up the airstrip past our rigs and then turned around to go back the way he
had come; he did this several times over a period of several hours. Sometimes he would stop in the dark and park
with his lights off for several minutes and then continue. Ken figured out that he was taking his customers on a
little sightseeing trip to see our caravan. We get lots of stares and lots of questions and have done quite a few
tours of our rig as we make our way through Mexico.
One of the interesting things that is happening to Colleen and me as we travel the back roads is being mistaken
for the regular bus. Many of the busses are also silver and about the same size and frequently people see us
coming and walk out to the edge of the road signaling for us to stop. When they see that we are not slowing down
they get more frantic with their signaling by shaking a sweater or hat at us. The look on their faces as we pass by
is quite funny. Colleen and I want to stop one of these times and pick someone up and deliver them down the
road to their destination. That would give them and us a funny story to tell!!!!
From Pinotepa we drove 90 miles to Puerto Escondido. The search committee did a fabulous job and found an
incredible boondock spot. We strung ourselves out along a sandy road that paralleled the main street right next to
the beach (N 15:51 W 97:3). As we parked, 2 men from a nearby hotel arrived to tell us that we couldn’t park
there as it was parking for their guests. The cook in the restaurant on the beach told us that it was really to keep
us from blocking the view of their guests and that it was a public street and it was fine to stay there. We found a
policeman who told us that it was fine and we stayed for two nights.
While in Pto. Escondido we swam and boogie boarded on the beach in front of us, walked the town and shopped,
and Larry, Ken, Joe and I went out for 5 hours to go fishing with a local fisherman. For 1000 pesos total (about
$90) we had a beautiful day but didn’t catch anything. We saw lots of sea turtles with birds standing on them as
they basked in the sun bobbing up and down. They reminded Larry of the comic strip BC. I saw a whale flip its tail
in the air about 200 yards from us and we circled the area to see if it would show up again. It surfaced and blew
about 20 feet from us!!!! That was exciting!!!! At one point we had a sailfish mouth our bait as we trolled, but we
weren’t able to get it to really take the bait.
From Pto. Escondido we continued on down the coast 43 miles to Zipolite Beach, where Colleen and I had a great
time 4 years ago on our Green Tortoise trip. We found a dirt lot (N 15:40 W 96:31) owned by the church and
Colleen negotiated a rate of 300 pesos for all the rigs for 2 nights. That works out to $2.50/night/rig. Again we
were right on the beach at the east end. This beach is known as a clothing optional beach and some of the
members of our group took advantage of the opportunity to work on an all-over tan. Others opted for a moonburn
and did their suitless swimming under cover of the dark.
The second day we took a ‘collectivo’ - a Volkswagen bus or pickup truck that runs along a route picking up and
dropping off passengers - to another beach called Estacahuite where we snorkeled and hung out under a palapa.
Generally we have found that the snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean is not nearly as good as in the Caribbean, but
this was a great spot with lots of colorful fish in a protected cove. We stayed for 2 nights at Zipolite Beach and
then took off inland. Zipolite was our last Pacific beach and we were now headed for the Caribbean via the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the narrowest part of Mexico.
Just as a sidebar to the narrative….In the US we can easily figure out what highway we are on by looking at the
map and following the signs. Here it is not that easy...we seem to find the roads we need by asking questions as
we approach the landmarks we have been told to watch for. For instance we found the road to El Fuerte by
finding the first town south of the Sonora/Sinaloa border and turning in there. At that point we were in a dusty,
small village and had to ask more questions until we actually found the road. When we are looking for a good
boondock spot we get close to the area and then send out scouts in Joe’s small rig to find a place that we can all
stay. If you are used to traveling from RV park to RV park, this is a little different. One member of our group thinks
in terms of RV parks and struggles with the patience it takes to find a great boondock spot that isn’t just behind a
gas station somewhere. We have found some really great spots!!!!
Regarding the road conditions: if we are on a toll road, the conditions are similar to most cement highways you
find in the US which bypass all the towns and villages and carry very little traffic. If we are on a free road - which
we almost always are - the road is cracked, no shoulder, narrow, with potholes and is very busy. Some areas
have more potholes than others. There are topes (speedbumps) as you go through each village to slow traffic
down. Most villages have one at each end and some have more in between the two end ones. We have heard
that there is a village with 23 topes. Some of the topes are marked ahead of time with signs warning you, others
are marked with a sign right at the tope and others are not marked at all. Some have paint on top of them and
some just blend into the pavement and can catch you unaware. Some topes are long and flat, some are short and
steep, most are perpendicular to the flow of traffic but some are angled and really rock us if we can’t maneuver to
cross them head on. Some short flat ones come in sets of 5-10 called vibradores.
From Zipolite we drove 214 miles to Tapanatepec and found a parking spot between a construction site and the
public market (N 16:22 W 94:11, Elevation 75’, Temperature 103F, Humidity 47%). We were all very tired as this
was a long drive. I know that 214 miles doesn’t seem like much, but consider the road conditions. In addition to all
described above, add donkeys and carts, pedestrians, bicyclists, speeding buses and taxis, loose pigs, chickens,
cattle, horses and donkeys and you might be getting an idea of what it is like to drive here.
Speaking of loose chickens, Joyce told us a story written by an RVer that has given our group its name; we are
now calling ourselves The Loose Chickens. The story was written by Nancy Vineski and goes like this:
It all started with a few loose chickens....
I was a real estate agent and had gone to check out one of our listed properties. It was an egg‑laying operation, a
commercial facility involving thousands of caged chickens. The warehouse‑like building held hundreds and
hundreds of small cages, each containing two hens. The cages were so small that the chickens were unable to
turn around. In front of the chickens, one conveyor belt brought feed and behind them was another belt that
carried their eggs away. While the plant manager was briefing us, I noticed a dozen loose chickens and an
employee following them and scattering grain.
"Do you need help catching them?" I asked.
"I'm not trying to catch these birds," he replied. "Oh no, we let these wander around. If the caged ones can't see a
few chickens living a free life, they'll lose hope and stop laying their eggs. Without these loose chickens, the rest
will just give up and die."
Instantly, it struck me how similar our lifestyle was to these caged birds. How many of us live our lives in cages,
looking out and seeing others having the adventures, living their dreams, being free? I realized that there are two
kinds of chickens: those who live in cages and those who roam freely. I wanted to be one of those loose chickens!
Within a couple of months, we wangled a year's unpaid leave of absence from my husband Tom's university
employers, closed my small business, found someone to house sit our home, took $10,000 out of our retirement
savings, bought an old VW camper‑van and set off to explore Mexico and Central America.
That year stretched into two, and we decided not to return to our old jobs.
It's been nine years now of full‑time RVing, full‑time exploring, fulltime living. The house‑sitter became a tenant
who became the guy who bought our house. The camper‑van turned into a twenty‑five foot trailer, which turned
into a thirty‑ seven‑foot motor home. And, a few years ago, our son Bill also became a full‑time RVer ‑ a family of
loose chickens, roaming free.
Now back to the story of these ‘Loose Chickens’…
We had spent the night next to the Tapanatepec Public Market….now markets in Latin America are wonderful,
colorful, almost daily events as the women go to purchase their food for the day. In this town we were awakened
at 6:00 by a series of cars with loudspeakers that cruised the area near the market in order to provide the daily
news bulletins with announcements of funerals, school goings-on, sales at local stores and other timely offerings.
There was no way to go back to sleep after that!!! So, we all got up and went through the market to purchase
what we needed to replenish our shelves and then got ready for the day’s jaunt.
We drove 77 miles to Ocozocoautla near Tuxtla Gutierrez to the Hogar Infantil (N 16:47 W 93:23) which is an
orphanage for children from the age of 6 to 18. They have seven RV full hookup RV sites and oodles of
boondock parking there to provide some additional income for the orphanage. The narrow entrance has a curved
archway sign over it and we just made it underneath; Larry and Joyce with their 5th wheel had to let the air out of
the airbags in order to make it. The grounds were beautiful with lawns, trees and low white buildings with colorful
trim. Sixty-two children live there and it was delightful listening to them running and playing when they weren’t in
school.
One day we went to the zoo where they have an example of each of the kinds of animals that are indigenous to
the state of Chiapas. They have done a wonderful job with the zoo with the cages as natural to the surroundings
as possible and all the walkways like taking a walk through a dense forest. Running around the grounds are some
of the animals that are also in cages; I guess they enjoy being the ‘loose chickens’ for the zoo animals and come
to visit.
In the afternoon, after the zoo, we went to Cahuate nearby to the boat launch to take a boat up the Rio Grijalva
through Sumidero Canyon. There were 15 of us in a speedboat that zoomed up the river about 20 miles with
frequent stops to enjoy crocodiles, birds, formations created by waterfalls that were dry now but come crashing
down the up to one mile high sides of the canyon during the rainy season. We were sickened by the sight of so
much plastic soda bottle and bag trash that was everywhere on the route. The trash doesn’t come from the
people who enjoy the canyon, but from villages on the rim that use the arroyos as trash dumps. Then, when it
rains, it all flows into the canyon.
Here’s another sidebar about trash. I have been coming into Mexico since I was a child and trash has always been
a problem here. Now, with the plastic soda pop bottles it is even worse in some of the poorer areas. Perhaps you
are thinking that it would be simple to just put some trash cans around and that would take care of the
problem…well it isn’t that simple. Some of these people have all they can do with a few tortillas and beans to feed
the body’s engine to get through a day to provide for their families. If they did have the energy to carry their trash
to a trash container, who is going to empty it? If you can find someone to empty it, where are they going to take it?
Many of the poorer villages don’t have the infrastructure in place to deal with all the trash. Some of it gets burned
and that leaves a stinky, burning plastic smell in the air. Apparently Vicente Fox, the president of Mexico, has
taken on the issue of trash with some amount of success. This trip is the first time I have seen people alongside
the road collecting trash. There must be some incentive to do it and you can see a difference in those towns. My
personal opinion is that they should devise a deposit system for the plastic bottles so that they are turned in and
recycled. Dim hope for that as New Mexico where we lived doesn’t even have a deposit on glass bottles yet. I
wonder whether the executives of the American soda manufacturers like Coca Cola and Pepsi are horrified by
seeing all of their containers strewn everywhere? Hmmmph, says I, climbing down from my soapbox…
After the trip up Sumidero Canyon, we all trooped to Sam’s Club to stock up on some of the things one can’t
easily get in the villages we travel through. Colleen and I are less enthusiastic shoppers of these big stores than
other members of our group, but even we succumb to the temptation when it appears in front of us.
After two nights at Hogar Infantil where we were able to dump our holding tanks and get fresh water, we were off
to San Cristobal de las Casas, the capital city of the state of Chiapas. In 2 hours we drove from about 750 feet of
elevation to 8000 feet and then down to 7000 feet in San Cristobal. We had been sweating with the heat and
humidity and now Colleen was quickly hunting down her flannel pajamas and wool sweaters. We are camped in a
grassy area near the edge of town at the local sports complex (N 16:44 W 92:39). Colleen found the man who is
in charge of the security here and got permission for us to stay for three nights. Her Spanish is really improving
and she has become a person the group relies on for making arrangements for places to stay. I appreciate not
having to always do the translating and making arrangements.
Last evening, February 13th, after our afternoon arrival we cooked a group dinner with the main course of salmon
purchased at Sam’s Club by Joe. Our group dinners are great with contributions from all members. After dinner
we went into town to a Valentine’s Day concert at a local theater; admission was 20 pesos per person (about
$1.80). It started at 7:30 and ended around 10:00 with no intermission…that was a long sit!!! The entertainment
was provided by various residents of the area and we were treated to some wonderful singing and musicianship
by individuals and groups…students and professionals. We had a great time!!
It is early in the morning on February 14th and I will end this in order to send it out today if we get the dish set up.
The evening of the 14th, in honor of St. Valentine’s Day, there was a public concert on the zocalo (main plaza)
and then afterward 6 of us went to the costume museum for a 7:00 appointment. Now Mary, another of the trip’s
chroniclers, has already written her piece about the visit to the costume museum so I am just going to plug it in
here.
“After enjoying some free music in the central plaza where another Valentine’s concert was in progress, we
walked over there and it was amazing. The costume museum is really just a house that a man named Sergio
Castro Martinez has rented to display his own personal collection of indigenous costumes, and he shows them
when he gets back from work in the evenings only. It was an impressive collection and he said that he has 90
more outfits that he doesn’t have room to display. He speaks 6 languages, so he told us lots of information about
the tribes as he showed us the costumes and artifacts. Additionally, he works among the tribes helping people
who are burned. They have many of these because people fall into the fires they use for cooking, usually
because they have epilepsy caused by trichinosis from the pork they raise which has parasites and isn’t
inspected. Often he has to walk long distances to get to these villages to help these people. We all left generous
donations in his box just before leaving, in order to help his work! The Lonely Planet calls him a male Mother
Teresa and I agree with them.”
The work he is doing is largely supported by donations from people from the US and Canada. He has tried to get
support from the Mexican government for his work with the burn victims and to preserve his museum, but,
according to him, no one wants to support work that has anything to do with the indigenous people of Chiapas. I
assumed that he would be a supporter of the Zapatista movement in Chiapas that presumably is working toward
enhanced rights for the indigenous people, but he was vehemently not in support of them. He feels that they have
abandoned their people and their customs to live violently and cause a lot of trouble for the people of Chiapas.
Just when you think you have something figured out, someone comes along to inform you differently. I guess that
is what keeping an open mind is all about. Just wish mine weren't so open to be positively sievelike.
Parked near us in San Cristobal was a couple from Quebec that were really enjoyable – Lucien and Nicole. They
were headed for Palenque where we were going and so they joined us as we left San Cristobal for Cascadas de
Agua Azul. On the trip we went from 7000 feet to about 600 feet in elevation so left the misty, cool area for the
humid, hot lowland. The trip was curvy, cloudy, rainy and very slow as we made our way down the mountain with
all of its local traffic – both 4 footed and 2 footed. There were many areas where the road had fallen away and
there was just one lane that hugged the cliffside. It took us 6 hours to go 98 miles. As we approached the
entrance to Agua Azul we were stopped by a group of people selling tickets to get in. Unfortunately, we didn’t get
a ticket, but instead a receipt thanking us for our donation. Down the road another ½ mile or so we got to the
actual entrance where we had to pay again or not get in. Colleen and I were here 4 years ago and had forgotten
that there are neighboring groups that are in contention for who gets to collect for the natural attraction. So we all
made donations of varying amounts. We parked on an abandoned airstrip just inside the actual entrance...the
local residents use it as a road, but there are nice grassy areas alongside the tarmac.
These ‘cascadas’ are a series of waterfalls that pour over interesting formations caused by the high level of
minerals in the water - one waterfall after another over a mile or so that is easily accessible. The water, when it
hasn’t been raining, is similar to the blue that you see on the glaciers in Alaska…kind of a milky cross between
turquoise and blue. Along the sides of the cascadas are rock paths (new since 4 years ago) and vendors selling
food, hand painted leather figures of Mayan gods, hats, tourist tchachkes (sp?) and T-shirts. Lest you think that
we were visiting a highly developed tourist attraction a la USA, there were several local people who came along
the paths in the late afternoon, after all the tour buses left, to wash clothes and bathe in the river as they had for
eons. We stayed one night.
The next day we continued on toward Palenque, another Mayan Brickworks. On the way we stopped at Misol Ha a
different kind of waterfall that falls from alongside a cave about 60 feet up a cliff. When Colleen and I were here 4
years ago I climbed behind the waterfall and up some steps that were put in and then into an adjacent cave with a
smaller waterfall. We went quite a ways back in to another interior waterfall. I was really excited about taking this
group on that adventure and 6 of us actually did make it all the way up the cliff into the mouth of the cave.
Unfortunately, since it had been raining, there was too much water pouring over the side of the cliff out of the
cave to make it very far. If you slipped, it was a long fall and would have ruined a good trip to have to be
evacuated out with broken bones or worse. So, discretion being the better part of valor, we disappointedly made
our way back down.
Another 28 miles and an hour and a half later we arrived in Palenque at the Maya Bell RV Park where we had
camped in our tent while with the Green Tortoise 4 years ago. Also, four years ago, that was where I flew in an
ultra-light aircraft over the ruins. Thankfully the fellow with the ultra-light wasn’t there and Colleen wouldn’t be
insisting I work on my acrophobia by doing it again…I didn’t ask where he was for fear that his remains were
splattered on top of the Temple of the Jaguar where I had envisioned I might end up four years ago.
With some tree trimming and quite a bit of maneuvering we were all able to get into the campground that is
designed for tenters and small rigs. We were able to get a clear view of the sky among the jungle around us to get
the satellite dish installed and we were a bunch of happy campers. We stayed 2 nights and visited the ruins for
several hours one day. Now, I am not much into ruins, but Palenque is very beautiful with its jungle setting, lovely
lawns and great waterfalls. I really enjoy sitting on the steps of the buildings and imagining what it might have
been like when they were inhabited a thousand years ago. It is also fun to talk to the children who are selling
trinkets and find out what their lives are like today.
Sidebar: Fuel and MPG
I have been keeping track of our mileage since we crossed the border and our average is 7.94 MPG over 3421
miles. The highest mileage has been 9.9 MPG and the worst has been 6.32 MPG. Since we hardly ever get going
50 MPH and have to drive so slowly on these roads, I am actually pleasantly surprised that the mileage is what it
is.
As of 2/21 we had traveled 3421 miles in 51 days averaging 67 miles per day.
Our fuel tank holds 100 gallons of diesel and all of us try to travel on the top half of the tank in case we ever get
in a jam and can’t find fuel or get some bad fuel. We are purchasing it at Pemex stations (the Mexican national
gas station) for about 5 pesos per liter. The lowest price so far has been 4.81 pesos/liter and the highest was
5.03 pesos/liter. Converting liters to gallons and pesos to dollars the cost is about $1.84 per gallon at 5.03
pesos/liter. Not bad considering the cost of fuel in the states.
When we left Palenque we headed for Uxmal (another brick works) by way of Punta Xochen south of Campeche.
We spent the night in a gravel quarry (N 19:09 W 90:57) near Punta Xochen. We traveled 173 miles that day on
great roads…the best ones we’ve seen so far. The next day we traveled 158 miles the rest of the way to Uxmal
and camped in the large parking lot of the ruins (N 20:22 W 89:46) for 100 pesos/night per rig (about $10). We
went in to the ruins during the day and to a light and sound show in the evening. We spent 2 nights there.
For the last couple of months we have been receiving email from Jonna and Mimi, friends of Mary and Elaine’s.
They have a condo south of Cancun in Akumal and each year travel down there from the states. They were a few
weeks ahead of us and had been sending us suggestions for places to stay as we traveled. They met us in Uxmal
at the ruins and then traveled with us from there back to Tulum (near their condo in Akumal). It was really great to
finally meet them!!!
Side Bar: Border Crossings
Most of the Mexico state border crossings have not involved stopping for any inspections, but crossing into the
first of the states in the area called the Yucatan, into Campeche involved an agricultural inspection that we had
been warned about by Mimi and Jonna. We had eaten up most of what they were going to confiscate (meat and
eggs) and hidden some of the frozen meat (chicken, pork and beef). After the border crossing our supplies were
low so we all went to the market in Punta Xochen and really stocked up. Then we crossed into the State of
Yucatan and faced another agricultural inspection not knowing that we could just tell them we had bought it all in
Campeche. We frantically pitched stuff out of the freezer and frig to toss it under the bed as they entered the
coach. We weren’t caught at it, but it wasn’t necessary anyway. They were a bit distracted by all of conferring
over Ken’s flat tire on the trailer that was noticed as we arrived at the inspection station.
Now, in a few days we are going to enter Belize and have been warned that all meat, eggs, citrus and alcohol over
1 liter will be confiscated as we cross. We have all been eating up our supplies of the above so as not to have to
hide much. Some members of the group laid in large supplies of their favorite wine (Two Buck Chuck) before they
left the states and have a couple of cases stored. They are figuring out where to put it so as not to lose it. Colleen
and I only have to deal with some frozen meat that we may not get eaten and our satellite dish for which the Belize
government apparently requires a permit. It’s quite a bit larger than a carton of eggs so presents a bit of a
challenge to hide – it may turn out to be the elephant that we are hoping will not be noticed in the middle of the
proverbial living room.
Continuing with the trip, we left Uxmal and traveled to Merida the capital city of the state of Yucatan. On the way
we stopped at the caves of Loltun – side trip on the way. In Merida we camped for 2 nights at the base of the large
flag just off the eastern side of the periferico – sorry I don’t have the lat and long – after getting permission from
the security guard in the large Liverpool department store. We arrived in Merida just in time for Carnaval and
headed in buses downtown for a huge parade that evening. There were lots of extravagant floats, music, dancers
and many booths selling food and other stuff. We had a great time and got home around midnight.
Off we went to Chichen Itza – you guessed it, another Mayan Brickworks – and stayed nearby in Piste in a ball
park across from the Piramide resort (N 20:42 W 88:35) for 80 pesos/night per rig. The ball field is owned by the
hotel and gave us access to the hotel pool and showers. We traveled 77 miles that day.
On the 24th we headed for the west coast of the Yucatan south of Cancun in Tulum. After Colleen and I saw the
beautiful beach boondocking spot that Jonna and Mimi had found for us, we took off 75 miles to the north to
Cancun to get the rig looked at for the same %$&*! engine problem that is driving us crazy. To make a long story
short, we spent 4 nights there at two different mechanic shops and the problem has not gone away. I think that we
are resigned to pulling a relay each time we want to turn off the engine when it is hot outside. We left Cancun in
time to join the rest of the Loose Chickens for a party that Mimi and Jonna held at their condo in honor of our visit.
We had a great time and ate some wonderful traditional Mayan chicken and turkey dishes that I think were cooked
underground in a pit. Before the dinner we went snorkeling at a lagoon within walking distance of their condo.
There was an amazing number of really beautiful fish in it including 2 huge parrot fish….it felt like swimming in an
aquarium!!!
We are now camped with the rest of the group in Tulum on the beach (N 20:12 W 87:26) and are leaving
tomorrow, March 2nd. We will be crossing into Belize on March 4th.
Copyright - All Rights Reserved
2005
2005
February 2004
Around the World with Kathe and Colleen