On the road again...

We just can't wait to get on the road again! Like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway...

It is our LAST day of traveling! Today we get to Akumal! YEAH! We all woke up early and got the car loaded in almost record time. Nothing to it now. Took the dogs for their morning walk, and luckily, all of the resident dogs were still sleeping, so we didn't have to play referee with Solavina. We were in the car and on the road by 7:30. We would be in Akumal around 4:00!

I programmed the GPS for Palenque to Tulum and it told us arrival at 4:35. Not too bad. Then I programmed it for Palenque to Merida - going that route would take an extra three hours. Although we didn't know the condition of the road across from Palenque to Chetumal (Route 186), we decided to take our chances with poor road conditions or traffic or construction. Plus, we had less chance of getting lost - we only had to go on two roads! 186, turn left onto 307 and the horse knows the way from there!

We pulled out of La Aldea after waving goodbye, me with tears in my eyes, of course. I must have a lot of heart because I keep leaving little pieces of it along the way, wherever we stay... San Diego, Las Vegas, Tucson, Sonora, Weslaco, Tuxpan... ok, not so much at the bordello, although that has become a fun story to tell and laugh about - now.

Bob turned on the main road and we were soon clipping along at about 60 MPH. All of a sudden, we heard what sounded like tree limbs falling onto the cargo carrier, and I glimpsed, out of the side window, things hurling past. Bob groaned and started slowing down and pulled off to the side. The cargo carrier hadn't hitched all the way and had blown open! We had things strewn all over the side of the road. I could see Bob's hiking shoes that he had worn the day before to Palenque, but couldn't make out much else. We found a little driveway that led into a gated farm area, so Bob pulled in there. I had on red shorts and a red and white tank top (along with my red Crocs - to match the car and the dogs when we arrived in Akumal) so I told him that I would go back and get the stuff. I walked about 1/4 of a mile down the road. One car stopped and asked if I needed any help. I thanked him and told him no. I got to where the first items were that had fallen out - my Corona bucket! Just a little dent in the bottom, but other than that, none the worse for wear. It will still hold nice, icy cold beer for me on the beach. Next item found was the little blue plastic ice bucket that I had put inside the Corona bucket, and then the ice tongs, then the handle, and finally the plastic water filled ice "cubes" that are in fruit shapes that were inside the ice bucket. I like cold wine and hate having ice in it, so these things are the best! Plus, you can make the colors or the fruit match your outfits or your mood or your glass. The little blue lid was hopelessly lost... probably Frisbeed into the jungle. Years from now, another civilization will find it and wonder what they heck the Mayans were doing with that! ;) Then I came to Bob's shoes, so got them, and his socks, and then one of his orthotic inserts that he wears in his shoes. Lastly, I came upon my Corona lime slicer, still in its box, down in a gulley to the side. I put everything else on the shoulder of the road and I climbed down into the gulley and got it and somehow managed to crawl back out of that. I was searching high and low for Bob's other insert, thinking, oh great, he's not going to be able to walk correctly for three months, when I noticed that it had slipped up into the toe of the shoe. I found one of my tennis shoes with the sock still stuck in it and went back to the car. My other shoe was still inside and Bob was standing there looking more than a little shaken. I packed everything back in the car in its jigsaw puzzle place where it belonged, saw my other shoe still in there, down at the bottom, checked that all of the dirty laundry bags were still up there (don't want to lose any of those favorite outfits!) and then did one more quick check along the side of the road, and closed the cargo box up. Seems that it had jammed on one of the shoes and the front latch hadn't caught all the way. Bob was able to lock the back latch and get the key out... but it still opened up. We checked three or four times to make sure that it was absolutely secure, shaking it, pulling it, tugging it, pushing it. It didn't open. I wasn't so much upset about the box opening, I was just imaging losing all of my favorite clothes and not having a thing to wear! When I told my mom about this part of our adventure, she and I shared a good long laugh. Years ago, while we were driving on our way from Pittsburgh, PA to Sanibel Island, Florida, after we had stopped at a Days Inn for the night in Kentucky, my dad had left a little yellow travel coffee pot on the roof of the car, inside the roof rack, while he had loaded the overnight bags in the carrier. We got on the interstate and heard cling, clang, klunk! and looked back... there was the little yellow coffee pot, lying pathetically on the side of the road. It was rescued and I'm sure is still in some box buried deep in their garage or attic. You just don't throw away a memory like that, even if it doesn't work anymore. Ahhhh, another whole blog in those stories and fond, fond memories... you know it by now, let's all say it together - another story for another time!

We turned around and were on our way again. We got back on 186 and missed the sign for Chetumal, but when we saw the sign for Chompoton/Campeche, turned back around and went to look for the turn to Chetumal. The police had a guard station set up near where we turned and one of the policemen came out, grinning and laughing, and asked us if we were looking for the road to Chetumal. Do we have TOURISTS stamped on our windshield? :) Guess the CA plates and the cargo box are a dead give away. He pointed us onto the correct route, gave us directions where to turn, and wished us Buen Viaje. I asked him what the road conditions were to Chetumal and then to Tulum. He told me that the roads were very good, clear, like the road from Villahermosa to Palenque. Music to our ears! It might be a little slow going at times, but nothing like the goat trail from Veracruz down to Minatitlan. Goat trail is actually a compliment and an insult to goats.

We got on 186 and it was a straight shot. They are widening the road, so there were some stops for road construction and some bumps and wiggles, but overall, a nice, boring, uneventful ride. Not much to report in the way of scenery. Just a lot of trees, green jungle, straight road. Not a lot of trucks (darn! I had grown to love them so much! NOT!) At times, we were the only car that we could see, in either direction, on the road.

The ride took about three or four hours and then we turned left onto 307, before Chetumal. Familiar signs! The road from Chetumal up to Majahual is four lanes, divided, well paved. We were in travelers' heaven! We could see lots of destruction from Dean on both sides of the road. At Majahual we could see the unmistakable bright turquoise of the Caribbean - we were driving parallel to the Bahia de Chetumal - Chetumal Bay. It was such a welcome sight to see! We stopped at an OXXO for some water, some gas, some money and some cerveza - Montejo, our favorite, in cans! I opened one to celebrate and Bob headed towards home.

As we got closer to Chetumal, the destruction was worse. Whole trees were uprooted. Little Mayan houses, constructed of sticks and logs, were lying in piles, like toothpicks. It looked like the Big Bad Wolf had been through town, blowing down every house he could find. But the people were out working, making repairs, smiling, going about their lives. They have the most amazing attitudes and resilience. Whoever said that a Mexican was lazy has obviously never met a real Mexican.

Once we were past Majahual, the road went back to two lanes. But it was a straight shot, through more jungle... not too much to report here, except that we were getting closer and closer but it seemed further and further. You know how you can't wait to get somewhere and it seems to drag out? Ok, that was happening. I was checking the GPS ETA every ten seconds and it wasn't moving and I was getting frustrated. So, I had another cerveza. (Passengers are allowed to drink in a car in Mexico, mom, so quit worrying.)

We got to Felipe Carrillo Puente or something like that, and the sign said to go straight - so we did, but not straight enough. There is a glorietta in the middle of town (turn around) with a statue of Felipe himself in it... I made a note on the map that you follow the road that is behind him, at his butt, not the one to his left hand. After we had circled the glorietta twice and round the right road (without MUCH arguing) we were home free. More highway, more jungle... but no more gas stations, restaurants, rest stops, or anything remotely resembling a bathroom, except the jungle. And I desperately need to recycle the beer that I drank!

I programmed the GPS for the nearest gas station - 24 miles, to Tulum. I can make it 25 minutes! No problem! After about ten minutes, I thought I was going to expload. I was imploring Miss Biscuit (the name for our car) to go faster... faster... faster... finally, I asked Bob if he could speed it up a little. His response was to tell me that I shouldn't have drunk the beer. Thanks...

We finally made it to Tulum and I managed to scoot into the restroom just in time! I had taken my handy roll of toilet paper with me and was so glad to have it since there was none in the bano. They did have a cup outside for propinas (tips) so I put $5 pesos (fifty cents) in anway, just because I was so glad to have a bathroom and not have to resort to dropping panties in the middle of the jungle. (Not that that would have been the first time, or the last...)

We drove through the main street of Tulum and it was like nothing had ever changed. Same shops, selling the same stuff. I saw my favorite little Tulum dog, Chuliz, in her yard. She dances on the sidewalk for you - stands on her back legs and dances! Bella does that too... must be a Xolo thing.

We continued up the highway towards Akumal. As we got closer and closer, I kept telling the dogs, "You're almost home! You'r almost home!" Finally, we came to the exit for Akumal. Bob didn't recognize it (it changes every time we are here) and almost drove right past it. We turned just in time, and started down the road, the Arch beckoning at the end.