|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Day 78 Sat 2/12/05 226 miles 6073 Total
Today we drove to Villahermosa. It was a mix of tope filled two lane through one village after another, followed by four lane smooth toll roads. We arrived about 3:30 and found a lovely campground with water (actually just water faucets. Hardly any water came out, certainly not enough to get through the filters we use!) and electricity. After quickly setting up we headed off for shopping at a Sam’s Club and Super Walmart. With the cupboard stocked we are ready for the next couple of weeks. It’s Saturday night and in Mexico that means party. The campground has a big pool and bar where people come to drink and dance the night away to fast paced very loud music. It cooled off to 75 degrees so we could close the bedroom windows and keep most of the music out as we drifted of to sleep.
Day 79 Sun 2/13/05 103 miles 6176 Total
As we slowly awakened this morning, it seemed we could still hear the music. Then we realized that we could still hear the music amidst the rooster s crowing. Turns out these parties last all night. Bert went over to the resort area and found about 50 people still dancing at 8 am and an equal number strewn around the pool deck sleeping or unconscious. We headed out about 9:30 for the short 100 mile drive to Palenque, site of the magnificent Mayan Ruin and outstanding birding. The campground is nice but it is 99 degrees and humid. Still beats snow and ice! After lunch we went for a short birding trip. The primary goal was to see, we kid you not, the Double Stripped Thick Knee! We saw several, about the size of a night heron with two black stripes on the head and, you guessed it, thick knees. We also spotted several beautiful fork tailed flycatchers and a scrub euphonia. We all went to dinner at a very nice nearby restaurant.
Day 80 Mon 2/14/05 0 miles 6176 Total
Today we visited the magnificent ruins at Palenque in the Mexican state of Chiapis. We started the day at 6:15 with a couple of hours birding on the roadway leading to the ruins. We saw ten new birds including two species of parrot. After years of seeing them only in cages, it takes some getting used to when parrots fly overhead. The ruins at Palanque are more impressive than Monte Alban for several reasons. In addition to the tall pyramid structures, many of the actual buildings at Palenque are intact or restored. Also, as you can see from the pictures, Palenque was reclaimed from the jungle and is lush and green whereas Monte Alban was dry and dusty. To add to our appreciation of the site, we hired a guide for a two hour tour, well worth the expense. After lunch we did some errands and some chores around the coach. In the evening we had a Valentine’s Day Party with margaritas and lots of finger food.
Day 81 Tue 2/15/05 0 miles 6176 Total
Today was our expedition to Bonampak, another Mayan site within a few miles of the Guatamala border. We piled into a van at 5:30 AM for the two plus hour drive to the ruin site. When we arrived around 8 AM most people started by going birding. Carl decided to take advantage of the early morning golden sunlight to visit and photograph the ruins. The excavated portion of Bonampak is quite a bit smaller than the other sites we have visited. However, the two wonders of this site are the well preserved wall paintings and the beautiful carved stellea or obelisks. This site was occupied from about 250 bce to at least 812 ce. The last documented ruler, Chan Muan II had his ceremonies depicted in a series of paintings in three rooms in one building. Each room is roughly five feet by ten feet and the walls and ceilings are covered with remarkably preserved paintings, especially considering they were painted 1,300 years ago. The stellae are equally impressive. Slabs of limestone seven to 15 feet high and eight inches thick are carved with detailed images of Chan Muan II, his wife and mother. This carving is all the more impressive when we recall that the Mayans had no metal tools. The birding at the site was also excellent, though as with birding on any narrow jungle trail, we heard many more birds than we saw. Still, we added many to our life and trip lists. Early afternoon we drove to a Lacanha (the local indigenous people) village for a simple but tasty lunch then back in the van for another two and a half hour ride home. It was worth every bump and tope.
Day 82 Wed 2/16/05 311 miles 6487 Total
A long day of driving but most of it was on a flat straight road at 50 mph. We left at 7:30 and arrived at about 5 PM. We arrived in Chetumal, QR where the campground is right on the Caribbean. The front of our coach is five feet from the water. A lovely ocean breeze and a quiet evening.
Day 83 Thu 2/17/05 0 miles 6487 Total
The birding today was at a small ruin site less than four miles away. Instead of getting up before six to go with the “hard core” birder, we slept until eight, had a leisurely breakfast and went birding at ten. We saw some neat birds. Te one with the funniest name is the Rufous Browed Peppershrike! We had lunch at a delightful restaurant on the beach then walked along the shore soaking up the sun and scenery. Back at the campground, another caravan had arrived with 19 rigs. We have big motorhomes on either side of us and getting out in the morning will be “fun”. In the evening we had a briefing on the procedures to cross into Belize and got a checklist with 19!!!!! Steps.
Day 84 Fri 2/18/05 21 miles 6508 Total
Carl dreamed about backing the motorhome through the gauntlet of other rigs. He didn’t hit anything in the dream or in reality. Actually a crowd gathered to watch and seemed disappointed when he backed between the rigs and turned 180 degrees to face out of the campground so we could hook up the car. After a short 12 mile drive we arrived at the border. Remember those 19 steps? Well, the Mexican officials had a new form for all of us to fill out so we were up to 20. Our Wagonmaster, Shari had it all under control though. The biggest delay was buying liability insurance at the Belize border. Four different policies for each motorhome/car, all written by hand with names, addresses, vehicle descriptions, VINs . . . Then it was on to the Belize customs office where we needed to get vehicle permits. Then the inspector came into our coach to check for chicken, pork, fruit, vegetables, beer . . . We had a few items confiscated but Sandy had hidden the salmon well! Once clear of the border we drove 5 miles to the campground, a large field with water, electric and sewer hookups, across the street from the Caribbean. Not elegant but none too shabby. After a shopping tour of beautiful downtown Coronal and a welcome to Belize Happy Hour, we returned to the coach for a dinner of grilled salmon, zucchini and rice with a bottle of Merlot. As we finished dinner and drank the last of the Merlot we looked at each other and agreed we were very lucky and life was very good. Many of the other caravaners are in their 60’s and 70’s. Thinking about being able to do this for another ten to 15 years brought a smile to our faces and reinforced our sense of being very lucky.
