Day10 Friday..From a to b through j m o p q and the rest.

Yes please!

 Getting from A to B proved a trifle more difficult today.It was just one of those days when the road signs just don't bare any resemblance to the map. We lost a good hour in Union City which is on the border of Tennessee and Kentucky. We know this because we crossed over the boundaries several time trying to find the way onto the highway again. Between us we got ourselves into a right strop. First I would go into a shop and ask directions.......having failed miserably at this I told Stephen to essentially do it himself. This of course not exactly what I said as you might guess.

This is Stephen after his turn at getting directions. You can just tell he's in a strop can't you?

There we are smack in the middle.

We covered 4 States today. Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky which is where we are now. In a another camp site. This one is pretty much like the other. A little nicer maybe and we came to it by chance..........I think we were lost at the time.




We ate at a place down the road called The Ponderosa Steak House. It was one of those places that you walked into and could have easily have walked out again but boy would we have been wrong. The waitresses were almost all young girls working to help pay for college . They were just a delight to talk to and they did a great job. At one point we had three of them talking to us. I think we were a bit of a novelty ( I've been called worse ) Also half way through the meal a Blue Grass Gospel combo started to play. It  just created a very distinctive atmosphere and  all in all the whole thing was quite uplifting . Not that I'm into Blue Grass and certainly not gospel but  the  whole experience just did the job of lifting the spirits.

I've seen some strange place over the last few days but this one takes the biscuit.


Could we really be that lost?




















Just had another change of plan. Well no one can accuse us of being inflexible.


So now we are not going through West Virginia which is a pity because I was looking forward to it. Still not to worry.


Now we are heading north a bit to Cleveland Ohio then across to New York then straight up to Massachusetts . We are just about half way............. to Massachusetts that is. We still have Maine to go before we hit Canada.


More later !!

Day 9 Thursday...Bye Bye Texas..... Hello Arkansas

The campsite last night was basic but again it did the job. This was going to be our first night sleeping in it for nearly three years. Stephen went to get something from the storage compartment underneath the motor home. This is in reality also underneath one of the twin beds at the back of the motor-home.

You know already that I am leading up to something don’t you and it’s not very good.

Occasionally on the journey, since Chelem actually we have been finding those flying ants ( big mamas they are ) just odd ones here and there.

Before we left Chelem  we took out the mattresses and cleaned everthing I hasten to add, so seeing the odd flying thing on top of the bed didn’t cause too much concern but remember we had been staying in hotels/motels until last night.

Back to Stephen in the storage compartment. It was there that he discovered the flying ant nest ( or whatever they were, big ugly things anyway).  After a lot of bug spray and a vacuum cleaner the job was done then he came inside stripped his bed and checked underneath.  All clear. THIS AFTER 2 HOURS !

Having done his bed I recall that some of the bugs were on my bed. Stephen assured me that he had got rid of them all. Famous last words. I was not convinced.

My bed had a compartment underneath that houses the generator and is accessible from a door on the side of be bed.

When I opened the door the little blighters jumped out. Yuk. I ended up on my hands and knees with bug spray and the vacuum. It was necessary that I do the job my self as I can’t rest until I’ve seen the bodies.

I am now waiting for the plague of locust. Floods and famine.

This was not however conducive  to a good nights sleep. I just kept imagining them crawling all over me in my sleep.  I am beginning to wonder where is that elusive good nights sleep is ?

Al this apart we said goodbye to the Ya’lls at 10 o’clock and said hello to Arkansas.

We’ve been trying to get out of  Texas for  2 ½ days. It’s a  helluva big state .

Stephen and Hannah
 reading maps

We look small at the side
the huge trucks don't we?

 Just one last Texas story…………..

Getting in and out of the gas stations is not easy for us especially if cars are parked for the shop right across where we need to pull forward. ( bring back the Pemex stations they really know how to do it ).

We were just about to pull out when this guy pulls right in front of us so I run over as he’s getting out or should I say heaving himself out and politely explain the situation and asked if he would mind pulling forward a tad. Well he moaned and groaned then grunted some idiotic remark at me .  All this in some drawling  Texan  ( I think) accent. I just told him not to bother, I really wanted to punch his lights out The stupid fat moron.

Quite the contrast to the next guy I asked to do a similar favour. Before I had even finished asking he just said ‘ yeah, you got it’ no fuss , nothing. Lovely intelligent thin guy.

And don’t anyone think of writing any comments about being politically correct then think again I could have called the fat guy much worse.

So tonight another RV camp site. We happened by it quite by chance. Again nothing special but it’s only $22.50 and we got some washing done too. ( that would be Stephen by the way !)

Barney checkin it out

  I haven’t got a plank for Barney yet but he just goes out to explore then meows at the door to come in.

Tomorrow, well a slight change of plan.  Instead of Tennessee we are heading up to Kentucky and West Virginia. We could have gone through Memphis but would have ended up by Washington D.C…… er no thank you . The other alternative was up through the Appalachian Mountains……… the hint to not going that way is in the last word MOUNTAINS. Ain’t going anywhere near a mountains unless we have to. Anyway been there done that. Although I do recall the song….. Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Mmmmm.

Now to all my friends in Chelem……….. You can have the last laugh. This is where we ate tonight…. Only because there was nowhere else close by.

Yeah, yeah very funny……………………….

Yes, a Mexican Restaurant.

By the by…………….............

  A rhetorical question ............................ Does small not exist in this country ?

So Kentucky it is………….. want me to put a  bet on for you Paul?

Day 8 Wednesday..Hi Y'all

Sunrise

Last night was the worst motel yet. Really icky. We parked the r.v right outside the door and  left the animals in the r.v. I think they like it better in there especially Barney the cat. He always try to get out of the room when we take him in anyway.


I usually leave some windows open. They have fly screens on them anyway so I thought he was safe. I went to open the door to the r.v to take Hannah for her morning constitutional when who should greet me from under the camper but Barney or Mr Houdini as he is now called. He has figured out that the screens slide  back just like the ones we had  in the house. Clever cat but worrying non the less.

One cool cat

Remember on our trip down we had a plank for him to come and go as he pleased It  rested  up to the side to the quarter light. He loved it. I must find another plank.

San Antonio 8am

Well last night was spent just outside San Antonio. Everyone says it is a lovely place but alas we are not on a sightseeing trip.


Tonight we are in a camp ground called East Texas Campground. It sounds plusher than it is. But it does the trick and it's only $20.00
                                                               

Travelling has been.......... now how shall I say this without harping on about it............no I have to harp on about it.......... Hot and flipping' humid. According to the weather report it is going to stay this way all across the easternish part  of America and for the whole if the time we are travelling. Now aren't we  the lucky ones. ( grouchy enough for you Debi?) Out of the frying pan into the fire springs to mind.Or out of the Yucatan and into Texas.


By the way Sarge you may wish to know that you have been with me in spirit over every inch of Texas......For those who don't know Sarge he does a mean rendition  ( Kareoke style ) of 'All my ex's live in Texas' ( it's a stupid Texan country song ) the trouble is I can't get the damn song out of my brain being in Texas and all.Thanks Sarge.


Oh and another thing, I am surrounded by Ya'lls..... ya'll having a nice day. Ya'll doing o.k.

Toll road ...empty!

Explain this to us......... this is for the Texans out there or anyone who might know the answer I guess. What does it mean when the sign on the toll road says....TX Tag or Cash or pay by mail?


We never did find out and just carried on down the ... pay by mail lane. Never did pay, never anywhere to pay!






It  brings back a memory of my friend Sophia in Chelem ( a Texan! oh well, no one's perfect ) trying to take the mick out of Canadians for saying Eh after every sentence ( slight exaggeration)......... and I said well it's just as bad as y'all Texans saying ya'll. Well it isn't just as bad....... it's worse...... Sorry my Texas friends but   these yawls  are driving me bonkers.

There were more churches than I could count.

Long distance information give me Memphis Tennessee......... Tennessee tomorrow !

Day 7 Tuesday..........Run for the border!!!!

What a night..... The air conditioning unit was so noisy it was like having a cement mixer in the room. The mechanical kind not the Mexican kind. If you turned the darned thing off it was hot.....did I mention were back to the stupid heat. Also you could hear next door air conditioner droning on in a never ending fashion of it's own. I ended up taking my pillow to the car and sleeping there.


On the road bright an early them seeing as we got no sleep................


Nothing to report until we got to within 5 kms of the border. The road police pulled us over and told us we were speeding, which is a laugh really... if only we could. Never the less he wanted 2,000 pesos. Dream on. Stephen showed him his wallet and really there wasn't much in it so he said we would have to go to the office. By this time I was begging and pleading to no avail. In the end we said o.k we'll go to the office and he took every last dime off us............. but we were on our way and it is the first time in all the time we have been in Mexico that we have paid a bribe.


The only problem now was we had no money and little did we know there was a last cuota coming up. We got to the pay desk and asked if they took credit cards ( some have on the way and we were hoping this was one of them ) No such luck. They said we would have to reverse... that was not going to happen .... because basically we can't reverse so we brazened it out for 20 min when a good samaritan named Jean came to our rescue and she was a Texan to boot....I take it all back what I say about Texans ( joke my friends ... joke)


Then at the border I was stopped and couldn't go in without a visa. Stephen was o.k because he was had his Canadian passport ( one thing on my list to do when we get back ) It cost all of $6.00.


We are now settled into a motel for the night........ with a quiet air con unit ( if there is such a thing)

Day 6 Monday...A 9,000 peso kind of day?

The hotel last night was a delight. It was called Las Palmas, Midway Inn and it was like stepping back into the 50’s.

We asked at reception if they took dogs to be told they would and to top it all it was cheaper, go figure? It was a motel so we drove around to the room with great trepidation  as because it was a ‘dog’room we thought it might be a bit...... shabby shall we say but surprise surprise it was fine. I really didn’t want to walk on the carpet in bare feet but I’m fussy like that but the place was clean and had all the usual amenities plus it had a restaurant so life was good.

The dining room was a huge affair very retro, as were the staff. The waiters could have been your Grandad. They were dressed in one size fits all blue polyester jackets and nice shiny black pants and did the very formal ‘waiting’ thing, they hovered a lot  and were almost over attentive but they were really  quaint and friendly. I would recommend the place as a stop over for sure.

'Come on old girl'

The Midway Motel

Today's journey was interesting. You know when I say interesting that I mean something is going to happen don’t you. Yes it did but first……….

The landscape was very boring. Boring boring. The fertile alluvial plains of central Mexico it was not.

At one point I think some greater spirit thought  that ‘the old girl’ was taking it too easy and decided to throw in something to wake us all up.

We passed a sign that said elevation 4,500 feet and that was on the way down. The mountains are called The Sierra Madres which might explain a lot. The road was actually a good road and the climb up was long, no severe bends and gentle. Coming down was a different kettle of fish! It was a long , very long,  way down .

And here’s the photo to prove it.

You have probably gathered that we made it down of course. We stopped to refuel and that’s when today’s luck ran out. The luck bucket must have had a leak. The ‘old girl’ would just not give us any power. We crawled out of the Pemex but after only a few yards had to pull onto the hard shoulder. At this point Stephen used three expletives in a row whilst hitting the steering wheel at the same time . I couldn’t blame him , I think I uttered a profanity or two myself at this point . 

So, after the moment passed (kind off but what can you do ) We thought that if we un hooked the car we could go find a mechanic. It is quite the experience just standing at the side of a busy main thoroughfare let alone tryng to un hook the car. The trucks create such a draft and come so close it almost knocks you over. It’s quite nerve racking.

We had just finished when a car pulls up and the guys inside ask if we need a mechanic? Manna from Heaven? As it turns out they help out the Green Angels ( Free roadside assistance provided for by the Federal Government for tourists and travelers) This is what they do all day. Cruise the busy ( and it is busy ) highway looking for  breakdowns and as Mario told us on a hot day like today ( oh didn’t I tell you it was hot?) they can be kept quite busy. We explained the problem and they got to work. It turn’s out it was a box that housed the electronic controls, the gadget that makes all the other stuff work is what we gather. The box they removed was reconditioned ( because it said so on its cover ) so when it was reconditioned I hate to think?

Mario talking to Stephen

One of the guys took it away to see if he could get another one. Mexicans never ceases to amaze me in so much as in moments like this they can just about fix anything. All I could think was how long is this going to take that is assuming they can get ‘the box’. Mario stayed with us while his partner went for off to get things done. Within 15 min Mario ( by the way he was one good looking Mexican ) gets a phone call to say how much it would be. Whatever it was we needed it  fixing so what do you do? They came back with a brand new box. He also said that if the box didn’t fix the problem we wouldn’t have to pay. Fair enough.!

It did fix the problem. 7400 pesos for the box and 1500 for their time. One expensive day but what was the option?

Looking on the bright side it could have broken down in the middle of nowhere or near the border so I think we should count our blessings.

Also we have no negative history of ever being ripped off by Mexicans in fact quite the reverse and we have clocked up quite a few miles on our Mexican travels. Mario and his helpers ( an extra one arrived after a phone call from Mario) were polite efficient and friendly. We were on our way in a couple of hours.

Oh just as a side story that may make you chuckle..............

While Mario was waiting for his other mechanic to come back with the part he came into the motor home and sat down and had a chat. Okay so he was chatting to Stephen I couldn't understand a word. Stephen was holding his own and Mario was chatting away. I couldn't grasp anything so I asked Stephen what Mario was saying. A few seconds passed Stephen hesitated looked deep in thought. I found out afterwards that he was trying to formulate the words to translate to me only a shorter version.

Unfortunately he did the translation in Spanish. I listened to him stumble on for a few seconds then gave him a , are you off your rocker ' kind of look ( I'm getting good at them aren't I...years of practice ) and said ' Hello? I speak English?'........... Even Mario laughed at that one.

Tonight it’s another Luuuuurve Hotel.  Tomorrow is another day. A better day I hope.

Day Sunday 5...... And the wheels on the bus go round and round...

Are these toilet brushes?

Room with a view

Here is the weather......perfect......cool nights... chilly mornings .... and warm afternoons and evenings.

The guys in the Pemex were wearing fur lined hoodies ( 7.45 am )……………… Just sayin’!

The scenery was pretty boring  and actually it was quiet an uneventful day. I am not complaining.

So here's just a few pics...……………………………

This sign says
Precaucion Doble Semi Remolque
Fed up of following this

what are these?

I love this pic.

Day 4......The Long and Winding Roads.....

 Looks like all the buses are going to come at once again.......


So today went quite well. We got off to a good start from Cordoba. We were apprehensive as we remember all too well the mountain road from Puebla from three years ago. The mountain is steep and winding and on our way down last time I remember having to stop three quarters of the way down for two hours to let the brakes cool down. They quite literally smoking' hot. This time we decided to do it a little differently and disengage the car and drive over the top separately.This worked like a dream...... not too much pressure on the  'old girl' .... no , not me the old motor home of course .


The mountainous drive that we expected in fact turned out to be a bit of a damp squib it went so smoothly. The big regret was that I didn't take my camera with me when I got in the car. I did think about flashing ( with my lights !!) Stephen to pull over so I could get it but I thought that might be pushing my luck.


The scenery was stunning not a bit how I recall it. There were so many missed photo opportunities. Caballeros on horseback. Old weather beaten farmers in their straw hats and baggy cotton clothes tending goats and donkeys. Little Mexican houses built into the hillside the list goes on and on. Quite breathtaking.


So we had done the hard bit ?..... ........done the hard bit? yeah right.


It was now freezing............ no you might laugh but honestly the temperature really had dropped dramatically........ no honestly it had. Mmmm mountain air! Essentially driving in the motorhome without sweat dripping down every orifice of your body and then some was a quite the most gratifying  experience. The temperature rose as we moved further down the mountain side and stayed pretty pleasant all day with almost NO HUMIDITY..... Halleluya.


Before I move on I have to tell you an amusing little story. Well it was amusing to me at the time lets see if it translates. We had just done 'the big' mountain and guess what happened to be at the bottom? Yes, a Pemex and The Italian Coffee Company so of course we always need coffee.


We were sat having coffee and I think Stephen was looking at the map. At any rate I was in a little world of my own, something was spinning around in my mind I don't know quite what ( nothing worthwhile I suspect). Anyhow. I kept hearing this far away little  voice punctuating my thoughts . I kept throwing out the usual little retorts like 'Mmm?' and 'really' you know the kind of interesting little response you do when you actually  aren't the least bit interested but want to appear interested. 
This went on for a couple of minutes then some of the words started  weaseling their way into my thoughts. I was hearing words like diuretic, concentration, wards of types of cancer............... I looked around and Stephen was reading a Coffee Company napkin...........have you ever seen a Coffee Company napkin? It has all the benefits of coffee written all over  it ( you may not believe what it says but it does ) and Stephen was reading the list.


Now had the mountain befuddled his brain me thinks? I just turned and with that 'I don't believe what  I'm hearing look ' and said ' You're reading a napkin? you are actually reading a napkin?' I could actually see his brain ticking over with an excuse for doing such a banal stupid activity, fortunately even his brain rejected  the idea and we both started laughing..............Doh!!!

I made him pose for this but
you can still see the silly smirk.

So on with the expedition........
We navigated our way around Puebla which looks like it could be worth a visit. Another time maybe ? Another life time maybe, certainly not in my life time anyway.But for those of you in Mexico  I have heard it is worth a visit. The surrounding countryside looks wonderful.

You can see the patches on the road
 and there's potholes too.

Our next major road was the new Arco Norte which is the new by pass around the by pass around Mexico City. It is an amazing piece of construction and quite the road. It is important for us to have a smooth road. Some parts of todays roads were not smooth and when this is the case believe me you've heard of a' bone shaker' ? Well we're actually driving one when the roads get bad. Things rattle and vibrate with gusto. The microwave spits it's rubber wedges out constantly and we are always re positioning stuff in the cupboards so they don't clatter around






 Anyway the arc Norte isn't one of these roads in fact it is a really great road . The scenery again is spectacular. So varied , shifting from lush greenery to dry barren fields. It's like stepping back in time to as you can see wagons being pulled by donkeys and workers tilling the fields by hand. Quite mind boggling.

This is my favourite picture I think
I may have to enlarge this and frame it.

As the day progressed we got really fed up of........


Looking at this......

 and seeing  these... 




 










     

 I have never seen so many humongous truck on the roads in my life it's all we seem to see

on the roads since we left.......

It was quite a day, the Arco Norte is quite a steep climb. If you are in a car of course it's a doddle, but if you are in our 'old girl' them it is something else.

 We chug chug chug our way up and pray on the way down that the brakes hold up. I have a feeling that tomorrow has not seen the end of the by now infamous climbs through the mountains.

We arrived in Querataro in great time about 5.30. Wonderful an early night! This of course was not to be.

We travelled the outer ring road to try and find a hotel . One thing we don't want to do is get caught up in traffic and end up in centro .

It was  incredible how busy it was. Trucks up your jacksey, Mexican drivers being.... well... Mexican drivers. After two laps of the busy road we decided to un hook and I would follow Stephen as it was just too hairy towing the car in such heavy traffic whilst trying to look for a hotel. Four hotels we tried and all  were full.... full? maybe Queratero is the weekend party city? Who knows?

Following in the car as far as I'm concerned is not less stressful. I have to try and not get separated as we have no means of comunication and darting in an out of traffic is like waiting for a accident to happen. Plus, by this time Stephen is a 'little' stressed. So I know exactly what's going on in the vehicle in front of me.

Two hours later and don't ask how many hotels later we found one that happened to be just the ticket. It even had a secure enclosed area for the r.v ( and Hannah and Barney).

We were knackered so that is why the blog didn't get done last night. I started but just couldn't finish.

I am finishing last nights  blog tonight ( Sunday ) and it looks like this isn't going to get published tonight either as I can get on the internet but can't down load my photos.