TravelStream™ news feed for member mcgregors5 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/mcgregors5 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:39:01 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1209164160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1209164160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1209164160/tpod.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:39:01 -0400 12 months off to travel Western USA from Mexico to Alaska in a motorhome.

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Teacapan, Pacific Coast, Mexico

Hi to you all, I'm sorry for the delay but we've been punching the miles out and hitting the hiking trails through the Grand Circle since we crossed back into the States. I' get to that later but will finish the Mexican side of things first.We hit Teacapan the Saturday before Easter and booked in for a week at Villas Onac, on the beach about 10kms from town and a mile or so from the main road through paddocks of chilies, acres and acres of them. We fished and caught heaps of catfish and different types of Grunter, all the fish here seem to grunt so we call them grunters, striped grunters, spotted grunters etc, the boys caught a giant blowfish each, about 1kg.James also caught a huge sting-ray of the beach. We had campfires and walks along the beach, did some school work, took a trip to the big town Esquinapa to shop and eat some roadside Pollo and we also went into Teacapan and checked out the other RV park that was recommended to us, the El Pelican. It was situated a mile or so from town and on the calmer estuary as opposed to the Exposed beach. We already had one day that really blew and were confined to quarters, close ones at that for the whole day. We were greeted at the gate by Hutch, a friendly Canadian who with his mate Reg had spent the winter there and was building a Casa a couple of doors up. We decided to change camps on Easter Saturday and spend another week closer to town. We had met a nice Canadian couple at the Onac but most of the others seemed a bit aloof. El Pelican was a direct contrast, everyone was so friendly and Emily's little birthday party on Sunday was well attended by our new friends, Mexican and North American alike. We launched the boat and explored the Estuary and fished a few days as well. Catfish, catfish, catfish, dozens of them all thrown back until Phil hooked a whopper Yellowtail grunter off the rocks in front of the campground. Dad caught one and eventually James did to so we had a couple of nice fish BBQs.  James and Phillip made friends with a guy named Taylor from Canada who was into kites and they all flew the kites. We had a great week here and I managed to sneak away one evening with the lads and experience a taste of local hospitality at a genuine Mexican Cantina. We left early Saturday the 29th March for Culiacan where we camped overnight at a huge water park where for $20 we had a nice grassed area with a palapa that also included entry into the water park. Huge water slides and wave pool along with themed pools and smaller slides for Emily. The kids had a great couple of hours there and we would have hit it again the next day if it had opened early enough. Dad spoiled the fun and decided to hit the road, otherwise we wouldn't have got away till after lunch. The roads are getting better as we head further North and the toll roads are a dream actually hitting 65 mph most of the way to Los Mochis where we were going to organize a 2 day trip up to the Copper Canyon on the train. We walked miles into town to talk to the travel agents and in the end canned the idea as we couldn't take Larry on the train or to the hotel we would be staying in. Even snuck half in the bag was too risky as 2 long train rides and a night in the hotel was too much to ask of Larry and if we'd been sprung it would leave us stranded Hundreds of Kms from the Motorhome. Bev was getting anxious about the Visa situation going back across the border so we decided to push on. San Carlos was the next stop a good days drive on good roads all the way. This place was very Gringoized with lots of real Estate agents, Dentists, pharmacys and Galleries. One night here and off again later the next morning after a walk through town. Our last night in Mexico was spent in Santa Ana at a the Punta Vista RV Park where our hosts Edgar and Anna were so friendly, Edgar was a real character, he used to be in a Mexican rock and roll band and met and married his American wife before a motorcycle accident left him a bit worse for wear. They provided some nice ironwood for our last Mexican BBQ and we sat around and chatted over a Cervesa with a couple of the other guests. We shot for the border the next morning and along the way exchanged our pesos for $'s and fuelled up at .68 cents a liter before crossing at Lukeville Arizona. We chose this crossing, as with our entry visa expiring while we were in Mexico and failing to surrender it before we crossed into Mexico we were a little worried about getting back in. Fellow travelers told us this crossing was smaller and friendlier than the main crossing at Nogales and we had heard a horror story from Canadian friends we met in Teacapan about Nogales Customs. It took  about 20 minutes for them to re-issue us another 6 month permit, everyone very friendly and professional and we were Back in the USA. Wide smooth roads, English speaking people and real Beef again. We had such a great holiday and a lot of  wonderful experiences in Mexico but I must say it was good to back in the States.We'll see you soon,The McGregors-6.      
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1207762440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1207762440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1207762440/tpod.html Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:01:30 -0400 12 months off to travel Western USA from Mexico to Alaska in a motorhome.

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Acapulco, Mexico

Hi everybody, back again, sorry the blog is a few weeks behind still, when we are not having  fun we are either driving or sleeping. Speaking of driving, we left Escondido before sunrise headed for Acapulco. Over 400kms of beautiful Mexican roads, Topes and lots of winding steep mountainside stuff. The 50kph average ran true again and we hit the outskirts of Acapulco mid-afternoon. What a welcome, Taxi and bus drivers shooting for the gaps pretty hairy stuff until we hit the main road heading East to a bypass road that took us into Playa Luces from the North. The park was great, right on the beach with each spot having its own little swimming pool, about 1500litres, expensive though, about $35 a night.   We took a bus into town the next day, what an experience, more  than an hour to travel about 10 miles, where we saw the mask museum, the central plaza and downtown. We climbed up and visited the old fort which had great views of the harbor and the cruise ships.   We then took a cab to La Quebrada and the famous Mirador hotel, a hot spot since the 1940's for a lot of the Hollywood "in" crowd, Deano and Johnny Wiesmuller to name a couple of   the earlier owners I think. We paid our $15 cover charge which included 2 drinks and from the restaurant balcony watched the even more famous cliff divers put on a show. They dive from 3 different levels from the juniors to the top men who dive 30 meters into the swirling waters below. The water is only 4 meters deep and it was incredible to watch. Larry was smuggled in "half in the bag" again and enjoyed the show along with the rest of us. We walked back down the hill into town and caught the bus home again. A huge memorable day was had by all. We left before sunup again the next day and had to produce our receipts for the security guard on the gate. He thought we were trying to do a runner and the 12 gauge shotgun he was packing was enough persuasion for us to comply. And off we went again heading for Playa Linda north of Zihuataanejo another fast growing resort area. We camped one night here before a short run to Las Penas a small village with an even smaller RV park high above the rocky coastline. It was very nice here and we ran into some old friends Chica and Terry who we met on the Gulf coast. We did 2 nights here and on the 11th of March said Adios to Vern who we had a lot of fun with traveling for a couple of weeks before pointing North again, looking for a quiet spot to spend a week or 2 over Semanta Sana or Easter as we call it. Playa Perula for 1 night, Beautiful Puerto Vallarta for 1 night, there was too many tourists here and they mean $$$. Then up the coast through San Blas to Teacapan a small fishing village I had seen some good reports on the net, the fact it was in the middle of nowhere off the main drag helped too as we hear millions of Mexicans hit the beaches over Easter.  Till next time,Hasta Luega Amigos,The McGregors-6.      
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1207753680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1207753680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1207753680/tpod.html Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:33:31 -0400 12 months off to travel Western USA from Mexico to Alaska in a motorhome.

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Puerto Escondido, Mexico

  Welcome back everyone, We said our goodbyes to Terry and Margo as they were heading inland and we were heading Northwest along the pacific coast. We had a big drive to Peurto Angel about 430km's away. Considering we average only 50kmh on most of the Mexican roads we were in for a good 8 hour drive. Along the way we came through a wind tunnel created by the mountains where a lot of rigs have lost their awnings we also had thunderstorms to deal with at the same time, we had to slow down a bit but made it through unscathed. We picked up the toll road north of Tehauntapec that we ran with all the way to the coast road that saved us a bit of time. The last coastal stretch was windy and steep most of the time and was quite slow. We pass a few military checkpoints each time we travel and today we had the guy in charge try and press me for some money for a "drink for his troops". I played dumb and offered him a drink of water, after a bit of  no ablo Espanyol ( I don't speak Spanish) he gave up and let us go. We arrived at Peurto Angel mid afternoon and settled into the shady Rancho los Mangos campground with a nice pool and a short walk to the trendy Zipolite beach. We only stayed 1 night and left just after lunch the next day for Puerto Escondido only 80kms up the road. The Bay at Escondido was beautiful with plenty of fishing boats at anchor in the protected waters. The swimming was better here after the wild dumpers at the last couple of stops. We camped off for a couple of cervesas on the beach while the kids swam and Bev sampled the local coconut man's vodka special. We met one of the local fisherman and after a bit of negotiation planned a sportsfishing charter for the next morning for 30 bucks an hour all gear provided. The boys and I headed out the next morning at 7am on the "Bela". It was one of the biggest boats with an English speaking skipper who almost guaranteed we would get onto something big. We trolled for nearly 4 hours 10 kms offshore with lures and fresh bait chasing the birds that were following the schools of baitfish. We did everything we could and spotted a few sailfish surfing the waves, trolling over their positions to no avail. As we motored home slightly dejected one of the other boats on charter came past with the tail of a large sailfish hanging over the gunwale. It just wasn't our day. The afternoon was spent on the beach followed by a $4 fish special at one of the local restaurants. We didn't spend much time at the Neptuno trailer park where we stayed as it was a dustbowl and we had this old drunk guy who annoyed us every time he saw us. His grandkids that he was babysitting were cute though. You should have seen how jealous Emily got when Mum put the little girl on her lap. We packed up and cleared out early after staying 2 nights headed for Acapulco.Hasta Luega Amigos,Enjoy the slideshow,McGregors-6    
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1204669740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1204669740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1204669740/tpod.html Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:39:06 -0400 12 months off to travel Western USA from Mexico to Alaska in a motorhome.

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Puerto Arista, Mexico

Hi to you all,   I think it was Saturday the 1st of March we left San Christobal for an orhanage called the Hogar Infantil, a short trip to Ocozocoautla, if you can get your mouth around that one let me know? We stopped at Chiapa de Corzo on the way and toured the spectacular Sumidero Canyon by boat for over 2 hours. 800 meter walls at it's highest point with water 160 meters at it's deepest we were told, a couple of unusual formations on the walls formed by sediment deposited over the years. We spotted a couple of crocs on the way home, the driver floated us right up to within a couple of meters of one "statue" sunning itself on some driftwood. Some of the people including Larry couldn't see it, but as soon as he got a sniff of it he tried to climb out the other side of the boat. After the tour and lunch our little convoy of 3 headed through the city of Tuxla Guiterrez and after getting separated and all taking different routes arrived at the orphanage within 10 minutes of each other. The short stay there was very satisfying the kids were all very happy to see us and our kids especially as most visitors are retired couples. We all kicked the footy around for a while, a couple showed a bit of potential too. We invented a new ball game, a cross between cricket and baseball that the boys played for a while. Bev lightened our load by donating a lot of clothes and toys that we all thought would be appreciated and utilized better by our new friends. The simplest gift, the boys plastic soldier collection was the biggest hit. Each of the boys received 3 soldiers and 1 thick rubber band to shoot them down with and the smiles and fun we watched them have made everyone's day. We left early the next day headed down the mountains to Puerto Arista still in convoy with Terry and Margo and Vern towing their 5th wheelers. This beachside town rarely visited by gringos gave us a real taste of how the Mexicans spend their weekend on the beach. We spent Sunday afternoon under a palapa watching the kids mess around on the beach, sipping $1 cervesas (Corona) and sampling the different sweet and savoury delights that the local vendors were hawking  at the tables. The Fish empanadas were delicious and cheap too. There were no campgrounds here so after getting permission from the local lifesaver we boondocked right on the side of the road under the shade of a huge tree. We also met a local guy Carlos, who offered us the use of his well and it's nice fresh water 50 meters down the lane. Our friend Vern carries a bit of dry dog food and befriends and feeds the undernourished uncared for local dogs as we go along. None of us were prepared for the sight in the morning after the first night we camped here, we woke to find a fair sized sow having a good old chow on Vern's charitable offerings before wandering off down the street. We camped 2 nights and had our evening meals, a BBQ and a giant prawn dinner right on the footpath. It was bloody hot the whole time we were there, up to 39`c, and when we pulled out Tuesday morning for Puerto Angel it was nice to have the AC going again.Hasta Luega Amigos,The McGregors-6  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1205889240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1205889240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1205889240/tpod.html Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:35:24 -0400 12 months off to travel Western USA from Mexico to Alaska in a motorhome.

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San christobal, Mexico

G'Day To you all,We arrived in San Cristobal de las Casas late afternoon and found the Bonampak Hotel campsite quite easily. We had the good fortune of having a large Chedraui supermarket within walking distance so a quick shop was done and it was dark when we walked home. In the morning we took a $2 taxi into Centro and booked a tour to Chamula while Bev had her shoes shined for $1.50.At 10.30 we boarded the van and headed for Chamula, the main village in a region that has retained some autonomy as we will explain.Here is Philips and James' interpretation of the visit. A trip to Chamula and Zinacantan As we went on a guided tour with Terry, Margo, Vern and a English tour guide. The first thing we went to see was little clay huts. The material was sticks to make the frame then they get some, I mean a lot of mud and a palm frond roof or a straw roof or a steel roof which is donated by the Mexican government. Its amazing how the mayans stay warm up in the mountains but suprisingly enough  They smoke their  house out for warmth. The houses have no chimneys and they place three big rocks in a circle and light a fire in it. The reason they place three rocks is because there are three mayan gods. I think that day was a great one and I will surely remember it. Phillip McGregor A Day at Chamula and Zinacantan Today we went to the small Indian towns outside San Cristobal with Terry, Margo and Vern in a small tour. The tour guide who spoke English told us how the Mexican Indians lived. He explained about their homes and what they were made of, their religion and education. The best part of the trip was when we entered what looked like a catholic church, but is the only Mayan church in the region. It was filled with people praying in front of candles and special ceremonies unlike catholic churches that have pews or seats. When the candles burnt down some people would kill or sacrifice a chicken by twisting or sometimes breaking the head of completely! It would have been a hard religion to learn partly because they had to learn 16 different languages and there were over 280 gods! I had a great time listening and learning about the ancient Mayans. They are very interesting and not much has changed with these Mayans today. James McGregor It was a very unique place where ancient Mayan beliefs and gods are still worshiped,  intertwined with the Catholic church. From the outside the church looks like another Catholic church but behind the façade it has no pews and the walls are lined with wooden carved saints inside glass boxes. These saints were rescued from the original church which burned down a hundred years or so ago and have been punished by being put on display and not used in the different ceremonies because they weren't able to protect the church from the fire. Shamans or healers are prominent inside the church helping parishioners expel evil spirits along with thousands of candles, spruce leaves, Pox, pronounced posh (local firewater) Chickens to sacrifice and strangely coca cola to induce burping which helps release the spirits. To enter the church you have to have permission from the religious leaders, our tour guide Edwardo had a deal going with them and even got Larry inside "half in the bag". No hats allowed and if you try to take photos inside the church the officials will smash your camera. The locals believe the children's souls will be stolen if photos are taken of them so will always cover their faces when cameras are around. The priest from San Christobal visits rarely, mainly for mass christenings with up to 100 children at a time. The local elders run the show the rest of the time. As much as Mexico has freedom of religion there has been gunfights and deaths over other denominations trying to set up camp in the area. The local cemetery was something else too, surrounding the ruins of the original church that burned all of the graves bar a few looked as though they had been freshly dug. Apparently the relatives weed them to keep the sheep from grazing on their loved ones. The plural applies here because some plots have multiple crosses, I saw 5 on one, as they enter the next life, these guys believe they are reincarnated into the same family again and just keep, in Edwardos words, digging up the same plot shoving the bones to one side and planting the next one. They bury them with food and some money in their pocket for the journey and a needle and thread? In case a button needs sowing back on I guess. As we were viewing the gravesite a couple of rouge sheep trailing their tethers came stampeding through the cemetery with their ropes snagging and knocking over a few crosses. Potential roast dinners I hear you say? Not likely, don't tell the Kiwi sheep for fear of a mass exodus, but here they are sacred, not eaten or abused but revered for their wool only, which the locals use to make all their traditional skirts for the Senoritas and ponchos for the Hombres.We finished the day tour with a visit to some local traditional weavers. They tell me that hooking up with a good weaver here is akin to marrying the publican's daughter at home. I am sure Alberto had hit pay dirt and was helping his missus by drumming up a bit of business. Jokes aside the work they put out and the time it takes to weave an intricate wedding dress by hand is mind boggling, up to 1 month to weave and embroider 1 garment.After having such an interesting day we decided to stay an extra night here and explore the city proper the next day.We taxied back into the town square again in the morning, my turn for a shoeshine today after seeing Bev's job the day before, after directions from Halexandro our favourite shoe shiner upperer, we headed of towards the Market area and one of the local barber shops. Phil, Vern and myself all picked a style off the wall and for $2 had arguably one of the best jobs we ever had. The local Mercado was amazing everything you could dream of from fresh fruit and veg to anything you could think of made from recycled soup cans and reo bar. The best Pollo (chicken) in the world as far as I'm concerned. I am told that they mix marigold with their feed which gives them the gold coloring. The meat section was incredible I reckon over an acre of butchers, fish and Pollo merchants with not one refrigerator in sight. Piles and piles of  "fresh" and dried fish, mostly sardines and yellowtail tuna split and dried with flies all over it. Huge piles of tripe, pigs trotters and heads all proudly on display. I am only sorry I didn't have the camera with me, the girls refused to come inside as the smell sends them a bit queasy.After most of the day shopping, I had a cob of corn and the crew came back with a hammock, hat, purses, necklaces, bracelets and to top it off a nice Mexican throw. Oh! I forgot we also had a well deserved Cervesa Frios ( cold beer) after all the exertion.A good night's sleep was had by all ready for a quick shop and a short haul to the next destination, an orphanage a couple of hours up the road.'til the next episode,Hasta Luega Amigos,The McGregors-6 Ps. No responsibility or liability accepted for any inaccuracies in this posting. It is all "fair dinkum" though because Edwardo told me so!  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1204044240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1204044240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1204044240/tpod.html Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:31:49 -0500 12 months off to travel Western USA from Mexico to Alaska in a motorhome.

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Palenque, Mexico

Welcome back everyone,We left Chetumal at 7.30 am on our trek West in convoy with Terry and Margo and Vern for Palenque almost 500 kilometers away. We had a good drive with a mixture of good and bad road and made it by mid afternoon.  The Mayabell campground is close to the ruins inside the national park but is small and more for the backpacker types. We squeezed ourselves in though because it has a pool and is surrounded by jungle at the foot of the hills makes it the most pleasant campground available.We may have looked a bit out of place with dreadlocks and tie-dyed clothing the order of the day. We had an ok meal at the restaurant the first night and enjoyed the pleasant rasta type live music with Bongo drums and guitar playing vocalist. The next day we drove the 2 kilometers to the ruins and are glad we did as it was pretty steep. Palenque is in the hills in a jungle setting and was an amazing place. We were able to climb most of the structures for the first time and the temples and pyramids with crypts and grottos were fascinating to explore. Couple this with the souvenir shopping for the crew and it equates to the best Mayan site we have seen yet. We were laden down with marble Chess sets and clay and leather by the time we were finished. We offloaded it all to Vern and Terry and walked along the river with its waterfalls and rope bridges all the way back to the campground. Larry is one of the few dogs privileged enough to tour these ruins as we smuggled him in a bag with a hat over his head. Being a national park dogs were not allowed. We couldn't leave him in the RV as it was a stinking hot day and we spent a few hours up at the ruins.  It started raining in the night and the next days long drive to St Christobal was wet and windy all the way. We stopped and due to the weather had a quick look at the Cascadas de Agua Azul. Translated it means the Waterfalls of the Blue Water. We were the only ones there and got quite wet before hitting the windy steep road for the rest of the trip.  It is just over 200 kilometers but took us over 6 hours due to the mountains and all the topes through the small villages. We climbed above 2200 meters and the power of the rig dropped noticeably due to the thin air.A couple of the sights along the way included some drunken workers knocked off for the rain staggering and falling in the roadside culvert and a couple of  young school boys in a full on after school fight in the middle of the highway oblivious to the traffic passing by.We had a taco lunch at a roadside stall and fed the family for $10. Have I told you how much we are enjoying the food here?We missed out on a lot of the views due to the weather but still enjoyed the drive. Not as much as arriving at the campground though.That's us for today, enjoy the slideshow and we'll see you soon,The McGregors-5    
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1204734120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1204734120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1204734120/tpod.html Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:19:18 -0500 12 months off to travel Western USA from Mexico to Alaska in a motorhome.

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Chetamul, Mexico

Bienvenida Amigos,We hope you are all well, We are fine thank you and still trying to find a way to slow the days down. We can't believe it's been five months already.On the short drive from Bacalar to Chetamul  the laptop took a dive from the couch onto jamies foot and the floor and then wouldn't boot up. We checked it out the night we arrived and diagnosed the hard drive as the problem. We were fortunate to find one at a computer shop in town and had it up and running for a reasonable $90. We are still hopeful that we can recover the 2 weeks of photos we hadn't backed up to disc yet.Yax Ha campground is about 5 kilometers from the North side of town right on the shallow estuary and has a great pool and well manicured grounds. Large palms and a few palapas provided the shade and there was garden furniture at our disposal as well. There was a great breeze off the water the whole time we were there. All these features and the fact we secured the best spot, not to mention a few old friends we ran into again, made for a very pleasant stay. We did 8 nights here, saw a caravan come and go, swam heaps, fished a little, kayaked a little, rode our bikes, Visited the Mayan museum and markets and the large modern shopping centre on the edge of town as well.On one trip to the shop to stock up on necessities, due to a pricing error and a good deal on beer we picked up 8 liters of drinkable wine and 6 cases of beer for $64. 10 bucks a case and $2 for each flagon of vino. I had the stuff halfway home when to my horror realized that I had picked up the light beer, before reading it was light in carb's and not alcohol luckily.The campground had two shared computers that the boys made good use of while we were there and Emily was a hit with all the campers again. One evening there was a big cheer from the crowd gathered around a large motorhome that had the keys locked inside. They had lifted Emily up through a small open window and she had opened the door from the inside and saved the day.We had the good fortune of watching a full moon rise across the water and then disapear behind the earths shadow as the lunar eclipse took place. Thanks Arthur for your great photos.From here we will leave the Yucatan peninsular and head West to Palenque, across the Northern borders of Belize and Guatemala before turning Southwest to St Christobal de las Casas and the Pacific coast. Until the next installment,Hasta Luega Amigos,The McGregors-6. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1203222360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1203222360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1203222360/tpod.html Sat, 01 Mar 2008 08:02:23 -0500 12 months off to travel Western USA from Mexico to Alaska in a motorhome.

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Tulum, Mexico

Muchas Gracias Amigo's for joining us again as we leave the Gulf Coast and head across the Yucatan peninsular to the Caribbean Sea. We broke camp at Campeche on Tuesday the 12th of February headed for Uxmal one of three major Mayan ruins on this leg of the trip. About half way we saw some signs on the side of the road for some caves that weren't listed in any of our books. We pulled in a kilometer or so from the road and for about 5 bucks had a guided tour of these very deep caves that had steps and lights along with an automated English commentary of the Mayan interpretation of the beginning of the world and the legend of the hidden woman caves as the local name translates to. The colors that the light show threw off the rock formations were amazing and we all enjoyed the break in the days drive. We reached Uxmal early afternoon and dry camped in a parking lot next to the ruins. While we were here we enjoyed a scrumptious buffet lunch at one of the flash hotels close by and Watched the evening Light show at the Nunnery Quadrangle, this was actually a Mayan government palace named by the Spanish because it resembled a Spanish nunnery. We had headsets to translate the show's commentary that I had to leave my drivers license for as a deposit. After the show we lost one of the rubber earpieces and they wanted to charge us 50 pesos for something that should have been replaced before the next use anyway. After looking around in the dark for a 10 minutes I was a bit shirty and headed back to confront them and get my license back only to be met by the official who handed it back and said don't worry. I think he saw the look on my face and decided their little earner wasn't going to pay with me. We have heard lot of stories of the police and gas pump jockeys demanding bribes and running different scams on the gringos that visit. So far I don't think we have been touched other than paying a couple of cents or a buck too much for a taxi ride or a souvenir at the markets. Next morning we headed for Chichen Itza (Chicken Pizza) another big ruins about halfway across the peninsular. We headed up some more remote roads to link back onto the Mex180 and stopped in a small village to buy some fruit and veg off the back of the truck from a mobile fruiteria. I chased him down the road after finding we had picked up a grocery bag full of ground chilli powder with our purchases. He was very happy I returned it and so are we considering the damage it could have caused. Chichen Itza was great, a huge site with many interesting ruins. If you clap in the large grassed area in front of the main pyramid you can hear the sound run up the 90 steps and echo with a loud sharp reply when it hits the temple on the top. It makes you wonder what it was like in its heyday with thousands clapping together while the priests were offering sacrifices to the gods up above. A lot of the people we spoke to didn't enjoy the place due to the large number of vendors flogging their wares but we had a ball as we were in the market for a few souvenirs and love to barter, well Mom and the boys do anyway.   We hit the highway just before lunch with one of our highlights being the Pollo (chicken) place we found the evening before. 140 pesos ($14) for 2 whole butterflied chickens BBQ'd and  served with platters of rice and coleslaw and all the tortillas and hot salsa you can handle. Washed down with a couple of $1 Coronas. Next stop was Vallalodolid. On the way into town we toured the amazing underground Cenotes or artesian wells at Dzitnip. One had stalactites hanging into the cool clear water and   the Cenote Samula we swam in the crystal clear water with the roots of an Alamo tree dropping 50 feet down from a small hole in the roof. A shaft of sunlight shone through this hole onto the water  reflecting light up onto the cave roof. It was pretty hot and the general consensus was that cenotes had it all over ruins as far as we were concerned. We had a good look at the city while trying to find the local LPG plant to top up the rig before heading to the only campground, the parking lot of a restaurant on the outskirts of town. Here we ran into Arthur and Jean our British friends and along with Alberto and Jo celebrated Arthur's birthday with a nice meal by the pool. After being assured by the owner that that the gates would be open early so we could get a 6am getaway we spent almost an hour hooting the horn, revving the engine and banging on doors before we woke the old codger up. We wanted an early start so we could get to the coast, tour the Tulum ruins and then head south to Bacalar where the nearest campground was situated. We achieved all this after getting lost and driving our rig to the back gate of the ruins due to bad signposting and directions. After our visit we had to back out 200 meters down the road to the nearest driveway because we couldn't turn around. In Bacalar we couldn't find the campsite the book mentioned but we were escorted to the local municipal park by a chap on a motorcycle and enjoyed a night dry camping next to the beautiful sweetwater laguna Bacalar where we swam and bathed from our own private jetty before the short drive to Chetamul the next day. Yhats another story uf course, so until next time,Hasta Luega Amigos.The McGregors-6        
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1202832060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1202832060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1202832060/tpod.html Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:06:33 -0500 12 months off to travel Western USA from Mexico to Alaska in a motorhome.

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Campeche, Mexico

Hola everybody, We are on the move again, we left Isla Aguada Tuesday the 5th of Feb in convoy with Terry and Margo heading for Club Nautico. The road was good and along the beach for most of the way. The local fishermen were drying whitebait along the side of the road on concrete pads. Millions of them dried in the sun and swept up to be packaged and sold as snack food. We picked a good day to arrive as one of the 2 caravans that were camped there the previous night had just left. Others we spoke to were turned away as the place was chockers. This place was amazing a huge private club for the well to do Mexicans, half a dozen tennis courts, beautiful pool, huge clubhouse with games room, bar, Ballroom and restaurant facilities. Steps down to the beach and huge palapas, boat ramp and dock area, with the RV Park built right next to it all. After the caravan left the next day we had it all to ourselves, we picked out the best site overlooking the ocean and club complex and laid back and enjoyed it. It was out of season so nothing was open but we had access to the pool and all the facilities. We did a shopping run into town first day and a beer and water run a couple of days later, the rest of the time we swam, fished, played volleyball, rollerbladed, BBQ'd , schooled and I had a couple of cold ones too. James fished a couple of mornings with a local chap who netted fresh bait and James caught a huge tuna, about the length of his arm, (he carried the biggest smile for days) Dad filleted it perfectly and it made a delicious meal on the BBQ. Once again we hope we can recover the photos so you can see it really did happen! Thanks Terry for these photos of Nautico. Emily has left an impression on everyone she has met, she is so outgoing and greets everyone with a Hola and a wave. Phil and James get on so well so our initial fears of them getting homesick for their friends haven't eventuated, yet! They have met a few friends along the way as well. So many people have complimented us on our Children so we must be doing something right! We are very proud parents and are loving every minute we spend with them on this trip. We had a Tracks caravan arrive just before we were due to leave and met a few of the crew, they were so friendly, Karen and Barry and Bruce and Mitch were the first people we met and Bryce, 14 years, was traveling with his grandparents so the kids had some fun. After a chat we received our first invitation, to their social evening where everyone gets together, for a BBQ and some upside down pineapple cake on this occasion. Barry introduced us to the group and told them all about our year on the road and where we were going and before the night was over we had met so many great people offering to put us up if we were coming their way. They made us feel so welcome and we all scored a tracks cap out of it too. The evening finished with a sampling of some of the finest tequila and single malt whiskey available to man, thanks Bruce! We left the next day in different directions with us heading to one of the big 4 archeological sites, Uxmal. More about that later. Hasta Luega Amigos, The McGregors-6  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1202226180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1202226180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mcgregors5/usa__roadtrip/1202226180/tpod.html Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:57:13 -0500 12 months off to travel Western USA from Mexico to Alaska in a motorhome.

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Isla Aguada, Mexico

Hi Everyone, We're Back! For all you guys waiting on the edge of your seats I am sorry it has taken so long. We are still having a ball and all the places we are visiting have something new and interesting to distinguish it from previous stops. We had a hard drive crash the other day and had to replace it. Until we can try and recover data from the old one it looks like Isla Aguada and Club Nautico will have to be stories without photos. Stop Press, Thanks to Arthur and Jean we have been able to post these photos. We left Catemaco on Tuesday the 29th of January and had a big drive through Tabasco state of which the Capital, Villahermosa had suffered a big flood last year. The advice down the track had been to get through there as quick as you can as there was a lot of rubbish and the disease that went with it that had not yet been cleaned up. We found as we drove through that wasn't the case other than the Northern part of town which was a bit squalid the city looked pretty normal. We shot straight through and arrived mid afternoon after a good drive and a couple of stops. We Found Isla Aguada a small fishing village, at the entrance to a huge estuary of which you couldn't see the other side. Ocean on one side of the bridge and Calm estuary on the other, with a ripping current under the bridge a couple of times a day with the tides. The campground was great, we had a prime spot right up against the fence at the sandy beach. We took the weekly option and put the boat in a couple of times, had a good calm day outside catching plenty of catfish and a couple of small tuna. We nearly got cut in half by one of the local fishing boats coming home, he was up and planning not watching where he was going and missed us by a couple of meters, taking my line that I had out the back with him. Fishing of the beach, Phil thought he had a snag and when Steve, who we met there and was snorkeling close by went to help, found he had an eel on which had burrowed into the sand and had to be extricated before winding him in. We took in one of the local festivals for the completion of their Christmas calendar and enjoyed the floats and the colorful costumes children were wearing. Phil did an impromptu performance at the local basketball court where the local crowd was gathered waiting for the carnival to arrive. Getting up and doing a disco number to the music the DJ was belting out. I hope we can recover the photos as it was a classic. As usual we sampled the local fare at the roadside stalls and took our first taxi ride. 7 of us in the motorcycle driven rickshaw setups they had everywhere. We ran into a few familiar faces again, Jean and Arthur and Margo and Terry along with a caravan of 22 rigs for a couple of days.   Larry is having a ball and now sits up on the dash as we drive, waking up as we drive through the towns to check the locals out. The weather was magnificent for the whole stay and the red snapper we brought fresh off the boat in front of the camp was just superb. 2.3 kilos of filleted fresh fish for $15 and cooked on our makeshift BBQ, a large disposable Aluminium roasting dish with the fire built inside. Tuesday and off we go again, heading for Club Nautico near Campeche. We are told it is one of the nicest in Mexico and are looking forward to giving it our stamp. Until next time, Hasta Luega Amigos, The McGregors-6Remember play the slideshow and see the photos full size
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