18-21 November, Piste to Paa Mul and Yax Ha on the Caribbean Coast

Dried out, we left Piste at 9:20, destination Paa Mul RV Park, just south of Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean.

Within a few minutes we were on the toll road eastbound having paid 161 pesos for the first section. Half an hour later we stopped at a rest area, the only fuel before Cancun, several hours away. While Art supervised the fueling Gillian walked a short way to the Italian Coffee Company to fill up our travel mugs and on the way back stopped at another shop for a large glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.



Another hour and we paid the last toll on this highway, this time 618 pesos, roughly 60 dollars including the first payment. At least the road was in good condition.







We were a bit disappointed in Paa Mul. We had heard good things about this park, which is full of permanent installations built by snowbirds who return year after year. The site we were given was in a state: the sewer connection was almost too high to use, and was just an almost horizontal drain pipe that had few branches off it one of which Art noted when checking it out, was open at the other side of our rig! Good thing he hadn't tried to use it!





Most of the sites, particularly the year round ones were in pretty good shape, obviously built and maintained by the regular tenants. The restaurant bar, pool and beach looked to be fine but we soon decided that we would not stay the two nights we had paid for and would leave in the morning. It was expensive and internet available only by the month for an extra fee . Fortunately we were able to get the second days rent refunded.

We decided to try the restaurant for dinner and were not disappointed with our meal. We hesitated about ordering a full bottle of wine until the waiter pointed out that what we didn't finish we could take with us. Since we were almost out of white wine in the motorhome we ordered a bottle.

Dinner done we had just over half a bottle left and were about to call for the bill when the owner came over to chat, wine glass in hand. He asked if he could sit and of course we said yes, and asked if the food and service was good. He sat chatting with us for a while and whenever his wine glass was empty he simply refilled it from our bottle without so much as a word or glance! He eventually finished our wine and left and so did we, more than a little annoyed.



Next morning after breakfast while Gillian took the dogs for their walk Art fired up the rig, retracted the slides and retracted the jacks. Or rather tried to retract the jacks! On investigation Art could hear the relay clicking but nothing was happening. He dug out the manuals, followed the instructions, still nothing.

A search of the campground found someone who knew something of the HWH hydraulic systems and agreed to come over and have a look.

After poking about, checking this and that, we both agreed that a release valve somewhere was stuck. Since the jacks retract under spring power once the hydraulic pressure is released, we elected to crack the lines at the manifold and release the fluid into a bucket. This done, the jacks began to retract. Thanks Cecil!



Half an hour to clean up and dispose of the waste fluid (poured into a clear plastic water bottle and left beside the garbage can) we hooked up and hit the road at 10:50. Next stop, Yax Ha Resort and Trailer Park near Chetumal. This is as far south as we would be going on this coast, just a few kilometers from Belize.

Actually, next stop was at a Chedraui, which we noticed had room to park right along side the highway. Half an hour here and we were southbound again, larder restocked. The large divided highway soon reverted to the basic two lane-two way road but was in quite reasonable condition.

The four lane highway which runs from Cancun to Tulum was very busy with heavy truck, bus and car traffic. Past Tulum the road narrowed to single lane each way and was suprisingly quiet and in quite good shape.

And yet another stop, this time for lunch at about 1:30 along the side of the road. Entering Chetumal we found that once again progress had changed the roads so they didn't match the driving directions we were following. There was a new overpass which meant that the turns were different but we figured it out with out too much trouble. Our route took us through the City of Chetumal but we found our turn north to Calderitas and the Yax Ha Resort where we arrived at the resort at 4:45 almost with out incident.

We stopped on the roadside to unhook the jeep while Gillian walked ahead to check on the exact location of the park entrance. It was just ahead as shown on the GPS. Art drove up slowly, watching the overhead wires which looked like they would clear and slowly entered the gates. He was being waved on by one of the staff who suddenly shouted and signaled him to stop. One of the overhead wires had become snagged on a bungy cord securing our spare satellite dish. They weren't power lines, so one of the staff climbed on to the roof to clear it.


The ground here looked wet but we were assured by the owner that the place we chose was firm enough. A few plywood blocks under the tires to level us (no jacks, remember?) the slides were out, the electric power and internet worked fine, and we were just a few feet from the Caribbean Sea! In fact we were probably closer in vertical distance than horizontal! Trekker was delighted with his first swim in a new ocean.


We had power at the site but water would involve a hose stretched across the grass to fill the tank, the sewer drain meant a move of a few hundred feet to dump the tanks. No big deal, we were safe and comfortable and warm and happy!





We did have a smile when we glanced at the GPS on the dashboard!

When extending the slides on arrival Art noticed a substantial hydraulic fluid leak at one of the fittings. Close inspection showed a piece of tubing not connected. A few messy minutes with a wrench and we tried again. Art could see two more smaller leaks—one from a valve head which Cecil had noted had a badly damaged o-ring, another from further back which was very difficult to see exact where it was coming from, so we ignored these leaks and put the slides out.

We decided to stay through the weekend to see if there might be a hydraulic mechanic available on Monday. Not that parts would likely be available to repair the jack problem but hopefully the leaks could be fixed.

This is a very nice park and has great potential. We had a nice lunch in the restaurant, enjoyed the pool and of course Trekker loved the ocean swims.

At first glance we thought that the security was a little over the top, but then realised that the cannons were just plastic!

Parked next to us were a Swiss couple traveling the Americas in a camper and across the way was an Australian couple doing the same, this time in a Land Rover with a large tent on the roof. Wish we had a picture, it was a great rig for traveling in undeveloped areas.

Sunday morning Carlos came over to see what was going on with our hydraulics. He soon found and fixed the leaks—one missing O-ring, one opened connection (the other end of the tube Art had first tightened)— but it still needs new relief valve. Art asked Carlos what he did for a living, was he a hydraulics engineer? Stranger things have happened. No, we was a Naval Architect but had previously worked as a marine engineer so knew more than just a bit about hydraulics!

Art had previously heard Carlos speaking Spanish and thought he spoke awfully good Spanish for an Aussie—he is actually Spanish, his name really is Carlos, not Charles or Charlie! Couldn't tell from his accent, sounded like an Aussie to us Canucks!

So now we don't need the hydraulic mechanic—parts likely not to be available in Mexico anyway, we'll make do with leveling blocks until then. Especially when you consider that we have an entire hydraulic unit at home, the one that failed last year in the Yukon and had replaced. The pump motor on the old unit was repaired in Mexico last year. The relief valve should be a very easy change over. One other problem that Carlos noted is that there appears to be a spring missing from one of the return valves. That too should be an easy fix. Wait and see!

Sunday afternoon the skies darkened and then opened--another tropical down pour! we hoped that the rain wouldn't soften the sod under us too much!

Monday the weather was much better. We took the jeep into Chetumal on a grocery run and found signs flooding everywhere. At one point half the road was washed out, we were down to one lane alternating, with deep chasms on both sides. Unfortunately we had left the camera in the motorhome.

We spent some time on the free wireless internet, made use of the extra day to do get some laundry done—washers and dryers are available, staff does to for you at a reasonable price with some notice.

Gillian did some hand washing, hung it in a nearby palapa to dry in the breeze. Then the breeze turned into gusty winds and suddenly a rescue mission was called for! Gillian caught a couple of items just before they would have blown into the bay!

Meanwhile we decided to stick with our plans and move on on Tueday. We are very comfortable here, it is really a pretty spot. No sandy beach, but certainly nice enough.

The owner is hoping for the caravans to return and has spoken with a couple of the caravan companies. He has installed a large water softening system and was in the progress of running water to all the sites. He was very interested in talking with us about suggestions for improving the park. We mentioned water, sewer and power at each or at least some sites; if he is looking for long term snowbirds that will have to be a priority. People won't want to move every week to dump holding tanks.

We'll leave here in the morning.