Carjacked! Jeep and bike gone on the Michoacan coast.

Friday,  21 February. (Due to a ID 10 T error, it didn't post until Sunday. Must have had something on my mind.)

Don't have time to write a lot, Spanish classes start here in PV today (Friday) but I want to get this out. I'll add updates as they become available and I feel up to it!

Meanwhile, this is what I posted on RV.NET (other that a bit of minor editing)  then few photos of the Jeep and getaway vehicle.



 On Tuesday, enroute from Ziahuatanejo towards Puerto Vallarta on the 200 we lost our Jeep to a holdup.

We were just north of Coleta de Campos on the 200 when we were overtaken by a fast moving red Toyota Tacoma pickup. We remarked on the idiot passing so close to a sharp curve.

A few minutes later, near at a guess KM 79, we came across the truck stopped in our lane, the front end partially in the other lane. The driver waving his arms and signaling me to stop. As I stopped, I saw another young man running from the brush to my left. There was wide clear space on that side of the road with a narrow road or track leading into the bush.

This second man ran up to the drivers side and pointed a small automatic pistol at my face, yelling "the Jeep, just the Jeep. No hurt you." Then he began yelling "atras, atras" back up, back up. I was able reverse a short distance, then I was instructed to turn around. As I turned towards the wide space he indicated that I drive up the narrow track. I was not about to get out of sight of any traffic that may come along. I said that the motorhome wasn't able to get up there and continued my turn until I was parallel the highway facing back the way we had come. He then ordered me out

He came around to the entrance door as I was getting out and noticed the camera in my wife's lap which he immediately demanded.

We then went to the back of the motorhome and began to disconnect the Jeep. He was pulling on anything and everything and not getting very far, yelling all the time, "rapido! rapido".

I doubt that he had  realised what was required until I got started, especially when he saw the brake system in the Jeep. I worked as slowly as possible while trying to appear cooperative and hurrying. Not taking a step without leaning on my cane led to the authenticity!

Finally they took off the way they had come. I quickly got back in the rig, turned around and set off north. Then my quick thinking wife told me that she had used her small pocket camera to take a couple of photos of the red pickup and the jeep as they left the scene:

Note the bike on the back of the Jeep. It a Wisper electric bike, made in Britain. None in Mexico, rare in USA and Canada.



I looked at my watch: 1:00 PM. There had been NO passing traffic during this time. This is not a busy highway.

Now we went looking for the police! A few minutes later we passed the 80KM marker.

At the first town, we asked someone where the nearest police were, that we had been heldup and our jeep stolen. The told us to stay where we were and they would go and find it! Nice thought but it wasn't going to happen! They then asked if we wanted to back to Caleto de Campos! NOT, so we carried on north.

Our next stop was at the RV Park at KM 103.5 where we gave our news to one of the campers who told us that there had been a road block by the defensa civil (local vigilantes). We had planned to overnight here in this lovely spot but had more urgent things to attend to.

We returned to the highway where we soon came across a Military group set up at the road side. We were waved on but stopped to tell our story. They appeared unsure as to what to do and told us we had to go to some unpronounceable place far to the north.

Shortly after that we too came to the Defensa checkpoint. When we told our story, one went off for a town official. They took a detailed statement, copied the pictures my wife had taken and expressed regret that this type of "disrespect" was so common. They also assured us that they were going to go look for it.

We were told that we needed to make a report to a Ministerio Publico and that the nearest police was at La Placita. This was quite a distance.

At La Placita we stopped at the taxi stand in town to ask directions to the police. When we explained what we had happened we were directed to the Ministerio Publico office across the square. We were invited to park at the taxi stand!

In a word: Closed. We returned to the taxi stand and were told that the Federales were a back a very short way, opposite the Pemex.

Finally! A Cop! We made a verbal report, he took pictures of the photos we had on the computer and were told we had to go to the Misisterio Publico in town for an official report. When we said they were closed the officer got on the radio to the Comandante. We would come and talk to us "horita". We asked if we could overnight at the Pemex and would it be save. We were assured that we would be fine. Just as well as we were a long way from a campground!

Later the Comandante came to interview us and made arrangements for the Ministerio Publico in Cohuayna to see us next day.

It took two hours to finish our statement at the misisterio Publico. While there Gillian realised that we had not yet notified Qualitas, the insurance company! she made that phone call and arranged for an adjuster to meet us in Puerto Vallarty next evening.

We left the office at 1:00 PM, through Melaque at 3:30 and decided to press on to PV. We know the route well and were sure we could get very close at least by sundown. We were parked in a lane in Puerta Vallarta Trailer Park at 7:30PM , deciding to wait for daylight before reversing between the trees into our site.

The adjuster arrived 10 minutes before the appointed time and things went very well. We thought. Now, several days later we realise this is not going to be easy.

Note: DO NOT keep the original vehicle documents in the vehicle! They went with the Jeep! Fortunately we had a copy of the Mexican insurance policy on the laptop. And since we deal with a broker for all our insurance needs at home we are known to them. A call on Skype had our homeowners police notified AND a copy of our British Columbia vehicle registration e-mailed to us with 15 minutes of the request!

Now it's time for a drink.

 This was random act of opportunity. This is our 12th year of RVing in Mexico and our first incident. (Other than 11 years ago when a couple of drunk kids ripped the mirrors off our Chevy Tracker parked overnight on the street.)

We will be returning to Mexico in the fall, maybe not just this route!. Meanwhile, I have Spanish homework to do and that drink is still waiting.

Here are a few more photos of the Jeep.

 Note the Roadmaster All Terrain towbar. The Jeep had the soft top on.

Getting ready to go, and the fridge quits!

This is mostly a place-holder post for the above title. Don't have time to write much, have to get a few pics on a new post.

Of course the fridge quit a couple of days before leaving. No way it can be fixed down here. Fortunately, there is lots of ice available down here. Might be time for a residential fridge. 

And Spanish classes start for Art this morning. (We're in PV now)

Third Month in Zihuatanejo, Solar System

Time flies when you're having fun! We have been here two months as of the 17th. We haven't done a lot; Dog walks daily but not too far, dinner and lunch out frequently, breakfast out at La Bocana yesterday--very nice--visiting with friends.. . . .

Art began investigating why the solar system isn't working as it should--it really doesn't get the batteries up to full like they should (14.4 Volts). Essentially the problem is the location of the charge controller--much too far away from the batteries. A major upgrade in wire size would help but not enough and it would not be an easy job.

The design and layout of the motorhome and the battery location make it difficult. Art has been on RV.NET getting advice and suggestions from many knowledgeable people, getting ready for a project when we get home!

The 2 80 Watt panels are in the middle. The ones at each end are identical just look different due to the camera lens.

Side view showing location of the solar panels.  The wires go down alongside the waste tank vent, the white tube at the edge of the roof about the middle of the two panels.

They then run down behind the galley wall to the controller, the black panel with the red light showing,  middle of the left edge of the photo.  (above)

 

 The output wires go down the wall to the floor and join the large wires from the battery at a connection under the stove which also feed the 12V breakers in the cupboard above the micro/convection oven.  (left and below)



















These large wires then travel by some unknown route to the battery and electrical compartments on the other side of the motorhome which are to the rear, behind the rear axle and under the bedroom slide.  ( Roughly marked by the white plastic box on the floor down the hall in galley photo above. )

These are the battery and electrical compartments. The stuff on the ground belongs in there too, except for the large white bottle of distilled water.  I'm not sure where we can mount the controller.

This photo shows where the front solar panels are (top left) and where the battery and electrical compartments are. By rights the controller should be in there. Somewhere.

And just to round out the electrical stuff here are pics of the Solar Controller and the Xantrex Remote. :

Some photos for your information and your viewing pleasure. A mixture of tech and nature.

Due to shade of the trees and the building behind us I had to take the panel in the foreground off its mounting bracket and turn it 90 degrees. The two in the middle are 80 Watts each, the end ones 130Watts each.  They are a bit distorted by the camera lens. 

The solar supplies all our12 volt need, lights, fridge control board, water pump etc. Also when the power goes off (frequently due to too low voltage during the day and too high (over 132V) during the evening and night, keeps the batteries up so that we can run the 120 volt stuff from the inverter. We resort to the battery charger part of the inverter (Xantrex Prosine 2.0 ) perhaps once a week to give the batteries a good high voltage (14.8v) charge. 

17 November Pátzcuaro to Zihuatanejo

Sunday About five hours today, no stops until Zihua so we made sure the dogs got a good stroll, the snack pack had the requisite apples, water bottles were full and we set off at 10:20

We know this area quite well so rather than return to the toll road directly by backtracking or going through (or around) Pátzcuaro to the toll road we proceeded north through the lakeside part of the town on the libre to Uruapan for roughly 20 kilometers then joined the toll road. This part of the libre is very pleasant and quite a pretty drive. Then there is a steep climb to the highway and many Looooong steep downhills.

God forbid a truck loose its brakes here, it is usually several kilometers between runaway lanes. The last one actually leads trucks through a toll booth! Our rig clears the booth with about 5 inches clearance for each mirror, I can't imagine a runaway doing 100 Km/H or more getting through!

Forty five minutes after leaving El Pozo we were on the 37D towards Lázaro Cardenas. About an hour and a half of mostly downhill though not nearly so steep. Fuel use should be better than average! The highway was in surprisingly good shape considering the about of flood damage done to the area during hurricane Manuel. The worst bits were some of the expansion joints on the bridges.

The road had had some emergency repaving done and some of the bridge approaches had washed out.  It will need a proper repair job soon but they did a remarkable job to get the road open. It had been closed for almost a week. 

At 1:35 we paid the last toll at the exit to Zihuatanejo and we were southbound on the 200, about an hour from the town.

There had been a lot of road damage here too, especially the bridges and culverts but repairs were well under way and almost complete.

For the last couple of years there has been a push on the widen and straighten this section of the 200 but of course much of the work has been delayed due to the hurricane.

This bit still needs a little work:

Then we were back on the completed part and arrived in Zihuatanejo a little after 430. We intentionally overshot- our turn by a block in order to fill up with diesel. We just managed to get into the pumps leaving the back end of the jeep on the sidewalk and hopefully enough room to make a U turn back onto the highway.

Traffic was light so we were able to turn into the north bound left lane and easily get over to make the left around the roundabout. At 3:05 we arrived at El Manglar RV Park where the restaurant staff came out to welcome us home.

Odometer: 100641Km,  5,882 Kilometers since leaving three weeks ago to the day. Time flies when you're having fun!     (About 3,675 miles for the metrically challenged.)


Much more to come but that will take another post or two. Just to say we've been here since November 17th!

Saturday, 16 November, Queretaro to Patzcuaro through Morelia.

 Our route today. Queretaro (green pointer top right) south at Salamanca (blue pointer top center) over bridge (red pointer center) to Patzcuaro (green pointer almost off the map).

Quite a nice day again when we woke this morning, about four hours to Patzcuaro.  Since we are already at a Pemex it made sense to fuel up before we left and were on the road at 9:45.

Since we were on the wrong side of a divided highway we had no option but to head north for a bit. There was a returno in the left lane but it was pretty tight and there was a lot of southbound traffic we would have to find a hole in so we trusted ourselves to Mr Garmin and followed the GPS directions to exit to a small town. This led to a roundabout which took us under the highway then a left had us heading south past our last night's stop.

Our route took us through the city watching carefully for signs for the 45D to Salamanca. The GPS and the signs were in agreement once again, we reached the toll booth at 10:45, maybe an hour to our turn south on the 43D to Morelia.

Right on time we left the 45D and paid another toll. Five minutes later on the 43D another toll booth. No payment here, you take a card and pay when you exit. There was a little shop here so we stopped for a pee break for the dogs and Art bought a coffee to keep him awake on the nice straight (mostly) highway.

Then we got behind a group of work trucks, rolling along at some 60 Km/H. They were well over giving an indication that we could pass but we though we'd wait until there was no more oncoming traffic!

 We paid the toll ticket (375 pesos) then were soon on the "new" bridge across Laguna Cuitzeo. The first time we crossed this lake many years ago, before the toll road was built, we had to drive though the old village of Cuitzeo which was not fun! The tightest corners on the narrowest of streets. Would have been impassible with our current rig.

This floating bridge is 6 kilometers long. We just missed getting the sign in the photo.

 Soon we were approaching the city of Morelia, the highway much improved over the years. We recognised most but not all of it. Morelia has a periferico (ring road) that we were supposed to take, starting at the green pointer, top right, and 11 or 12 kilometers counter clockwise around to the blue pointer.

The GPS seemed to be on track, indicating a left turn several kilometers ahead. Since the right lane was full of vehicles and buses leaving and joining the highway we kept to the second of the three lanes Then we realised that we were in the second of four lanes and noted a sign in passing indicating that Trafico Pesado (heavy vehicles) had to turn right and we were not in the right lane. Then the traffic light ahead turned red the right lane was packed full... we had no option. Mr Garmin still said that our right turn was 2. something kilometers ahead. We were at the green pointer above.

Light turned green so we carried straight on hoping that no Transitos (Traffic Police) would notice us! Our right turn came up, we made the turn, traffic was quite heavy but not too bad. The Garmin then indicated a left turn coming up (red pointer):

Several more kilometer in traffic as seen above and below we  finally found ourselves joining a familiar street, the road leading to Patzcuaro. (Blue pointer on the map.) Almost exactly where the perferico exit would have put us.

Whew!

At 2:00 PM we arrived at El Pozo RV Park on the edge of town. There was a wedding party having their photo shoot here when we arrived and we later realised that the reception and party was going on across the street. As Mexican parties go, the music wasn't too loud, at least in comparison the the trains that passed the front gate regularly!

One more day to go!



Odometer: 100340

Saltillo to Matehuala Nov 14, to Queretaro Nov 15

Thursday, November 14, an easy drive some 250 kilometers to the south on what should be good and mostly flat roads. I have no idea what time we woke, but we had lots of time for breakfast, watching the news and walking the dogs before we left the gates behind us at 11:10.

Only one toll on the 57D, 80 pesos for the motorhome and 55 pesos for the jeep towed behind.  Part way along we went through a check point that seemed to be only interested in northbound trucks. This line stretched for well over a kilometer. Glad we were southbound!

We had put the coordinates for the RV Park into the GPS but as we approached we noticed that it wanted us to stay on the main highway which bypassed the city. Knowing better we kept to the right on the nice double laned highway into town. Note to other travellers. The road is pretty good but is has a low speed limit. I don't remember if it was 60 or 40 but there were lots of signs.

Three hours after setting off we stopped just into Matehuala for fuel. Two or three kilometers later we had arrived at Las Palmas Midway Inn

This hotel, really a motel, has a pool, very nice restaurant many small rooms set out like a motel, but only four or five in a row then another group--there are several rows. the property is quite large and spacious, and at the back on oiled gravel is the RV parking area with separate bathroom and showers with hot water. There is also a mile long cycling and walking trail which unfortunately this year showed signs of a lot of dog activity.

Since large rigs can't get through the entrance Art parked the rig in the large forecourt outside the gates and waited for Gillian to register and to get someone to open the gate at the far end.

By 2:35 we had worked our way through the motel units, guided by the gate keeper in a bicycle, and were parked and level. We took on some water here and dumped the holding tanks but didn't bother with electric hook ups. 2 of the three within reach of the extension cord we miss wired. Batteries were fully charged so we would be fine.

Even as we turned in the GPS wanted us to turn round and go back to the bypass! We didn't bother looking to see where it wanted us to go. We suspect (but hadn't checked) the the GPS coordinates were taken at the RV Park area rather than from the entrance and it was trying to get us there via the back roads.   Our SPOT shows where we were. Click on the link and select Satellite (top right) then zoom in as much as you need or wish.

With an earlier start we could have gone straight through to Queretaro, about another five hours, but there was no rush and we were trying to keep Art's headaches to a minimum.

We're not even cooking dinner tonight, not with such a nice restaurant a few minutes walk away.  As last year, the guests in the restaurant appeared to be business people, perhaps business people traveling between Mexico City and Saltillo or Monterrey, or even the US border at Laredo.

The food was quite nice but not as good as we had remembered, but still fine, no complaints.

Odometer: 99701


Friday, 15 November,

We left the park at 9:35, no problem getting across the two north bound lanes to turn south even though there was no traffic light.

  Through town we passed this truck with two enormous pieces of cut stone

then we were soon on the road towards San Luis Potosi and on to Queretaro.  Good road, flat and straight for the most part.

About half way there was our once again one and only toll for the day, only 105 pesos for both vehicles. This time we were charges as a 4 axle truck! Just past the toll booth there was a wide parking area so we took almost an hour for a leisurely lunch and dog stroll.

Note to RVers heading for the trailer park at the Pemex and the Juriquilla Inn:

The exit is very poorly marked and the exit sign cannot be seen until you have actually started the turn! Also the fact that you need to get onto the lateral isn't well marked. So. It's best to stay in the right lane once you cut off from the bypass. You will note many signs for commercial trucks bound for Mexico to take the bypass. You still have several kilometers to go but this stretch can get busy so stay in the right lane.  As you get closer keep an eye out for the Pemex on the other side of the highway.

A soon as you see it take the lateral on your right, this is a two lane one way lateral.

 (IF you miss it  there is another exit, again not very well marked, just ahead that you can take to get on the lateral. The problem is that you need to get right across into the right lane. Don't feel bad if this happens to you. It happened to us last year . . . and again this year!) 

    Ahead you will see two overpasses. The first is a pedestrian overpass, the second is for traffic. You need to slow and turn right IMMEDIATELY you go under the road overpass. The sign is very hard to see. This takes you into a 270 degree turn back over the highway then another right exit and 270 degree turn that puts you northbound on the 57 and the hotel and Pemex is just ahead on the right.  Pull into the parking lot in front and register at the motel office behind you and to your right.

I'd suggest that you walk in and scout out where you want to park before you drive in. Some of the grass is very soft at times:     Scroll down to Queretaro on this blog page

3:30, we had arrived without incident and a pleasant drive though traffic for the last three kilometers had slowed to a crawl due to road works on the centre barrier.  We opted to NOT park on the nice grassy area as we did last time (see link above if you must) and parked in the far back lot. Neither green nor level but nice and firm.

Art's headaches kept recurring, seemingly made worse by driving so we decided to pass on San Juan de Teotihuacan and the Teotihuacan Ruins this time and do it perhaps on the way home in the spring or on the way down again next year. We have visited the ruins twice in the past but never by RV.