You’ve been warned.
Yesterday I cleaned up the trailer, stowed everything and readied for travel. It has been SO LONG since we’ve done that I think we thought it simply Was No Longer Possible. But not only was it possible, it was surprisingly freeing! I had become so attached to the idea of permanence and so overwhelmed by the thought of packing all the crap up that I think I thought it simply couldn’t be done. And once I got that trailer hitched up behind me, man o man, I was ITCHING to get on the road and on to new adventures. Because making a home for a year in Mexico simply isn’t quite enough adventure for me. I guess I just can’t get enough of seeing new places and things and after Two Whole Months in the same place, this is just too much of the same-old same-old.
So the object of the day was to see just how hard it was going to be to shoehorn our ginormous trailer into the eensy weensy space alloted for it in the palapa. I knew it was going to be hard and I figured it might be really really difficult but I never imagined it would be impossible. We spent hours attacking the palapa from two different directions but the angle of approach and the space allowed (one foot of clearance to play with) not only did it become an insurmountable task but I completely lost hope that any alterations we could make in the palapa structure would help. I was offered the possibility to remove a pole and replace it once the trailer was parked, but I didn’t want any solution that would preclude a quick exit in the event of a hurricane. I’m certainly not going to sit around waiting for a palapero to show up to remove a pole so we can evacuate. And I think the biggest blow in the whole operation was the blow to my ego. I’ve heard from so many people (all relative, natch) that I’m such a good driver. And I had begun to believe it and this little Operation Impossible simply shoved me down a notch; put me in my place as simply an ordinary driver. I bet Jesse in San Felipe could have shoehorned that trailer in without even the thought of moving a palapa pole.
But, fear not, dear reader, we had been prepared for this. As a matter of fact, we had very seriously considered purchasing an office trailer and converting it to home use to make the selling of the palapa (when we leave in a year) much easier. So that’s where we are now. There are professional remodelers living here in the park who have created, from drywall (or that which serves as drywall here in Quintana Roo) and steel, structures which look exactly like a trailer. I don’t know if we could be quite as talented and I wonder if the cost, once their “trailer” had been created was nearly that of an office trailer but that is what we’re going to be looking at.
But the hurricane season is coming on and it is forecast to be a doozy for the US. I still need to see what NOAA says about the Caribbean. So I’m not all that enthused about pouring money into building a beautiful palapa only to loose it this summer. AND we need to get our sorry tourist asses out of Mexico by the end of June as our permits will all expire. And the kids really really want to visit friends and family in the Bay Area and I really want to visit MB in the midwest so I’m somewhat paralyzed with indecision. Jamie wants to BUILD BUILD BUILD and I think we should wait. So we’ll see. Honestly, I’d simply LOVE to get back on the road. Poor poor me, eh?
And absolutely very last but so much NOT least; I’ve figured out that the walking Jamie and I were doing was productive. Because I haven’t walked for about 2 weeks and I am fat fat fat fat fat. Honestly, I can’t believe how fat I am. And I don’t even WANT to know what the scale says because each time I doled out my 3 pesos for a weigh when I WAS walking I was gaining and gaining. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh. Baaaahhhh.
17 responses so far ↓
1 MB // May 18, 2007 at 11:28 pm
As far as hurricane forcasts, keep an eye on Jeff Master’s blog, as it’s the best: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html.
I think his viewpoint is that it’s the June 1st forecast which is most relevant - earlier ones do not correlate well to actual outcomes.
Now I have to read the rest of the piece (and may have further comment.) But at this point, let me empathise with the “let hit the road” mentality, once the trailer is packed. Hence our trip now from Nevada to Oklahoma.
2 Dr Paul // May 19, 2007 at 7:54 am
“Because making a home for a year in Mexico simply isn’t quite enough adventure for me.”
If by “making” you mean “constructing” you might feel differently after doing it
Although “adventure” might not be the word you’d choose….
love, papa
PS> It’s called “hitch-itch”
3 janet // May 19, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Kathy,
I’ve seen you park that trailer and if you couldn’t shoe-horn it into the Palapa space I doubt if anyone could.
Please give our best to everyone.
Janet & John
4 Michelle // May 19, 2007 at 11:28 pm
I’m sure you have tried every angle to get that sucker in. Did you try using a smaller vehicle than your own big 10-seater?
5 Tricia // May 20, 2007 at 10:13 am
Ohhhh, so close!
6 Bill // May 20, 2007 at 11:55 am
Just curious, there must have been a trailer in there at one time so unless yours is a “widebody” it should fit. Like Michelle suggested maybe a shorter tow-vehicle would give you a chance to back straight in. Might be worth a try!
Bill
7 TaTa // May 20, 2007 at 2:17 pm
For whatever it’s worth, and from a mama who watched Kitty maneuver that trailer and van through obstacles that would daunt the most experienced big rig driver; if she could not back that baby into the existing palapa, then it can’t be done! Case closed!
mom
8 jody2ms // May 20, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Well, Bill and I will join you in being paralyzed with indecision. We are in the midst of buying a ginomous sailboat with possible future plans for a Gulf crossing to Veracruz….with 4 kids. Yikes!!
9 Jon y Mariluz // May 21, 2007 at 2:57 am
Aloha all! We are following your situations. All seems relatively o.k. and as long as it looks that way, we pretty much remain onlookers. We’re really not into “posting” but during this year we’ve sent more than one email without any acknowledgements. Jamie, have you gotten any emails? Please respond via email. Thanks, love, j & m
10 Mamahops // May 21, 2007 at 7:22 am
Jon and Mariluz; I tried to respond to your post via email, but your addy that you posted with bounces. Here’s what I tried to send you, “Yes, we are all quite fine other than Pike who wants to settle down and
I have not received any
Mom who wants to get on the road already!
emails from you guys that I can recall. I believe that Jamie has
though. I’ll try to light a fire under his ass. Is there anything I
can answer?”
11 Mamahops // May 21, 2007 at 7:24 am
Jody, I’m SO JEALOUS!!! I have always had a dream to sail around the oceans (Well, the warm ones :)) but have never been a sailor. Many many congratulations! I’m so excited for you guys.
Here are some blogs you might be interested in:
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/marihalojen/
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/sailingtwins/
http://www.thecruisinglife.com/?page=family/family
12 Mamahops // May 21, 2007 at 7:30 am
THanks everyone for the support and advice; I think that there may be someone who could get it in and probably a forklift might, but I’m looking for easy in and out so we can evacuate should need be; I don’t want to be manuvering for hours while under evacuation. I think our best bet is to put a trailer in there permanently and that is what we would be doing to sell it anyway.
The original owners had a long, large 5th wheel in there but there was no palapa beside or in front of it at the time. Made for much easier manuvering.
13 Mamahops // May 21, 2007 at 7:31 am
MB, thank you for that blog! Whatcha doing in OK? We’re still planning on heading up the East coast of Mexico to Texas and then over to CA and hope we can figure out how to meet up; either on our way out of MExico or back in at the end of the year.
14 Michelle // May 21, 2007 at 8:53 am
now you’ll have room for LOTS of guests.
15 Dr Paul // May 21, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Well, Kitty, I just figured it out! You’ll recall another occasion when you tried and tried to pull straight out of a camp in Mexico, and then had to back out:
http://www.lazydazers.com/index.cfm?fa=ShowItem&ID=1881
PaaMul/Palapa is just the opposite! You should pull straight in, NOT back in. That will work, but I’m still working on how to get your van out
love, papa
16 MB // May 21, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Kath, we’re going to OK to help out on the June 23rd Principal Chief election. Eric’s Cherokee, and has been handling the web presence of one of the candidates, so I said, well, what the heck, let’s just go. We need to have our warranty work done in Indiana this summer, so kill two birds with one stone. Right now, we’re camped on the Colorado in at Lee’s Ferry in AZ, having spent the day on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I’m so happy to be travelling again, after so many months stuck in SoCal for Eric’s work.
I hope you’re able to work out something which makes everyone happy, yourself included.
17 Laelah // May 23, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Waiting patiently(well not really but)for the next entry. Love your blog!
Debbie
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