RV Bumper Finally Repaired

Here is the story from our 11/29/14 blog, about the damage I did in the fog in Acayucan.

We left Catemaco early in a light rain and fog. The traffic was light. But getting on the cuota at Acayucan is a little confusing. Once before I took the wrong ramp. So this time we see the sign that says turn left for Villahermosa, so I do. But, in the fog I turned too soon. I’m driving down the out ramp not the in ramp. So I need to make a U-turn but there are 3 young Mexicans that tried to direct me.

I didn’t see the low guardrail while backing up, BANG, I hit the corner of my bumper, and the guardrail was so low that when I pulled forward it caught onto the bumper and pulled the corner of the fiberglass bumper out from the RV and also broke one tail light.  But, I finally got turned around and even with their help I managed to do another minor ding on the left hand bumper.

We made it out OK and into the correct turning lane which was about 50’ further down the highway. I guess when we get to our winter destination at Xpu-Ha we will need to have some fiberglass repair work done.

Right Side damage shown above, Left side is below.

We were missing both side marker lights, one tail light and a small fiberglass piece that the side drawer slides against. Before Christmas I wrote our RV manufacturer Phoenix Cruiser and had them ship the parts to my home so we could bring them back after Christmas with our family. The cost for everything with shipping was only $40. Love this company, they are easy to deal with and know what they are doing and their prices are very inexpensive.

Well in January we finally got a guy that repairs boats at Xpu-Ha to  stop by and agree to fix it. No price estimate was established.

A week ago Monday he finally showed and asks for some money to buy fiberglass supplies and started working on and off for the past 10 days. I took pictures as it finally all came back together.

He finally finished today and it looks great. His total cost including all materials was only $180 USD. Wow, I thought it would cost at least twice that. The best part was, he did it right in our campsite and we never had to go anywhere to have it repaired. I know in the USA it would have come out perfect but at what cost?

The weather here has been great in January. Most of the seaweed went away when the wind stopped. There is still a little coming ashore each day, but the beach workers quickly get it cleaned up at each business. We have had no rain. Daytime highs are in the low 80’s with lows around 65^oF. I got to paddle a few days again. One day I went surfing while we still had some big waves and last Sunday I paddled over to Puerto Adventuras when the ocean was dead calm. It’s about 3-4 mi each way.

Home for Christmas for 11 days, now back in MX

We are lucky that they have direct non-stop flights from Cancun to Cleveland. We flew again with United Airlines who had temporarily stopped their direct flights. Frontier Air is taking over some flights so for the time there are two options. The Cancun airport is only about an hour from our campground in Xpu-Ha. There is a ADO deluxe airport bus that leaves every 20 minutes from Playa del Carmen, and it only cost $10 USD per person. It starts at 5th Ave in Playa and drops you right at the door of the terminal. Same deal coming back.
At Playa, when we return we walk two blocks and catch a Tulum Collectivo (Shared Van), that only cost $2 USD per person to Xpu-Ha.

Our three beautiful daughters and handsome son. They are catching up to us in age.
Here is Peggy having fun opening a few gifts with a couple of grandchildren.

After a few more visits with friends we flew back on New Year’s Eve. United doesn’t fly everyday and that is the direct flight day, the plane was less than half full.

Back in Xpu-Ha

Wow what a crowd. Another good reason to go home over the holidays is to miss the Christmas Crowd. Lots of tents on the beach, hundreds of people jamming the restaurant parking lot. On the day we came back the day time visitors couldn’t even find a parking place. But finally by today, everybody has cleared out and things are back to normal.  EXCEPT FOR THE BEACH

We have NEVER seen the seaweed so bad. In December the beaches were beautiful clean white sand. Take a look and what happened.

In some places it is almost 2 feet deep. The poor workers at the hotels and restaurants work from morning to night trying to clean it up. The next morning the NE winds brings more in. On the far ends of the bay there is very little but right by us it is unbelievably bad. It makes our morning walk a real chore trying to find a place to walk the length of our bay. Each day we do a 2-1/2 mi walk and usually enjoy the changing shore line. Now we watch the poor workers haul away the unwanted vegetation.
The weather though has been great, no rain, sunny high 80’s but a little warmer at night than in December.