Date:         Mon, 29 Dec 2003 10:19:40 -0800
Reply-To:     Phaedra Savage <psavage@MEXCONNECT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Phaedra Savage <psavage@MEXCONNECT.COM>
Subject:      Feliz Aņo Nuevo from Mexico
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Greetings List,
ĄCaramba!  This little beach town on the central Pacific coast of mainland Mexico, called Melaque, is gearing up for it's usual riotous New Year fiesta.  Nothing but parties from now until after the 1st of the year.  Sleep?  !Ni modoĄ -- no way!  Already the shrimp man has been round on his rusty bicycle, taking orders.  Iīm in for 2 kilos of fresh-caught Mazatlan prawns (complete with heads & shells--better flavor!)--equal to 2.2 lbs & costing a total of $10 US: my contribution to a playa feast New Year's eve.  

Unlike Mexico's central highlands--Old Mexico--colonial, architecturally divine, and conservative--coastal Mexico maintains a live & let live/anything goes philosophy & tolerance for scanty dress.  Since arriving a week ago, I've lived in flip flops, low-slung sarong, & tank top.  Balmy as day's are here in Melaque, nights beg for an un-zipped tropical-weight sleeping bag--perfect!  But believe me, groovy as all this is, it's really Old Mexico--the colonial highlands--I prefer in the long run.  In a few days, once I've recovered from New Year's fiestas, I'll sweep sand from my Westie, tidy my gear, and push on.  Not sure which route I'll choose heading southeast for Oaxaca--coastal highway or highlands?--I'll let whim decide.

For those who've followed my chronicles these past four years, I should tell you that I've added or changed only 2 pieces of gear to my spare set-up; since the upper berth mattress left my back aching, I stopped in Tucson before crossing the border, and bought a clever back packer's inflatable mat--ThermaRest--the largest, plushest model they make--on sale, luckily, for $110.  What a difference it makes!!!

Since I read a minimum of two hours every night in the upper berth, I've devised a good new  solution for reading light.  The previous three trips I'd carried rechargeable batteries and charger, but found I was replacing batteries too frequently.  Now I've exchanged that systtem for a simpler, less expensive system:  a sweet little Radio Shack inverter which plugs into my auxiliary battery to power a clamp-on lite & 40 watt bulb.  Works like a charm.  Every few days I top off the aux battery with my little .5 amp solar panel--voila!  

The solar powered, stainless, vent fan I installed in my skylight four years ago (from West Marine/$250) is performing perfectly and nice for sleeping near ocean surf--allows a gentle flow of air during the night without leaving bedding soaked with salt mist.  

It gets crazy here in Mexico around the holidays when Mexican families, too, are traveling and camping everywhere.  It's crowded here in the little beach front RV park, but everyone gets along beautifully.  Canadians outnumber Americans 25-1 this year I'd estimate--we all speculate as to WHY.  My guess is the economy, tho Canadians tend to believe Americans are afraid to travel since 9-11.  To me, this seems illogical.  I'm happy to be here & find that, except for the high cost of driving here, I actually SAVE money spending the winter south of the border!

Most of the year Melaque is but a sleepy beach town, but vibrant during the season.  Here one can buy imported batik sarongs from Bali, hand crocheted bikinis with a fringe shells, authentic Japanese tempura and sushi, Ray Ban sunglasses, 40 flavors of ice cream, French pastry, aged rum, and quality Mexican wines which rival those of N CA.  I bought a very fine Savaugion Blanc for $6 US--a wine of comparable quality in CA costing $20.  I'll carry a few bottles back with me to CA to taunt my vineyard-owning neighbors & winemaking friends.  

Hereīs the report on Mexican body work I recently had done:  The extent of the damagae was: sliding door dented badly over entire surface, & rear fender smashed and crumpled.  Also, back bumper was whacked and buckled.  I carried matching paint from CA, including quality primer and clear coat.  Total cost of body work and repainting (compared to the $1200 estimate) was only $136.  The work is excellent.  I paid $70 to have a fellow from the Mex body shop take the bumper off, and take to Guadalajara (an hour away by bus) for straightening & re-chroming: total for this job: $65.  

Had I REALIZED just how cheap and excellent bodywork here could be, I'd have brought enough matching paint for a complete re-do.  My van has it's original paint, still excellent--but there are HUNDREDS of stone chips--too many to tackle.  Far easier to repaint whole van.  

After all my concerns about my van's major power loss at altitude, it turns out, I think!-- that the mystery is solved:  My VW shop forgot to do the tune up!  The Mexicali Rose was in and out of the shop for weeks before I left: rear brakes, new master cylinders, replacement coolent hose, etc.  The tune up was requested, but overlooked.  I should have caught the error, but didnīt.  But no problema, a tune up should be easy to arrange in any town with a VW dealership.  So before I forge ahead upland and into the Sierra Madre mountains, the tune up is in order!!!

Got to dash--cerveza and a friendly poker game awaits under a shady beach palapa. The pelicans have arrived--thousands of them!--and put on quite a show along the surfline.  

Best Wishes to you all for the New Year.
More later,
Phaedra
MexiCali Rose '85 Wolfsburg Westie



 

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