Our Hotel

Updates

The El Crucero Update section is the collected ravings of the various individuals fortunate enough to share our adventure. Almost all is unembellished fact. We reserve the right to poetic license if it suits us. Some may find this a personal ego page, or maybe a place to complain and let it be known about the process of relying on the trust of some. Or worse, the true character and integrity of some of the past players in this hotel. As goes down a spoonful of castor oil, it may be tough for some to swallow. I offer my sincere apologies to those who may take offence at my expose' of these truths. But if the shoe fits...Fact is that we are here to do business, and continue the great tradition that is "El Crucero". By the way, the hotel is for sale for anyone interested. Just e-mail me. We plan to officially list it next year some time. But more on that later. Oh, and the links to the left and below the text, don't work so well. I am still learning how to use the web building program. I'll get it it though.

If you care to see the pictures that are posted more or less independently from the updates, go check out the gallery

a new beginning | the first year | making contact | full service
no war | summer | union | wander | telenovela

Part 1: A new beginning: Too many of our friends ask, "What the hell were you two thinking?" Well...lemme see. All I can say is read on.

Hello to all visitors, past, present, and future. For those who don't know yet, the hotel is under new ownership. We would like to introduce ourselves officially in these pages. We are an American couple from Mendocino County. Small town Northern California. We are Mark and Sharon Gowan. Of modest means and depleted bank account, we have taken this plunge into the belly of the beast known as "Conducting business in Mexico". (Insert pulp detective show music here).....da da darrrr!!!!

How and why we got here, as well as our trials, tribulations and adventures will be found on this page. The old notes and funky ramblings of the past owners will slowly be replaced by our own brand of rant. To assure all, Hotel El-Crucero will remain a great destination for the budget minded traveler to Tulum. Quality, great service and a continued dedication to all of the great people who walk through our doors is our primary goal. The gardens are beautiful, the atmosphere relaxed, the rooms comfortable and clean. We take great pride in our manager Eulogio, and the great staff we have put together. After a very rough start, we are here and continue to repair, upgrade, and live a great life as expats in our new home, Tulum.

a new beginning | the first year | making contact | full service
no war | summer | union | wander | telenovela

Part 2: The First Year

So we are approaching the end of our first year here. Lots of changes and growing pains. I will try and rewrite this from journals and memory the best that I can. Getting to this point... all I can say is the trip was pretty hairy at times!

So we packed our truck, said our goodbyes and hit the road to Tulum. The drive started out quite fun. We planned our route and figured that allowing for only driving during the day; we would make it to Tulum in 7 days. Our first stop was central California. The slow twisty roads to get to the interstate took up most of the day. Being newlyweds and our honeymoon was to be the trip. We treated ourselves to a posh stay at Harris Ranch Inn in Coalinga California. We figured it was going to be a long time before we enjoyed a great steak again. The hotel restaurant serves up world famous Harris ranch beef. We enjoyed our evening and with stars in our eyes, talked of the exciting trip ahead. We awoke very early the next morning and headed to our next destination, Tucson AZ. Reality started catching up to us. We were very tired and checked in to The Best Western. We dragged our weary butts to a restaurant called the "Roadhouse" The walls were covered with cool junk. Stuffed armadillos, rattlesnakes and such. Kind of a Hard rock cafe gone shooting sort of place. Lots of cowboy hats and tobacco stains. The food was good, the beer gratefully cold. Alas we were getting cranky and went to sleep a bit angry at each other for some minor offence. Don't even remember what. Just road weary slip of the tongues. We awoke the next morning and checked in with the staff at the hotel via Skype. Silly arguments were brewing between Our Manager Marisol, and the rest of the staff. The place was still running and we were told to hurry "Home"... It was here in Tucson that we watched CNN and learned of a Hurricane named "Wilma". It's projected path, the Yucatan. We crossed our fingers and hoped for the best.

We fueled the truck, and hit the road again. Our intended destination Texas. The drive through New Mexico was quiet. The stress of the looming bitch goddess Wilma, and a sense that all was "Not well" at the hotel topped off with the drive, lost us to useless angry thought. Breaking the tension we stopped at a few knick knack tourist shops along Interstate 10. More stuffed armadillos, rattlesnakes and Native American art. I enjoyed all of the firework stands. Super markets is more like it! I drooled in boyish glee. caressing lovingly the multicolored wrappers containing the forbidden fruit of my youth. If I was not headed to Mexico, I am sure I would have spent a fortune. Sharon bargained for an armadillo with a lonestar beer can in it's claws. The owner would not budge. So lucky us, no fireworks and no taxidermy humor. Made it out with a touristy shotglass. We pressed on. The landscape began to change from flat to beautiful red rocks. Piled high, these boulders looked as though they were placed by some huge giant. Zen formations of impossibly stacked rock called to us. We stopped at a rest stop to snap a few pics. The balancing acts of nature, it is truly a sight! Just down the road we stopped again and took a few pics of Sharon doing her best Marilyn Monroe ala boulders. Lourdsville New Mexico found us snapping pics of Border control vehicles and their dog catcher boxes. I could not imagine human beings being shoved into these little spaces on a hot day. But then I can imagine Mexican prisons and the conditions faced by Americans there. Humanity is needed on both sides. But that is for another story. More fuel and washed the truck, onward to Texas.

Upon arriving in El Paso TX we found that the cruise control on the truck was not functioning. We found a hotel that was close to a dodge dealer. We stopped in and decided to schedule a repair. The maintenance manger assured us that it would be a quick fix. And that if I dropped the truck off by 7 am the next morning he would have us out in 2 hours. Great! But it was not to be. We spent about 6 hours the next morning waiting for the truck to be fixed. Hitting the road way behind schedule we realized, the truck still suffered the same problem. It got real quiet again. I should be writing a new chapter on how the Dodge dealer and Texas almost destroyed our marriage! Sharon wanted to go back, I am too stubborn. I was so angry at the wasted time, nothing nice could be said. We pressed on in silence. It was also the day Wilma gained intensity and pointed herself towards the Yucatan. The projected path showed her going right over Tulum! It looked as though we might be out of the hotel business before we started. Topping all of this off we lost contact with El-Crucero. And to just show us how funny fate was, we got stuck behind a cattle truck. As if the smell was not bad enough, a rock took flight from the back of a cattle truck, bounced off the road and took a nasty chip out of the windshield. Aside from the hum of the tires and the blood pounding in my ears it got really really quiet.

Twilight founds us pulling into tiny Kerrville TX and the Sunday House Inn. This turned out to be our bright spot of the day. We checked in and headed straight for the bar, "Casa de Aqua". We met two fantastic local women Sarita and Linda, as well as the manager/bartender Ken. In true Texas hospitality they warmed our hearts and our livers. The flaming butterscotch drinks are dangerous! We had a great time and they are responsible for "Healing" our road rash. We slept very well. Thank you Kerrville for pointing us back in the right direction! We woke to the news that Wilma was pounding the Yucatan. Our anxiety increased as we learned that Wilma was the biggest hurricane to hit in history. At least we were safe, but we worried for our staff and new friends in Tulum. We pressed on headed to our next destination, Brownsville Texas and the border crossing point.

We had traveled about 3000 very hard miles. In passing through Kingsville Texas we saw another Dodge dealer. We decided it would be a good idea to change the oil in the truck. The people in Kingsville were also very friendly. Not only did we get a quick oil change, but we got the windshield repaired. Under 2 hours! Thank you very much Kingsville. We then drove the short distance to Brownsville. We checked with the local tourist info center to learn about the best border crossing and directions. The info was very confusing, and not quite right. We checked into a hotel within 10 minutes from the border. Glued to the news we watched the same agonizing replays of the size and scope of Wilma. We had no contact with the staff or Tulum in general. We wondered if it would be better to stay put, rather than risk driving all the way to find a wind swept and water logged pile of our dreams. Sleep did not come easy. We awoke and put on our brave faces and headed into Mexico.

Following the advice of the Texas tourist office, we found the bridge, paid our toll and boom, we crossed over into Matamoros. Damn that was easy. No one stopped us and wanted to see our papers, no check or inspection station, no nothing!...Oh boy! So we drove and drove and realized we were hopelessly lost in Matamoros. We found the right road finally. There is a check point ahead. Cool. We are 20 miles into Mexico and headed in the right direction...NOT. The man at the check point asks to see our tourist papers and Permit for the truck. UM..."Don't we get that from you?" "NO!" , you my friends are in Mexico illegally! My stomach started to hurt and this uncontrollable twitch started in my left eye. "Riiiight". "So how do I get legal" He says, "Turn around and go to the border checkpoint". We told him we drove across the bridge, paid the toll and..."Wrong! do it again!" So we drove around Matamoros for about 3 or 4 hours, looking for this elusive entry point. Seeing a large water tower looking thingie in the distance. And knowing it was by the point we needed to be at, we made our way to it. Sure enough, we found it! "Let's get legal! We parked the truck, Went into the offices to pay our fees and get outta there. OK we have our papers, lets get on the road. We watched as cars were waved past, cool. We, on the other hand were waved into a stall. We need your papers, open the truck. "What are you carrying?" Tools, bikes, clothes, generally stuff needed to live and run a hotel in Tulum. "Right", please unpack the truck. "AW CRAP!" It took me a day to fit everything in there. It was perfect. A virtual puzzle of STUFF. With all of our stuff laid out for inspection, they made a list. Then they found my 4 bags of organic potting soil....Bad idea on my part. They brought a supervisor, who informed us that we could not bring fertilizer into the country. It is sterilized dirt. "How do I know that sir, I am not a farmer". Whatever, we will just leave it here or throw it out. "No you must take it back to the US side." "You are kidding right!".."NO, but let me get the agricultural inspector, he can approve this. We were told to repack the truck and wait. And wait, and wait. A very kind older Mexican man came to our aid and tried to tell the growing band of border control people that it was dirt, safe, and proved it by opening one of the bags and repeatedly putting a small amount of it on his tongue....Nothing like a bit of bat guano to get your day started! The brave deeds of this man, risking tooth and gum for some gringo strangers had no effect on the uniformed civil servants and protectors of the health and safety of Mexico. I surely would not want to upset the purity and cleanliness of Mexico by planting some flowers where piles of trash once stood. Finally another "Supervisor" came out and said everything is fine, you just need to go in and pay tax on the goods you are bringing in. Remember, these are all used tools and clothes and such. About $500 US dollars...."What!?" My camping tent was assessed as a "House" Sharon just about blew a gasket. She stomped off into the maze of offices. I was unaware of just how well she could curse in Spanish. Again I waited and watched as uniformed public protector after another casually walked by in two's and three's, giggling and rolling their eyes as if to say, "Just pay the money and they'll let you go dumbass". Sharon finally emerged from "Casa del shakedown". Somehow, she managed to talk them down to $50. She came out with a smile on her face saying it was alright, and that the lady would be out to let us go. NOT!...Another "Supervisor comes out, looks at our list and tax receipt and asks us to unpack the truck again. The issue of the dirt came up again. We needed an agricultural permit now. And that of course would cost some money...AW CRAP! I unpacked and we waited an additional few hours, and finally another "Supervisor" came out...."You can go". Did not look at the dirt at all" Just told us to pack and go. Viva Zapata has left the building! So we finally, after about 6 hours, made it through the border. Again we were lost. We passed a military check point, which did not stop us. But we pulled over a few hundred yards past them to check our map. The compass on the truck had us going in the wrong direction. Ok so we turn around. Heading back towards the dreaded military check point....The excitement on their faces was obvious. They waved us over. Young boys with FALs and AR-15s switched on full auto encircled the truck. "Here we go". In rapid fire Spanish, the captain stepped to the window, "Where are you going? Where have you been? Where are you papers? Drugs? Guns? maybe you got some porno?" I replied "Um...estoy perdido? Or is it perdida?...crap! We are lost!!! Sharon coolly unbuttoned the top button of her blouse. Turned to the Captain, blinked her beautiful eyes and repeated, "Estoy perdido" The captain was very cool. He pulls out a broken car antenna. Opens it like as a low tech pointer and coolly shows us on the map. You are here, "Whack on the map, you need to be here, Whack"...okie dokie!...we are outta here. Finally on the right road out of town we pass a Holiday Inn. We realize that we were never going to make our next destination before dark, so we turned around and checked into the Hotel. It was quite luxurious. And more important, had a bar! The people were very friendly. Marco Antonio, the manager sat with us and we talked of our adventure up to that point. We watched CNN in the bar. Wilma was beating the crap out of the Yucatan. He convinced us to stay an extra day as our intended route might not be possible. He helped us plan a new route bypassing Merida and Cancun, cutting across to Chetumal. Thank you very much Marco! We relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. As much as we could although we still had no contact with the hotel.

We awoke early and got on the road to our next intended destination Poza Rica. The landscape changed from flat dingy city, to mountains. The road was very bad. Pot holes and very narrow lanes, coupled with huge semi trucks coming at us very fast. Steep drop offs with no where to go but down. Lagging behind Semi trucks, axles bent, wobbling 5 miles an hour. With no opportunity to pass for miles, our drive slowed to a crawl. Finally down out of the hills the road opened up a bit. Toll roads...just a quick note on toll roads. You pay the toll for the chance to drive on a modern highway at decent "Get you there speeds". Truth is, the road is great for about 2 miles, then it turned back into huge pot holes and constant construction slow downs.

We enjoyed the beauty of the landscape high in the hills. Tiny villages exposed themselves through jungle clearings. Most with unpronounceable names, that would bend your tongue. Barefoot children standing in the road at the speed bumps or “Topes” that mark the entrance and exit to their hometown passed by on either side of us. The children offering bags of sliced mangos, pineapple, pumpkin seeds. Honey offered in old beer and soda bottles. Capitalism in its raw form, I thought that this was poverty. Realizing that, this for them was life. These children here in the hills know of no other life. The towns were green and litter free. No MTV or Sony play stations here. Also no school shootings and senseless kid on kid violence. Survival and family seem to be the rule of the land. Perceptions changed, we filtered down the hills awestruck.

Coming down again to flatland the Poza Rica city limits sign just ahead. No problems, this should be easy. We pulled out our Best Western Guide and looked up the directions and address. It was just getting dark, and the streets were starting to fill with masses of people. We found the street that we were looking for kept eluding us. We would get on it, only to find that it dissolved into an odd triangular intersection pointing us away from our destination. It was really getting dark, and you could barely drive as the pedestrians reveled in samba and fiesta. We drove around in circles completely lost and frustrated. Also a bit loaded with anxiety over our ability to continue moving. A police officer was directing traffic ahead. Of course this was the 8 th or so time we passed him. We pulled over, double parked to ask him directions. He spoke very fast and we still looked lost to him. He tells me to unlock the doors……”Oh Jeeze”….”We are so Screwe…” He opens the rear door and jumps into the back seat. OK he says, drive. Left, ahead, Left, Left, stop. We are here! We realized we had driven past the hotel several times and just not noticed it. We were never more than a block away the whole merry go round! The cop jumped out and politely said enjoy your stay and walked off. I Jumped out of the truck and was so relived. I chased him down the street and pushed a 500 peso note at him. He refused, but I insisted. I told him that he saved our lives and we were very grateful. I made him take the money as I told him in my poor Spanish, “For your refreshments”. He smiled and shook my hand and disappeared into the crowded night. Thank you to whomever you are. And I am sure you still tell the story of the wild eyed gringos in the big truck whom you helped drive around the block for $500 pesos. And to people who think all Mexican cops are bad or corrupt, don’t.

So the stay overnight in Poza Rica was nice. We had a quick dinner and watched a baseball game between the Astros and the White Sox in the “Sports bar” at the hotel. The owner is an ex major league player and has the bar tricked out with memorabilia and photos. Was a little taste of Americana. But then again we are all Americans. North, Central and South. I think far too many people forget that. We all live in different countries with different ideals and goals. But we are all Americans. We slept like bayou hound dogs on a sunny porch.

Awaking a bit late we were off again. Getting out of the city was easy, as we had toured it enough the previous night to know how to get back to the main road headed south. We made it about 20 miles out of town and were once again confronted with the “Dreaded military checkpoint.” This was getting old and routine….we thought. This group of soldiers looked a bit scruffier than the others we had encountered. They cased the truck, looked at our papers, and waved us on. Just as I was about to start the truck, the Captain stopped me and asked me to get out. “Pop the hood”. So I popped the hood latch and they went through the engine compartment. Opened my air cleaner box and gave me a thorough inspection. I guess we passed. I latched the filter case and closed my hood and they waved us off. Advise to any and all, don’t even think about bringing anything illegal into this country. Something tells me you will be caught. And having driven by a Mexican penitentiary, it can’t be worth it. The soldiers are just doing their jobs, making us wet our pants in fear, over nothing.

On the road headed to Vera Cruz. It was pretty uneventful, more treacherous road and hills. We passed through more little towns and topes. The land started to flatten out. We started to notice a big shift to industrial landscape.

We made our way through Vera Cruz. A big port city, Vera Cruz is a vacation destination for Mexican Nationals. Offering bright lights, double decker party busses and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. We pulled into a very nice hotel on the edge of the Gulf. It was pretty posh. Probably a bit too much for us, but after reaching our halfway point it was time to relax a bit and screw our heads on. This was accomplished with copious amounts of swimming, eating and drinking. We tried to call El-Crucero several times that night with no luck. The drive this day was short, so we had plenty of time to play bourgeois tourists, all the while biting back the creeping fear that we had no hotel in Tulum.

We awoke the next morning and with still no contact with El-Crucero. Combined with our road fatigue we chose to stay one more day in Vera Cruz. We had come this far, so there was no turning back. The road conditions and reports coming out of Cancun were ominous. We thought it best to stay put. We made a weak attempt at enjoying our stay.

The following day over breakfast, we finally made contact with the hotel. We were overjoyed to hear that everyone was safe and ok. The hotel had taken a good thumping, but the staff was busy putting things back to together. The spirits sounded high, but there was a desperate request for water, food, and if possible a generator for electricity.

With a renewed sense of brevity, we quickly checked out of the hotel and decided to head for Villahermosa to purchase the needed supplies.

The road to Villahermosa was smooth sailing. We found a toll road that was pure pleasure to drive. A major 4 lane highway, no potholes and little traffic, finally we could “Put the pedal to the metal”. It took us very little time to reach the hotel in Villahermosa. After check in, we hailed a taxi to take us to “Costco.” The cab driver was very friendly and agreed to wait while we shopped. We decided to buy batteries and the generator, and save the food shopping until we reached Chetumal. It was a challenge to fit the generator into the small cab, but we made it fit. Back to the hotel, we repacked the truck to allow for the generator. That was a challenge in itself, as the truck was loaded to the gills already. We had a quick dinner and decided to get to bed early to make the last leg of the journey the next day to Tulum. We slept and woke early and hit the road.

The trip between Villahermosa and Tulum was a nail biter. The road is very narrow in most places. This is where we started noticing massive truck and heavy equipment traffic coming and going to the “Wilma” plagued state of Quintana Roo. Also heavily predominate were the convoys of military trucks and mobile food kitchens headed in our direction as well. Once again and for the last time we were stopped by the Military. Sharon was wearing a pair of Camouflage pants this day. The young soldiers were intrigued and the emphasis was not so much on the inspection of our goods, as was the offer to swap pants with Sharon. She politely declined and nervous laughter was had all around. With banjo music dancing in my head, I could only think of Ned in “Deliverance”. This was the “Sticks” out here in the backwoods of Mexico. Smiles and waves and we were off again. Hitting the main highway 307 to Tulum was a relief. For about a minute. The road was very narrow. More so than any we had encountered. It may have been due to the huge trucks coming at us at top speed combined with the encroaching darkness. The jungle loomed on either side of us threatening to swallow us into oblivion with one wrong move, or by cause of the crazed truck drivers rocketing towards us. What used to be fingers and wrist, quickly turned to numb dead meat as I clutched the steering wheel. We came upon a small town with a small store. We bought their entire supply of rice, beans, water and such. I know we made their day. We explained where we were going, and the owners just shook their heads. “Why”? That did not seem a comforting response. Just down the road we needed to stop for gas. Dread overtook us as the lines at the pump were 20 deep, with the military keeping order and directing desperate looking drivers to pull this way and that. Another bad sign of what was down the road? By the time we filled and pulled away from the pump, darkness had fallen and we still had about another 75 miles to go on the road to purgatory. My eyes burned in tandem with my muscle and bone. Most accidents occur within miles of home statistics say, we were ripe.

Finally the jungle opened up and the sign appeared “Tulum”! As we pulled through town we assessed the damage. The lights were all on, people were sitting at the cafes, there was no apparent damage. It looked as though it was just another night in the pueblo. People eating, talking and laughing!? “What gives”? Sharon and I decided that we would stop at the store and pick up some beer as we certainly deserved it. Tired and thirsty, crazed look upon her face she made her way to the beer coolers in the store. The heavens opened up and the trumpets blared glorious as she reached into the cooler and grabbed two six packs of frosty goodness. Triumphantly she walked to the counter to be met with amazed expressions of the cashiers. “Are you crazy, you can’t buy beer” they declared. Since the hurricane started and until lifted there was a ban on all alcohol sales in the state.

NOooooooo! Sharon left the beer on the counter and left the store, staccato laughter pummeling her back on the way out. Fine ok, 5 minutes to the hotel, and we must have some beer there. The power is on here, it must be at the hotel. Alas it was not to be.

We pulled into the hotel parking lot and it was dark, very dark. And empty. The damage was immediately noticeable in the dark. The foliage which used to envelope the hotel was missing. We were met by our security guard, who greeted us warmly, declaring that much had happened and much to say. We checked the kitchen with no roof and obvious water damage for even a warm beer. None was to be found. Seeing the thirst on our white faces, the guard directed us to one of the rooms. Here we found our booty! The staff had stored equipment and the liquor here. Two shot glasses a bottle of tequila and a warm 6 pack were to be our blanket and teddy bear. We sat and got mildly drunk and wondered what the morning light would bring. We went to sleep and did not wake until the sounds of saws and laughter stirred us from our musty nest.

a new beginning | the first year | making contact | full service
no war | summer | union | wander | telenovela

Notes from Sharons journal detailing our drive back to California before I try to get back up to date.

DRIVING BACK TO CALIFORNIA – WHAT WERE WE THINKING!

DAY ONE, JUNE 19TH, 2007
AHH, THE DAY WE LEAVE OUR BEAUTIFUL HOTEL, THE BEAUTIFUL BEACH, OUR WONDERFUL FRIENDS, AND THE GREAT DESIRE TO GO BACK TO CALIFORNIA, OUR HOME AND THE GLORIOUS FOOD AND WINE, WHICH ONE MIGHT NOT APPRECIATE UNLESS THEY’VE BEEN WORKING IN MEXICO FOR TWO YEARS…HOME SWEET HOME. 

BUT FIRST!  A DRIVE TO BELIZE TO GET A NEW REGISTRATION FOR OUR TRUCK, BIG BLUE….SOMETHING THAT GENERALLY SHOULD TAKE TEN MINUTES, BUT HERE, IN MEXICO, TAKES HOURS AND HOURS – SO BRAVELY WE DROVE TO BELIZE, A TOWN FILLED WITH HUNDREDS OF TRUCKS AND CARS AND PEOPLE, BUT WITH OUR LITTLE ANGEL ON ONE OF OUR SHOULDERS, WE FOUND A PARKING SPACE, A GREAT GUY CAME RIGHT OVER, GRABBED MARK, LEFT ME ALONE IN THE TRUCK, TO GUARD OUR PRIZE POSSESSIONS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS BASURA.  LO AND BEHOLD, TWENTY MINUTES LATER, I SEE A RARE SIGHT, MY HANDSOME HUSBAND COMING BACK TO BIG BLUE, PAPERS IN HAND….NOW THAT THERE, FOLKS, IS JUST DUMB LUCK OR REALLY GOOD KHARMA…EITHER WAY, OFF WE GO.

OFF WE GO TO BACALAR, A LARGE, BEAUTIFUL LAKE WHICH I HAD VISITED BUT MARK HAD NOT – QUIET, SERENE, EVERY COLOR BLUE AND GREEN IMAGINABLE SHOWS UP ON THIS INCREDIBLE HISTORIC SITE.  OUR HOTEL, THE LAGUNA HAD A FABULOUS VIEW, THE FOOD MAS Y MENO, SAME WITH SERVICE – I PREFER HOTEL CAROLINA, BUT THEY WERE FULL, BUT HECK, WE ACTUALLY HAD A FULL DAY OFF FROM WORK, OUR HOTEL, MARGARITAS AND ESSENTIALLY OUR ONE DAY VACATION. WE THANK OUR LUCKY STARS!

DAY TWO – THE HIGHWAY TO HELL, AKA AC/DC WHICH WAS TOTALLY APPROPRIATE!
OUR DESTINATION AND THOUGHT PROCESS IS OUT OF MEXICO IN FOUR DAYS – NO STOPPING FOR FUN ETC.  I WAS SO HOPING FOR A COUPLE OF TREATS TO TAKE HOME IN THE TRUCK, BUT NO SUCK LUCK.  ONCE YOU ARE ON HELL HIGHWAY, YOU DON’T EVEN WANT TO PULL OVER TO TAKE A PISS – HUGE TRUCKS ARE CONSTANTLY COMING AT YOU ON SMALL TWO LANE ROADS, WHILE OTHERS ARE ON YOUR ASS – IT’S A CONSTANT GAME OF CHICKEN, AND I DON’T RECOMMEND IT FOR ANYONE – BUT, MARK AND I HANDLED IT WELL, PLAYED MUSIC AND KEPT OUR EYE ON THE PRIZE – HOME!  WE DID GET A COUPLE OF ROADS THAT ARE CALLED CUOTA’S,PAY ROADS, WHICH ARE SOMETIMES FOUR LANES, SMOOTH AND A REAL BREAK FROM THE CONSTANT GRIP ON THE STEERING WHEEL-FIFTEEN HOURS LATER, WE ARRIVE IN VERACRUZ, IT’S DARK, IT’S BIG AND WE’RE FREAKIN’ TIRED – FOUND A GREAT  HOTEL, THE COSTA INN, $78, REGULARLY $120 – VERY PLUSH AND MUCH NEEDED.

DAY THREE, JUNE 20TH, ON TO TAMPICO – IT SOUNDED SO SIMPLE.  WE DECIDED TO DRIVE A BIT PAST TAMPICO TO A SMALL PUEBLO CALLED ALTAMIRA, RECOMMENDED BY  ANOTHER TRAVELER,WHICH WE WOULDN’T DO IN THE FUTURE – DON’T FORGET, ALL THESE TRIPS INCLUDE AT LEAST TEN MILITARY STOPS PER DAY, INSPECTION POINTS, AND LOTS OF HUGE MACHINE GUNS ETC.  THESE GUYS WERE ALWAYS KIND AND GRACIOUS TO US, BUT IT ALWAYS GIVES YOU THE HEEBIE JEEBIES, JUST LIKE LOOKING IN YOUR REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SEEING A COP CAR – YOU CAN BE PERFECTLY STRAIGHT, HAVE INSURANCE AND KNOW ALL IS WELL, BUT WHY IS IT, YOU HANDS ARE ALWAYS SHAKING AFTER THEY HAND YOU BACK YOUR GREEN CARDS, WHICH IS ALWAYS A PLUS!
SO, AFTER A GRUELING HOUR OF TRYING TO FIND OUR BELOVED BEST WESTERN INN, GOING AROUND AND AROUND WE ARRIVE. NOW, IN MY OPINION, AFTER TEN OR MORE HOURS ON THE ROAD WHAT DOES A REASONABLE PERSON REQUIRE MOST?  YOU GUESSED IT, A CERVEZA.  YOU SAID WHAT!  NO WAY, IT’S A DRY BEST WESTERN – DEPRESSION SETS IN, YOU REALLY THINK YOU’VE LOST YOUR MIND (WHICH WE ALREADY HAD) – BUT LOW AND BEHOLD ACROSS THE STREET IS A OXXO (HUG KISS KISS HUG) STORE KINDA LIKE A SEVEN ELEVEN – BEER THEY HAVE, BUT TOOTHPASTE THEY DON’T HAVE, SO DAY TWO OF NO TOOTHPASTE. THANK GOOD FOR TRIDENT WHITENING GUM!
AGAIN, BEER, TV AND OFF TO BED FOR DAY NUMBER FOUR……

DAY FOUR, JUNE 21ST, SUMMER SOLSTICE – WE HAVE TWO IMPORTANT DETERMINATIONS TODAY – ONE IS TO GET A PICTURE OF US UNDER THE TROPIC OF CANCER SIGN, WHICH WE HAD AN IDEA AS TO IT’S LOCATION AND WE FOUND IT GOT THE PICTURE AND OFF WE WENT.  WE ALSO SAW A CLASSIC MILITARY STAND AND WANTED A PICTURE OF THAT AS WELL – I DRESSED APPROPRIATELY FOR OUR ARRIVAL TO THE U.S. – PINK SKIRT, PINK TOP, PINK UNDIES, PINK SHOES ETC.   MARK WANTED A PICTURE OF THESE GUYS SO WE STARTED WALKING TOWARDS THEM IN THE MUD AND RAIN – THEY WAVED US AWAY, NO SURPRISE, OF COURSE.  ON THE WALK BACK, my CROC’S GOT CAUGHT IN THE MUD AND BEFORE YOU CAN SAY BOO –HOO I WAS IN THE AIR AND ON MY ASS IN A FOOT OF MUD AND WATER – SAVED THE CAMERA WITH MY RIGHT HAND, BUT BOY DID I HURT LATER – I’M SURE THE MEXICAN MILITARY IS STILL HAVING A LAUGH AT THIS SIGHT – LUCKY FOR ME WE WERE AT A TIENDA THAT ALSO HAD A DECENT BATHROOM AND SHOWER AND WITHIN MINUTES I WAS CLEANED UP, SHOWERED, SHIT AND SHAVED, AS THEY SAy AND OFF WE GO. WE STARTED DOWN THE ROAD AND THEN CAME THE RAIN, THE BLINDING RAIN, THE CHECK POINTS, THE ROADS AND HOURS LATER, MATAMORRAS, THE OTHER CITY FROM HELL!!! ROUND AND ROUND WE GO AND FINALLY SEE A THE SIGN,
UNITED STATES THIS WAY.   SMILES FINALLY ARRIVE ON TWO GRIM FACES, BUT LITTLE DID WE KNOW.  SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR.

AS FAR AS WE COULD SEE, THEY WERE Other TRUCKS WITH STUFF IN IT – THAT SURE AS HELL LOOKED LIKE US!  THIS COULD BE YET ANOTHER FIVE HOUR STOP, TAKE EVERYTHING OUT OF THE TRUCK ETC., ETC. –LUCKILY, OUR BORDER OFFICER NOTICED I WAS FROM NEW YORK AND SO WAS HE – “I LOVE NEW YORK” IS WHAT I’M THINKING.  WE CHATTED AND HE SAID, YOU’VE HAD A LONG TRIP, I TRUST YOU SO GOD BLESS AMERICA AND PLEAE HAVE A DECENT HAMBURGER FOR ME – WHICH IS JUST WHAT WE DID WHEN WE ARRIVED IN RAYMONDVILLE, TEXAS.  WHATTABURGER IS TWO MINUTES AWAY AND OFF WE WENT, ALONG WITH OUR BEER, BUDWEISER IN BOTTLES- LIFE IS GOOD!

DAY FOUR, JUNE 22ND, OUR FIRST WAKE UP IN THE GOOD OLD USA. WE DECIDED TO SPEND THE DAY HERE, HAVE BIG BLUE GET A GOOD TUNE UP AND CLEAN UP, REST UP AND GET READY TO TAKE ON TEXAS, THE STORMS AND RETURN TO OUR HOME IN LITTLE RIVER, CALIFORNIA.

Marks Journal:

Ok…….I am back! After a long absence I have been hounded to continue on with this saga. I was keeping a running log for awhile in word format, but I guess I was just too lazy or tequila soaked to upload it. So my punishment was, some months ago my hard drive crashed and I lost everything. It was like someone ran over my puppy. I was devastated. My first thoughts upon finally getting back here was to, (via my collection of incoherent ramble scrawled on bar napkins and humidity soaked journals) try to rebuild and backtrack to tell our story up to now. That is not going to happen. So jus’ put up with it and we’ll go back a bit every now and then, like another bizarre episode of “Lost” to not confuse the reader. If that is possible, but I swear on my collection of Zap comix I will try to keep regular here. So here goes! I hope you like it.

 “Flash forward to the future!” Wow what a fun trip. All those people, all those silly anecdotes, some nuttier than parrot poop! Wow that was fun. It’s now May 19, 2008 Fun flys when your doin time!

 So we are back at the helm after a few weeks in the states to take a small break after a successful “High season”.
 December 2007, and the throngs began appearing at our doors holding their Lonely planet guides in front of them as though they were a beacon to guide them to the gates of
Budget paradise. To our profound delight we saw many familiar faces returning to the Crucero this season. David and Rob, Team “Extraordinaire”. Probably two of the most inspiring people you will ever meet. Following the call of life and the rambling mans path through Mexico. They came for an extended travel and touched down at Crucero several times during their long journey. Thank you two very much and it was a pleasure to have you as official ambassador’s in our absence. Rob what an amazing metamorphosis you underwent. Shy wallflower to kickin playboy!  
 Tahoe James is in the house! James played a few gigs and is more or less a local fixture here and in Puerto Adventuras.  “Lickin dat sugar and makin em’ shake dat ass”!
 The warm tropical winds blew in scores of what I like to call “Budgies harem”, (If you have to ask, as Sharon would say in her best Hastings on the Hudson accent.  “Fa geta boudit”! OK ladies, if I miss one or misspell your name sorry…but here we go!!!!” Sheila bunny, with her charming wit and salacious grins! Eileen. Escaping the Midwest cold to be with old friends and familiar atmosphere.  Snuggling up at the “Five o’clock club table” and putting up with our sometimes incoherent tales and opines. Very patient I must say.  Heidemarie! Cave divers for Valhalla!  Regina! “ROCK N ROLL HOOTCHIE COO!”
 We saw the pilgrimage of a very talented man in the guise of an inner city teacher. A multimedia artist, designer and teacher with a cutting wit, brilliant smile and great heart. Oh and a coffee press. “Cause sanka is bad”. Hope to see you again to help the staff through another hurricane season. Keeping their spirits high and hanging with Eulogio.
 Enter the Mendo crowds and guests of Sidney.  I won’t go through all of the names here, just thanks for visiting us and bringing us everything from coffee and sunflower seeds to wine and our mail! Oh and to the Redding people….that race was fixed! Thanks for a great Daytona!  To Jo ann and Mita It was a kick, of course followed by the arrival of your girls and Bill and Derick. I am still recovering, and sorry about the cement mixers guys!  Holly and Diana, it was real kick to harvest the coconut and fill it with the “Bomb-diddly” concoction. We’ll keep some spares for you.
 There are far too many people that I am leaving out, and I am sorry, but I need to get up to speed with this tome. It is not my intention to omit any of you. You all are in our hearts and we hope to see you again soon.
 Flashback to current time. May 08.
Things around the hotel are very slow these days, so goes the season as usual. The heat, well it’s hot. With The humidity stifling and the plants thirsty, we broke down and ordered a water truck a couple of times to try alleviating their suffering.  Too close to hurricane season one does not want to pray for rain very loud. Tulum has undergone quite a lot of changes. The big hotels are pushing in. A major expansion of the main highway 307 from Cancun. Tulum is its’ own municipality now. The disappearance of Mirador and several other cheap and funky beach locales. Prices for goods and services skyrocket. While all of us small affordable hotels try to keep our heads above the water but below the radar, electricity and water rates have risen to points far beyond reach of some of us. Taxes have pummeled a few good people and places out of existence.  Some of the old color and charm of what was once a Mecca to backpackers is sadly on the wane.
 Not to say that it is still not a great place, because it is. The pure white sand and crystal blue water edging up to the coco palms will always be here. And as always, the staff here at El-Crucero will always keep a light on for the budget traveler while remaining true to the spirit of what El-Crucero is all about.  Ok enuff of the woe is me stuff.
  Of course the great staff at Cesiak is still here and going strong. Marilyn, Jamie and the dedicated and knowledgeable tour guides working for Cameron really give you bang for your buck and quality service. We have seen the addition of Maya dive center here at the hotel. Tim and his staff have been a welcome breath. GO CANADA! Eh. He’s all aboot the service too ya!
David Nunez and his partners with Mexiconservacion are under our roof and have opened an eco galleria selling items and objects d’art to help fund their many conservation projects.
 Lucy is here with a small convenience store to serve the multitudes of travelers that exit their ADO bus here to venture the ruins just down the road. She also runs tortas giganticas in Tulum. Selling these massive Cuban sandwiches that would feed 2 or 3 people. They are a very tasty experience. Just ask for directions and we will point you the right way.
 Oh and speaking of the spectacular Mayan ruins here, they just started a night show with lights and all. Could be good could be bad. I have my free passes here on the desk and will probably go in a couple of days. I’ll fill you all in on that later.
 We have finished a few projects and such here over the last few months. Brand new beds and mattresses in the dorms. (At 100 pesos, we are the best deal in town) Solar lighting along the garden paths just adds to the overall chill vibe of the hotel in the evening. Lots of hammocks and swing chairs have gone up here and there, providing little getaways for individuals, couples and group travelers.  Many seen lazily whiling away the spring, reading a book and swinging in the breeze. I have found it to be one of my favorite pastimes here and all being tranquil. But I must say the damn tavano horse fly that bugs me constantly is on my hit list. Living here on the edge of the jungle has its little crawlies.  Hilli and Lizmark do an excellent job of keeping the encroaching flora at bay to ensure the nuisance to our guests is at a minimum and what is normal and should be expected living here next to the jungle. “BRING YOUR BUG REPELLENT” a little goes a long way. Some people have read some of my passionate writing in response to a few of our more timid guests complaining on a popular travel review web site on this issue. Bugs happen. Period, get over it ya ain’t in Kansas I’m done talking about it.
 So “Pita” the cat is getting very fat. His pastime is laying on his back all fours in the air daring anyone to give his tummy a little scratch. He maintains a constant vigil over the reception area and grounds reminding the feral cats and Williams 2 cats S.K. and STFU. That he is in charge and it is his house. They all have been neutered and spayed of course and their vaccines up to date by Juan, our wonderful veterinarian in town. Ladies, if you require his services while staying with us for a straying boyfriend or husband, let us know we will point you in the right direction! Clean and cheap to boot!
Oh and for those not in the know the cat’s names are all acronyms. Just ask, I’ll tell you, maybe. It all depends on my perception of your sense of humor.
 Speaking of William, our “Diver in residence”, he is still here. Full of Aussie humor and spark he continues to be a fixture at the hotel and the five o’clock club. He is going to the states soon to look at a sailboat he bought. He is still putting together his plans to sail in the winds of the great pirates of the seas. For those of you that remember he was going to build a boat, decided to build a tender instead to see how much work it would entail. Also to gain valuable experience on what it takes to get specialized materials and hardware here in paradise. Well he decided to buy his boat instead let’s just keep it at that. I did encourage him to finish the tender though and paid him for his work. What we got was a functional handmade piece of art. The only problem was in me wanting the paint scheme to be red white and blue. I figured depending on the crowd we could please the French and the Americans. Anyway the boat is on display at the bar and we hope to christen her soon. The Sharona Corona.
 Isabell and Gloria are still here. Without their smiles and girly playfulness I don’t think Crucero would be the same.  They tag team the restaurant/bar in the morning serving up delicious meals to guests and travelers to the hotel and ruins. The night staff is new, but doing a pretty good job of fitting in and working to make Crucero friendly and accommodating.
Eulogio and Diego have been doing a great job of keeping the front end working quite efficient. Taking on bigger roles and keeping this gringo and gringa out of trouble.  Again it just would not be the same without them.
New t-shirt coming soon! Most people know that I am a rabid south park fan. I have created a poster and shirt to immortalize the Crucero team in south park characters. Of course because I suppose I could get sued for using Trey and Matt’s’ original ideas, the t-shirts are not for sale. But I have few for the “Preferred” guests of discerning taste. We even have our own “Kenny”! If you end up with one of these, covet it as it will be a serious collectable someday.  
 Well I need to take a break and since it is Sunday we will all be heading down to Tanka bay to go to Gary’s  place for Sunday Texas BBQ and a swim in the manatee cenote and snorkel the fantastic outlet at Casa Cenote.

poco a poco | hurricanes | free water | full service
no war | summer | union | wander | telenovela

Chapter 4: Full Service, Not All-Inclusive

So we

Your Friendly Innkeepers

poco a poco | hurricanes | free water | full service
no war | summer | union | wander | telenovela

Chapter 5: War will not come to El Crucero

Welcome cowboy are somewhat foggier. ----

poco a poco | hurricanes | free water | full service
no war | summer | union | wander | telenovela

Chapter 6: What did you do on your summer vacation?

To all our dear friends who swimming and it hasn't been the same since.

poco a poco | hurricanes | free water | full service
no war | summer | union | wander | telenovela

Chapter 7: The State of the Union
trade.

poco a poco | hurricanes | free water | full service
no war | summer | union | wander | telenovela

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

. . .and then there are those who are.

poco a poco | hurricanes | free water | full service
no war | summer | union | wander | telenovela