Victoria Rotary Experience

Thursday, March 5

For the first time since we entered Mexico, we needed to use the bed covers to keep warm. It’s quite a bit colder here at night.
We did not sleep well with all the noise of the trucks coming and going, and the back up alarms going off regularly.
At 6:00 am it seems to be rush hour. When I wake up I look out the window and all I see is thousands of tiny lights from the huge trucks all around us. Some are still parked, others are leaving.
I make some freshly squeezed orange juice for both of us and crawl back in bed for a while.
By 8:30 am, most of the trucks have left. We are also ready to leave and check around us if there are no more trucks blocking us. We’re clear and start the engine.
Ramiro makes one more check around the RV, while I make sure all doors and windows are closed and everything is secure. A big truck pulls up beside us and before we can even see the driver get out of his cab, he has already disappeared in the building. We’re blocked again.
We ask around where he may have gone. Some say: “He must have gone to the bathroom”. Another suggests: “He is having breakfast in one of the restaurants”.
Well, we’re not about to enter each bathroom, asking if the owner of the yellow truck is having a pee in there, nor will we check each of the six restaurants. Instead we go for a walk, while keeping an eye on the driver’s door. The word has spread fast and in a short time the parking police comes and checks out the truck. He seems to be looking for some kind of indication of where the driver may be. He starts to take down the phone number and there comes the driver, apologizing with many hand gestures. I jokingly suggest he buys us breakfast. He smiles and is out of there in no time, followed by us.
9:00 am is still a pretty decent time to leave we figure.

We won’t have to drive quite as far today. The sun has warmed up the air, and it’s already getting hot inside. I dressed for cooler weather and figure I better dress in layers, just like at home.

This toll road continues to Saltillo and is a busy trucking route from and into the US. We hardly see any passenger vehicles. We’re not going to Saltillo, we turn east and Entronque El Huizache, direction Ciudad Victoria.
This part of the country is not as populated as the west, where we have been the last two months. There is no agriculture and no cattle. Just cactus plants.
The ring roads around the cities here are also a lot more like ring roads should be. They are mostly light industrial and have a lot less traffic than what we have seen in the coastal cities, or even in Colima, where they already have a third ring road. This drive is a piece of cake, as far as we’re concerned. Even the free road is much wider.
We enter an area that appears to be inhabited by natives only. Giant signs along the road with pictures of animals, suggesting not to buy any animal products.
All along this stretch of about 5 kilometers, are shacks, made out of sheet metal cardboard and plastic, old shower curtains or bed spreads, cover the door openings. They shacks are slightly set back between the cactus trees. Closer to the road are poles stuck into the ground about 10 feet apart, with about five feet off the ground a string tied between them from which feathers, rabbit skin, horns and bones are hanging. Well, I suppose everyone needs to make a living.

This next road is not as easy going as what we’ve had so far. We’re now in the middle of nowhere, meandering through the mountains. Every now and then we’re stuck behind a large truck and must wait until it’s safe to pass, which isn’t easy when there is curve after curve. The truck drivers indicate when it is safe to pass, by flashing their left signals, what we do when we want to indicate that we are turning left. Could be confusing at times.

Every 20 km or so is a small community along the edge of the road, with dozens of speed bumps. We were just getting used to a steady speed without those darn things. So I can’t goof off and read or write my journal. I too need to keep my eyes on he road, if we want to keep the suspension of the RV in tact that is.
The only business we see along this road, is a mechanic shop, way out of nowhere. That’s where they’re needed most I suppose, because these roads are hard on the vehicles.
It is so dry and deserted here, I can almost imaging what the earth looked like before civilization.

The last hour before Victoria, is mountains and mountains and truck after truck, slowly climbing up the hills. Ramiro zooms past one after another. I need to remind him to cruise with a little slower pace. It’s not that he’s exceeding the speed limit or anything, but for the passenger it never feels as good as it does for the driver. We also need to keep in mind that we have a car behind us. It’s just one of those things us women like to nag their man about.

As we get closer to town I need to remind him a few times more to slow down. I know, we will need to make a turn soon.
But as we already know, sometimes Ramiro is like a little kid and doesn’t want to listen. Today especially, he’s just like my brother Fred.
We also know, that he does not read the signs and by the time I read the sign to him, indicating an important intersection coming up 500 meters from here, the directional sign to the left appears from behind the trees. He barely makes the turn and way too fast.
I hear the clatter of glass inside and suggest he pulls over right away. Luckily that opportunity exists.
With the high speed of the turn, one of the cupboards has swung open. Not just any cupboard, but the one holding the wine and the tequila.
The tequila bottle appears to be made of stronger glass than the wine bottle. The content happens to be RED wine. What a mess. I dump an entire package of Oxyclean in the sink, which I fill with water, and start washing the carpet in the bedroom. Ramiro cleans up the glass, which is everywhere, even in the kitchen and the bedroom. One hour later, the carpet looks better and the kitchen floor has never been cleaner. I still find wine splatters on the bathroom cupboards.
Ramiro, who still tries to put the blame on someone else by suggesting that wine bottles do not belong in the cupboard, receives a lecture about safety and speed. Sorry works if the floor can be cleaned, the glass sweeped up and hopefully the wine stains removed from the carpet and bedspread. But it does not do any good if someone gets hurt or killed. We’re actually able to stay calm discussing this issue. Hopefully another lesson has been learned.

There is suppose to be an RV park in Victoria and it’s like going through hell again trying to find it in this busy city. The low hanging trees rip off a vent on the roof and we barely miss the vehicles parked on the side of the road.
We ask at a taxi stands where to go and one of the guys offers to drive ahead of us to guide us there. Once he reaches the RV park, he pulls over and asks for 30 Pesos. Which is definitely worth the effort for us. The RV park is empty, we are the only campers. We like privacy, but today company would have been nice. The owner stops by later and decides to charge us 350 Pesos. “For what” we ask. “There is no service here. No internet, no security, no swimming pool”. “Oh, but my power is so expensive”. She cries. She just likes to take advantage of North Americans. Seeing our big rig, she figures we swim in the money. We end up paying 50 Pesos less, but decide to stay only for one night and not for two as we first thought we would. There is nothing to do here anyway other than a Rotary meeting, and it happens to be tonight.
We check the International directory and walk to Sorianas to buy some groceries and make some phone calls to confirm the meeting is on tonight.
Outside Sorianas we order a taxi for 8:15 pm. to pick us up at the RV park.

We dress up for Rotary meeting, but should have known better. We receive a very warm welcome. They do not receive visitors very often.
The meeting does not start until 9:00 pm. This is a very special meeting, with four clubs coming together. The District Governor is here and even the Mayor from Victoria. These are the only two wearing jackets, but they do not wear a tie.
Everyone is just wearing a long sleeved shirt with open collar. Another Rotary club with no femake members. They have no idea what they are missing.
I don’t think it is the members who don’t want women, it’s their wives. They are just jealous.

There are several speeches while wine, tequila and beer flows freely. Tiny totilla chips are set on the table, loaded with stuff. They taste pretty good, especially at this time of the night.
I take note of the recipe, which includes refried beans, cheese, guacamole and chorizo.
During the speeches cell phones go off and I notice several Rotarians checking their blackberries for messages, some are text messaging. Others are napping. How rude. This would never happen if they had woman in their club. Oh, pehaps that’s why they have no women? They will lose their freedom.

There is also a group of Rotaractors. This is a very special occasion, A new program is being launched. On Sunday March 29, Rotarians are invited to bring people who have not completed primary or secondary school. They will be given an opportunity to complete their education free of charge, sponsored by the three levels of Government. Sounds like a pretty good program to me.
A group of Rotaractors have also joined the meeting and half a dozen new Rotaractors are being inducted by the District Governor.
The meal is finally served at 10:30 pm, and after chatting with various people, one of the members offer to drive us home. It’s well past midnight when we turn in for the night.