Gulf of Mexico Here We Come

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

The time is finally here.  For me, it is a long-awaited trip.  We'll be heading out for the Gulf Coast on Monday.  First stop will be Laredo, Texas, to pick up theRVv and spend the night at Casa Blanca State Park.  This will probably be our ritual every time we want to RV in the U.S.  A stop at our mailbox first to pick up some things we have ordered and then a rest for the night.

We'll be heading to South Padre Island and then hitting state parks along the coast.  We may have to backtrack to Port Aransas for the Annual Shimperee Fest in October.  I purchased the state park pass so that we have full hookups.  We'll be shopping for our power station or solar setup.  We're still undecided on which to choose.  If anyone is using a power station such as a Jackery, Bluetti, or a Pecron, drop some information in the comments section. 

We've had quite a bit of good news the last couple of weeks.  As you know, we finished the tiling on the roof terrace in San Miguel de Allende.  While we were gone, we noticed via cameras that the pool was losing a considerable amount of water.   We have had leaks over the years (don't ever have a pool; they all leak eventually).  Over the years, we have had the pool plumbing replaced; the light was suspect at one time, etc.  

We hired a company that specifically looks for pool leaks.  I was a bit skeptical but decided that we needed to do something.  It's a father and son team, and they really put on a show.  Scuba gear, pressure tanks, gauges, and all the extras.   After thre  hours, they showed us the two spots where it was leaking.   He did a temporary patch that he guarantees for one year.  From there, we will decide what t  do.  In the end, each morning it is refreshing (no pun intended) to wake up to see no movement in the water level.  

A little Mexican news update that will likely be in the history books soon:

The intersection of skyrocketing cartel violence in Quintana Roo and the severe allegations regarding former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) relationship with organized crime represents one of the most volatile and heavily debated aspects of recent Mexican history.

AMLO frequently criticized business groups, labeling them as part of a "neoliberal" establishment that concentrated wealth while neglecting workers.  He made the decision to create what we call "faroanic" projects that to this day have yet to yield any profitability; Tren Maya, AIFA (new airport or what we refer to as a warehouse), Tren Interoceanico (built to compete with the Panama Canal), Dos Bocas (refinery that has constant explosions and fires and produces very little), his IMSSBienestar that has drained the national healthcare system leaving it without cancer treatments for children, medicines, and supplies.

To build and manage these projects he bypassed local civilian police (who are highly susceptible to cartel bribery) and handing the airport, the railway, and their respective security perimeters exclusively over to the Mexican Military (SEDENA),  AMLO effectively insulated his crown-jewel infrastructure projects. Whether that military footprint was intended to genuinely suppress cartel violence or simply to guarantee that federal/military revenue streams went undisturbed remains the ultimate debate surrounding his leg.acy

While he publicly justified infrastructure projects as "national security," his broader security strategy, famously dubbed "Abrazos, no balazos" (Hugs, not bullets), drew heavy criticism as a non-confrontational policy that let cartels expand their territorial control unchecked. 

Hundreds of videos and reels are popping up all over the country of checkpoints along Mexico's highways.  Fake police, cloned patrol vehicles, government officials working along side them, are robbing people of their goods and money.  They are checking people's wallets and purses and taking half or more of the cash they have.  At the checkpoint in San Robert, along highway 57 south of Saltillo, if you don't pay they begin to dismantle your vehicle.  No pay, you can reassemble it yourself.  There are now small shops popping up there to help people do the work.  Talk about full circle.