Texas, the biggest state in the union, they say that everything is big in Texas. The first thing we found out on entering is that it is 880 miles across using the I10 interstate highway, all exits are numbered as mileage markers, and we entered at exit 880, we are now just off the highway at exit 847.
It has been an eventful and rewarding 3 days. We had telephoned ahead to make an appointment with a place to have the bike fixed, and as we were checking into the campsite, Jane asked the receptionist for a yellow pages to find more bike shops, Mary, (the receptionist) said she knew someone personally that would maybe fix it, so after setting up shop on the pitch she gave him a ring. Turns out he is her managers husband, he lives on the site and he could come and look at it the following morning, so we had a good laugh about that. He arrived in the pouring rain on Thursday morning as we were just about to start our free breakfast. He changed the plugs again and the damn thing fired right up, made me feel a right prat.
We were chuffed but perplexed as to why that worked again, so we eventually got our breakfast, not a full English, (diy fresh made) waffles, bagels, cheese, jam and cereals. If you want decent bacon and eggs, it has to be cooked in the RV, and we cook bacon properly anyway, Americans cook bacon crispy and it ends up like shrapnel all over the table.
I mentioned on the blog how we look small compared with most vehicles out here, well we were well chuffed when a Honda pulling a 10 foot caravan pulled into the next pitch, the people were very tired from a long haul, so we only exchanged pleasantries that evening. Thursday, the day the bike was “fixed”, the guy got chatting and stated the obvious that the bike was going again, then asked to hear it. Turned out he was fourth generation motorcycle shop owners, and used to race bikes at one time. He said it was running rich, which I knew, and that he could fix that. Before you knew it the bike was under the awning out of the rain, and we were stripping it down and removing the carb’s. He, Danny, then stripped the carb’s down, cleaned, adjusted and reassembled them.
The different is amazing, sounds better, idles better and goes like the proverbial off a stick. So now we can get out and about again without packing up the RV, and went into Beaumont to get the heater pipes for the RV and a few essentials like beer.
We took them out to dinner that night and have become quite good friends, so much so that if we get close to them, we were virtually ordered to visit them in Colorado after March 1st when they will be back home.
Friday 11th Jan. I couldn’t sleep so got up a 3am to make a telephone call to the UK. The previous day I had received an email from my daughter telling me I had overdrawn on a prepaid dollar card from the Post Office, which I knew to be incorrect. It turns out that the card had been skimmed, and we think we know where, so just have to leave it in the hands of the Post Office Fraud Squad and see what develops. Went back to bed at 5am and the day dawned bright and sunny with a chill in the wind, although there was still frost on a few cars in the lee of buildings. I went out on the bike to an adjacent Visitors Centre to find out what paperwork you needed to get into Mexico, turns out we need the original documentation for the vehicle transfers, ie Titles which are in Apollo Beach, looks like a DHL jobby. Had a smashing ride and just as I came to park the bike on our site the clutch cable snapped, I suppose it could have been worse, could have been on the interstate, or in town.
Having got the piping the previous day, I started on connecting the heater, hoping that the matrix was OK, did that and we went into Beaumont again looking for a clutch cable, and to do the larger shopping. We found the Yamaha shop, to a smell of antifreeze, and when the passenger door was opened, a large amount of coolant ran onto the floor, “Oh Dear” the matrix is shot, (I exclaimed or words to that effect), we will have to find a new one. Find one we did at a Napa store, but we didn’t get a clutch cable, we will have to telephone ahead today to see if they have one in Houston, other than that it will take a bout a week to order and arrive.
If anyone has ever changed a heater matrix, they call them heater cores here, you will know what it is like. They suspend a heater on a piece of string and build the car around it, well it is similar with this beastie, virtually the whole dash panel has to come out just to see the darned thing. Now have to find the bolts that hold it to the bulkhead, and put it all back together so we can move on to Houston area.
That is the story so far, at present it seems to be just one thing after another, and it is rather annoying. Oh yes one more thing, a screw has come out of my VDU glasses, and they only have one ear’ole hanger at the moment.
BUT - Hey Ho (don’t worry be happy) – we are still laughing and enjoying ourselves, swearing a lot but still laughing!!……………don’t know where all them screws gonna go
Saturday, 12 January 2008
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
9/1/2008
For the past two days we have been at a Sam Houston Jones state park in Louisiana, a gentle time where we “pottered”. An enormous campfire on Monday night, then it rained nearly all day Tuesday so Jane spent ages “cooking the books”, and I discovered that someone in the past had bridged the heater pipes, which is why we had no heat coming into the cab. We also found out that all the mosquitos do not live in Florida and today we are off to Beaumont in Texas, only 70 miles away.
6/1/2008
We have plenty of room in the RV, and compared to English vans, 23 feet is quite large, but when we parked up for lunch at a rest stop, it looked quite diddy amongst the monster trucks, and some people are not content to go camping they have to take the car, bike and jet ski with them. This rig was about 65 feet long, try doing a “U” turn with that.
We drove to Baton Rouge in Mississippi via New Orleans, we were told in Biloxi that it was not advisable to stay in New Orleans, as it is currently the murder capital of the USA so took the advice given. The devastation caused by hurricane Katrina over two years ago is still very much apparent. The Casinos have all been rebuilt and the large hotels, but there are so many empty plots and overgrown parking lots. All one seems to see is adverts from Estate Agents.
Saturday, 5 January 2008
04/01/2008
No tourist stuff today, the bike is playing up again and I just cannot get it to go, the pdf maintenance manual CD we bought has an I/O error does not run, and I have no idea what it could be. I did have some success though, managed to get the burner on the fridge out at last and fitted the new one, so we are fully operational now on that, and no more buying ice to keep the freezer cold. Also managed to beat Jane at “Frisbee Golf”, it sounds simple, but the course is through he woods, and they put trees in the way. We then had a couple of beers and spagbol cooked on the outside fire, ending up with the old movie “Blazing Saddles” which if you remember is not exactly P.C. but funny. I am glad to report that is starting to warm up again.Biloxi or New Orleans next stop later today.If you cannot make your mind up which way to go, you can always rent a condo.
Found the campsite eventually after some lousy directions from me, and they do indeed have a par 3 Frisbee Golf course, the rules are similar to ordinary golf, but the “hole” is above ground and covered in chains, hit the chains and it falls in.It is obviously not the camping season in Alabama, the site is virtually deserted, but it is cheap. Using a Passport America card, we got 50% discount which gives us a nightly fee of $7.50, including power and water.
03/01/2008
According to the weather men, we have another couple of days of this then back to normal temperatures, but last night and today is supposed to be the worst of it. I pity the UK, this Arctic blast will probably be with you in about 5 to 10 days, if it manages to get across the atlantic.
One other thing which we hadn’t realised, is that we have gained and hour, we are now six hours ahead of UK time on Central Standard Time, 6am here is 12 noon there, makes contact a little more difficult, but we will keep trying. We will be on this time for a while, the next time zone change is just before we get out of Texas.Today we leave Florida, and as it is so cold, and have no campsite booked, will probably aim for Mobile in Alabama, there is a campsite there that has “Frisbee Golf”, just got to find out what that is if it warm enough????????
Yesterday was COLD. In fact “B….y” cold, 40F the thermometers were reading, but the wind was well up so the chill factor was high and it felt much worse. However undeterred we went on a shopping mission and obtained two woolly hats, two fleeces and most importantly a small electric heater, and we finally managed to get the burner for the refrigerator. When it warms up a bit I will change that. I hate to think what it would have been like in the RV overnight without the heater running, the wind was howling, and the water pipe from the standpipe froze.When I walked to the toilet block I found that it was covered in ice, the plant water sprinkler had operated and the wind frozen the spray on whatever it hit, the excess had covered the road and iced over as well.
When we parked yesterday at St Andrews State Park it was by the side of a lagoon, lovely view across the bay, the next morning was a bit of a shock, all we saw is what appeared to be a field. Of course the tide had gone out, and the difference was quite something.
One other thing which we hadn’t realised, is that we have gained and hour, we are now six hours ahead of UK time on Central Standard Time, 6am here is 12 noon there, makes contact a little more difficult, but we will keep trying. We will be on this time for a while, the next time zone change is just before we get out of Texas.Today we leave Florida, and as it is so cold, and have no campsite booked, will probably aim for Mobile in Alabama, there is a campsite there that has “Frisbee Golf”, just got to find out what that is if it warm enough????????
Yesterday was COLD. In fact “B….y” cold, 40F the thermometers were reading, but the wind was well up so the chill factor was high and it felt much worse. However undeterred we went on a shopping mission and obtained two woolly hats, two fleeces and most importantly a small electric heater, and we finally managed to get the burner for the refrigerator. When it warms up a bit I will change that. I hate to think what it would have been like in the RV overnight without the heater running, the wind was howling, and the water pipe from the standpipe froze.When I walked to the toilet block I found that it was covered in ice, the plant water sprinkler had operated and the wind frozen the spray on whatever it hit, the excess had covered the road and iced over as well.
When we parked yesterday at St Andrews State Park it was by the side of a lagoon, lovely view across the bay, the next morning was a bit of a shock, all we saw is what appeared to be a field. Of course the tide had gone out, and the difference was quite something.
01/01/2008
New Years Eve was the first time we have had a real fire in the pit, and we were joined by a very nice biker couple, Ray and Lee, from Gainsville. Wished everyone in the UK Happy New Year at the appropriate time and then saw in our local New Year in style, between us consuming the litre of Grouse that Kath bought us for Christmas.We have a very effective way of knowing the toast is ready, the smoke alarm screams at us. 
The coconuts we got previously off the tree were not much cop, liquid in them and very sweet, but too small and no meat.
Not much use being a bricky here, all the houses are built of wood. 
The long and non-winding road to St Georges Island Camp Ground.
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