Tampico Part 2

So you think they were done with us? No, we plow merrily on with our now palpitating hearts and hope to make it out of town before sunset. Suddenly, we hit a ditch the size of the Grand Canyon and who d'ya think is standing on the other side, waiting? Diga me! The policeman in full regalia awaits us, pointing at his chest. We roll through the ditch at 3 MPH and roll down the windows reluctantly, with full knowledge that the "ratting out Americans" network in Tampico is alive and well. Dude points to my husband's seatbelt that he is wearing and insists that it is not being worn. Out of touch and not seeing the State President anywhere close to rescue us, we indulge our biggest fan and pay the equivalent of his wages for the next year. Demoralized and several hundreds of dollars lighter, we hope we finally can move on with our adventure. We are on the 180D, headed for the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and plan to follow it the 1200 miles through Mexico to our destination in Hopkins, Belize.
Countryside, State of Veracruz, we set the cruise control and talk on the walkie to each other. My husband is leading the way with the motor home. I notice he begins to swerve slightly. "What is going on" I naturally ask? Bad news: the steering column has separated itself from the vehicle, the mechanism is in his lap and he is holding it in place with both hands and legs. He assures me it's just a normal day for him and continues down the road on the lookout for civilization.