This is Mexico

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Crossing the Mexican border is an adventure by itself: First we go through US customs, which has two separate gates. Then a toll booth. Nothing for several miles. And nothing. We panic. Where do we pick up our tourist card. Did we miss something? Ah, there it is, Mexican border. Another gate. Very marrow. Inch by inch we maneuver through it. Every two feet is a speed bump. We shake like a ship on the ocean. I hear dishes rattle, things falling. I make a note to self: Be careful when opening any cupboards. We stop for the border patrol and answer the usual questions. Where are you going” Do you have all your papers in order? All answers are positive and we proceed to the next to get our visitors permit. Where is this place? Why is everything so far apart?
We start snapping at each other. We are feeling so unsure. We also realize we did not have breakfast.
Then there’s a sign. “Tourist Permits” This gives us hope. We park the RV and see another 50 or so vehicles and RVs, from Alberta, Manitoba, BC, California, Colorado. All people who are trying to escape the winters.
This must be the right place. We enter a concrete building. It’s bare and cold. Customs officials are standing behind tall counters, some ticking away on a typewriter. I had no idea these things still exists. We show our passports and are handed a form to be filled out. We didn’t bring a pen. Ramiro goes back to the RV. The form is completed and stamped. Next we walk to the copy centre, which is in a different building. We dig deep into our pickets for 2 American Quarters to pay for the 2 copies we need made of the tourist permit.
On to the next building for vehicle permits and to pay for the visitors pass.
It’s getting even more complicated. Do we have all our documents?
Registration for RV, 2 copies, Check
Registration for car, 2 copies, check
Passport copies, 2 of each
Copies of visitor permits, check
We purchase the vehicle permit and get a sticker that needs to be applied to the windshield. When we leave Mexico we need to return the sticker for the car because it expires after 6 months. The one for the RV is valid for 10 years.
We have heard of many people who forgot to return their sticker and when they try to return to Mexico they found themselves in trouble.
This formality is to ensure that no vehicles are being sold in Mexico.
I won’t go into further details about the rest of the procedures, but it took over half an hour to complete the papers, which included many signatures on the carbonized paper. Nice to see that the Mexican Government is keeping so many people employed.
We chat with several tourists waiting in line, which is getting linger and longer. We did not too all that bad after all. We’re right on schedule and smile as we proceed on our journey. Our destination for today is Can Carlos at the Pacific coast.

Hey, what’s this, another stop? Aduana. I thought we were done. We slow down and the nice looking officer approaches our RV. “Where are you going?”
“Cofradia de Suchitlan”. Thank goodness I remember the name.
He smiles. “Ah, near Comala”. Gee, someone actually knows the place.
We’re surprised.
He asks if he may come inside. “Yes, of course”. I quietly mumble: “Voeten vegen” (wipe your feet). He gently walks to the back and back to the door again. He smiles. “Buen Viaje he says and he leaves.
That was easy, no interrogation, no peeking in the fridge. No questions about drugs or weapons. I suppose we look pretty innocent to him.


We continue again. This time without any further stops we hope, other than the many speed pumps.
We are aware that the Mexican roads have many topes, some are indicated by signs, others not. In some cases you see a sign but no bumps. It’s just a way to slow these crazy maniacs on the road down.

The Mexicans are very clever. They know, that when you need to slow down, they may have an opportunity to sell you something.
Our next "welcome to Mexico" are the many stands along the road. They sell anything from oranges and lemons, to copper horses and pottery.

We expected the toll road to be in a better condition. It’s rather bumpy and no shoulders. They are however double lanes and many vehicles pass us as we maintain a speed of about 80 km.
We pass some small villages, where the entertainment of the day is to watch the traffic going by and wave at the tourists. They’re friendly people. We wave back.

I’m sleepy, I hardly slept last night. I would like to close my eyes, but don’t want to miss a thing. Not that there is much to see, but Ramiro is counting on me to point out anything he may miss as directional signs, or more speed bumps. Ah well, I’ll catch up later. I’m also trying to record our expenses and update my journal.

When we left the park this morning, I noticed a thin layer of ice on the puddles along the road. It was cold at the emigration office area as well. By 11 am it’s 19 degrees outside and the temperature continues to climb.
The road meanders through the arid mountainous landscape nothing to see for miles, but dry land.
Another intersection, another toll booth. We inquire about the tourist rate. There is no such thing we are being told. At least we are paying for a better road as it turns out.
We stop for a snack and to wash the windshield, so I can (hopefully) make better pictures.

We see the Mexican signs along the road which I translate into: “Don’t drive if you’re tired”, or “drive with care, your family is waiting for you” and the usual “don’t drink and drive”.
I’m sure, that within the next few days, I am tuned into my Spanish portion in my brain again and maybe will be thinking in Spanish before too long. I’m also counting on Ramiro to teach me a few new phrases.

Ramiro is getting sleepy. I make him some lunch and coffee before we move on again.

Another tense moment as we drive to Hermosillo. I pay very close attention to the signs, the various maps and the GPS which only indicates the main roads.
We work our way through the busy road, which is suppose to be the bypass route. One would have never guessed. We follow the big trucks assuming that they are going where we want to go.

Once we’re back on highway 15 we dare to breath again.
Two more hours and we arrive in San Carlos. We drive straight to the RV park and find a spot along the road, which is the only we won’t have to take the car off.
We’re not wasting any time and walk to the malecon and intend to see something of the town. We bump into a Canadian couple, who like to have their picture taken. We chat and they suggest we all go for dinner together.
We have a beautiful view over the ocean and enjoy the sunset. We’re having a great time and say goodbye after dinner to Peter and Heather. We go for a long walk and spend the rest of the evening catching up on e-mails, making some Skype phone calls and try to stay up until midnight.

We have no champagne, but I make some hot chocolate and put a shot of Cointreau in it. Tastes pretty good Dee. Thanks for that bottle.