South of the Border: day 1

It really hits me shortly after I enter the wrong lane at customs and have to back out to enter the correct one. We're Crazy! I say this to Barbe, who, without a seconds hesitation says, "No, you're crazy. This was your idea." "Yeah, but you're going with me, so that makes us both crazy." This conversation happens as we park the van in a dirt parking lot where a man waving a dirty red rag is directing us and other "transmigrantes" where to park. He assures us he will watch our vehicle while we are gone. I, of course, tip him when we return.  We all hike back to the immigrations building to obtain our visas and vehicle insurance. It hits me again. I don't speak Spanish! I have already begun to realize this after attempting to understand the directions our customs broker gave me on how to proceed, how to be reimbursed at the MX/GUA border for our cash bond and who knows what else. It really sinks in as I try to get our visas. I don't speak Spanish. Not really!


Waiting in line to clear customs

As we exit the immigrations building I suddenly realize that Tiger, our dog who we left in the van slightly sedated with Benadryl, has not been officially recorded as a visitor to Mexico. And after all those visits to the vet and all that paperwork! Consulting briefly with Barbe we decide to commit our first illegal act in Mexico after being there for only 20 minutes. We run for it. There is no way I'm going back in there and try to explain all this in my "Spanish?" So Tiger is officially an illegal alien. Somehow I think he understands this and has manged to keep his head down at every check point. Of course it could be the effects of the drugs and the threat of the shock collar he wears around his neck.

It all works out in the end. We get our visas, we convert dollars to pesos (1 dollar to 12.6 pesos) and head for Matamoros. We have been advised not to take the direct route south through Valle Hermoso as this is a drug cartel stronghold, but to swing east through Matamoros. It is half an hour out of our way. We gladly do this. We sucessfully pass through our first Federales police check point. And the second. We get to the second adounas (customs) checkpoint and we run into our first hint of trouble. Our trailer has been sealed with special numbered locks just before we get to the first customs check point by our agent. I have the paperwork listing the contents of the trailer, the lock numbers, all official and stamped. However the customs agent wants to "verify" the contents of the trailer against the list. I keep insisting that we cannot open the seals or I will be in big trouble when we exit the country. He insist that he needs to look. He has nothing to actually cut the locks with and I insist that if he does succeed in opening them with his pocket knife, which he is trying to do, that he must give me a receipt. He declines to do so. I begin to suspect he is looking for a pay off.  Eventually another agent wanders over and tells him to let us proceed. I shake both of their hands gratefully...sometimes it is good to not speak Spanish.

Our destination for our first night is on the outskirts of Ciudad Victoria. There is a small missions compound with a campground where we will stay. (My next blog will be about this place and our stay there which turned into a 3 day event.) It is about 225 miles from the border to Cd. Victoria.

After leaving Matamoros we drive through desolate, arid, empty countryside. The few places of business or dwellings we see along the road have mostly been abandoned. This is perhaps the most dangerous of the Mexican states and everywhere we go we can sense the hopelessness, the fear, the poverty. We see quite a few Federales and army units on patrol. I am happy to report that we saw no drug lords (that we know of), no dead bodies and no violence. It is pretty much as I had expected as long as I avoided reading the State Department's travel warnings. Dangerous, but passable using caution, levelheadedness and common sense. We are thankful.

We stop in one of the few small villages which exist halfway to Cd. Victoria. Alongside Highway 101 there  are stands where "carne seca" (beef jerky) is being sold. This particular stand is being run by two teenagers, probably a brother and sister. They greet my with shy smiles, but are quick to show me the different types of jerky they are selling. I am under the impression that business has not been good. I settle on "machacado sin chile". When I ask if I can take their picture the girl is hesitant and blushes, but her brother convinces her to join in. Returning to the van we all try some. It is heavily salted with a slightly fishy taste. It takes some getting used to. It's not terrible, but it's not at all like the what is sold in bags in the supermarket. I wonder which is the real deal.

We arrive shortly before 5pm at Casa de Esperanza. We are releaved to have passed our first day without problems. It is good to have a safe place to stay for the night.

Note: It is Tuesday the 29th of January. As I write this we are now, currently, halfway through Mexico. We have had no problems so far and are having a wonderful time. Because of the lack of time and internet we may actually be in Honduras before I finish blogging about our trip. There is so much to write about. Thank you once again to all of you who follow this blog, who pray for and and remember us each day.