It was one of those days where I was so excited the night before I could hardly sleep. I listened to relaxing music, calmed my mind, regulated my breath, watched a chosenly mostly boring-to-me documentary to aid the mind to zoning out sleeplessness. It took a while, but I did get a few hours of delightful deep sleep and woke up ready and excited to get started on the first leg of the new adventure.
I'd already filled up the gas tank and had a 3 hour drive to the border from the north edge of San Antonio. I had looked up the Einstein Bagels around the corner from the house and Google maps said they opened at 5 a.m. so I pulled out of the driveway about 10 minutes after 5 and pulled in to find out Google maps was indeed wrong and that they were not open. I have no idea when they open, but it's definitely not 5 a.m.
Disappointed but not deterred, I continued on my way toward the Laredo border.
As I was driving through the dark, alone with my thoughts, I considered what I might do for coffee and breakfast (I was surprisingly hungry for the time of day). Realizing I was leaving the US for a possible long period of time in just a few hours, I suddenly thought, how silly of me to even consider going to Einstein Bagels when my cheating heart belongs to Dunkin Donuts.
I looked it up on Google maps and to my girlish delight, there was a Dunkin Donuts in Laredo just before I would cross the border. Yes, it was totally worth the 15 minute detour. I ordered my coffee and a breakfast sandwich and my guilty pleasure of a half dozen munchkins (half chocolate and half glazed). Grabbed the bags after it was all prepared and headed for the last fill up this side of the border (meaning a $30 or less fill up instead of $50 or higher).
It was a quick fill up and bathroom stop and I headed to the border just a mile away. The line going into the US was abysmally long by 8 a.m. when I arrived but I was eternally grateful that the line into Mexico was well, not a line. I waited behind one car to pass through the blinky camera and then chose not to go through inspections but instead just drive right into Mexico. Crossing the border took less than 5 minutes.
Once in Mexico I needed to get a tourist visa and a car permit. The permit station is just across the border and there are signs to follow, in English, to find it. However....there is one small detail that is left out in the signage.
Imagine: there is a 4 lane road with a concrete divider and a turn lane at the traffic light. The sign says to U-turn to reach the permit station. Important: If you U-turn into the lane directly opposite you it is the direct line back to the USA, not the permit station. On the far side of the two opposing lanes is another 2 lane road, separated of course by a concrete barrier from the 4 lane road so if you U-turn incorrectly, it's too late to change your mind. The 2 lane road on the far side doesn't have clear designations for which direction the traffic goes and since you're U-turning into it, it appears that all the traffic is coming toward you leading to the wrong lane choice. There is also no visible signs or lines on the road to indicate traffic direction to aid the warry driver of turning choices.
Now I've done this before and I knew to U-turn down the far side 2 lane road was the correct choice, but it is so unnerving to appear to turn into direct oncoming traffic that I panicked and turned down the wrong side. As soon as I had done it I knew I'd made the same mistake I had made the very first time I crossed the border in Laredo. I also remembered finding a sneaky way down through some vacant parking lots right before the border crossing so I continued, hoping to find it. Well, I did indeed find it, but in the year and a half since I was here, some local entrepreneuring Mexicans had decided to put a chain across it and lock it. Then when it was clear a tourist was trying to find the permit station but realizing they were in the line to go back to the USA, the entrepreneuring Mexicans, dressed in reflective looking offical vests, would wave them over and show them the shortcut. Only deal is now they promise to unlock the chain and let you through for a mere $20 USD!
Since I'd already been around this rodeo I denied their ploy and drove back (the wrong way) to the turn around point and found my way correctly this time.
I made many mistakes through the permit processes that I will write an article about but suffice it to say that I spent over an hour at the offices before finalizing both my tourist visa and my car permit. Then I was able to head to the bank ATM for some pesos and hit the road again.
One other major misstep I made that actually turned out to be nice, was having "avoid tolls" as a route option on Google maps. The toll roads between the border and major cities in Mexico are quite nice and the tolls are minimal. When I originally saw that Google maps was taking me on a round about way to Monterrey I thought there must be something on the direct route between Laredo and Monterrey. It took about a half hour down the wrong highway before my mind finally kicked in to remember that I had told Google maps to avoid toll roads. I quickly changed it but was already too far down the road to bother going back to the toll road.
So I enjoyed driving down a 2-lane road that declared "no speed limit" (in Spanish of course) for a couple of hours. It was a no shoulder, bumpy and not without giant potholes road, but I gripped the steering wheel and sped along at 90 mph. About half way through the trip a road closed sign appeared and I spent 4 kilometers driving through the gravel ditch (which was where I was supposed to be driving). I was driving 40-45 mph and appreciating the fact that I have an old car that can handle the bumps and rocks and it also doesn't matter if a rock gets kicked up on it. That is, for most of the time. Had to follow, wait for it, a Jeep, going 10 mph for about 5 minutes before I could pass. Seriously, if you drive a Jeep, enjoy your off roading time and don't a) confuse those around you when you don't and b) waste your perfectly good off roading vehicle by driving like it's a Porsche.
A short interlude in my driving story to share that after I got on the road for Monterrey, I actually opened my Dunkin Donuts bags. I saw my breakfast sandwiched wrapped up but I wanted just one munchkin to spoil it first ;-) I opened the bag of munchkins to discover 12 munchkins, 6 of each kind! I checked my receipt, and indeed, I'd only been charged for a half dozen, but had been given a full dozen. The sugar gods knew my drive ahead and had granted me a wonderful surprise of munchkins farewell. I thank them.
I finally made it to Monterrey and got back on the toll roads and headed toward my second gas stop. Unfortunately the place I chose to stop was a lonely station without a price listed so I ended up paying $73 for my 13 gallons of gas. The station attendants were annoying at best asking for pens (that's a thing) and tips. I tipped the guy who washed my window and no one else which is correct but was unhappy with the harassament they showed sticking all their hands at me in the car. My second gas stop was much more normal for Mexico and was very easy and fast and courteous.
I finished my drive with the last half hour after dark. People tell you not to drive after dark in Mexico. There are various reasons. Mine is that I can't see pot holes fast enough to avoid them. There are still plenty of people out on the road and there are road lights most places, but the pot holes are deep and if you hit one, well, let's just say I don't bother getting my car aligned in Mexico. Thankfully, I hit no pot holes and pulled into my San Miguel home at 7 p.m. on the dot.
My friend was there to unlock the house, let me pee, and tell me to lock the car so we could go back to the birthday party he'd just come from. I did and froze because the birthday party was outside!! at night but I got to meet some fabulous new people and have a great time on my first night back in Mexico.
I've settled in for a few days here before finishing the journey to Guadalajara, enjoying the company of wonderful friends I consider family. After a great nights sleep I've woken early for a fantastic workout and a day enjoying the company of others followed by an afternoon to write and research before a home grilled (yes, grilled!) meal.
I'd already filled up the gas tank and had a 3 hour drive to the border from the north edge of San Antonio. I had looked up the Einstein Bagels around the corner from the house and Google maps said they opened at 5 a.m. so I pulled out of the driveway about 10 minutes after 5 and pulled in to find out Google maps was indeed wrong and that they were not open. I have no idea when they open, but it's definitely not 5 a.m.
Disappointed but not deterred, I continued on my way toward the Laredo border.
As I was driving through the dark, alone with my thoughts, I considered what I might do for coffee and breakfast (I was surprisingly hungry for the time of day). Realizing I was leaving the US for a possible long period of time in just a few hours, I suddenly thought, how silly of me to even consider going to Einstein Bagels when my cheating heart belongs to Dunkin Donuts.
I looked it up on Google maps and to my girlish delight, there was a Dunkin Donuts in Laredo just before I would cross the border. Yes, it was totally worth the 15 minute detour. I ordered my coffee and a breakfast sandwich and my guilty pleasure of a half dozen munchkins (half chocolate and half glazed). Grabbed the bags after it was all prepared and headed for the last fill up this side of the border (meaning a $30 or less fill up instead of $50 or higher).
It was a quick fill up and bathroom stop and I headed to the border just a mile away. The line going into the US was abysmally long by 8 a.m. when I arrived but I was eternally grateful that the line into Mexico was well, not a line. I waited behind one car to pass through the blinky camera and then chose not to go through inspections but instead just drive right into Mexico. Crossing the border took less than 5 minutes.
 |
| About to get scanned and pictured at the Laredo border. |
Once in Mexico I needed to get a tourist visa and a car permit. The permit station is just across the border and there are signs to follow, in English, to find it. However....there is one small detail that is left out in the signage.
Imagine: there is a 4 lane road with a concrete divider and a turn lane at the traffic light. The sign says to U-turn to reach the permit station. Important: If you U-turn into the lane directly opposite you it is the direct line back to the USA, not the permit station. On the far side of the two opposing lanes is another 2 lane road, separated of course by a concrete barrier from the 4 lane road so if you U-turn incorrectly, it's too late to change your mind. The 2 lane road on the far side doesn't have clear designations for which direction the traffic goes and since you're U-turning into it, it appears that all the traffic is coming toward you leading to the wrong lane choice. There is also no visible signs or lines on the road to indicate traffic direction to aid the warry driver of turning choices.
Now I've done this before and I knew to U-turn down the far side 2 lane road was the correct choice, but it is so unnerving to appear to turn into direct oncoming traffic that I panicked and turned down the wrong side. As soon as I had done it I knew I'd made the same mistake I had made the very first time I crossed the border in Laredo. I also remembered finding a sneaky way down through some vacant parking lots right before the border crossing so I continued, hoping to find it. Well, I did indeed find it, but in the year and a half since I was here, some local entrepreneuring Mexicans had decided to put a chain across it and lock it. Then when it was clear a tourist was trying to find the permit station but realizing they were in the line to go back to the USA, the entrepreneuring Mexicans, dressed in reflective looking offical vests, would wave them over and show them the shortcut. Only deal is now they promise to unlock the chain and let you through for a mere $20 USD!
Since I'd already been around this rodeo I denied their ploy and drove back (the wrong way) to the turn around point and found my way correctly this time.
I made many mistakes through the permit processes that I will write an article about but suffice it to say that I spent over an hour at the offices before finalizing both my tourist visa and my car permit. Then I was able to head to the bank ATM for some pesos and hit the road again.
 |
| Partition No.1 for Immigration |
One other major misstep I made that actually turned out to be nice, was having "avoid tolls" as a route option on Google maps. The toll roads between the border and major cities in Mexico are quite nice and the tolls are minimal. When I originally saw that Google maps was taking me on a round about way to Monterrey I thought there must be something on the direct route between Laredo and Monterrey. It took about a half hour down the wrong highway before my mind finally kicked in to remember that I had told Google maps to avoid toll roads. I quickly changed it but was already too far down the road to bother going back to the toll road.
 |
| I had to pick a particularly good part of the road to quickly snap a picture with only one hand on the wheel! |
So I enjoyed driving down a 2-lane road that declared "no speed limit" (in Spanish of course) for a couple of hours. It was a no shoulder, bumpy and not without giant potholes road, but I gripped the steering wheel and sped along at 90 mph. About half way through the trip a road closed sign appeared and I spent 4 kilometers driving through the gravel ditch (which was where I was supposed to be driving). I was driving 40-45 mph and appreciating the fact that I have an old car that can handle the bumps and rocks and it also doesn't matter if a rock gets kicked up on it. That is, for most of the time. Had to follow, wait for it, a Jeep, going 10 mph for about 5 minutes before I could pass. Seriously, if you drive a Jeep, enjoy your off roading time and don't a) confuse those around you when you don't and b) waste your perfectly good off roading vehicle by driving like it's a Porsche.
 |
| Yes, I had to pull up on the dirt pile to let the semi truck get by. Not exactly a two-lane ditch. The actual road is up on the left. |
A short interlude in my driving story to share that after I got on the road for Monterrey, I actually opened my Dunkin Donuts bags. I saw my breakfast sandwiched wrapped up but I wanted just one munchkin to spoil it first ;-) I opened the bag of munchkins to discover 12 munchkins, 6 of each kind! I checked my receipt, and indeed, I'd only been charged for a half dozen, but had been given a full dozen. The sugar gods knew my drive ahead and had granted me a wonderful surprise of munchkins farewell. I thank them.
 |
| No caption needed! |
I finally made it to Monterrey and got back on the toll roads and headed toward my second gas stop. Unfortunately the place I chose to stop was a lonely station without a price listed so I ended up paying $73 for my 13 gallons of gas. The station attendants were annoying at best asking for pens (that's a thing) and tips. I tipped the guy who washed my window and no one else which is correct but was unhappy with the harassament they showed sticking all their hands at me in the car. My second gas stop was much more normal for Mexico and was very easy and fast and courteous.
I finished my drive with the last half hour after dark. People tell you not to drive after dark in Mexico. There are various reasons. Mine is that I can't see pot holes fast enough to avoid them. There are still plenty of people out on the road and there are road lights most places, but the pot holes are deep and if you hit one, well, let's just say I don't bother getting my car aligned in Mexico. Thankfully, I hit no pot holes and pulled into my San Miguel home at 7 p.m. on the dot.
My friend was there to unlock the house, let me pee, and tell me to lock the car so we could go back to the birthday party he'd just come from. I did and froze because the birthday party was outside!! at night but I got to meet some fabulous new people and have a great time on my first night back in Mexico.
 |
| A very long table with about 30 people drinking Mezcal and eating wonderful food! |
I've settled in for a few days here before finishing the journey to Guadalajara, enjoying the company of wonderful friends I consider family. After a great nights sleep I've woken early for a fantastic workout and a day enjoying the company of others followed by an afternoon to write and research before a home grilled (yes, grilled!) meal.
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