A Rough Start to Mexico

WHERE ARE WE? Matehuala, San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Sorry for the delay but our internet has not been great and posting was gonna take a while so I opted to wait to do the posts.  

This morning we were on the road by 6:45 am so we could be at the border long before the 8 am opening time.  We sat in line and drank coffee and just enjoyed the morning while waiting.  We were on the US side still so the border patrol has a big complex there where they train up new officers I guess.  Anyway about 7:30 a large group of young men came jogging out the gate and headed up the road for a run I guess.  It gave us something to watch while we waited.

8 am on the dot, the US opened the toll gate and we paid our $3.50 and crossed the Columbia Bridge into Mexico.  We went through the inspection station and got a green light, however because we were stopping to get our TIP (Temporary Import Permit) for the vehicles, and our FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple) for ourselves the lady told us when we were done, she would inspect our unit.  Fair enough.

For anyone crossing into Mexico at Columbia Bridge at Laredo with a larger RV, here is a coles notes with a picture, on what to expect.  You will come to the toll gate on the US side where you pay $3.50 then ahead (dark blue arrow) to an overhead inspection station (light blue circle) where they take the pictures etc, and you will have to wait till the gate goes up to proceed.  If you need to get your TIP and FMM tell the person standing in the road and they will direct you to pull to the left (orange line) and park along the road, lock up and walk back to the building where the overhead inspection booth is.  There is a parking lot on the right (red X's) but unless you are like 23 feet or less total, there is no room to park. The Banjercito and INM Office is in the same part of the building (dark blue dot) and you will receive lots of direction when you get inside. Its all easy and there are lots of officials around to help you with finding what you need.  Don't be scared of the process, they are all very helpful.  Welcome to Mexico.

A little story about the inspection.  They were really interested in the Jeep and looked it over real good, and then the young girl inspector wanted to look in the MH.  No interest in the basement storage areas at all, just wanted in the MH.  She had a quick look around and then spotted our family pictures that we have hanging up.  So she wanted to know about our family and asked about the picture of our son Derek.  I explained how he tragically lost his life this summer and she was instantly over the inspection and wanted only to know about Derek's family and wife and she said as best she could how sorry she was and wished our family healing.  After that I questioned her on whether #1 highway was a good route to take instead of #2 and 85D which is the normal route.  She said it was good and very secure and not bumpy.  So I bade here farewell and off we went.  We got on #1 a couple miles up the road and when we turned the corner the road was quite rough.  We did have an area where we could have turned around but decided to see how it was ahead.  It was really rough for about 2 miles and then the signs directed us down into the ditch on a temporary trail.  The trail had little passing areas every 50 yards or so and we were down to maybe 20kms an hour.  Well this can't last long I says!!!  nope, in a couple miles were back up on the best paved road we have seen in a long while, but only for 2 miles!!!  We are now far enough along to be committed to the route.  Then back in the ditch and I thought maybe another couple miles!!!  NOPE!!  the next 30 kms were driven in the rough dusty bumpy narrow humpy hollowy ditch.  Not once did we get back up on the roadway!!!  It shook the bejeepers out of the MH and us.  

So for 2 1/2 hours we struggled along and finally came to the spot where it said construction ended. Great!!  But guess what?   There was a train blocking the intersection and it was waiting on another train to pass it by.  We sat there for another 20 minutes twiddling our thumbs before it started to move and we could proceed.

We turned on to the second part of #1 highway which was actually not bad pavement except it was for the most part (130 kms) a really narrow road with no shoulder and about a 18 inch straight drop off right on the side.  It made for a white knuckle driving experience all the way to Monterray!!!  And there were quite a few trucks which just missed our mirrors.  I couldn't even look to see how close they came.  Welcome to Mexico!!!!  If your coming this way DO NOT take #1 highway!!!

Well we got to Monterray about 3:30 pm and still had 350 kms to go to get to our planned stop in Matehuala.  It gets dark about 6 pm so we may have to make alternate plans.  There was one Pemex we went by about 5 pm that we could have pulled into but we figured we would push on.  

We were now on good 4 lane highway and there was lots of truck traffic, so we latched on to the back end of a truck and carried on into the darkness.  We realize this is a cardinal sin to travel after dark but we rolled the dice and continued on.  We arrived in Matehuala about 7 pm and as we pulled up to the last stop light before the Las Palmas Midway Inn where we had a reservation to park in their back lot for the night, we heard a scraping sound.  Hmmmm....  We are only 2 blocks from the Inn so continued on.  A couple more scraping sounds but we made it.  Sue went in to get them to open the gate and I got out to look around.  Oh Oh!!  The hitch for the Jeep was almost dragging on the ground and the back tires of the MH had disappeared into the wheel wells.  Obviously an airbag problem.  Oh well, its pitch black dark and we were also meeting a couple from Ontario, who we were planning on travelling with the rest of the way.  I will look at it in the morning!!!  So the lesson here is that if this had of happened a half hour sooner, we would have been on the side of a busy highway, in the dark, and it would have been scary.  No more pushing the limits for us.  That was the day for us.  Glad its over!!  Good Night!!!