Getting to Mexico
As the extra day went by, we reminded us that we had a greater goal to drive to. So we left for day 2 of our trip, which had turn out to be day 3 now, towards Houston. As we left Alabama and we adventured into Mississippi, Gabriel noticed our AC going warmer and warmer, until we had no AC at all. As we pulled over to a gas station we also apparently lost the power steering. I don’t know if you have ever driven a car without power steering, but it can be quite an exercise on your arms if you’re driving in the city. Lucky for us ninety-five percent of our trip was down a straight line on a highway. Anyways, we asked directions to the closest mechanic. We pulled in to this local auto repair shop in what appears to be the cradle of the Dixie spirit in Mississippi (another mild culture shock occurred somewhere in here). Moving on… The mechanic made us pop the hood and in less than 10 seconds he dipped his arm in the maze of cables and pumps and pulled out a broken engine belt. He looked at us and in a semi-sarcastic tone said: "I think this is your problem". Forty five minutes and ninety dollars later we were back on the road and leaving Mississippi to enter Louisiana. Parts of the highway in Louisiana were suspended over the surface because of the swamp areas that are characteristic of the area. These sections could stretch for tens of miles.
After all the delays plus a late departure from Birmingham we arrived at Houston. Add to the situation another 30 minutes to an hour trying to find the hotel. Against all odds, Google maps failed me with the directions. Finally, we arrived at the hotel around 12am at night. We passed out as soon as we settled in the room and on the next day pulled ourselves together early to seize the day. And we did. As we approached Brownsville, the Texan city located right on the border, I could see the vegetation starting to change. The forest-like vegetation was gradually replaced by palm trees and bushes. Eventually, we arrived at Brownsville, the last stop in the US.
The crossing from Brownsville to Matamoros, the
Mexican side of Brownsville, was right ahead. We had done plenty of research and spent plenty of time and money to be ready to cross the border without any complication. As we got closer to the border we saw the Mexican border control post. We approached a little more and started to follow the white arrows on the road and the signs towards the crossing point. We passed next to a big building, over a couple of speed bumps, and past a toll-like section that divided the lanes and either flashed you a green or red light to go or stop for further inspection. All of this happened in a 20 second period. Nobody even noticed we were passing by. Then, in an almost surreal fashion, we drove a couple of blocks down and found ourselves in a truly Mexican urban area, almost identical to what I’m used to in Lima, Peru. We scratched our heads trying to think if we missed something, delaying our excitement for finally crossing into Mexico. We pulled into a gas station and debated a little and decided we should walk into the border control building and ask if we did what we should. Better safe than sorry. Indeed, we omitted all the paperwork and fees needed to enter as a tourist with a US registered car. One hour and over $100 later we had our paperwork straighten out and entered Mexico with a clean conscience.
Matamoros reminded me of any medium town in my native Peru. We walked around downtown and stepped into a local bar for a couple deserved Coronas. We couldn’t start our Mexican odyssey without some Coronas. We spend the night in Matamoros in a cheap hotel for about
$45 for a room with 2 beds. This place was extremely tacky and in pretty bad shape overall, but the price couldn’t be beat. I assume the high prices were a consequence of the proximity of Matamoros to the US and as we got further into Mexico the prices would decline. Next day we packed early, had some Mexican-style breakfast and departed towards Tampico, our second destination in Mexico.
After all the delays plus a late departure from Birmingham we arrived at Houston. Add to the situation another 30 minutes to an hour trying to find the hotel. Against all odds, Google maps failed me with the directions. Finally, we arrived at the hotel around 12am at night. We passed out as soon as we settled in the room and on the next day pulled ourselves together early to seize the day. And we did. As we approached Brownsville, the Texan city located right on the border, I could see the vegetation starting to change. The forest-like vegetation was gradually replaced by palm trees and bushes. Eventually, we arrived at Brownsville, the last stop in the US.
The crossing from Brownsville to Matamoros, the
Mexican side of Brownsville, was right ahead. We had done plenty of research and spent plenty of time and money to be ready to cross the border without any complication. As we got closer to the border we saw the Mexican border control post. We approached a little more and started to follow the white arrows on the road and the signs towards the crossing point. We passed next to a big building, over a couple of speed bumps, and past a toll-like section that divided the lanes and either flashed you a green or red light to go or stop for further inspection. All of this happened in a 20 second period. Nobody even noticed we were passing by. Then, in an almost surreal fashion, we drove a couple of blocks down and found ourselves in a truly Mexican urban area, almost identical to what I’m used to in Lima, Peru. We scratched our heads trying to think if we missed something, delaying our excitement for finally crossing into Mexico. We pulled into a gas station and debated a little and decided we should walk into the border control building and ask if we did what we should. Better safe than sorry. Indeed, we omitted all the paperwork and fees needed to enter as a tourist with a US registered car. One hour and over $100 later we had our paperwork straighten out and entered Mexico with a clean conscience.
Matamoros reminded me of any medium town in my native Peru. We walked around downtown and stepped into a local bar for a couple deserved Coronas. We couldn’t start our Mexican odyssey without some Coronas. We spend the night in Matamoros in a cheap hotel for about
$45 for a room with 2 beds. This place was extremely tacky and in pretty bad shape overall, but the price couldn’t be beat. I assume the high prices were a consequence of the proximity of Matamoros to the US and as we got further into Mexico the prices would decline. Next day we packed early, had some Mexican-style breakfast and departed towards Tampico, our second destination in Mexico.
posted by Nico at 9:40 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home