Details - Details!

Friday January 23, 2009

We moved our RV into the Texas Trails RV Park to rendezvous a few days before we leave to Mexico. It turns out that there are many steps to do and many things to consider before we launch.

Day before yesterday we met our Wagon Master, our Tail Gunner, and their wives. The wives brought packs of materials, lots of explanations and a warm welcome. In preparation for the trip they had brought our insurance papers direct from the agent that works with Adventure Caravans.

The ladies gave us a full explanation of the documentation process for going to Mexico for an extended stay. There are things needed for personal documentation (visas) and things needed for the vehicles (registration stickers - called holograms) as well. There are many steps to the process with a definite sequence required in order to get it all done at once.

The Wagon Master explained it all again the next morning and checked everyone's preparedness before we piled into cars and drove to the Mexican immigration offices just across the border. Luckily for many Fred has much patience and understanding for all his “ducklings”, because he was right there assisting everyone as they achieved surprisingly complex paperwork with three different non-English-speaking government officials.

We managed to miss a turn to return to the U.S., so we toured a little bit of the suburbs of Reynosa Mexico. A lesson learned is that Mexican driving styles are somewhat different from what we're used to. While the Policia are stringent about speed and bad stops, it appears that it's not a big deal to cross double yellow lines to pass! I'm not going to test it, but at least I won't be quite as surprised next time it happens!

Next day Bob, the Tail Gunner came by to help us with a thorough pre-run vehicle inspection. Good suggestions and advice were welcome. He caught a corrosion issue on the house batteries, showed me a small valve cover leak on the Honda, and reminded me to “fluff up” the powder in our dry fire extinguishers.

Three or four days ago I lost a piece of a filling (dammit!) so today we made a quick trip across the border at Nuevo Progreso. We parked next to the crossing and walked across the border about 10:30. We found the recommended dentist and walked in. They sat me down, checked me over and offered to fix me up by removing the old, cleaning me up, and replacing the filling. Price? $35.00. “Go”, sez I!

By 12:30 we were in a little restaurant for lunch having an avocado half stuffed with a delicious shrimp salad. We wandered through a gift shop or two and stopped in a liquor store for a couple of bottles (you can bring 2 liters each back with no federal taxes due). As we cleared Customs we found a State “customs office” of some sort – with no such generous tendencies! We got nicked $1.35 a bottle for booze we'll turn right around and carry back to Mexico. Boy did we make a slick deal on that one!!!

Let's see; 3 dollar bridge toll, twenty five cents gate toll (I have no idea why), thirty cents at another turnstyle, (nope, I'm still clueless). Kinda like being in a herd of cows going from milking parlor to milking parlor!

Tomorrow brings all the last-minute details (buy propane, check tire pressures, turn off the cell phone and satellite TV services, and another half-dozen items on the list. 3PM will find us at the first drivers' meeting – and orientation. Then - after a good night's sleep - we're off!