It seems like we’re always either sneaking a kid out with an expired FMT or sneaking Cuban rum or trying to get past checkpoints with iffy documents. Just once, it would be nice to have all our papers in order and not to have to sweat and wonder and worry what will happen when we get there.
Our van is so incredibly loaded with STUFF that I’m surprised we haven’t broken at least 1 of our 3 leaf springs. Normally, bringing a car THAT loaded across the border requires some type of menaje de casa tied to our FM3 and obtained something like within 90 days of obtaining said FM3 and organized by the consulate. Lots and lots and lots of paperwork. I figured we’d roll the bones and hope for a green light and no questions. We got out of the La Quinta by 9:15 or so and I was shocked that we left at all, as by 8:30 I had decided I’d be happy just to be out by 10am. In retrospect, we should have done a LOT of packing and car cleaning and organizing yesterday, but with the rain and other errands, it just wasn’t a priority. We had no problem finding the border after a stop at the post office (Mom and Dad and Jon and Mariluz, you’ll have mail) and gas station (diesel at 2.55/gal but I didn’t have to use precious pesos) we got the green light and were ready to start the paperwork trail.
I knew, when I left the country that I was risking trouble coming back in as I did not cancel my vehicle permit since I knew I’d need the trailer physically present to do so (as the permit is tied to the trailer; when we entered the country we never imagined we’d want or need a 10-year permit. DOH!) and that was going to be impossible. The law is more than a bit vague about our exact situation, though, so while our vehicle permit is not exactly illegal, it also isn’t really covered by any law. Welcome to Mexico! At the border, I spent about an hour trying to cancel or renew the vehicle permit without a bribe, but couldn’t get anywhere so we left and decided to take our chances at the Aduana checkpoint down the road. I knew they’d be checking our paperwork and I was hoping I’d be able to divert the adunaero’s attention while he was looking over our paperwork and he wouldn’t notice the lack of “FM3″ on the permit.
I was almost certain we’d be turned around, headed back to Matamoros and I’d figured out a few options. We could try to get a new permit under Jamie’s name and hope the VIN wouldn’t show up already tied to an uncancelled permit. We could try to find roads around the inspection station. We could try to bribe the aduanaero. Yes, I seriously considered bribery. And I totally would have done it. Or we could have tried to figure out a way to cancel the permit without the trailer present (working with Mexico City and reported to be a 2-3 month process), but at a minimum, we would have to spend the night back at the La Quinta (either Brownsville or South Padre Island) and risk the red light (inspection of our van) or green light (no inspection) again. And I REALLY didn’t want to do that. About 50km down the road from the border, we found the Aduana station and I either sufficiently distracted the aduanero or he just didn’t care, but he passed us on and FINALLY, we were able to celebrate crossing the border.
I was constantly surprised at the good surface of the road as the last time we’d driven MX180 it was so pothole-ridden we ended up doing about 40km for hour after hour. We were quickly in Ciudad Victoria and began the hotel-that-takes-dogs search. Most travelers with animals use the auto hotels, but those only have 1 bed and too much p0rn on the TV for my comfort level. I’d imagine we’d need 3 rooms for enough beds and I’m not all that interested in having the boys sleep on the floor there. Just outside the center of town, much like our experience driving out of Mexico, we found a small hotel and since their 3 bed rooms were occupied, we got 2 doubles. The boys are in heaven with both their own room AND their own beds, and so far, we’re only out $850MN/$65USD for the night. Tomorrow we head for the coast and see how far we get. I’m hoping for Tuxpan but with iffy road conditions, you never know.
