Border Hopping Laredo to Nuevo Laredo, MX and back to Laredo

 

BORDER HOPPING

Well, the day started off slowly and we managed to sleep in for quite awhile.  When we got up we started to reorganize the back of the Jeep so things were better situated.  Then we repacked somethings in Lories suitcases as she only used one side.  Some of the Halloween goodies we bought we put in her bags.  We made our plan on how we were going to reload things and just waited.

I finally received a call about the importation but there was a problem.  For some reason the US didn’t want to allow their driver to bring the trailer and bike back to the US for me after all the paperwork was done on the Mexican side.  She was trying to figure out the best way for me to go with the original registration to get them.  First, she thought I could walk across and come back with the driver but that was a no go.  I would have to drive over and collect it myself.

Back to the motel to drop off Lorie and empty the Jeep as I didn’t want anything with me to declare.  Then back to the brokers office to get directions and information.  They refunded me $80 for having to go and get it myself but then she was saying that their bank had not cleared my transfer yet and I would need to give a cash deposit to release it.  So now, I’m off looking for a bank machine or 2 as it ended up so that I can get the cash.  Back to the brokers office and get the directions and then head for the border.  Then I get stopped to wait for a super long freight train.  It passed and I carried on again.  Crossing at Laredo bridge 1 is a breeze, they don’t even stop you.  You pay the toll for the bridge, then go thru another gate and you’re out.  No officials to speak to or nothing.  So off I go following the map to the Mexican office and I think I did half a dozen U-turns to get to where I thought the building was but I was slightly off.  A worker there walked me down the street to show me where I needed to go but also found out that the worker was not there and supposedly would not be back until 4pm.  I called the US office and she got the worker on his way to meet me.  Finally got hooked up to the trailer and received my paperwork and was ready to head back.

I pulled out and started my way back but my old friend Google maps sent me on a weird route again.  I had to turn onto a narrow one lane road and then again onto another to follow across to bridge 2 for the return trip.  Of course, cars are coming from every direction to get on this road so, it’s a bit of a fight to cross an intersection.  I finally clear the main town area and the road opens up into a bit of a highway.  Well now I have to pull a U-turn to get to the bridge.  Well, this was a complete clusterfuck!  The return route is 2 lanes heading west and then a barricade, another lane heading west within barricades, then 2 lanes going east and another going west.  Extremely strange.  So, I pull the U-turn and end up in the barricaded lane.  I slowly creep along as it is very tight and some of the plastic barricades are pushed into the lane so I kind of push them back into place as I hit them.  As I get closer to where the booths are there is a young fellow out there and he is waving at me that I’m in the wrong lane and my response is where the hell am I supposed to go!!!  He was willing to move the plastic barricades out of my way and I handed him a few pesos that I had in my cup holder as a thanks for getting me in the right lanes.  I pulled up at the Mexican booths and a couple guards flagged me to another lane.  I told them what I was doing and showed them the paperwork I was given and they flagged me through.  I paid the told for the bridge again and then lined up on the US side.  Well damn it wouldn’t you know I picked the wrong lane.  This officer was sending everyone to secondary.  I pulled up, gave him my Nexus card and the paperwork.   He checked my plates and ran them and was asking how long the trailer had been in Mexico.  My response was not sure Monday, I think.  He filled out his little form and put it and my Nexus card under my wiper and sent me to secondary.  I was shown which bay to go to and they started off asking all the same questions to which my answer was no, nothing to declare, nothing with me, just bringing my trailer and bike back to the US to pick up my dog and friend and that we would be crossing at the other bridge in the morning.  They got me to take my purse and stand outside to wait while they checked everything out.  Eventually they were done digging around to no avail and I had to show the officer where to find the VIN on the bike.  He finished up and let me lock everything up again and sent me on my way.

Good lord that was a complete run around to get this finished and I still have to stop by the brokers office in the morning to get my deposit back and the paperwork explained to me before we leave town to head to the other crossing.  I got back and had to have a drink before we started loading.  I had pulled up parallel to the motel room door so we could reload but Lorie had to argue that she had already talked to the truck driver that was staying next door and that he would back the trailer into the door so we didn’t have to go 2 feet to the back of the trailer the way I had parked.  I wasn’t in the mood to argue so she could do what she wanted.  I just wanted it all done so that I could relax before starting the next 4-day driving marathon. Lorie changed into her moving outfit or should I say try to entice the truck drivers to do the work for us, well it didn’t work, we did all the physical labour.  So away we went and packed everything back into the trailer and back of the jeep.  We got the front loaded with smaller things around the bike and then got all the bins loaded.  We took a break as we were both getting hot and tired.  Then we finished off the rest of the smaller things and the back of the Jeep.  We did a better job with it this time so hopefully all is good on the shitty Mexican roads. 

We made a quick bolt to grab a few drinks and then back to hook up the trailer so we are ready to roll in the morning.  It was getting dark and I was having a hard time seeing the hitch so the neighbour came out and got us hooked up again.

We will have to load our personal bags into the Jeep and Kahlua’s jump box for the bed into the back of the trailer and we can roll.  Stop at the broker and head for Columbia bridge crossing outside of Laredo.  Hopefully by 10AM (wishful thinking) we will be in Mexico and on our way.  This girl is done for the day!

Hasta luego