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Mexico

Chapter 3

Mexico

Departing from the US into Mexico really signalled the beginning of a new stage of the adventure. It was like being back in school and leaving the ‘primers’ and going to the ‘standards’. We knew we were leaving what we thought of as the ‘civilised’ world where everyone spoke our language and we had a modicum of control over our ways. The border crossing introduced us into a world of chaos and excitement. Suddenly we didn’t understand what was being said … or shouted in most cases. Navigating the process was bewildering. There were unexplained queues, lines of vehicles and throngs of confused-looking travellers. It was hot and dusty, just like the movies and there were insistent touts who for a fee would take you through the bureaucratic nightmare. Of course this we shunned — to our cost, as it took several hours to get visas checked, passports stamped and most vitally, our carnets filled in. The carnet was a particular problem as most travellers using their own vehicles were just going in and out of Mexico alone and had American bank documentation showing they had lodged a $10,000 bond. Our carnets were substantial documents requiring the right places being filled in and in the case of the Entry Point, part of the relevant page removed. Ours further confused them as they were all in my name, simply because all the bikes were mine. For some reason, this seemed to create suspicion. We knew that this was a key document to be fastidiously completed because if it wasn’t, it might compromise the refunding of the monies that had been lodged on our behalf back in London.

Finally, we got through and into the colour and vitality of Mexico, across the Rio Grande, through Nuevo Laredo and on the road to Monterrey. We resisted the fleshpots of Nuevo Laredo as it all looked a bit tourist-tacky and we were eager to