Monday, October 30, 2017

Surprise! Hello from Mexico!

Even I didn't think we'd be in Mexico tonight. 
I hadn't been feeling well for a couple of days. Started feeling better last night and got a good nights sleep. So this morning we headed out to WalMart for a couple more things and stopped at Denny's for breakfast. Breakfast seemed to agree with me and I kept feeling good. 
After we got home we were contemplating the drive the next day. It would be around 300 miles from Amado to San Carlos. A long drive especially with all the construction going on the highway. 
Bill mentioned the campground in Santa Ana, we've never stayed there but know a lot of people who have. So why not leave today and do the 100 miles to there. Break the trip up. So...
Off we went. It was about 1:00. We stopped in Rio Rico, AZ to fill the RV up at a Pilot. Finished that and got back on the road at 2:00
Here we go again. Only this time the TRUCK sign over the lane said CLOSED. We stopped and wondered what to do. Then noticed all the trucks going through the closed lane. I didn't get the truck lanes in the picture. 
Crossed over about 2:30
Through the first toll booth on to the Mexican check point. Every year until this year we have just driven through. This time we were stopped and told to pull over. 
They came in the RV. Opened every cupboard door, drawer and the bathroom and the refrigerator.  Checked our passports and the registrations for both vehicles. Wow, that was new. And then they checked the Jeep. Discovered Bill's drones. He had to open the cases and the immigration guard checked them on line! Wanted to know how much they cost. So to make a LONG story [read 1 hour] short He had to import the drones to the tune of US $230.00. Either pay or turn around and go home. That sounded good to me. But of course we didn't. They did tell us to make copies of the importation papers in case we were ever asked for them. And we only had to pay once - it is good for years. 
So back on the road and into the first of MUCH construction. Mostly the whole way one or the other side of the highway was closed. 
Going through a couple of little towns, they still had the topes with people selling things at each one. I feel sorry for the businesses on the other side of the road. No one can get to them. 
Lots of equipment and workers along the way. 
Around five o'clock we finally got to Santa Ana. Passed through two toll booths to the tune of $13 U.S. 98 miles took us 4 hours. Glad we did it today and tomorrow when we would have done 300 miles. So here we are at Punta Vista RV Park aka Edgar and Ana's. We have a good 15amp electric service. Water and sewer also available. And a good WiFi connection. And we can even pick up our Direct TV satellite. Maybe we'll stay here a couple of days. 
A kind of pretty sunset to end the day. Both Bill and I had restaurant leftovers for dinner and the weather is cooling down nice outside. 
So that was our day. 

2 comments:

Jackie McGuinness said...

I don't understand the importation tax...

Carol and Bill said...

Neither do we, but it was pay it or don't take them - And she went on line to the drone company for the actual value - of course it was way more than we paid for them...
but the importation is good forever.