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Old 07-09-2008, 11:54 AM   #7
LaOutbackTrail OP
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Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Denton, TX
Oddometer: 5,058
My list of mistakes......

So, what not to do. Don't forget to do your paper work. Don't listen to the guys that wave you through. Don't drive into Mexico without insurance. Don't forget to go to a casa de cambio to get your pesos. Dont trust Mexicans in Reynosa. DONT get off the main streets. Dont pull over for a federale unless he's pointing a gun at you.... DONT do the speed limit if the traffic is going faster than you. Don't pull out a wad of money infront of a bunch of poor people....

So here's my story about Mexico. While I was going through Edinburg and into Pharr, I noticed the bike making the clunking noise. I pulled over to check it out... chain was loose. Ok, tighten her up. Get going again.... this time, I'm actually pulling into the border. Well.... I get to the gate that you drive through... I get a bell and there is a guy to the side that waves me through... ummmm ok.... I get to the check station and the guys are eating lunch.... they wave me through. I get to the Military check point.... they wave me through... wait, wasnt I supposed to do some sort of paperwork???? Where was I supposed do this? I had heard somewhere that there was another place to do paperwork several miles at the official checkpoint outside of the border zone... was this what I was supposed to do? NOPE! Where the first guy was waving me through, was where I was supposed to park and go do the paperwork.

So, if you cross at Pharr, when you get to the border gate, go to the nice new building to your right. Park and go in to do the paperwork.

After I was waived through the border.... I exclaimed "I'm in Mexico! Whoo hoo!" A couple miles later, while on Hwy 2 going to Hwy 40, my whoo hoo definately turned to "Oh no." The clunking became incredibly worse but I noticed it didnt clunk at speed. I continued to Hwy 40 but after several stop lights, I noticed the clunking becoming steadily worse until I stopped at a PeMex to check it out... couldnt see anything. I didnt know what to check and I didnt know what to do besides turn back.

I had 6 delimas. 1) I had not properly immigrated 2)I had not purchased Mex insurance since it was sunday and no offices that I passed were open. 3) I had no Pesos. 4) I was almost out of gas. Gas is cheaper in Mex, and I had timed it to fill up on hwy 40. 5) My bike's clunking was getting continually worse. 6) I had no cell service to try and call anyone to see what to check.

I turned back. Driving through the heart of Reynosa, following signs for el Puente Internacional. I eventually didnt make a turn... and went through a bad-ish neighbor/shanty town..... I didnt see any more signs.... So I stopped and asked a federale. He pointed me back to my missed turn and then tried to stop me... im guessing for a tip.... wanting some spare change or something. I have no idea... but I didnt stop. He followed me a few blocks, with his lights on, maybe he was making sure I got going the right way? Eventually he turned around and I'm now at the border again.

So, now my mexico pictures....

Notice that I am on the Mexican side of the line? and looking at the US side of the Rio Grande. My only proof that I was in Mexico besides my GPX tracks and SPOT tracks.
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