Off To Laredo, TX

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Getting ready to leave in a few minutes for Laredo, TX. The mailboxes office in Laredo closes at 1 p.m. I checked yesterday with Federal Express and the MAF sensor had arrived.

It looks like a great day for driving so I will be taking pictures.

Back From Laredo

Turned out to be an interesting trip to the border. Beautiful scenery on the way up.

As we got to the toll booth half way through our trip up Hwy 85 and the price has dropped from 192 pesos to 177 pesos. Amazing! A little extra pocket change.

Got to Nuevo Laredo and decided to take the Commercial Bridge bypass which turns to the right before getting into town. It passes a Holiday Inn and the Nuevo Laredo Golf Club. So we come around a curve and I said, "watch out it looks like an accident, change lanes". It was a speed trap and they were using radar. The right lane is 70 kph, and the left lane is 50 kph. So during the lane change we were clocked at 60. So we got stopped. They were going to take the license and we would have to pick it up after 3 p.m. I was determined to get my MAF sensor and head home. So after telling this guy how it was going to be (in a polite and respectful way) he went and got his Comandante. The comandante came and explained the situation. I told him, we aren't from here so we don't know the road, we thought there was an accident, you have set up a speed trap. He insisted there was no speed trap and that the flashing yellow lights warned us. Well, guess what Señor Comandante, the flashing yellow lights aren't on. Bingo! Gracias Señores, tengan un buen día! Off we went for the bridge, no ticket. Thank You.

We stopped by Walmart and I saw an office for the "manifiesto". Manifiesto is a system where the state of Texas returns sales tax to Mexican nationals and Mexican residents, FM2. You pay a percentage of the total tax for the service. This 8.25% sales tax return can help offset any tax you pay going into Mexico for declared items.

And get this. Here we are at Walmart picking up vitamins and I hear some calling me. I turned around and it was a friend, Walter, from Mexico City. Walter works for the U.S. Embassy and also for a publisher. I hadn't seen him for a while because he was working in Ecuador. He is now back in D.F. and came to pick up his U.S. car to do the temporary permit. I told him to use the Columbia Bridge for faster and more corteous service. Then we ran into a couple from Monterrey. Of all places to meet. Small world.

Heading home I took a photo that may help to clear up any confusion. As you come to the Mexican checkpoint, KM 26, there is a split in the road. The signage can be confusing as it is in Spanish. Well, unless you are an over the road driver and have an 18 wheeler, stick to your left.

My Friend Geoff Sends Me Information

Geoff, of Geoff and Sandy, sent a comment listed below the blog for today. He says the Durango with the 5.7 Hemi should be good to go for up to 8900lbs. That's what I thought and he is doing some checking. Thanks Geoff.