Trip To The Border

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

First thing is the price of gas in McAllen is skyrocketing.  Great, just in time for our trip!  Average here is $3.39.   

I headed out from the house at 6:30 this morning stopping for gas knowing I would hit traffic in Monterrey.  A few observations of that ride.   LEDs have taken over almost all the street lights along the highway into town and throughout all major avenues in town.  The look and the feel of the lighting is much better not to mention the energy savings.  Monterrey generates the electricity from a landfill using methane to power generators.  This power is for street lighting and running the subway lines.   Traffic was really flowing well and I was on the autopista at 7:30.   

I'm sure you have heard of the shoot outs and road blocks in Reynosa last week and the 28 bad guys who were taken down (they never win).   Our state government recommended we stick to the toll highway and not drive through Reynosa using alternate bridges.  Security would be beefed up and there would be no issues.  Okay, I had planned on taking the libre as we have been doing but was told at home not to take any chances.

By the time I got to km 26 outside Reynosa, I had had enough.  Not one federal patrol, no military and only two of our state patrols during the whole trip.  I got on the phone and called our local tv station and left a comment with one of the operators.   Five minutes later I get a call from home saying that they announced my name and my remarks.   That started a whole set of news reports.   Ha ha!  What a waste of 300 pesos, and the libre is in better shape and more scenic.

The bridge wait was over an hour and the usual inspection.  Went to the office, picked up materials and dropped them off at the school for tomorrow.  I arrived to the hotel at 2:30, took a nap and checked my mail and now I'm off to do a little shopping.