Update on trip to Merida

It was a longer drive to Brownsville than I thought it and was boring. By the time we got to Brownsville and found a motel it was dark. We tried to find a restaurant off the GPS but it wasn't where the GPS said it was so we found a Denny's after trial and error. Just as we were finished with dinner the lights went out in the area. We waited for the electricity to come back on but tired of waiting paid our bill in the dark and went back to the motel.

In the morning we packed up and went to Walmart for a few last minute things, gassed up and got directions to the border. Before crossing we stopped and exchanged money then continued on to cross the border.

Crossing the border was almost a none event. We went inside the building just as you cross the border to find the immigration office and conducted business rather easily. Samantha decided to take some photos of the office and outside with the soldiers standing around and just as we got to our car an official came up to us and told us in spanish that we couldn't do that and would have to delete the photos. We complied and departed with smiles all around. Then it got interesting.

We were trying to follow the GPS and we got lost and I didn't see a stop sign and blew past it and had to turn around as we were going in the wrong direction. As we came up to the intersection where I had run the stop sign a man in a semi-uniform stopped us and gave us a talking to about blowing stop signs. He said he was a tourist guide and would direct us to the highway out of town and he did by getting in and showing us the way. We had a little excitement as we were stopped at a light about three cars behind the lead car and suddenly police trucks with lights and sirens going came out of all directions headed back from where we came from I counted at least a dozen trucks with police in back holding for dear life. It looked exciting, I wonder what happened. Shortly after we were on the road and our guide had us drop him off. Of course he needed to be compensated for his guiding and we were happy to pay him as were were headed for trouble for sure.

Then started the journey to Tampico, what a boring trip. The scenery was similar to the desert in Arizona and I had seen enough of that plus getting used to driving in Mexico was a bit trying. The way Mexicans pass on the highway is sort a dare-devil sort of thing. They pass on curves and pass long lines of cars with no problem. We finally got to the outskirts of Tampico and when I saw the sign for Best Western we pulled in and got a room then we went to dinner. We picked Maximo's Buffet and it was pretty good a little more expensive than advertised but okay. We went back to the Best Western and set up for the night. I never asked if pets were okay, I figured it is better to ask forgiveness than permission. So far so good.

Tomorrow we head to Veracruz, let's see what happens then.