Very weak Dumb and Dumber rip off there.  I feel pretty tired like Lloyd and Harry did after getting to Aspen.  Thankfully I don’t have someone stuck to me by frozen pee.  See, no matter what there’s always something to be thankful for.

Just for review, here are all the movies and audio books that I listened to on this trip.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six (actually only half as my MP3 player is not a big Tom Clancy fan)

All the Chronicles of Narnia

Talledega Nights, Blades of Glory, Jonah (commentary by Larry and Mr Lunt), The Simpsons Movie, Dumb and Dumber, Tommy Boy, Monty Pythons Holy Grail (commentary by John Cleese, et al), and I’m sure there are some I forgot.

KM’s traveled today: not sure, I’ll have to check later.  About 750 though, making the total trip about 4500.  Perhaps I’ll do some proper math later.

Anyways, I’ve made it to Tlaxiaco and am starting to get settled into the base.  Met Dan, Grant and Gord from the leadership team and Nick and Ross (I hope I got that right) who are interning.  Tomorrow Michelle and the kids get here.  I can’t wait, I need them back.

The drive today was longer than I hoped but not too bad.  From Veracruz to about 50km’s from Tlaxiaco the road was very good.  Only hit two military check points and they were very nice.  No bribe stories today.  Again I forgot to eat more than breakfast.  I just was so focused on making it to the base.  That and I am just a tad (in this example I have decided that “tad” means “hugely”) not ready to order food on my own.

The last 50km’s were actually quite stressful.  Very windy road, decent shape but the speed bumps (or topes) were huge and deadly to my van.  The poor thing.  Then I got stuck behind a bull dozer on a trailer that literally took up 55% of the road.  It was a small road so it was very difficult to pass it.  I did it, but I think it took a few years off my life.  Which is not a thing I’m worried about as my last physical showed I am in great health.  But by the time I got to the base the stress and hunger and fatigue hit a point where I couldn’t see straight and could barely walk.  And I am all over the place on the best of days.  I’d love to know what Dan and Kelly’s (his wife) first thoughts were as I slurred out “It’s very nice to finally meet you”

But I’m here.  I’m a little overwhelmed that it is finally starting.  And frankly I had to ask myself what I was doing, do I really want this?  I eventually answered that question with “it doesn’t matter.  It’s what God wants”  Ugh, I hate having to answer that.  God always holds the trump in the Rook game of life.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s for the best.

So I figure there are a lot of hard days ahead with dealing with culture shock for myself and the family, getting into the school swing of things, stressing about the house in Airdrie and what to do with it, getting our “home” here set up, any type of spiritual battles that need to be dealt with here, etc.  I don’t want to bum people out, it’s just my expectations.  But God has never walked away from us in this whole adventure (if you don’t believe me, read the last two days of posts) and I don’t expect Him to do it now.  So while there may not be a lot of humour and good times in these next days, I do know there will be growth and maturing.

/RD

Just so people don’t think my trip is all sweating, speed bumps and warm Coke.  Here are some pictures showing what I woke up to this morning.

http://www.diks.ca/gallery/main.php?g2_page=2

/RD

I forgot to mention yesterday, I think, that I drove about 630km’s.

Today’s drive: approx 930 KM’s.  And 14 hours of driving.  What a day.

I left my hotel in Weslaco just before 0700 this morning and proceeded to the border.  Got there with no wait and drove up to the all knowing green light/ red light system of entry.  For those that don’t know, if you get a green light you are free to drive into Mexico.  If you get red, you must pull over for inspection by a nice guy with an M-16.  I got green.  yay!

I knew that I had to pull over somewhere and get my immigration permit and car permit.  I was told the building was on my left and attempted to located it.  Then I got waved over by a military man anyways.  He did a quick check of the van, questioning of course the amount of baggage and then sent me off.  I asked if I needed permits and he motioned no.  I should have questioned that, but I have a couple of rules in life and one is “Don’t question the guy with the gun”.

So I drove on.  I was looking for Highway 2 and expected it to be a couple of minutes.  Then I saw the exit as I drove past.  Um, Darn.  So I kept going and found a place to U-Turn.

Let’s keep in mind that I am doing this in the middle of the Reynosa rush hour.   Which is a lot like Calgary or other rush hours except that the people don’t pay attention to lanes and there are vehicles with people hanging all over them.  And it’s in Spanish.  And so are the signs.

So I do a U turn and get on Highway 2.  My next instruction is to look for Highway 97; and that the turn off will say “Retorno” and that you will have to do a U-turn to get on the 97.  Silly me, I thought that “Retorno” was a city name.  So I drive for a minute and see a sign that says “Retorno”.  I get all excited.  U-Turn: check.  No sign for Hwy 97 though.  Well, I’d better take it.  So I pull another U-Turn in Reynoso Rush Hour and start going the other way.  Then I see another “Retorno” sign.  Uh oh.

Now, I’m not a Spanish speaker by any means (more on that later).  But I am prone to occasional moments of brightness.  Here’s one:

RETORNO IS NOT A CITY, IT MEANS “U-TURN”.

Well that makes sense.  So after another series of complicated maneouvers (I’m starting to drive like a local now.) I get back on Hwy 2 heading the right direction and I see the proper sign.  Follow it and start to feel proud of myself.

Except for one nagging thought.  My friend Dan in Tlaxiaco who gave me the directions made it very clear to mention to ensure I got the proper permits.  This is also mentioned in EVERY piece of literature I had about driving into Mexico.  I wondered if that was going to come back to haunt me (insert knowledge of foreshadowing here).

After getting out of Reynoso I am cruising along, figuring out how to pass on the highway and be passed.  Now that’s a system that makes sense.  If you’re slow, get over into the shoulder so people can pass.  And Canadians think we’re all nice and courteous.  And then I see an Immigration Checkpoint.  “Hmmmm”, I think, “Perhaps I can get those nasty little permits here?”

How many people see what’s coming now?  All of you?  Good.

The first guy I talk to (after scraping the bottom of the van on a speed bump.  By the end of the day, I will curse the term speed bump.  Or whatever it is in Spanish.  I can recognize it on a sign but not tell you right now).  This guy speaks Spanish only.  I mention that I don’t, so he gets someone else to talk to me.

“Where are your permits?”  He asks

“The border guy said I didn’t need them.” I respond.  Wondering how big of a pathetic, gringo look I have and if it will help.

“No sir.  You need to go back to the border and get them.”

Yup.  I drove all the way back to the border.  About 20 minutes.  Then got the permits, which was tough because no one spoke English there.  Then got back on the road (not missing my turns this time.  See, I can learn) and headed to the check point where I slowly hit the speed bumps and showed my papers.  I got through this time.

I need to remove a lot as this post is getting long.  So here’s a brief score card:

Military Checkpoints gone through and searched at: 2 (not including the border)

Bathrooms paid for: 1 (that guy got a screamin deal as he wanted 2 Pesos and I gave him 2 USD)

Meals eaten: Zero.  Doritos, Coke, Mom Brown’s cookies, a cinnamon bun and water don’t count.

Hours driven: 14  : seriously, and I only stopped to pee, get gas or get searched.  I was actually driving all that time.  “Why?” you may ask.

Speed bumps: too many to count.  And they are killers.  You have to slow down.  Imagine a foot high speed bump in the middle of the Deerfoot.  Now that is speed control.

Speed limits: These rapidly change and usually you don’t know if they have.  The signs are pretty good for them dropping to 40km/h.  But you’re usually hard pressed to find the sign to take you back up to 80 or 90.  Oh ya.  Most of the time I was driving between 60 and 80 today.  Real slow.

Bribes paid: 1 (150 pesos)  That’s another good story.  But not right now.  I’m tired.

By the way Dan, if you’re reading this, your directions were fantastic.  It was me following them that was a problem.

/RD

As previously mentioned, I’ll be entering Mexico tomorrow.  Frankly I am a little intimidated by this.  There is only so much studying and pre-work you can do before finally just doing it.  I think the biggest factor in my feelings right now is the language.  There are also a bunch of pre-suppositions I have (although I can’t pinpoint them) about the people, roads, crime, police, etc that are adding to the stress.  I know good and well that I’ll get in there and have a good laugh about the experience.  I can still use a lot of prayer tonight and tomorrow.  Tonight for sleep.  Tomorrow for peace and good travels.  And lots of people who speak English or hand gestures.

/RD

So I am now at the Texas-Mexico border.  It was a “short” drive this morning.  Went through San Antonio and then came down to the border at Weslaco, TX.  I’m hoping to go get the oil changed in the van now and pick up some snacks and water for the drive in Mexico.  The border opens at 0600 tomorrow morning and I want to get there shortly after that.

Kind of tired today.  I didn’t sleep too well last night.  I was going to sleep outside, then I figured out what all the noises were.  Cockroaches.  I have zero experience with them and decided I wanted nothing to do with them.  So instead of sleeping on the ground I chose the front seat of the van.  You may call me a chicken, and I will agree.

But I couldn’t sleep at all.  I was wide awake and also melting.  Did I mention it is HOT here?  So I manned up and put my mat and sleeping bag down on the ground and tried to sleep.  By 0300 I was wide awake.  I’m not sure why, I wasn’t concerned about the roaches anymore.  It was either the Coke I had with supper or the noise from all the nature in the area.  And since Coke never keeps me awake…

Kind of odd to have nature sounds keep me awake, but they were loud!  So once I was wide awake at 3, I got back up and went to the van and read for a bit.  Then felt tired again and actually got a couple more hours of sleep in the van.  So I think I’ll take a nap now.

/RD