Month: May 2017

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Off to INM (Immigration)

Please do not take this post as being generally valid and legally binding advice. This is just my own personal experience and knowledge. I will not answer specific questions about the Mexican immigration process or temporary vehicle import because I am not qualified to do so.

When you enter Mexico with a residente temporal visa sticker in your passport, you only get a 30-day entrance and they check the box for “canje,” meaning that you will trade your entry paper for a residency card. This 30-day window is the reason why I was in such a hurry to get here since the process can take some weeks. The sooner it is resolved, the sooner I can go to aduena (customs) and also extend my vehicle permit and keep my deposit.

My hosts offered to take me to the INM (immigration) office today in Progreso to show me where it is. They said I should plan on three trips and that this was just a fact-finding mission to see what documents and copies I need.

Being me, I did some research ahead of time and learned that if I filled out a form online, made copies of every document I could think I would need, and showed up with a number called a “pieza” that might save me one trip.

We arrived at the office in Progreso around 10AM. The office is very small and you don’t need an appointment. I’m told the one in Mérida is huge and a pain to get through. But you can only go to Progreso if you have a beach address. So I will keep my Progreso/Chelem address until next year, when I’ll be able to renew my visa for an additional three years and be done with paperwork for a while.

The gal at the front desk apparently speaks English, but I did the whole process in Spanish. This is a huge deal and so, like at the border, I’m very careful to reiterate what I hear and ask for clarification to make sure I’m doing everything right. Let’s see if I can remember everything…

First, she looked at my passport, entry paper, and the form I completed online. I’d made a mistake on that, but she said she was able to correct it. She asked for a copy of my passport page with the photo, a copy of the visa sticker in my passport, and a copy of the entry stamp in my passport (that was on the page right by the sticker, so I just photographed both pages on one sheet and that was okay). I also had copies of my birth certificate and of my entry form, but neither was needed, only the original entry form.

She then gave me a bunch more paperwork to fill out and said that I could do it right there and then we could do the next step.

The next paperwork asked for my personal details including my physical description, the type of work I do, my income, my address in Mexico, etc. It was pretty easy to fill out, but I was glad I had access to Google Translate to clarify a few terms.

Once everything was filled out, I got back into the very short line. The attendant checked that everything was good and then she gave me a receipt/voucher (comprobante) to take to a bank to pay the $3,750 fee (about 275CAD) for the card for the first year. She said there was a Santander bank three blocks away. I checked with my hosts, whom I realised by now hadn’t expected I’d be there that long and had things to do, that they could wait. They generously said yes.

So off I went. I didn’t have a long wait at the bank, but got a clerk who was unsure of what to do so it took a bit of time. He eventually gave me a receipt showing I had paid. Off I went back to INM, where there were now many more people. I was going to suggest to my hosts that they just leave me there and that I would figure out how to get back on a colectivo (minibus), but the attendant finished up with her current client and called to me to give her the receipt as that was all I had to do. Before leaving, I confirmed that my next step is to wait to get an email that says we’re ready for the next step, which I believe is showing up with photographs and having my fingerprints taken.

By the time we got out of the office, it was only 10:55! We really weren’t there that long. By the time I got home, I already had an email in my inbox with my user name and password for the INM website so I can check the status of my request.

In the next couple of days, I’ll go back to Progreso on my own and advise aduena that my application is in progress, again to hopefully preserve the deposit for my truck. That is the most complicated thing and what I’ve gotten the most conflicting info on.

I’d read lots of reports of the process to get the residency card and like with the TIP for the vehicle, it sounded very confusing. I suspected that the process would be made easier by picking the right immigration office, by doing my own research straight on the official Mexican websites, and by doing the whole thing in Spanish. I was right on all three counts. So far, it just feels like a lot of paperwork, but it’s not been particularly difficult, especially when compared to getting anything done in Quebec.

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Costco Membership!

F had to go to Costco today because he had a slow leak in a tire of the truck he and V are taking to Canada. I asked if I could join them so I could see where the Costco is and possibly get some almond milk. Sure! I happily changed into my favourite dress, a nice pair of sandals, and pretty earrings, feeling more like myself than I have for months!

The Costco is easy to get to and is right by the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya. There is a Liverpool right next to Costco that has a Scotiabank, so we stopped there first so I could take out enough pesos to cover my residente temporal card and expenditures for the next few weeks.

We then went straight to the Costco tire centre. Get this: fixing a slow leak on a tire was just $80! Pesos, folks, pesos! We then decided we were hungry and got pizza at the food counter. Very good pizza and only $46 for two big slices and a bottle of water!

V and F offered to let me get my own Costco card under their account for $250, but I decided that since a card was only $500 here (about 35CAD, 20CAD cheaper than in Canada!) I would get my own. Costco is the place to go to get “expat foodstuffs” so I suspect I will be happy to have a membership there. I will also likely start looking there for things like mattresses. Today, I bought a crate of six containers of no sugar almond milk in my second favourite brand for only $174, so $29 each, or 2CAD. If I pay less than 3.50CAD, I am happy, so this was a VERY good deal. The packaging is such that the unopened containers can stay at room temperature and I can just put one in the fridge as needed. They are good to the end of August, so there’s no worry about waste.

I saw lots of other great deals. Mexican cheese was super inexpensive, but even imported cheese like cheddar was significantly cheaper than in Canada (eg. 900g of sharp cheddar for only 7.50CAD when a sale price of 10CAD is a good deal in Assiniboia). The meat was also much nicer than what I’m used to seeing in Mexico. I think I will get a lot out of my membership!

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There Are Definitely Worse Places I Could Be

I didn’t get to sleep until about 12:30 last night (actually this morning). I slept hard until six when I was woken by the light from the skylights, which don’t have covers. I was rather impressed that I knew where my sleep mask was! I pulled it on and passed out for nearly another four hours.

So I got up around 9:45 and went to the kitchen, which smelled wonderfully of chorizo. F very kindly made me a wonderful coffee, and I put together a couple of chorizo “burritos” for breakfast. F then helped me get the truck fully unloaded (THANK YOU). The few things that don’t need to be in the air conditioning were put in a storage room, but the rest all came into my suite.

I started to sort through it all and put on my first of what will be several loads of laundry. Once my hosts leave next week, all the kitchen stuff will be unpacked, cleaned thoroughly, and then stored in the empty cabinets in the kitchen. For now, the boxes are neatly piled in my suite. I want to get myself a couple of bookcases so I can unpack my books. It’s nice to know I can buy stuff since it’ll move to my house with me in the fall.

After I’d regained a semblance of order amidst the chaos and located my bathing suit, I went for a swim! OMG. I forgot how wonderful it is to have a pool!!!!!!! I am going to spend A LOT of time in that pool this summer, obviously.

I then had a very late lunch and after that, I went to Chelem with F so he could give me an idea of what services are available. Unfortunately, there really isn’t anything within walking distance since I’m at least 3KM from downtown Chelem. Yes, I know I walked twice that far in Bulgaria to go to Yablanitsa, but I at least had the little store right in Maluk Izvor. Here, It’s about 3KM just to get fresh tortillas, so I’ll likely make my own. Living here definitely won’t be as convenient as was life on Isla since I have to haul out my own trash and there’s no home delivery of tortillas and veggies. I might be able to get water delivered, though.

Chelem is a lot bigger than I expected and by that, I mean there are more shops and restaurants. I will get what I need there and I can go into Progreso and Mérida for what I want. Yucatán is not an agricultural state and I remember from my visit here last year that the produce in supermarkets was pretty sad and expensive. V says that Costco has the best offerings so I’ll finally be getting a card for there. Since the house here has AC, I’m not going to have to worry about spoilage the way I did in Maz and will be able to buy in bulk.

V is thoroughly spoiling me and made a nice dinner tonight as well. After 10 days in the truck, it’s nice to have some fresh meat and veggies! I have told them that I’m not so broke right now that I can’t afford to eat out and they can certainly show me all the restaurants nearby. 😀 (OMG, I just heard a gecko!!!!!) Apparently, there is a very good Thai restaurant nearby and one guy cooks Indian food one day a week! And, of course, there are plenty of taquerias in Chelem.

Tomorrow, I have some work to do and will continue to recover from the excitement of the last several weeks. Monday, F and V are taking me to Progreso to start on my immigration stuff. I’ve got a roughly 3,500 peso payment left to make to get my residency card and then the financial bleed will finally stop, not a moment too soon! I actually wish I could wait until next week to make that payment, but I really should not waste any time getting the ball rolling on this process.

It hit me today as I started to unpack my things, especially my framed art, that I’m really here to stay. Yes, I’m moving again in six months, but I sure won’t be going far!

It was a very pleasant first day here. I know I won’t get really settled and into a routine until I’m on my own, but it’s nice to ease into things with my local guides.

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Mérida or Bust — Day Ten: Villahermosa, Tabasco, to Mérida (Actually Chelem), Yucatán!!!!!

Total Kilometres to Drive: 5,442

Kilometres Driven Today: 602

Total Kilometres Driven: 5,442

Kilometres Left: 0

Amount of Trip Completed: 100%

I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I slept so well last night that it was almost torture to get up when my alarm rang at seven. I just wanted to stay in bed. But I knew that I just had this final push to do and I would be able to recoup. I had a decent breakfast again (they had good coffee, but no salsa or tortillas!) and was pleased to discover that I was on the correct side of the highway to head out of town. I’d actually considered backtracking to take the bypass, but both Google and my GPS assured me that would not save me any time at all. Traffic was pretty light anyway so getting out of Villahermosa wasn’t a big deal.

The first part of my day was very easy. Crossing into Campeche, I got my very first document check of this trip, which was pretty amazing since a half dozen checks and stops of various kinds a day are normal on Mex-15 between Maz and Nogales. This federal police officer was quite thorough, checking both my immigration status and my truck’s temporary import status. He also asked me what kind of business I have.

After that, I soon got to more populated areas with lots and lots and lots of topes that meant slowing to a crawl. I had to go through a few communities, so that meant some defensive driving. I hit a guy’s sideview mirror with my passenger side mirror as I squeezed through Champoton, but it thankfully didn’t break and he just waved me off. I had to pull over to readjust my mirror, which had folded flat against my truck and was absolutely fine.

This drive felt like being in “my” Mexico, with the ocean on one side and coconut palms on the other.

The only two cities ahead of me. 🙂

I had another checkpoint most of the way through Campeche. This guy pulled me over for having a non-Mexican license plate and he was quite agitated about it, is about as best as I can describe it. If I didn’t understand Spanish, his frantic tone would have terrified me and made me think I was in big trouble. I just pointed to my TIP sticker as proof that I was legal and showed my passport when he asked for it. No biggie!

Literally riding the Yucatán state line! Ignore the fact that my GPS is saying I was speeding. The limit was 110.

I’ll admit I burst into tears here. I was just so relieved to be so close that if I got in an accident or anything else happened with the truck, it would be no big deal to get a tow all the way to Chelem or to get my things home even if I had to transfer them to someone else’s vehicle. You have no idea how stressful the last 5,400KM have been.

There was a military checkpoint at the Yucatán border (hence why I was parked and had time to take the above picture). A very young kid came to check me out and said that I had no license plates. I told him my Canadian state (did not know the Spanish for province and figured that state would be less confusing to him anyway) does not have a front license plate. This is when I understood why I’d been pulled over the previous two times — not having a front license plate made me stick out and then they zeroed in on the fact that I’m a foreigner. While annoying, these stops are not a big deal to me. I know my paperwork is in order and that I’ve done nothing wrong. So I just answer their questions and am then on my way.

Driving by north Mérida on the perifico.

I was going beyond Mérida, right back to the coast. Thankfully, the last stretch was on good highway and I was able to zip north towards Progreso. Even though the day had felt very long, I’d made good time and was going to land at about 4:30.

My hosts had told me to meet them at a hotel near their home and call them. I did that and could not reach them because the cell signal was too poor. I went into the hotel and asked for a landline phone (none available) and directions since I had an address and a crude map. Two boys managed to send me off in the right direction. When I knew I was close, I asked a family sitting outside for further help and they got me even closer to the house. Soon as I saw the house in the distance… Moya got caught in a sand trap. 5,440 uneventful kilometres and I got stuck within sight of my destination. I have to laugh now even if it wasn’t funny then.

An expat lady and two Mexicans tried to winch me out with her truck, but she started to dig in, too, so we gave up. She managed to get my hosts’ attention (they have a deep yard with a front gate and no intercom so they hadn’t heard me knocking) and both came out to see what could be done about my truck. F worked out a plan of attack and told me to go back to the house with V. I did so and V mercifully had me sit down in front of some wonderful food! That restored my good humour and before I knew it, F came to grab my truck keys. I went back to Moya with him and he’d jacked her up to get traction material under her. He started her up and with a bit of gas got her out! I was very impressed.

So that was that. I was officially landed! I unpacked a bit, had a few beers, gabbed lots, met my canine charge, etc. I am going to be wonderfully comfortable here in the lap of luxury. The pool was tempting tonight, but getting into my suit felt like too much effort. 🙂

It’s now past midnight and I need sleep. Hope y’all are grateful for the post because I really didn’t feel like writing it tonight! 🙂

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Mérida or Bust — Day Nine: Xalapa, Veracruz, to Villahermosa, Tabasco

Total Kilometres to Drive: 5,442 (based on distance driven and distance remaining according to my GPS and Google Maps)

Kilometres Driven Today: 560

Total Kilometres Driven: 4,840

Kilometres Left: 602

Amount of Trip Completed: 88.94%

Today, I drove as far south as I’ve ever been in my life and tomorrow I’m heading back north! 😀

I slept solidly in Xalapa until about 6AM when someone got on the treadmill in the gym next to my room. GAH. It was such a comfortable bed and such a shame to not be able to get a couple more hours of shut-eye. I finally gave up and got up around seven and went to check out the included breakfast. I don’t normally eat much on travel days in this climate, but it didn’t make sense to leave on an empty stomach. Which reminds me, I felt the climate change as I was coasting into Xalapa yesterday, with the humidity increasing exponentially with each kilometre I got closer to the coast. I’ve been so itchy because of my dry skin since I got back to North America and being back in this climate is a soothing balm. I won’t need body lotion again any time soon!

But anyway, breakfast today. The coffee was as abysmal as expected. Shame that they can’t put in an automatic coffeemaker like you see in Europe that always dispenses a perfect cup. That was the Camelot Inn in Amarillo’s secret! But beyond that, there were a lot of good offerings. You could do a continental breakfast (pastries, breads, fresh fruit, cereal, yoghurt, cottage cheese, etc.). I went over to the hot table and found eggs with ham and also black refried beans. I had those with salsa verde, queso seco, and some crema (YUM). I was shocked that there were no tortillas and I had to settle for toast!

Before heading out, I topped up the oil in the truck since she’s due for an oil change! She’ll need a bit of work when I land since she’s developed a few squeaks that I think are a chassis that needs lubrication and brakes that need attention. Nothing worrisome at this point, but I’ve ridden her hard and she needs some time at the spa! Of course, a guy came by as I had the hood up to ask if I needed help.

Getting out of Xalapa was as difficult as expected because of the lack of retornos. I went almost 10KM out of my way (roundtrip) before I could get turned around in the right direction, and that was better than what my GPS thought I’d need to do. I’ve gotten really good at making illegal U-turns over a low median in this country…. In fact, the more I drive here, the more I like it. You have to be really present when driving here and so it forces me to focus and get out of my head instead of zoning out like I would on a long stretch of interstate. I’m never bored driving in Mexico!

The first couple hundred kilometres of my day just flew by. I had good pavement and traffic was light. I ended up taking my only break of the day at a Pemex/Oxxo about 250KM from Xalapa, where I downed a much needed Elecrolit hydrating drink and noshed on a granola bar. Croft had warned me that that stretch of highway was really bad the last few times he drove them, but they were so newly paved that I started to feel sick from the fresh tar fumes and smells! In fact, the road didn’t get ugly until the section after the bypass he’d suggested that would have added hours to my day. So it’s a good thing I stuck to the cuota.

Coming out of one of the tollbooths I passed (none too pricy today, thankfully), I saw my first sign announcing Mérida! And then, they were everywhere!

I was literally parked there. The off ramp was so bad that it took that truck several minutes to get through. See that little sticker on my windshield? I still make it a point to donate to the Cruz Roja (Red Cross) regularly. It’s a cause I believe in. When you have that sticker, they tend to leave you alone, but I always put a peso or two when I see a kid collecting and every few times when it’s a grownup.

Even with a very long section of teeth rattling road, I made very good time to Villahermosa, arriving just shy of 3PM. There is a bypass around the city that I found tempting, but that would have meant finding a motel before, which was way too early to stop, or after, which was way too late. I had options for both, but as I realised that I would be arriving into the city so early, I decided to stay in it so I could possibly go see a movie this evening!

Despite having a map and directions from Siri, Google, and my GPS, coming into Villahermosa was like driving in Xalapa yesterday, going round and round near the hotel without being able to find it. Just as I was about to flag down a taxi to guide me there (a tip from Croft), I finally saw the hotel in the distance and managed to make my way to it. It wasn’t cheap ($1,200), but I did much better than expected my last two nights here and I’m actually under budget for accommodation thanks to Amarillo, so I didn’t care. I definitely upped the accommodation budget on this trip compared to last ones and that removed a lot of the stress and meant that I got to stay in nicer and more comfortable places. I’m getting to that age where the fleabag motel just doesn’t cut it anymore. I really like this Latin American chain I’m discovering, City Express. The rooms are a bargain for their location, super clean and well appointed, and they have a free breakfast. Unfortunately, they don’t all have great beds.

First order of business was to find a cinema. There was a Cinépolis not even 2KM away that seemed walkable! There was nothing playing that I would have paid to see at US and Canada prices, but for $55, the mostly comedic “Going Out In Style” with Alan Arkin, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Christopher Lloyd, and Ann-Margaret sounded perfect! The movie started in about an hour and I decided to head straight to the mall and then grab a very late lunch if I had time.

My walk was through the “real” Mexico that I love so much. It’s not pretty and it’s chaotic and smelly and loud, but it’s also very communal. I didn’t know if this was a bad part of town or not, so I kept my phone tucked away so as to not draw attention to myself as I strolled purposefully to my destination, which explains the lack of pictures. 🙂 I passed a Paletería La Michoacana, so I popped in to get a paleta, which is just a fancy popsicle. The owner didn’t seem to know what to do with me, reminding me of the juice vendor in Mazatlán who gave me a “I’ve never served a Canadian before!” discount. No discount here, but I came out with a coco paleta for $15. It was very drippy and I had to eat it fast, but I was happy with my choice since there was real coconut in it and so it was surprisingly filling.

Shockingly, the directions I’d memorised were perfect and I found the Cinépolis with no detours. I still had about 30 minutes to the movie, so I went to the food court and ordered two tacos arabes, which is another name for al pastor. 🙂 They were pretty good — very generous with the meat for $18 each, but there was a lot of gristle and no onions, cilantro, and only two salsas (the guacamole, which isn’t spicy, and the salsa mexicana/pico de gallo that was and tasted like home!). They didn’t double up on the tortillas, so the second taco was so soggy by the time I got to it that I had to eat it with a spoon! I can’t even begin to describe the happy dance my taste buds were doing!

There’s a Mega right by the cinema, so I went there after eating to see if they might have a Scotiabank ATM by their bathrooms. They did! I initiated a transfer to that account so I could make a withdrawal after the movie and then went to buy my ticket. I almost asked for a “bilet,” rather than a “boleto.” The former is Bulgarian, LOL!!! I thought the last time I went to the cinema was in Bulgaria, but no. I went once in England.

The movie was exactly what I wanted. There was a lot of suspension of disbelief needed, but the actors were all in fine form. It was great to hear other audience members laugh at the same time I did. Oh, for those who don’t know this, most movies in Mexico are shown in their original language with Spanish subtitles. Just look for “subtitulado” or “sub” next to movie name when looking up showtimes.

It was just coming on seven when I left the movie theatre. I checked my email and my transfer was complete, so I moved the money into my Scotiabank account. Last time I did that was in Brighton on my iPhone 5C and it took ages since I had to type my password on a tiny screen. With my “new” iPhone 6, I just had to give the phone a fingerprint! I was then able to take out enough cash to cover fuel tomorrow and leave me with a bit to get me through until I locate the nearest Scotiabank to where I’m staying in Chelem, which is very likely the one on Pasejo de Montejo since I know there is no Scotiabank in Progreso, the nearest city to where I’m going to be living. Let me tell you, soon as I get my residency card, my first stop will be a bank to get a Mexican account so I can go directly from the USD in my PayPal account to pesos, have access to more ATMs, and also have access to a debit card system!

Banking done, I went down to the main level to look for a taxi. I found a stand where I could order one. As it turned out, there are a few City Express hotels in this city and I didn’t have the address, but saying the one 2KM away near the Walmart did the trick. I was quoted $45, which sounded very fair for the distance to travel. Am I glad I didn’t drive because the driver had to take me through a warren of streets to end up on the correct side of this main thoroughfare to drop me off!

I was ready for dinner by this point and asked the front desk clerk for a suggestion. She said I’d have to drive as there are no sit down restaurants within walking distance and she doesn’t recommend the taco stand right in front of the hotel. There was no way I was getting back in my car, so I went to the Oxxo next door to put together a picnic. I almost got a beer there, but spotted a proper beer store in the distance (look for the word SIX in big red glowing letters!) and knew their beer would be colder. When I got there, the grill was down, but the lights were on. I called out and a guy came out from an inner office to serve me. I asked for a Tecate and he asked me if I wanted red (regular) or blue (light) and what size. A small red was $15, about what I’d pay on Isla for a single.

The desk clerk was surprised to see me back so soon. I held up my bag and said, “¡Viva Oxxo!” She and the security guard burst out laughing. I wasn’t super hungry and I had a cold beer, so a decent ham and cheese sandwich with some Fritos were absolutely fine for supper. I even found a packet of honey mustard at the bottom of my purse to dress up my sandwich!

I can’t believe it’s the end of my last full day on the road and while I’m definitely DONE with living out of a suitcase (been doing it for more than 10 months!), I’m still in good spirits. It’s been an uneventful trip and I have to say that a lot of that has had to do with my being focused on just getting there. The more detours one takes, the more can go wrong. Croft is sad that I haven’t done any tourism, but I have to remind him that I’m going to be living here full-time for at least the next four years! Soon as I can afford to take a vacation, I can come back out to this part of Mexico and explore some archaeological sites over a long weekend. Or I can get on a cheap flight and take a longer trip further afield. All my travel money in the next few years is going to go to exploring Mexico instead of having so much of it spent on going back and forth between Canada and the US.

So patience readers. Give me time to settle in, replenish the coffers ahead of my move in the fall, and soon, we’ll set off and discover this magical country together. I want to do it just like I did with the US and Canada, thoroughly and purposefully and at a leisurely pace.

I can’t believe I’ll be in Chelem tomorrow!