Arizona

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One Thing to Be Said About Nogales…

Nogales is a very good transition point for coming into and out of Mexico. American stores and prices, Spanish language. I checked into the motel, bought lunch, and did my grocery shopping all in Spanish. I was greeted in Spanish in all three locales and my accent was not sufficient to get a switch to English. I know people who would have been quite put upon by this, but I’m not ready to go back to English, so this suited me just fine. It’s nice to know that even over here, my Spanish is good enough.

The grocery store was a bit of a shock in terms of the price of some things, especially dairy. I thought the baked goods were expensive, but 0.59USD for a croissant is about 9MXN, what I’d pay at Panamá’s. The produce was lackluster, like I found it to be at the supermarkets in Mexico, but there was more variety.  I spent about 8USD and didn’t find that it went that far, one bagel, one banana, one apple, and three protein packs (cubed cheese and ham with nuts), even though I would have been pleased with the haul back in November.

It’s 8PM Maz time right now and I’m fading fast, so I’m going to get to have a snack and get to bed so I can get up at a decent hour tomorrow and get some work done. I still don’t know where I’m going, but I’m too tired to do any research, so hopefully I’ll have an hour to do that in the morning.

Just one last note, IT’S BLOODY COLD OUT THERE TONIGHT.

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Adios, Mexico — or San Carlos to Nogales, AZ

I left the motel just past nine this morning and decided to drive into San Carlos for fuel since I was running on fumes and wasn’t certain when I’d encounter a Pemex on 15. I only had 800 pesos left and wasn’t sure what I was looking at for tolls, so I decided to take on just 500 pesos and then top up with the credit card if needed. It was 9:30 when I hit the open road and I hoped to be in Nogales by 4:00, 3:00 local time

I saw this weird truck (RV?) as I was getting on the road. From the front and side, it looks like a UPS-type truck.

I saw this weird truck (RV?) as I was getting on the road. From the front and side, it looks like a UPS-type truck.

The first part of the day went by fast. By the time I was just shy of Hermosillo, my coffee had caught up with me and I really needed a bathroom. I pulled into the first Oxxo I saw, grabbed a coffee, paid for with my last 13 pesos of change, and only then learned that they didn’t have a bathroom. I was told to try the Pemex at the next corner.

So I did. The bathroom was inside an Extra convenience store and the cost was five pesos. I used it and then went to the cash to let them know that I was going to have to pay the five pesos with a 100 peso note. The lady looked at me funny and said, “Didn’t you just fill up with fuel?” I answered in the affirmative and she said no charge. Before y’all judge me, not only did the bathroom not have paper, soap, running water at the taps, or seats, IT DIDN’T HAVE A DOOR. I think I get a pass on this one!

Hermosillo was still under construction, but the detour wasn’t too bad, except for the nearly Quebec-sized potholes along one short stretch.

Goodbye ocean/coast, hello desert!

Goodbye ocean/coast, hello desert!

Before I knew it, The Big Military Checkpoint just before Santa Ana was upon me. 18-wheelers were backed up several kilometres, but there was almost no lineup for cars. The guy ahead of me had Arizona plates, was asked what appeared to be about dozen questions, and was instructed to pull over.

I pulled up and was greeted in clear Spanish. We had the following exchange:

-“Where are you coming from?”
-“San Carlos.”
-“San Carlos! And where are you going?”
-“Nogales.”
-“Nogales!” Then something I didn’t catch.
-“Could you please repeat that?”
-This time I sort of got one word, “trae,” which I vaguely thought means carry. It actually means bring, so he was saying, “What are you bringing with you?”
-“You want to know what I have with me?”
-“Yes.”
-“Clothes and household things.”
-“Okay. Go ahead.”

So I did. Meanwhile, the guy who was ahead of me was being held at gunpoint while his vehicle was being searched!!!

I hit the E mark on the fuel tank just after the checkpoint, shocked that I’d made it that far. I can go quite some time on E without the you need gas now light coming on and having done nearly 300KM on a half tank already, I wasn’t stressed about running out of gas since the gas gods were obviously at work today. Can’t complain about my gas mileage so far!

I pulled into a rest area that had a Pemex and asked if they could take my credit card. The attendant asked me to show it to him and he said not a problem, but he’d have to run it through before pumping so I had to be sure about much I was putting in. Not a problem; this is just like pre-paying in Canada or the US. I then used the bathroom since I had a feeling it would be my last obvious opportunity before the border.

Driving through Santa Ana, I debated whether or not to stop for lunch and decided I wasn’t hungry. What a difference from when I came down, though, in that a) I wasn’t afraid to stop, and b) I saw tons of places I would have eaten at if I was hungry. When I came down, I didn’t know yet that the little roadside taco stands and such are okay to eat at.

Before leaving Mexico, you have to turn in your temporary vehicle import permit. Until this morning, I thought that meant having to go back into the immigration office/Banjercito and wait for ages to be served. But I got several comments that mentioned a booth and sure enough, there it was, well marked in advance for foreign-plated cars to get into the far right lane to turn in their permits. It was at most a five-minute wait to be served.

The attendant took my paperwork and then took photos of my license plate and a sticker on the inside of my door jamb that has the VIN number on it. She then scrapped the hologram off the windshield (leaving a nice mess), and that was that! Easy peasy. We’ll see how long it takes for the money to be returned to my credit card.

I’d checked the map before leaving this morning, so I knew to keep left when I hit Nogales. There was no signage for Nogales cuota or Mariposa Road or anything obvious to let you know the bypass was that way, just a sign in the other lane for Nogales downtown being that way.

I had to roll through the Mexican customs (nothing to do), then pay my last toll. Tolls today were 65 + 25 + 57 = 147 pesos, or about 12CAD.

Then, the border, and OMG. It was CHAOS. No lane markers, dozens of aggressive vendors, and tons of people weaving in and out trying to find the quickest path to the front of the line. I don’t think I could have handled it in an RV since signage for the RV lane was so slow to appear and I would have likely missed my turn for it. I arrived at 2:55 San Carlos time and just stayed in one spot, moving forward as I could. I got to the front of my imaginary line much more quickly than expected.

The customs official asked me for my plate type, which meant state because he didn’t realise he was holding a Canadian passport… He asked if I had any plants or produce and I said no. He said that they would have to check and to follow him to an inspection booth.

There, a very kind official promptly came over, asked me where I was coming from and where I was going, then informed me that I was being subject to an agricultural inspection. I made my declaration and then he said he had to go through all my stuff.

He had me open up the back, where I discovered that my tailgate isn’t opening again!!! WHAT?! He said that was okay, but I had to empty out everything and it was up to me to figure out how to do it without them needing to get a crowbar. I quickly replied that I never put the tailgate down while traveling and everything was packed to fit through the top (absolute truth). I began to pull out my bags and suitcases and crawled in to get the tote way at the back. I did not have to pull out the cot.

Let me pause here to say that I do NOT believe that emptying out the truck was an unreasonable request. Quite the contrary and I even packed for that eventuality making sure everything was containerized by category and that there were as few loose items as possible.

While I was getting my exercise, he was going through my bags and totes in the front and his partner was pulling off the lid off my tote from the back and just peering in before closing it.

I was then called over and the guy was holding up my chia seeds. My first thought, pardon the French, was “FUCK.” I declared them on the way down and was told that they were okay to bring across, so the thought of declaring them this way (not the same ones, I got more in Mexico) completely slipped my mind. I had declared no to seeds and was caught red handed. I told the guy all this and he said, “It’s okay, sweetie, but you got lucky that these are perfectly fine to bring across.” Yes, he called me ‘sweetie’!’

He then told me I could pack up and go. I just threw everything into the truck and took off. It was 3:24 when I was clear of customs, so the whole thing from arriving in line to being clear was just 29 minutes. Dang did it feel longer than that! But it was yet another very nice American border official (although his partner was rather Canadian in her business only, I don’t know how to smile attitude).

From the border, it was just a few minutes to the Motel 6, where I arrived just shy of four San Carlos time, or three local time!

Contessa wondered why I’m staying Nogales, and her question makes absolute sense to anyone who has been to Nogales. The answer is that any other options are too far away today and I really don’t feel like driving any further. It’s not like being in an RV and being able to pull over outside the city. Moreover, I have work to do in the morning and I knew that the rooms here would be clean, well suited to work with a proper desk, and with good wifi.

The rate was lower than in November, $42 with the taxes, so with the exchange rate about $50, same in CDN as in November. I asked for a room in the back, thinking it would be quieter, and got free wifi in exchange for giving them my email address. I am getting TelCel service, so I’m using up my Banda Ancha and Saldo Regalo, then will use the wifi.

After checking in with everyone, I went off in search of US cash and food. 100USD was 120CAD, OUCH. Because of the exchange rate being as bad as it is and my planning to be on the road for a full month, I am being mercilessly tight with my budget and am on a very strict spending schedule. I do have reserves for true emergencies, but otherwise, I have exactly as much as I anticipate gas and lodging will be, with about 10USD per day for food, however I want to spend that, and a little bit for incidentals and outings not covered by my Interagency pass.

I really don’t want to get home flat broke and am not on vacation the way I was in October. I am just trying to avoid getting home while it’s still cold and want you all to be prepared for the very likely eventuality that if the roads are passable through the mountains, I am going to decide to just get home already and start shooting north very fast. Vicki, I am still coming to visit if I choose to do this!

The good news is that I am a quarter of the way home already and even with the exchange rate, I’m now on inexpensive gas AND my gas mileage is greatly improved. I budgeted 1,000CAD for fuel. I knew that that was outrageous and that it shouldn’t be much more than 600 or 700CAD, but with the way I was burning through fuel on the way down, I wanted to be prepared. I spent 171CAD on the first quarter of my trip home at about 1.20CAD per litre. Arizona is at about 0.80CAD per litre right now, so I know that my fuel costs will be quite a bit less than 700CAD and nowhere nearly 1,000! I’ll have a better grasp on the number after I do another 1,000KM and I’ll be able to then release some funds back into the general budget for the end of the trip.

For food, I went to a restaurant I went to when I was here in November, ‘Panda Express’, which I think is a national chain. It’s American-Chinese food. I remembered being impressed by the crispy veggies and lean chicken, making for a decent and not too expensive takeaway option. I asked for one main course (grilled teriyaki chicken) and one side (steamed veggies), then accepted their offer to do half veggies, half chow mein (noodles) for the same price. The cost was about 6USD, which I thought was quite a good deal and the food was tasty and not too heavy. I really liked how tender crisp and generous the portion of broccoli, zucchini, celery, and carrots were and that it didn’t have that slimy coating veggies normally have at Chinese restaurants.

I’ll go down to Safeway in a bit and get a snack for tonight and something for breakfast. My only complaint about the rooms here is the lack of fridges and microwaves. I hope their coffee tomorrow will be as decent as it was in November so I don’t have to traipse all the way down to McDonald’s.

Checkout is noon tomorrow and then I will head east. I told clients I’ll be back at work Tuesday, so I’m hoping to get somewhere tomorrow where I’ll be able to get a decent weekly rate or that has super good nightly rates. I’m also considering not taking a motel and just working out of a library or something, but sleeping in my truck for a month is going to get old fast, so I wouldn’t mind starting the trip with one week at a motel and then roughing it for a bit. We shall see. Nothing is written in stone for the next four weeks, other than my visit to the South Dakota Black Hills!

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Nogales, AZ, to San Carlos, MX

Once you get through the US post at the border crossing at the end of Mariposa Road in Nogales, there is no way to return for quite a while. You have to go over pieces of metal that would shred your tires if you go across them in the wrong direction. Then, you are on a closed toll (cuota) highway for quite a while. The highway opens to four lanes past the Mexican city of Nogales, and continues that way after the KM 21 checkpoint.

Generally speaking, the drive to San Carlos was tedious. The speed varied from 110KPH to 40KPH and there was a lot of construction. The road conditions were decent and it was fun to drive through small towns and see the contrast between grungy local shops and shiny big name chains like OXXO (convenience store) and AutoZone.

The biggest excitement of the day was the drive through the city of Hermosillo, the capital of the state of Sonora. There was a detour, but I just followed the signs for MX 15, as well as a whole parade of cars, and had absolutely no trouble. Really, after you’ve driven in Montreal and found your way out of Flagstaff, you can drive anywhere. 🙂 Part of the detour route would have been a little rough in an RV, but not too bad.

I quickly noticed that Mexican drivers do not believe in using turn signals, so I got into the habit myself of passing and merging without signalling. I’m already living like a Mexicana! 🙂 There really wasn’t much traffic the whole way down to San Carlos, not even in Hermosillo, and this was a good way to ease me into Mexican driving. I’m not a very aggressive driver and I was worried I’d have a tough time down here, but so far, so good!

I was just about ready to pull into a Pemex station and beg for a bathroom when I saw the big ‘El Valiente’ sign that was my clue that the exit to San Carlos was coming up! It was coming on 1:00 and pulled into Totonaka RV Park at about 1:15, almost exactly six hours since leaving Nogales. I made good time! Croft recommended that I stay in one of the rooms the park has to rent. Unfortunately, their rates are quite a bit higher than on the website, 40USD for the least expensive room, rather than 25USD. I’m staying two nights for sure, then will possibly get a tent site for 15USD if I’m stuck here because of the storm.

My room wasn’t ready, so I was invited to park, using the public restrooms, and sit outside for a bit with the WiFi. I was also offered a map of town if I wanted to go exploring. I was hungry and Croft had recommended a restaurant, Charly’s Rock, right across the street, so I headed there.

This is a seafood restaurant open to the beach (the Sea of Cortez!!!!!!) with an amazing view! What a place to unwind with a cold beer! I ordered a Pacifico, which turned out to be delicious, and sipped it while munching on tortilla chips, salsa, and limes while I perused the menu. San Carlos is a gringo community, so I expected the menu to be bilingual. Nope! I read it slowly, occasionally looking up words on an app I downloaded to my iPhone.

The chips and salsa were good and quite filling, so I decided to get something light, with my eyes finally resting on the words ‘ceviche al coco’, thin fish filet with coconut milk and serrano peppers. I had no idea if serrano peppers would burn off my taste buds, but I decided to be brave and try it! For those who aren’t familiar with ceviche, it’s fish or seafood ‘cooked’ in acid, usually lemon or lime juice.

I was almost done with my beer by the time the meal came. It was beautiful! I took a sip of the liquid and my taste buds were flooded by the acidity of the lime juice cut by the sweetness of the coconut milk. The peppers added flavour, but no heat; same thing with the red onions. The fish was soft and melted in my mouth. There was also a little avocado and plenty of crackers to soak up the juice. Yum, yum, yum. 🙂

When I was done, I flagged down the server and asked for the cuenta, which came to 135MXN. I added 20MXN for a tip. I still can’t wrap my brain around the money and keep reminding myself to remove a decimal point to make the sums easier to stomach!

I left the restaurant and walked up towards the centro to check out the supermarket. I found an ice cream place on the way back and got a small cone. There was a dizzying array of flavours, most of which I did not recognized, so I asked for chocolate and was offered Rocky Road and some other kind. I asked for ‘No Rocky Road, el otro.’

When I got back to the RV park, my room was ready. It is small, but adequate, with a clean bathroom and a very hard bed. I am tempted to grab my mattress out of the truck! I have a fridge, but no microwave. I really need to figure out how to get coffee tomorrow morning! 🙂

So I’m really in Mexico, using pesos and speaking Spanish! Wow! I’m so proud of myself. 🙂

Driving here, I couldn’t help but marvel at the brave souls who do so with little to no knowledge of the language. I’ve been cautious about over estimating my Spanish skills, but after the last few days, I know that they are much better than I realised, well beyond the basics of where’s the bathroom and I want a beer! I mean, I have negotiated rent on an apartment, rented motel rooms, bought currency, ordered meals, paid tolls, and done a few things at the border all with what I learned 20 years ago! All those late night Tuesdays and Thursdays of conversation class are finally paying off!

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First Real Mexico Border Crossing Adventure!

I can’t believe that I’m writing this post from San Carlos, Mexico!

I took reader Contessa’s advice and left Nogales quite early this morning. I had a feeling that an early Sunday would mean a quicker crossing. I was smart and went to bed early last night, but when I woke up around 3:00, a switch went off and I had a hard time falling back asleep. So six came earlier than I would have liked. 🙂

Most of the packing was done, so I just did a little online stuff, then brought my bags to the truck. I stopped in at the office for a coffee and went back up to my room to drink it and force myself to eat a banana. I pulled out of the motel around 6:45 and went to top up the gas tank and empty the bladder one last time. It was 7:15 when I approached the point of no return. I took the ‘truck route crossing’ at the end of Mariposa Road, which detours Nogales, MX, rather than the crossing that takes you through the centre of the Mexican city.

I had read reports of some people getting stopped on the US side, but there were no US officials to be seen, so I got through their post without incident.

The next milestone was the toll booth. Surprise, the toll was higher than the website had said. Not by much, but my exchange change wasn’t anymore and I had to fumble with the currency a little. 52MX rather than 40MXN.

Then, I encountered the first checkpoint where you have to play red light, green light. There was no one around, no lights, nothing, so I rolled through the check point slooooowly and then sirens started to blare and a red light flashed! There was another light directing me to go to a certain lane where I could see two sour looking officials waiting for me.

I rolled down the window and handed my passport, which earned me a wince from the female official. I forget what she asked me exactly, but there was talk of where I was ultimately going, where I was landing tonight, and she had me open the back of the truck. She rifled through my things a little and asked if I just had clothes. I said yes, nothing that would be staying in Mexico. She told me to go on. This took less than five minutes and I’m pleased to say that I was perfectly unflustered by the whole thing. I’ve been interrogated, threatened, and detained by Canadian customs so I’m not really afraid of anybody at this point. 🙂

I then had a short drive to get to ‘kilometro 21’, the immigration checkpoint where you get your tourist visa and temporary import documents for your vehicle(s), arriving around 7:40. I had done a lot of research and knew roughly what to expect, but it still wasn’t obvious and the officials didn’t volunteer much info. With no point of comparison, I’d say that KM 21 from the Mariposa crossing is a very convenient and easy place to cross. It’s definitely very doable in an RV.

First stop was inmigración to get my tourist visa. There was no wait. I had to fill out the standard visitor card that I’ve had experience with flying into the US and the UK. I didn’t have the address of my ultimate destination, so I said ‘piso en Isla Piedra’ and gave a contact name and local phone number. The surly official glanced at the form, made me add a few things and sign it, then told me to go pay and come back.

Payment was at the Banjercito, just behind the inmigración office, a separate building, but all under the same covered complex. Again, there was no wait. I had to pay about 26USD for the visa. I went back to the inmigración and the same surly guy called me over. He stamped my paperwork, told me I have to be out of the country by April 30th, and said, ‘Bye bye’, waving me away.

Before going back to Banjercito for the vehicle stuff, I used the bathroom on site, glad that I had napkins and hand sanitizer in my purse! The room was otherwise very clean and perfectly serviceable.

Back at Banjercito, where I still didn’t have to wait, I had to present my vehicle registration card from Saskatchewan, passport, and tourist visa. I was asked for copies of those documents. CRAP! I had the first two but didn’t think of getting a copy of the visa! And there was a photocopy kiosk right across from the bathroom! I put my hand back out to retrieve my documents to go get the copy, but the official ignored me. He went into the back office and made the copy for me! I think he was rewarding me for otherwise having all my ducks in a row…

I had to pay 3,600MXN for the privilege of bringing Moya into Mexico for the winter. That’s roughly 200USD for the bond that I will get back when I bring the truck out on time, plus an administrative fee. This felt like a HUGE amount, but I just did the currency conversion and it’s 301CAD. I had budgeted 300CAD total for fees, so I came in about $30 over budget, which I can live with!

I was given some official looking paperwork, made to sign a legal document in Spanish with no time to read it, and told that I need to have the truck out of MX by April 30th or I’ll forfeit my deposit. Finally, there was a sticker (holograma) that I needed to stick to my windshield. I was told that was it and I was free to go.

I went back to my truck and read the legal document. The gist of it was that MX is allowing me to temporarily import my specific vehicle for X amount of time. If I return on schedule, my deposit will automatically be refunded to my credit card by Banjercito. I am to advise them immediately if my card details change.

I read the holograma instructions and stuck it to the left of my rear view mirror, then pulled out of KM 21.

The final milestone, according to research, was a final game of red light, green light at the exit to KM 21. There was no such thing! I was free to go! I was out of there by 8:20 at the latest. The process took less than 40 minutes.

Crossing the border into Mexico with my vehicle was a bit of hassle, but not nearly as convoluted as research had made it seem. It does seem that the Mariposa crossing is particularly good, however.

Everyone I spoke to ahead of the process advised me to pretend I don’t speak a lick of Spanish beyond gracias and I don’t think that was good advice. There was absolutely nothing about the process that I couldn’t have done in Spanish and I actually did the payment part of the import process in Spanish because the gal’s English was poor. It was very awkward to pretend that I didn’t speak the language and I think next time I will just go ahead and do the whole thing in Spanish.

I’ll elaborate more on the language situation in my next post, which will be about the not so exciting, but still thrilling, drive to San Carlos!

I made it to Mexico! North America just got a whole lot bigger!

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Mexico Liability Insurance and My First Pesos

Canadian and US car insurance isn’t valid Mexico. You need to buy at minimum liability insurance from a Mexican company. I asked Croft who he uses and he gave me the contact information. Unfortunately, after one online request for a quote, one email that was not replied to, an unreturned phone message, my not thinking to stop into their Tucson office, and the Nogales office being closed on weekends, I had to look for another option.

A quick Google search found Don Smith Mexico Insurance, better reviewed than the company Croft uses,  just minutes walking distance from the motel, and open Saturday mornings. I hoofed it up the hill to speak with a nice lady about my needs.

The most important thing I had to keep in mind is that while I will need coverage for 180 days, I am not going to actually do a lot of driving once I get to Mazatlan. I really need coverage for the trip there and back to the border. The small amount of time on the road means the less chance of something going pear-shaped. Moreover, I still have some limited coverage for my own damages from SGI. So I decided to buy a liability-only policy, plus legal aid, for $128USD. For $21, I would have been nuts not to get the legal aid option!

The lady also gave me detailed border instructions. I did a lot of reading about that over the past months and also this morning and have decided to just stop as I am making myself nuts! 🙂 I asked if I should have pesos for tolls and she said absolutely. I really don’t want to lose money by converting my CAD to USD to MXN, so I plan to do a large withdrawal (rent to pay!) at a Mexican bank, but I still want some local currency for tolls and incidentals until I find an ATM.

The lady sent me three doors down to a change house, where things got interesting. The fellow behind the counter did not speak a word of English. I’m pretty sure I’m still in the US and still, I rented my room last night in Spanish and also settled a restaurant tab in Spanish!

I carefully explained that I wanted a few pesos to get me to San Carlos and did he think that 40USD would be sufficient until I hit an ATM? Also, I am Canadian and do not want to lose in the exchange rate, so I will go to a bank and take out pesos with my ATM card once in Mexico. He said that, yes, 40USD in pesos would definitely do me fine for tolls and whatnot and I’ve been correctly advised about using my ATM card at the banks as that would give me a better rate than he could. The 40USD got me 504MXN. I like the peso coins, like our toonies only smaller.

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I thanked him for his ‘ayuda y paciencia’ and he laughed, saying that he could understand me perfectly and that I have a beautiful accent. I’m actually glad to have this pre-border experience with the language as it’s really boosting my confidence. My speaking vocabulary is a lot better than I expected (understanding is almost fluent except in technical areas) and people seem to get that they need to speak slowly. I’m at the point where if I don’t know how to say something, I have enough words to get the meaning across. I really should join a conversational Spanish class this winter and get over the hump of not understanding the spoken language that well!

Finally, I got hold of someone at the landlady’s house, a child. She was not home, but the child promised to tell her that I am planning to arrive mid-day Wednesday. I will try her again tonight because the child and I did not seem to communicate well.

I’m going to find lunch, then do some shopping. I’ve been waffling about buying a desk and chair here in the US, but I find it hard to commit to anything without knowing the dimensions I will have to work with. I think that, having worked fine in hotel room setups this month, I will use what’s there in the apartment to start and will find something locally. I might even be able to get something used. I’ll see what the landlady says. The budget is just really, really, really, really tight this month because I lost a week of income in October due to my client’s schedule and I would really rather not have to eat only rice and beans until the December cheque and PayPal payments come in. 🙂

I’ll be glad once the border fees and rent are paid as that will give me a better idea of what I have left to get me through the month. I’m just not sure what I’ll have to pay to temporarily import my truck. Research says 300USD for a vehicle from 2001 to 2007 and 200USD for a vehicle older than 2000. Notice the gap there? I have a 2000 vehicle. Is it going to be 300USD or 200USD??? I believe my tourist visa is going to be 25USD.

So border tomorrow. OMG. I am going to spend two nights in San Carlos to arrive on schedule on Wednesday at the apartment as the landlady and I had discussed my arriving the 5th. I’m surprised to be meeting that deadline! I know I need to hit the border early and it opens at 6:00, but I really don’t see myself there that early. It’s going to be a normal big travel day for me where I won’t want to eat, but I really should take the time to relax with a coffee before the fun starts. 🙂