Driving to Mexico pt 1
Wow.....the laptop interface has changed a lot since I used it last.
So I'm in Mexico with my xolo-dog for the next 9 days. You'll probably be hearing a lot from me.
I drove down. People like to gnash their teeth about the dangers of Mexico, but I actually know people irl who drive down here a couple times a year. People who live here drive here daily. There is crime in Mexico - you bet. There is also crime in Compton and Chicago and any number of places. Here you're more likely to be extorted than to be shot at a parade, and your individual chance of being extorted is less. Knowing that doesn't make it a less intimidating adventure though.
It was a long drive. That's a bit of an understatement. It takes 5 days to drive from NW Illinois to Lake Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. You could probably do it in 4, but you don't drive the highways or toll roads at night here because of cows.
My first night was in Springfield, MO where it turns out I have friends. I thought they were in Jacksonville, FL, but they had relocated to a town near Springfield, so we had dinner and caught up on the high points of the past 12 years. We hadn't spoken since I kicked my last ex-husband out. BTW, he died. That's a whole other post. Anyway, we had dinner, and it was a really nice visit. I was invited to stay at their house if I travel back the same route. Teo and I stayed in this cute little motel and since she's training for service, I didn't have to pay an extra fee.
The next day I drove to Plano, TX where I have a cousin that I'm particularly fond of. I rarely see him, and there was little chance of seeing him in the near future since his parents moved away from IL, and his mother died. We spent hours talking, went to little souffle place for dinner, and then talked some more until it was 11, my dog hadn't been out in 6 hours, and my husband was waiting to call and tell me about his day. The Motel 6 was your usual except the clerk and I didn't exchange a single word which was kind of bizarre.
Day three I drove across Texas which goes on forever. I paid a woman from the lake down here to meet me there, ride down with me, and show me how to do the things. Plus, her Spanish is better than mine. She had trouble getting an Uber so Teo and I sat in a sketchy La Quinta parking lot for a little over an hour. Unfortunately, Kay was trying to be helpful and booked the rooms in her name so I couldn't check in until she got there. It did get us a discount, but it was a long hour. Laredo, or at least the parts we were in, is not a place I'd like to spend more time. It's run down and shady. The hotel was bad and there weren't any decent grassy spaces for Teo, but one night won't kill you.
I was nervous about crossing the bridge and driving through Nuevo Laredo so I didn't sleep worth a shit.
More tomorrow. There are Mexican children yelling outside y door at 9 pm like they do and this is already long.