I was down to my last two pills so there was no way around it... had to make a trip to Ciudad Acuna to get my medication. For those new to my blog, I do not have health insurance so I go to Mexico which is about five minutes from my mother's house provided there is no traffic or surprise ICE (U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement) stings at the International Bridge.
As luck would have it there was a sting today but it was different from others I have experienced. Usually ICE stops you after you pay your toll at the bridge and question your reason for going to Mexico, ask you if you are carrying more than $10,000 U.S. dollars with you and if they so choose will search your vehicle. Mainly they are looking for weapons and/or ammunition.
Today the agents were right beside the toll booth operators but the agent I got did not ask me a thing or even spoke to me. Do not know if to feel flattered that I do not look like a gun runner or sad that since I was in dad's old car...he probably thought I was a deadbeat who could not possibly have over $10,000 dollars on me...jajajajajaja...I will go with the former rather than the latter :D
Went to Gutierrez (a grocery store) and got my medication, I was surprised to see the pharmacist from Aurrera (owned by Wal-Mart) and whom I had not seen in about two years now working here. This is also the store that sells the yummy chocolate cakes but I need a chocolate cake like I need a hole in the head...so today I passed on them. Aren't you proud of me?
Gutierrez had so many specials today that I pretty much got everything on my list here. I also went to Aurrera who do to their buying power usually have good prices but found their fruit and vegetables section to be rather high and with very little inventory, something unusual for them.
If you have to go grocery shopping in Mexico...I highly recommend you do so on a Monday or Tuesday. Since school started nationwide on Monday except for two states with worthless teachers who are always going on strike...I had a nice child free shopping experience.
The return trip to the U.S. took 35 minutes and it was HOT as dad's car has no air conditioning. I think I surprised the agent by handing him the grocery store receipts to the two stores I shopped today. He only asked me if I had other items with me that were not on the receipts and I told him NO. He asked me to open my trunk and when I turned off the car to get off...remember my dad's car is a 1982 Fairmont...he told me I could stay in my vehicle and just took the keys and opened the trunk himself.
I apologize for not taking pictures but I misplaced my camera and did not find it until this evening :-(
Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.
Terlingua Dreams
Governors Landing Campground - Lake Amistad - Del Rio, Texas
I am curious so I thought I would ask. Is it true you need a passport or passport card to go back and forth to Mexico now. I thought there might be some exemption for locals. If you have time to anwser, thanks.
ReplyDeleteMr. Rat - Mexico has always welcomed tourists and does not require any kind of passport or pass card to visit the border. You need a visa if you are traveling more than I believe 50 miles inside its territory but U.S. has the same requirement for visitors from Mexico.
DeleteYou will NOT be able to enter the U.S. even if you are a blond, blue eyed gringo without a passport or pass card. Well actually you will be able to after they check you out going back to your ancestors who came in the Mayflower.
The questions will be personal and the wait long as they check you out and you will also be put on a red flag list so you never pull this stunt again of crossing without the required documentation.
Hope I have answered your question. Thank you for coming by :)
I, too, have a question. Why can you bring back vegetables from Mexico when some states don't let you carry fruit or vegetables across their state line? Are you restricted on what you can bring back? Can you bring back fresh fruit and veggies?
ReplyDeleteDizzy - there are restrictions on what you can bring back from Mexico. Stores in Acuña usually post updated lists in their produce department.
DeleteGenerally produce with seeds are not allowed but there is an exception on cantaloupe and watermelon. You can not bring back avocados but if you ask the store to cut them in half and remove the seed you can cross it.
No citrus is allowed or apples and potatoes. The USDA has a list on the web but right now that I looked it up it was last revised in 2008, lol!
I had no knowledge of some fruits and vegetables not being able to cross state lines in the U.S.
Amongst these intelligent questions I was going to comment on your picture of the portable outhouse :) I like it!
ReplyDeleteNot to jump in too much but I have a Washington state 'enhanced' drivers license, it's good for land/sea entry back into the USA. We upgraded before we started traveling, should have just gotten a passport & been done....
Rob, I love my shower enclosure! While it can be used as an outhouse my girlfriends and I used it as a change room and shower.
DeleteThis year my camp as well as my friends from Austin(the ones that bring the food) went in and rented a port-a-toilet...was well worth the investment.
I had heard about the enhanced drivers license in some States...Texas is not one of them so when my passport came up for renewal I decided to besides getting my regular passport get a passcard as well. Small and easier to carry than the book.
I too have questions but I will let Dizzy and Mo-Rat go and I will just listen...
ReplyDeleteCapt Joey - if you have any specific questions feel free to ask away and I will do my best to get you the answer.
DeleteJust out of curiosity, would you ever consider living in Mexico (along the border)? I ask since you frequently visit. I have heard a growing number of US Citizens choosing to retire in Mexico due to the cost of living, medical etc. Just wondering.
ReplyDeleteGood question Dave, I would not rule it out specially if it involved a "tall younger than me weathered cowboy" :D
DeleteSeriously, I do not think I would. I have the best of both worlds living in Del Rio within five minutes of Ciudad Acuna but in the good old United States of America.
The Americans that I have heard move to Mexico do so to locations like San Miguel de Allende, Monterrey, Cuernavaca, Guadalajara and very popular Los Cabos, Acapulco and Cancun.
However, the real estate prices in those cities are definitively not within my budget!