Purgatory: Between Two Places

We got across the border way too easy. Even though our bus was packed
with things that needed to be searched, two lady agents boarded the
bus and after Clint (and Tank) flashed their pearly whites, they let
us in without sending us to get searched as they said they were
supposed to.

After only being in Mexico under an hr still searching for the
permitting office for the bus, the trusty police pulled us over to get
their first bribe. They made up some bogus crime about driving in the
wrong lane and told us we needed to pay them $120 to take off the
ticket for us. After a little groveling, and dropping the mission and
church card a few too many times, we got them to accept $30. That was
the last of our 'success'.

Frustration and turmoil have marked the trip since as we have had
endless troubles with the unorganized bureaucracy. We seem to have
fallen into the cracks in the system and no one knows what to do with
us. Everyone thinks it is someones else's job to give us a driving
permit. We have gone from residential to commercial and from bridge to
bridge, the mysterious yellow school bus seems to baffle everyone
beyond the point of being able to help us.

The agents and guards we have spoken to said we could take our chances
without the permit, but we could be fined, get the bus impounded or
even thrown in jail when we get stopped at check points. Not a good
option. If we avoid the major roads so as to avoid the checkpoints, we
then will be driving along the roads were our chance of getting robbed
goes through the roof. Also not the most desirable option.

So here we are stuck between two places, not able to drive into the
country, but across the border. We were told they should never have
let us cross. Have you ever seen 'The Terminal' with Tom Hanks? That's
us.

So we're trapped in Nuevo Laredo. One of the most dangerous towns in
Mexico. The Mexican we talked to at the gas station before the border
said he would never go back again. He said he could hear the guns
shots from there. As we drove in Mexico armored boats patrolled the
water, trucks loaded with heavily armed men drove the streets, and
beastly armored tanks sat ready as if waiting for a huge onslaught.

A small church said we could park the bus there for the night as we
waited till the next day to talk to someone else. This would surely be
a dangerous place to stay. Even though we were worried about not being
about to get back into Mexico, we are carrying three little children
on board and it didn't seem prudent to sleep in a war zone.

We headed back to the American border with hopes that he Mexican
Consulate might be able to help us get this permit. Crossing through
back to the States, we were treated as a bus and all had to unload and
then they passed a giant x-ray machine around the bus searching for
illegals and drugs. We pulled into a Wal-mart parking lot for the
night and cooked some noodles on the asphalt. Tired of being cramped,
clint slept below the soft glow of the parking lot lights on the roof
of the bus.

We were told several times that it is just impossible for us to enter
with our bus. 'We should just sell it.' Nope! We are pressing on.

This morning we set off to the Consulate with high hopes that were
quickly shattered. So plan Z now has become plan A. We are importing
the vehicle to be a Mexican vehicle. This will alter our trip but
adventures require changes some times. We will just have to make sure
we sell it in Mexico. The first price quote we got was over $2000 to
import! After much haggling we got the price down to around &1300.
Still a lot, but it enables us to press on, get Crystal home, and be
able to sell it later. It will take two days to import. So we wait.