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El Doctor to explorer: “Welcome to Mexico”

El Doctor welcomes me in Mexico
El Doctor welcomes me in Mexico

Eventually, we passed the Mexican border Tuesday around 6 p.m.
We left San Antonio late in the day, after deciding to put new tires on the truck. It took us approximately two hours to pass immigration on both side of the border, fill the temporary importation forms for the car, and go through a custom checkpoint later on down the road.
It costs $50 for the importation and my driving permit, which allows me to reach the Guatemalan border in a couple of weeks.
Mexican custom officials were puzzled by the content of the car, and were not really excited when they saw the mess in the back of the truck. After a glance, they waved us through.

Soccer in Mexico is more than a game, according to Mexican kids
Soccer in Mexico is more than a game, according to Mexican kids

After a night in Monterrey, I woke up early and ran to get my first picadillo breakfast tacos in Mexico. After which, I went to the doctor to receive five shots including yellow fever, meningitis, typhoid, polio, Hepatitis A, tetanus and diphtheria.
Lionel was good to me, and the price was sweet – compared to the U.S. – at something like $210.
That was yesterday. Since that, we have just been walking through the city, grateful to be in a new country.

The city of Monterrey dominated by the Sieera Madre mountains in the background
The city of Monterrey dominated by the Sieera Madre mountains in the background

The weather is not amazing yet, but we are taking it easy, just going to markets, visiting friends, and eating all the time.

Gorditas for breakfast on Friday
Gorditas for breakfast on Friday

The last few weeks have been kind of busy and stressful, and I need to gain back some weight. I went down with a cold as well lastly, and I don’t have much energy. Anyhow, I already began to bounce back, and I feel really happy about being on the road.
Happy thanksgiving to all my friends in the U.S., mine will be celebrated with fish tacos.

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Last day in Texas

In central Texas
In central Texas

We woke up at 4 a.m. on Monday to make sure we would be on location when the shop where I was schedule to get additional off-road equipment would open.

At 10, after crossing central Texas in the fog, we arrived at Wimberley Four Wheels Drive, close to New Braunfels, in the northeast of San Antonio. Jim jackson, the who represents ARB in the U.S. called me after reading my story in the newspaper. He offered to help with some equipment he thinks I will need.

Dan, the owner of Wimberley four wheels drive wishes the expedition good luck
Daniel, the owner of Wimberley four wheels drive wishes the expedition good luck

Installing the snorkel

At 1 p.m., the staff down there was done fitting a snorkel on the truck, and after pilling up some recovery tools in the back, we were heading to San Antonio.

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San Antonio Riverwalk

riverwalk3riverwalkIt is now way warmer, for which I am grateful, since I still remember the first cold nights. In San Antonio, we parked and spent some time in the city, which seems to be more pedestrian friendly than Houston. We took the riverside walk, probably the city most famous tourist attraction.

I still had few things to do on the Toyota (I know, by now you guys are tired of the mechanical things), and we were on our way to meet with some new friends who from San Antonio and Austin who sent me an email few days ago after reading about my trip.

San Fernando cathedral
San Fernando cathedral

After trying some Texan red wine, Brant took us for dinner with his mother Audrey and his friend Will. We had Tex-Mex for the last time before passing the border.

Then, we welcomed warmly few drinks in a local sports bar.

We plan to get some paperwork done tomorrow, and arrive in Mexico in the afternoon. In the next few days, we will continue to get ready for the more serious part of the expedition, but I swear, after that, you will get great pictures of more exotic places.

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Audrey, Nadia, Will, Nick and Brant at the Alamos Cafe

Other countries will have hard time matching the hospitality of the families we met since we left New York. Already, I feel this trip will be so great, because of all the people I will meet. Stuck behind my computer, I probably met as many people in the last year than in the last week.