Back in Mexico

I am back in Mexico, having tracked down a customs broker and successfully entered the country with a truck load of household goods.

I am feeling quite relieved to back in Mexico and to have crossed the border with my household goods with no problems. I now have no property or possessions, other than bank accounts, in the USA.

As it happened I was able to track down one of the customs broker with whom I had been communicating through email, though it took a bit to find his new location. I arrived at his office at about 9:00, provided him with copies of the “menaje de casa” visa issued me by the Mexican consulate in Seattle. He called his contact in Matamoras and informed me of the fee.

While I went to the nearest bank to get some cash, he made copies and arrangements with the broker with whom he works in Matamoras. When I returned to his office he instructed me to follow him to his warehouse where I would leave my truck while we crossed to Matamoras and went to the Mexican broker’s office to deliver the paperwork.

The USA broker took me on a driving tour of Matamoras for about an hour while the Mexican broker was preparing the “pedimento”. After a bit he suggested we stop at his favorite bar for a Clamato and vodka, which has to be about the most wretched drink I’ve ever tasted. I drank about half and pawned the rest off on him, explaining that I was getting a bit light headed and wanted to be completely sober for my border crossing.

We returned to the Mexican broker’s office, picked up the pedimento, and returned to his warehouse in Brownsville to await a call from the Mexican broker’s office with instructions on when to leave for the border. The call came and the Brownsville broker led me to the proper border crossing and left me with instructions of which line to get in and that a person from the Mexican broker’s office would meet me at the border with the necessary paperwork.

Sure enough the fellow was there with the papers and stood by as I made my way across the border to be sure everything went smoothly.

After crossing I parked my truck, went to the immigration office to have my visa stamped, and then moved my truck into an inspection bay where I waited for about a half an hour for my pedimento to make its way from the border crossing gate to the inspection area. Soon a fellow approached and asked me to open the back of the truck and to begin removing the stuff for his inspection, but after I had removed only a few items he indicated that he’d seen enough and a couple of fellows helped me reload. Everyone was quite jovial.

So off I was with one more gate to pass and perhaps another inspection. The fellow at that gate took a quick look at the pedimento and waved me through. About 10 kilometers down the road I had to pass through another inspection point but the fellow there also waved me through after a quick look at the pedimento.

So here I am in Ciudad de Victoria spending the night in a luxurious motel, with my own garage with an electric door, for $360 pesos. After getting settled into my room I notice there are 4 and 12 hours rates posted on the back of the door. I think I’ll call for room service, so to speak.