Off to the border for paperwork and it didnt go well!

 In the past we've found it easier to do our Mexican paperwork (tourist visa and vehicle temporary import papers) by crossing the border ahead of our actual entry into Mexico.  We've done this at San Louis Colorado south of Yuma and it's always worked well...except for yesterday. 

After a scarce continental breakfast☹️we were of to the border with passports, vehicle registrations and copies of everything including passports in hand.             Heading to the border.

Such perfect vegetables.

Somerton just south.  Big tamale festival happens here.  We're not fans of tamales😐

Everywhere there's a house there's palm trees.

Off in the distance is the "wall" between the USA and Mexico.

Walking down to the border after paying $7 to park the truck.  You may remember in 2019 when we left the Jeep in a bank parking lot on a Sunday to cross for paperwork and when we came back it was gone! Towed and cost us $100 US to get it back.  I was pretty steamed😡

      

 Let me in!   

The "wall" !

Now for the fun part.  We easily got our tourist visa. Get it filled out, go to the banjercito to pay, go back and get it stamped and back to the banjercito to do temporary import papers.  The truck and cargo trailer in my name (one motorized vehicle to a person) and the motorcycle in Eric's name. The truck and trailer are one unit.  First problem which is something new.   The truck is over 3000 kg because it's a 3/4 ton and now Mexico has decided heavy trucks are "work" trucks and not allowed unless inspected. So..the agent and I go over to see the inspector and we don't have the truck with us.  Who knew we had to. However, I did have a picture of the truck on my phone. The inspector hemmed and hawed and the said OK and stamped it.  Second problem. The trailer is in Eric's name. So do I have a copy of our marriage license..yes. Then he says you don't have the same name on the certificate..what?  Of course not it's my maiden name.  At this point we decide Eric will import the truck and trailer and I'll import the motorcycle because it's in both our names!  I can't even drive the motorcycle!! Ok it finally got done.  Note to self get the cargo trailer in both our names.

Now to cross back over the border to the US and the lineup is huge so we stand in line. The vehicles waiting to cross go on as far as we can see. 

Waiting our turn.  Took 2 secs when we got there. The whole fiasco took two hours and we were the only ones getting visas and importing.

We ended up on an alternate route back to the Yuma and passed through the date palms.

I love dates.

We stopped a Jack in the Box for a quick crappy lunch and then off to Walmart!  Bought beer (30 for $19.98) groceries for lunch on the road and then I had Eric take me to the Sketchers warehouse outlet store.  I've never been there before and it was great..I got four pairs of flops and I'm good to go.

We finished our day with dinner at the Asian Star which wasn't as good as it was 2019.  Our luck is not very good this trip. 

Tomorrow we are off to Nogales,AZ before we head into Mexico.

And just to cheer us up across the highway in the mall parking lot there's some huge live loud concert of some kind blasting  on a Tuesday night🤣🤣

Tomorrow is another day!