The Nomads

Day 81 Sunday June 29

Left Saltillo, Coahuila de Zaragoza State, Mexico

Temp: 21 degrees C

Sun/cloud, cool and windy

On the road by nine and wishing we had put on our coats, we were quite chilled for the next two hours.

We ended up taking an hour to get through the maze of Monterrey to get to the cuota. We missed the ring road around the city because it was indicated as the Libre and we were looking for the cuota, and ended up in the middle of the city still following signs for N. Laredo! We were lucky to find a driver next to us headed that way who had us follow him to the right on-ramp. As it happens we ran into him again in Neuvo Laredo at the vehicle importation permit office! I thanked him again for saving our hides.

We made pretty good time on the cuota and were into the border by about 1:00, cleared our vehicle importation permits for exit in very short order and were in line for the international bridge and US Customs by 1:15 where we spent the next hour and a half in 116 degrees temp in the hot sun on a hot bike on the half kilometre long bridge crawling along at about a car length every whip-stitch. Yes, we were in the slow line!

The good news is that once we got to the customs officer, he pretty much waved us through after a cursory look at our passports and we were on our way to the first place where we could buy and drink anything, we were seriously dehydrated! Three cold bottles of Ruby Red Grapefruit later Susie had brain-freeze and I had belly-freeze! OW!

The ride to San Antonio was very boring and uneventful. I must say , though, that it was a real pleasure to be on a straight flat highway with no potholes or topes and a decent 75 mph speed limit!

We drove pretty much through the city so as to avoid the Monday morning traffic rush and were settled in around six thirty, having just gotten a few sprinkles as the local heavy rain had just ended. Lucky or what!!

Here’s a first for us…. the municipality of San Antonio demands an extra 16% tax over the Texas tax for each hotel room occupancy which adds up to a whopping 18.3%! How’s that for a money grab!

Kilometres - Daytrip: 575 km total: 19,300
Gas: $ 26.70 Tolls: $19.25
Lodging: Super8 $ 84