# Driving down soon



## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

Well, I'll soon drive down to Mexico, probably start my drive in less than a week.
I'll drive to Laredo and then from there direct to CDMX.

I'll pick up a buddy in CDMX and drive to Merida.
Already have a house (rental). 

I also got Mexican Citizenship a couple of weeks ago.
This time around I'll drive in as a tourist, with an old Prius. I'll have to come back to sign divorce papers and what not... 

It's 52 hours of driving time to Merida from SFO, CA.

Once I'm down there I'll get a Mexican driving licence, without surrendering my US license.
And buy a mexican car.


I know there is a thread that had all the information about border crossings. I'll look that up.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Congrats about Mexican citizenship, condolences about the divorce. Why would you enter as a tourist if you are a Mexican citizen? Is it so that you can get a TIP for the car?

Is your plan to drive the Prius back to CA later, sell it, then fly to Merida the second trip?


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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

eastwind said:


> Congrats about Mexican citizenship, condolences about the divorce. Why would you enter as a tourist if you are a Mexican citizen? Is it so that you can get a TIP for the car?
> 
> Is your plan to drive the Prius back to CA later, sell it, then fly to Merida the second trip?


Yes, less hassle driving a US car. plus Aduanas and everybody and his brother hassle Mexicans driving back with American plates.
I'll fly back in. 
Or do a "menaje de casa" (homesteading).

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## Bodega (Apr 20, 2016)

We drove it today, Laredo-Querétaro, and the road is in great shape. There are a few areas of single lane traffic, but not many, and no projects of sufficient size to warrant a traffic stoppage. Lots of early morning fog around Monterrey, but it burned off with the sunrise. All things considered, one of our best trips ever.


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

ElPocho said:


> I'll drive to Laredo and then from there direct to CDMX.
> 
> It's 52 hours of driving time to Merida from SFO, CA.
> .


And then you are going to drive back to SFO? And then fly back to Mx?

That's a lot of money and time.

Wow.


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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> And then you are going to drive back to SFO? And then fly back to Mx?
> 
> That's a lot of money and time.
> 
> Wow.


I'll be there for 2-3 months. 
I get about 40 miles to the gallon. I did a calculation somewhere.
A round trip from sfo-merida was about $500

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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> And then you are going to drive back to SFO? And then fly back to Mx?
> 
> That's a lot of money and time.
> 
> Wow.


Oh! figure a two bedroom apartment in Walnut Creek is $2,200 

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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

mi amigo, life would be very boring if we all made the same choices.


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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> mi amigo, life would be very boring if we all made the same choices.


How's life for you?
What insurance did you get?


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

ElPocho said:


> How's life for you?
> What insurance did you get?


I assume you mean auto insurance. Via Baja Bound Insurance Services (a California company), I purchased coverage with HDI Seguros. I purchased much more than the minimum, and the cost for a year (yes, I'm committed) was much less than what I was paying in the USA. Let me know if you want a link.

Life is fantastic. My first 3 weeks in GDL, I was super busy with apartment hunting, immigration, then my TIP vehicle, getting enrolled in language school (I HAVE TO learn Spanish - I'm here, right?), figuring out how to drive here without a catastrophe happening. 

Now its calmed down. All is settled with immigration and Aduana (I hope ... for my car). My Spanish is still bad, but already much better, and I will have two different tutors in December (different days of the week). The attempted and successful efforts to take advantage of the white guy have been very minor. It feels like 10+ times every week, the country is reaching out to help me. Its a nice feeling.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Welcome El Pocho.


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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> I assume you mean auto insurance. Via Baja Bound Insurance Services (a California company), I purchased coverage with HDI Seguros. I purchased much more than the minimum, and the cost for a year (yes, I'm committed) was much less than what I was paying in the USA. Let me know if you want a link.
> 
> Life is fantastic. My first 3 weeks in GDL, I was super busy with apartment hunting, immigration, then my TIP vehicle, getting enrolled in language school (I HAVE TO learn Spanish - I'm here, right?), figuring out how to drive here without a catastrophe happening.
> 
> Now its calmed down. All is settled with immigration and Aduana (I hope ... for my car). My Spanish is still bad, but already much better, and I will have two different tutors in December (different days of the week). The attempted and successful efforts to take advantage of the white guy have been very minor. It feels like 10+ times every week, the country is reaching out to help me. Its a nice feeling.


What have the car struggles been like?

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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

ElPocho said:


> Well, I'll soon drive down to Mexico, probably start my drive in less than a week.
> I'll drive to Laredo and then from there direct to CDMX.
> 
> I'll pick up a buddy in CDMX and drive to Merida.
> ...


Sounds like a great adventure! Mexican citizenship facilitates many things, but be aware that in Mexico there ain't no such thing as a dual citizen--- they consider you Mexican, period, so I'm not sure how a tourist card figures into it although they'll be glad to take your 25 dollars or whatever it costs now. Driving a U.S.-plated car I've found some disadvantages. You're more susceptible to _cuicos_ running speed traps or otherwise hustling you for some quick cash, same with gas-jockeys at Pemex, while the beggars and window-washers at stoplights will sprint past a line of national vehicles to get to one with NOB plates.
As far as getting a driver's license, great idea! Mexicans love official documents, the more the better. They'll want to see an INE; or a a permanent or temporal visa and proof of a local address like a utility bill in your name. Don't have that you can bring a friend or landlord to city hall and get a _Constancia de Residencia_. Depending on the state, there may or may not be an exam. Got mine in Colima, and my valid California license (which was only looked at and returned) exempted me from the written test (which I studied hard for), and also the behind-the-wheel, and vision exam. But they did want proof of blood type, which might be available in their office or at a nearby Cruz Roja. The whole process took less than an hour and they made the license card on the spot.


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

ElPocho said:


> What have the car struggles been like?


The massive roundabouts are the big challenge. I don't believe anyone really knows what the rules are. Maybe there are no rules, other than don't hit the car in front of you. The fact no two are exactly alike adds to the chaos.

The motorcycle guys are generally mad men. Zipping between cars, random no-look lane changes, and sometimes going the wrong way on one way streets if it suits them.

The heart of downtown GDL bogs down severely in the afternoon and early evening. Something I have to keep in mind whether driving or riding a bus. Its an old city, there is only so much that can be done.


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## Bodega (Apr 20, 2016)

UrbanMan has described it well. When I approach the large roundabouts, I feel like I'm running alongside a fast moving train and trying to jump on. I guess a bit of encouragement would be that time and experience breeds comfort in this area. One odd bit of evolution I've noticed is that many cities are now installing traffic signals at the roundabouts, which, in my opinion, defeats the original purpose of the roundabout.
The city streets were built hundreds of years ago, and they were built for carts and pedestrians, not delivery vehicles, SUV's and tour buses. There is no room for improvements, unless, as Tundragreen often suggests, we make the downtown areas pedestrian only areas, and this idea is always met with bitter opposition from those who have a need to drive these streets. 
Also, left turns from the far right lane are quite common, and the speedster who zooms up behind you on the hwy while blinking his lights is simply driving as his father taught him; he is asking you to "make a hole" (let him pass)
The sum total of all these traffic nuances make up what I refer to as one of the essences of Mexico. Don't fight it, and don't let it stress you; just roll with it, and realize it's not going to change any time soon.


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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

LOL, 

Those aren't struggles for me. 

In Mexico driving is a game of Chicken. 
The biggest, most beat up car always wins. 
You make lanes as you go along.
It's more dangerous to be behind a slowpoke because they don't know how to drive.
If you cut a slowpoke of you are doing the community a service of you can scare him from ever driving again.
If the the other car looks like an unmarked judicial or bodyguards or Narcos they have right of way. 
You don't change lanes you slowly drift into the other Lane.
And you never use turn signals, because they will speed up. 
When going into a glorieta you speed up. The fastest car has right of way.

I learned how to drive

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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

ElPocho said:


> LOL,
> 
> Those aren't struggles for me.
> 
> ...


Got cut off, and didn't finish. 

I learned how to drive in Mexico City. Jejeje



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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

perropedorro said:


> Sounds like a great adventure! Mexican citizenship facilitates many things, but be aware that in Mexico there ain't no such thing as a dual citizen--- they consider you Mexican, period, so I'm not sure how a tourist card figures into it although they'll be glad to take your 25 dollars or whatever it costs now. Driving a U.S.-plated car I've found some disadvantages. You're more susceptible to _cuicos_ running speed traps or otherwise hustling you for some quick cash, same with gas-jockeys at Pemex, while the beggars and window-washers at stoplights will sprint past a line of national vehicles to get to one with NOB plates.
> As far as getting a driver's license, great idea! Mexicans love official documents, the more the better. They'll want to see an INE; or a a permanent or temporal visa and proof of a local address like a utility bill in your name. Don't have that you can bring a friend or landlord to city hall and get a _Constancia de Residencia_. Depending on the state, there may or may not be an exam. Got mine in Colima, and my valid California license (which was only looked at and returned) exempted me from the written test (which I studied hard for), and also the behind-the-wheel, and vision exam. But they did want proof of blood type, which might be available in their office or at a nearby Cruz Roja. The whole process took less than an hour and they made the license card on the spot.


I didn't think about the vendors, gotta remove the front plate.

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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

ElPocho said:


> I didn't think about the vendors, gotta remove the front plate.


Not a good idea to remove a plate. Years ago I was driving a US plated car from a state which only uses 1 license plate, not 2. We were stopped by a local police officer who said it didn’t matter if we were from a US state where they don’t use both a front and rear plate. We were in Mexico, that was the law, etc. I tried to reason with him, but when he started taking the plate off the car, I went ahead and gave him some pesos _para su refresco_ which is what he was after. That’s the only time in 40 years of travelling to Mexico I’ve ever paid a _mordida_. If I recall rightly it was in Chiapas.


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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

ojosazules11 said:


> Not a good idea to remove a plate. Years ago I was driving a US plated car from a state which only uses 1 license plate, not 2. We were stopped by a local police officer who said it didn’t matter if we were from a US state where they don’t use both a front and rear plate. We were in Mexico, that was the law, etc. I tried to reason with him, but when he started taking the plate off the car, I went ahead and gave him some pesos _para su refresco_ which is what he was after. That’s the only time in 40 years of travelling to Mexico I’ve ever paid a _mordida_. If I recall rightly it was in Chiapas.


Thank you. 

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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Welcome home, El Pocho!


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

ElPocho said:


> I didn't think about the vendors, gotta remove the front plate.
> 
> Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk


Ojosazules is right, don't do that, police remove your front plate when you are illegally parked so you have to go to the station to pay your fine and retrieve your plates. Police will stop you without a front plate. Front plates are not required in Florida and I knew one expat who got stopped so much he finally put his trailer tag on the front just to stop it.


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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

Zorro2017 said:


> Ojosazules is right, don't do that, police remove your front plate when you are illegally parked so you have to go to the station to pay your fine and retrieve your plates. Police will stop you without a front plate. Front plates are not required in Florida and I knew one expat who got stopped so much he finally put his trailer tag on the front just to stop it.


Makes sense.

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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> I assume you mean auto insurance. Via Baja Bound Insurance Services (a California company), I purchased coverage with HDI Seguros. I purchased much more than the minimum, and the cost for a year (yes, I'm committed) was much less than what I was paying in the USA. Let me know if you want a link.
> 
> .


Got the insurance!
Thanks!


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