Preparations to Mexico travel

Getting ready for Mexico may sound simple. It is really just an other country south of the US. The map on the right illustrates our planned itinerary. In metric, over 1,200 km... or 800 miles. A few days at least.

Let's prepare: What about Car insurance? Immunization? Passports? Should we take food, or wine or booze? Currency?

What about maps, travel guides, English (or French) information?

Mexico is truly another country.  As we crossed the border a few weeks ago, we realized that, for the most part, English is NOT spoken here. Not even at the border where we had to painfully work our way in sign language, under the giggling of nice Mexican bank tellers. As we went, naive and green, with nothing but a keen desire to view by ourselves, we eventually appreciated that we needed more Spanish and a bit more prep before taking the 30 foot trailer with us for a 1,200 km ride.

Last week was 'immunization' week as Louise and I went first for Hepatitis A and B and then Typhoid. I was kind of proud as I did not faint, as I usually do when I see needles.

Maps and Guides: this is not obvious as there seem to be ONE quality map publisher.

We 'amazoned' a lot and received Choose Mexico for retirement, a very informative book on 'where and how' to retire in Mexico; The People's Guide to Mexico, a kind of bible for the traveler; Distant neighbours, a short story of Mexico; and we round it up at Barnes and Noble with the Moon guide: Pacific Mexico. We have been reading these and after our earlier trip they prove quite informative as we now understand Mexico a tad better.

The systems are 'GO' with new batteries for the cameras, new external drive to store the gazillions pictures we will take, and a macerator to deal with the less than perfect drainage system in Mexico.

We will leave Wednesday morning as the birds wake up, with a tingle and a sense of discovery. One of our plan is to look for a place to call home; we certainly hope to find it as we explore Mexico in the coming months.

The first stop will be between Monterrey and Matehuala. A Pemex gas station, most likely. We will keep you 'posted' as we get there.