Driving Mexico is easy if you set your mind on vacation mode
By Jill Nokes
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Sunday, April 30, 2006
People are often surprised to learn that Jack and I don't hesitate to drive in Mexico. We have never had any problems and find it easier than driving on Interstate 35 surrounded by wall-to-wall traffic going 75 mph.
Many people expect that Mexican roads are rutted lanes on the sides of mountains, and they expect to be robbed by bandits or the federales. Yet, traveling by car on main roads in Mexico is not inherently dangerous, and it offers the advantage of being able to enjoy the dramatic scenery and to stop and explore as you please.
It's true that frequent violent incidents among rival drug traffickers, especially in Nuevo Laredo, are a serious problem. Several people I spoke with, who travel regularly or are familiar with the border violence situation, agreed that gangs are going after each other, not the random tourist crossing the bridge or on the highway.
Still, a little common sense and preparation will make for a good experience.
To avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time, don't drive at night and try to use the new bridges away from crowded city centers.
It's not unusual to be stopped at army checkpoints, even in the middle of nowhere on toll roads. You will be asked where you are coming from and where you are going, and you must show your documents. When asked, calmly get out of the car and wait while your luggage is checked. We were stopped three times on our trip and it was always a polite, perfunctory search and we soon were on our way.
n For general information, check out the State Department's Web site: travel.state.gov/travel/tips/regional/regional_1174.html. Pay careful attention to have all your documents, copies, insurance and identification in order.
n It's helpful to get your car permit sticker and tourist documents at the Mexican Consulate in Austin (800 Brazos St., Suite 330, 478-2866) between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.. You still will have to stop at the border to pay your tourist fee and get your passport stamped. Be sure to fix your car sticker precisely where you are instructed. You cannot peel it off and re-attach it, as Jack unfortunately discovered.
•Many Mexican cities along the Texas border have new bridges on their outskirts that are much easier to navigate than older ones in the middle of town.
•At the Mexican Aduana, or Customs and Immigration offices, there are few signs, and almost none in English. It can be extremely aggravating not knowing what to do or where to go, or how long it's going to take. Seldom have we experienced anything on our trip as confounding and frustrating as getting all the correct documents and crossing the border. We have come to think of it as the rite of passage into the vacation experience — a reminder to just go with the flow and be patient.
If you don't know Spanish, get a simple phrase book, and begin your questions with the salutation: "Buenos días (or tardes or noche). Do you speak English?"
If the answer is no, just point to your document, map, or phrase book and most of the time Mexicans will go out of their way to help you. But don't just blurt out your request in a loud voice without the greeting first and "gracias" at the end.
Don't worry, there will always be somebody at the office who can communicate with you. Remember how equally frustrated we get waiting in the security check lines at the airport and the border experience does not seem so daunting.
•We thought we could cover distances in Mexico on U.S. interstate time. We wished we had allowed for a slower pace and more layovers. We only had eight days this time, and fell into the trap "Well, while we're down here we should try to see . . ." But it's better to allow for more time than to wear yourself out with long days of driving.
•New four-lane toll road systems connect many destinations, and plentiful Pemex gas station bathrooms are often cleaner than those in the U.S. The Guia Roji Grande Atlas is a good road map to use. You can order it from Treaty Oak Map distributors (www.treatyoak.
com) in Austin or look for it in book stores.
The route
•From Edinburg, take U.S. 281 to the border, crossing over the Reynosa bridge.
•Go through Reynosa and, near the outskirts of town, you will come across Mexico 97 to San Fernando. It's a little tricky turn off to the left, and you have to double back. Typically, on Mexican highways, when you turn left onto a different road you have to follow a retorno, which means a U-turn, doubling back a short distance to enter onto the new road. This seems counterintuitive to us, but it's common practice there.
•After about 120 kilometers, or 75 miles, you hook up with Mexico 180 (also marked as Mexico 101). This is the coastal highway that goes all the way to Veracruz and beyond.
•After San Fernando, the road will indicate you are heading for Ciudad Victoria. Fifteen miles before you get to Ciudad Victoria, look for the bypass (another retorno) to Mexico 85 (also marked as 81) to Tampico. It's about a six-hour drive from Reynosa to Tampico.
•At Tampico, you cross the spectacular Puente Tampico — a long suspension bridge — and you continue on Mexico 180 to Tuxpan, a three hour drive. Tuxpan is a good place to stop for lunch at Hotel Florida in the center of town. There is also a little museum about Huastec culture there.
•At Tuxpan you will get on a four-lane road — still part of Mexico 180. Do not go through Poza Rico. Take the bypass to Papantla, less than two hours away.
•From Papantla, if you visit El Tajín, you will have to return to town in order to connect with Mexico 180 toward Veracruz and the turn off to Jalapa.
•From Papantla to Jalapa is about five hours. Turn off Mexico 180 just before you get to Cardel and go to Jalapa on Mexico 140.
•The drive from Jalapa to Coatepec is 15 minutes to 20 minutes due south out of downtown. The road is large and well-marked, although the number is not on the map.
According to our odometer, it is exactly 1,000 miles from Jalapa to our back door.
