South of Tampico

I was unable to work out the problem with John. I apologized for any misunderstanding I may have caused but it was not accepted. I thought he was my friend. Friends usually are able to work things out and get on with life.

The installation of the propane heater was done by 11 AM. I decided to go ahead and head south. I stopped after the border and was able to get my papers, a FMT for six months and a vehicle permit for the rig good for 10 years with the help of a fellow who showed me where to go and stayed with me to help in the process. I tipped him $10.

I got through Matamoros without trouble but the traffic was heavy. North of Tampico the rain was very heavy at times and the country side and road were flooded in places. Since I crossed the border on Saturday, I couldn’t find a bank to get some pesos. Finally, I got gas at a Pemex station and got some pesos in change.

I got to Tampico shortly after dark and promptly got lost. MS Streets and trips is not detailed in Mexico and is not accurate. Most of the time the program reports “Off Route” even though you may be on the right road. I have to buy a paper map as soon as I can. I spied a Wall Mart and decided to park there for the night. I awoke around 3 AM thinking it was morning but it was just the lights in the parking lot. Since I was awake and the traffic at that hour was light, I decided to drive and try and find my way south. After 2 hours of driving around in circles, I was finally stopped by the Transito Policia. I couldn’t understand what they said except “ticket”. Time for a mordida. I gave them a twenty; they wanted $30 but I said “No mas”. They were very polite and I followed them as they led me to the bridge to the state of Veracruz. It was worth the twenty to get on the right road.

I am now parked beside a Pemex station along the road south about 20 miles south of Tampico waiting for sun up and writing this post.

MS Streets & Trips thought I should take a road to the coast. The road for the most part was very good with little traffic but I had to ford a stream and the road at one point was muddy and rough for about ¼ mile. I came to the town of Tamiahua in the state of Veracruz. It was a nice clean town on the Gulf of Mexico which I saw for the first time. I stopped at a restaurant called Veracruzano where I sat next to the water and had shrimp Mexican style, frijoles, tortillas and coffee for 80 pesos, about $8. It was my first Mexican meal on this trip and was very good.