0066 28th July - Crossing the border into Mexico

I am going to do a separate note here re crossing the border because it may be of assistance to other travellers heading in the same direction.  Many other blogs and travelogues detail crossing other busier borders like Tijuana, but I have not seen one for Mexicali, so here goes…….

 For obvious reasons there are no pics to accompany this blog simply because I don’t feel that taking pics in Police or Customs areas is either wise or clever.  Too many downsides – Unless of course the officials say it is OK to do so.

 Why Mexicali ?  Don’t know, really, but I have always wanted to go to Baja, (because of the Baja 500, and of course I owned the first (and only ?) Baja Bug in Dubai in the 1970’s) and I didn’t really want to go through the tourist trap that is Tijuana – Been there before and don’t need to return.   Also, something in my mind always conjures up an old song about a “Mexicali Rose”, and it always seemed like a pretty place name – So, why not go and see first hand ?  Where I stayed last night in the Motel 6 in El Centro is only about 8 kms from Calexico and Mexicali, so I set off this morning at about 8 am, following my Tom Tom blindly, as usual. (Hey, it’s a lot smarter than I am directions-wise !!)  Coming down through Calexico, still in the US, it is quite a little town, still USA but increasingly Mexican with lots of cantinas, and also lots of cambios – Where you can change money.  I needed some Pesos, so dropped into one beside the road and got my first Pesos.  Then on down the road, following signs that said “International Border”, until I came to a final one that said “Last U Turn here”.  So I didn’t U turn, went through a multi lane tent type thing, and suddenly there was the border, with lots of military people in full desert camouflage uniforms, and rifles over their shoulders.   Ooooh.   Should I stop ?  Do they want anything ?  I have no paperwork apart from my Mexican Insurance, so surely they need to see my passport or something ?  No one even looks at me !!  I just drive straight through – Albeit very slowly !!   Now I KNOW I need to get a Tourist Card from Migracion, and I KNOW I need to get a Temporary Import Permit for the car from the Banjercito, but it is one of those things that they don’t ask you for on the border – They just expect you to get them and wo-betide you if you are stopped at one of the many road blocks and didn’t get them !!   I see no sign saying Migracion, nor one saying Banjercito, both of which all the web sites just say “Go to”.  – And suddenly I am in Mexico, driving through the Mexicali, with neither !!  Help – What happens if a policeman pulls me over ?   Catching Public Transport is easy compared to this !!!   So I pulled over in the first slot beside the road that appears legal, and walk back towards the border in the already searing sunshine.

 Seeing neither of the offices I need, I start asking people – And no one speaks English !!!  I have come maybe 200 metres across the border, and suddenly gone from “Everyone speaks English” to “No one speaks English” !!!!  But a nice lady in a Cambio speaks to someone who speaks to someone else, and suddenly a nice old man is leading me by the hand, and chatting away in English !!  He takes me into an office that seems to have absolutely no sign outside saying Migracion, and inside is another nice man in Migracion uniform who speaks English and immediately tells the old man to go outside, while he attends to me.  I had come early as I had read that it is best to get to borders before the rush, but by 9 am it was already VERY hot, and I was sweating profusely by the time I got in this lovely cool office – Hey, I could stay here as long as they want – Take all day, sir.  Please !!  So in exchange for my passport I get a piece of paper from them, which I am told to take to the bank – Any bank – pay about 306 pesos, get a receipt, then to bring it back and they will give me back my passport and give me my Tourist Card.  They even tell me how to get to the bank !  So off I toddle down the road in the heat, find the banco, (which is right there in the border crossing section not 100 yards away), pay my money, and take the receipt back to Migracion.  Once done, the guy finishes it all and says, OK, you can go now.

But wait – I haven’t got a Temporary Vehicle Import Permit from the Banjercito !!   Where’s the Banjercito ??  Bit of confusion, because of course I am pronouncing the J as a J, and it is meant to be a kind of “kh” sound !!!  “Bankhercito”.  Once we get over that hurdle, the nice Migracion man says “Oh, it is a long way away – Can I draw you a map ?”  Yes please – and he does so.  That done, off I trot to try and follow his map.  After maybe 10 minutes I realise that even though I haven’t turned off anywhere, I am no longer on the road he told me to go on (Madero Street) but am on Argentine Street !!    Oh bugger – Lost in Mexicali without my paperwork !!  Tom Tom is meanwhile throwing a wobbly because it doesn’t know where to go, and I think – Well just keep going and see if we do get there anyway.  Looking for a Pemex on the right, and a yellow DHL office on the left, as instructed. I go on and on – I’m really starting to have second thoughts here – when suddenly I see a Pemex on the right, …………..and yes, there’s a yellow DHL office on the left !!    Saved !!!  Big relief for GBC.  Bit of a traffic jam turning in, but I manage to find a “Banjercito Only” lane on the left which is empty, and scoot up there, straight into a shady parking spot.   Labelling of offices is pretty haphazard, and what there is is in Spanish anyway which doesn’t help Dodo here, but eventually I find the right one – And it is ice cold inside again !! Once again, waiting is not a problem when it is cool inside !!  Couple of locals in front of me, and then I am up.  I bravely read off the sign in Spanish that I want an “el tramite de Importacion Tempore de Vehiculos”, and the pretty girl behind the counter smiled and said “Yes sir, no problem” !  Even the old customs official standing nearby smiled when I did my best in Spanish !!  Handed over my passport, drivers licence, car rego papers etc, along with photo copies of each (I am already carrying plenty of copies of everything as I have been advised of the need !), and about 30 minutes later, after relieving me of about US $450, I have my “tramite” !  By the way, US$ 400 of that is a deposit to make sure you don’t sell or otherwise leave your car in Mexico, and is (supposedly) refundable upon export of the vehicle, so the actual permit only costs about $50. 

Is that it ?  So easy ?  So pleasant ?  I go and stick the sticker on my windscreen as advised, and just can’t believe that is it.  No one needs to inspect my car or the contents, or check the VIN number ?  I even go in another office and ask if I can “Vamos”, and they say “Si”.   So I vamoosed !!!   Even Tom Tom was happy and managed to take me out onto Highway 5 south, so about 30 minutes later I was out on the highway heading south !!

In hindsight I think the benefit of crossing in Mexicali was that, being a small town and not a busy border crossing like Tijuana, I was basically the only gringo there, and actually had a very pleasant experience.  The old man at the beginning who set me on the right path initially I tipped a couple of bucks, and spent time chatting to him and thanking him, and he couldn’t have been nicer.  After that, the officials were more than patient and helpful.  I am sure other borders will not be as good or easy, but as far as having a pleasant introduction to border crossings goes, today was just perfect.

Just in closing, if any one does choose to go through the Mexicali border, these is a Migracion office right there in border control, last office on the left.  So park as soon as you can after passing through the border.   To pay the Tourist Card fee, just walk back 100 yards through the border (no one seems to care !!) to the HSBC (big sign), pay your 306 pesos, and then back to Migracion with the bank’s receipt to collect your passport and card.  To get to the Banjercito, go STRAIGHT after passing through the border, on Madero Street.  Go for may be 8 kms, and the road name changes to Argentina street – Keep going.  (There are “Alto” (stop) signs at EVERY cross roads, so you never get out of 3^rd gear !!  Some of the signs are hard to see, hidden behind bushes etc, so suggest you follow another car and just stop when they do !!)  Past an Industrial Park (hard to tell – it all looks pretty industrial to me !!), keep going, and then, after all sorts of big cross roads (airport ?),  eventually the road swings round to the right, there is a Pemex on your right and the yellow DHL on your left.  Follow the road round to the left and there is a BUSY turn to the left – If you are clever, go round all the traffic, then turn left into the left hand lane (which will be empty) following the Banjercito signs.  Park up at the end of the car park, and go in the end office on the left.  They do everything.  Put the sticker on your car, and head south !!   And if you need the Banos before you leave, there are some very nice ones just behind the building, all signed.    Too easy.

If you are going to Baja, suggest you consider going through Mexicali.  Apart from not being busy. another benefit is that the road south on route 5, and across to Ensenada on route 3, if that is the way you are going, is a great road – And isn’t a toll road like the one south from Tijuana either !!! But more of that in the days blog.