Mountains, Machetes, Bees and BEEP BEEPs... Abasi Saw a Road Runner?

Welcome back!  Today we are officially in MEXICO!!! Right now we are in Matehuala, MX... about 2 days from the border to Guatemala.   In our room, dogs fed, beers drank, ready for some more sleep and thankful for a day that started off rocky... AGAIN... ended so perfectly.

This morning we attempted to cross the border at Eagle Pass, TX again into Piedras Negras, which is Mexico's border town.  Immediately we were pulled to the side at customs and once again declared nothing... just like yesterday.  However, unlike yesterday, they didn't ask us some simple questions and let us on our merry way.  NOO.  This time, they crawled around the inside of the truck and found... wait for it... what do you think it is???

A gun? NO!

Drugs? OF COURSE NOT!!

They found a... MACHETE!!!

Abasi's favorite machete to be exact.  The one he looked for online for weeks to find just the perfect one for Costa Rica and then paid a pretty penny on.  Well they found it, and because of its different shape (it is curved because it came from Nepal) the TOOK IT!  Now if you know Abasi, this made him very, very upset.  He did keep his cool however, trying to explain that it was a tool for living in Costa Rica, but as the military men began to swarm around him, either to listen to his explanation or simply to intimidate him, I became VERY WORRIED.

Here's the thing... as soon as they found it, they made the dogs get out of the car, and I had to stand with them off to the side so Abasi could take a bunch of stuff out of the car and a DRUG DOG could come sniff our stuff.  Good looking dog though, a German Shepherd male... possibly a Mexican boyfriend for Gemini ; )  

To be honest, from where I was standing and the situation going on, my pretty limited understanding of Spanish (which wouldn't have mattered anyway because I had to stand far enough away with the dogs not to hear), and the look on Abasi's face, I thought he was being arrested.  I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!  

I started to tear up and one of the guards assured me he was not going to jail, but that they had to take the machete.  I understand why Abasi is so upset, but from my point of view I'm thrilled that's ALL that happened.  After the whole ordeal... about an hour and half later... we packed the stuff back in the car, put the dogs in and headed on our way to Matehuala, doubting we would even make it there in time.

And we almost didn't.

Because of the ridiculous amount of time spent trying to save our hides, we lost valuable daylight driving time.  We specifically chose Matehuala because it is safe and past most of the cities with gang violence right now.  We also knew there were pet friendly hotels.  That being said, we did NOT know that there was pretty much nothing else around us from Piedras Negras and Matehuala.  Every local, military soldier, border cop or experienced traveler has told us NOT to drive after it gets dark because it is just not as safe as it used to be.  Needless to say it got pretty nerve-racking in the last hour as we raced to beat the clock we call dusk.

But we did... and it was such an enormous, almost euphoric, sigh of relief when we did.  We made it just in time and to celebrate, we headed to the restaurant in the hotel to eat (we tried come cactus flower (yum!), drink and be merry.  Turns out, not eating all day and being plain old exhausted, leaves little room for a big dinner and an early bed time... Abasi is already sleeping.

Cactus Flower... yummy.

Gave the dogs Abasi's left overs because they down right deserve it!

That all aside, the actual drive was breathtaking.  Absolutely left us in awe as we stared at the open desert, unfathomably huge mountains and mesas and the absolute tranquility around us.  The roads were paved BEAUTIFULLY and very easy to navigate.  I hope you can get some sort of glimpse into what we were seeing today because it really does make you appreciate the vast greatness around you when surrounded by natural beauty in such magnitude.

Muy Bonita, no?

Military trucks ALL over, but to be honest we felt better with them there... and I even got a few to smile and wave!  Better than getting a 18wheeler to honk if you ask me : )

However, while looking at most pictures, we do apologize for the "exoskeleton Jackson Pollock" all over our windshield.  Turns out, and I kid you not, though I can't explain it.. we killed about 50 bees at one time.  All of a sudden we hear a splattering on the windshield... I'm pretty sure I ducked though I don't know why... and it looked like a flock of birds had just poo'd on us.  That was until we saw the half dead buggers... no pun intended... all over the windshield and 2 of them... INSIDE THE CAR!!  Abasi says he saw a swarm like image in front for like 2 seconds before it hit, and clearly we did.  I truly don't know how to explain how it happened... really weird and PS: WE DID NOT WANT THEM TO DIE, fyi.

EWW!

Finally, the last cool thing of the day was that in addition to the cows, horses, goats and dogs all around, Abasi actually saw a real live Road Runner!! We totally looked for the Anvil and Coyote as we drove, however neither appeared. I BETTER SEE A ROAD RUNNER TOO!!

Ok

Pura Vida

Where they make Corona... oh yea baby.

Guy on a horse in a city... normal.