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Anzaldúas vs. Colombia Crossing


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I thought that I posted this on April 2, but apparently I didn't:

On March 10 I crossed the border into Mexico in my toad (the car I tow behind my motorhome) via the relatively new Anzaldúas Bridge, which had been recommended to me and is conveniently near Alamo, Texas, where I have been spending the winter in my motorhome. There was no line or waiting at the bridge, a very positive feature. A single room, however, crowded with people, served both Migración, which issues tourist visas, and Banjercito, which issues Temporary Import Permits for vehicles, and I found it confusing to have to get in one line to apply for my tourist visa, then in a second line to obtain my TIP, and then in a third line to actually obtain my visa. I seemed to be the only gringo in the crowd, but some kind Mexicans were very helpful in directing me from one line to the next one.

The drive through an industrial area of Reynosa to highway 40 to Monterrey and beyond was short, and the TomTom GPS that I had purchased for the occasion directed me. (It did not always do that, however.)

I intended also to return to Texas on Easter Day, April 1,via Anzaldúas (although my TomTom did not recognize that as a destination). But Mexico News Daily reported that there had been a shoot-out in Reynosa on Good Friday, and more important in my consideration, that all weekend festivities had subsequently been cancelled, which suggested to me that more violence might be expected. Since I had no way of knowing what the relationship between my route through Reynosa and the area in which violence had occurred, or might occur, might be, I decided, instead, to return to Texas via the Colombia Crossing that is generally thought to be safe (though also not recognized by my TomTom).

The crossing at Colombia was very easy and quick, very few people, in marked contrast to Anzaldúas, being there. You surrender your TIP, and receive a receipt for having done that, at a kiosk, turn in your visa at Migración, and you're on your way. Having crossed at Colombia several times, I knew that it was actually west of Nuevo Laredo, while my destination is considerably east of it. But I had forgotten how far west it is. And I had also forgotten how far west of Alamo Laredo is. So my decision resulted in a very long detour, which turned out to be unnece
ssary.  I should have realized that the shoot out in an area in which a Good Friday procession was occurring could not be the commercial area of Reynosa through which I would be traveling on my way to the bridge.

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