Fri, Apr 12 - Back to Green Valley

 

We met up at 7 AM in the hotel restaurant for eggs, bean and chiliquilies, packed up and set off at 8.  We headed north towards Agua Prieta on roads of varying quality, at last climbing over the Sierra Madre mountains on a narrow steep road between jockeying huge freight trucks!  

We could see Trump’s fence as we crested the top.  We entered the border town of Agua Prieta searching for the Banjercito, the government bank where we have to return Hilary’s auto permit.  You pay $400  for autos when you enter the country which is returned when you leave.  The bank was nowhere to be seen, and as the city was rather chaotic, we headed 50 miles west to the tiny town of Naco where we have had an easy time in the past. 

Trump's Wall

Graffitied fence on Agua Prieta side

 Again we couldn’t find the bank but met up with an official who turned out to be American  to whom we tried to speak Spanish.  He laughed and said he didn’t speak Spanish…(seem amazing that the officials on the border wouldn’t be bilingual!!).  We made an U-turn and pulled up to the Mexican soldiers who started looking under the hood and in the trunk as they thought we were entering Mexico!!  Apparently there is no place to return the permit, but Hilary has until Sept to do so and can probably drive to Nogales from her house.  Most people don’t live so conveniently close, and I guess forfeit the $400!!

Anyway, back in the states, already missing colorful Mexico!  Grabbed some food at Macdonald's, and made it home to Hil’s by 2 PM.