A new beginning in Nuevo Laredo

We crossed the border into Mexico around the 10th of December (sorry our blog is so out of date!), into the supposedely booming border town of Nuevo Laredo. Its amazing how much things change once you cross an imaginary line. We were worried about passing through customs (in spanish), but didn´t need to be. You don´t even have to go through customs until you´re through the free trade zone, which extends about 100 km into Mexico along the U.S. border (once we got there they just waived us through without even stopping our car anyways). We needed to register our vehicle, but nobody asked us to do so. It seemed to run on the honour system, and we had to follow sporadic car registration signs for kilometers before stumbling onto a massive complex where you can register your car and pay the tourist entry fee.

Nuevo Laredo itself is an interesting city. It is supposed to be an example of the miracles of globalization and free trade, booming with foreign based industries since NAFTA and the creation of the free-trade zone. And indeed, a seemingly endless variety of trucks can be seen passing back and forth across the town, carrying the products of the maquiladores accross the border. But the money must be coming in-to and out-of town as quickly as the trucks, for they still cannot afford to fix their narrow sidewalks, which are pock-marked by gigantic pot-holes, or maintain their public buildings.

Walking the strip in front of the border is intense, and with every step another disreputable looking gentleman waits,with broken english, eager to sell you everything you might want (and a lot of things you probably don´t), from prescription glasses and dental operations, to viagra and other pharmaceuticals, or even marriage ceremonies and divorce proceedings.

We stayed one night in a small but reasonably comfortable hotel, before heading out the next day for Monterrey.