Nationalizing New Old Car

 Buenas tardes. What a great storm we had in the night, beginning around 1:30am and still going at 3:30am. Senor was up at the first drop of rain, covering the couches with plastic and putting away a few exposed items here and there. We got just a little over an inch and the thunder and lightning was spectacular. I stayed in bed and could see and hear all of it just fine, especially since it was so loud that it sounded like it was in the bedroom with me.

I have been negligent in letting you know that on the 3rd of July we did also have a magnificent storm and on that day a lovely lady named Luz Aide had guessed it would storm and it did and the second pair of earrings went to her.

As you may recall, we have been waiting for our Permanent Visa's to be ready in Hermosillo. While waiting we have been in contact with a few customs brokers to permanently import or nationalize the car since Aduana says that is what you are supposed to do if you no longer have temporary residency. This is the procedure where you get Mexican car plates. It is called both nationalizing and importing. We chose the customs broker whom we thought would work best for us and also the one who gave us the best price of  $740, to be paid in USD only, with an additional $60 to be paid in USD only, for Aduana fees. We scanned and emailed our VIN number, the information from the sticker on the car door, a copy of the USA title, and copies of our passports to the broker when we made our choice. We agreed that once our Visa's were ready we would then proceed to the border and meet up with the broker.

Visa's were just the easiest thing we have ever done and the person that helped us could not have been nicer. And this was a first time experience, easy procedure and a nice guy, too. So we were happy and left with our new cards, which are green and have no expiration date. And so, we are finally through with the Visa process for good (unless somebody thinks of something new to do to us).

On our way north we stopped at KM 21 and returned our temporary car permit, which we had received in Empalme and which had expired in 2011. At the Mariposa Truck Route we crossed the border and stayed overnight in Nogales, Arizona. The next morning we drove into downtown, parked at MacDonalds and walked across into Mexico where we went to the customs broker's office. He completed some paper work for us, counted our USD's and sent us and our 'assistant', Edwin, and the paperwork, back across the border and on a two hour trip to as many as 6 or 7 different places to complete the process. I moved to the back seat and Edwin directed us and did most of the talking for us.

Both my name and Senor's name are on our original title and we discovered that only one of our names can be on the pedimente, which is the Mexican document that is issued and attached to our original USA title. Senor was also requested to show Mexican identification and since his Visa was in the car, he showed his Mexican Senior Citizen card and that was sufficient. Among other places, we visited the Mariposa Truck Route Crossing twice, KM 21 and KM 12 and offices at the Centro downtown crossing. The car was inspected and photographs were taken. In the photo above, Senor waits patiently for the inspection and below Edwin gives Senor some instructions on where to go next.

 Below, new old car sits with a pretty new blue sticker on the front windshield. After a brief stop at a Pemex for more gasoline and cookies and pop for Senor and Edwin, we drove back to the downtown area and dropped Edwin off on a very heavily congested street. As I hopped out of the car and ran around to get in the front seat Edwin's parting words were, either, "now you have 15 days to get your plates or after you go to the office the plates will come in 15 days". It was Senor's job to translate that and after he thought about it, he just was not sure.

We went on through the Centro crossing and up to Tucson where we had a nice time spending any extra money we had. If you recall, our bank account was hacked in the USA, early in the Spring and we now have the good habit of keeping all our money in one account and just transferring it to our checking account as we need it and getting that money at the cash machine. On Saturday morning, while making out my shopping list, I asked Senor to transfer several hundred USD dollars so we could pay the hotel and go out for a nice steak dinner that night. Senor tried to transfer money, but realized the bank does not do transfers on the weekend. We tossed all our money in a pile on the hotel bed, $58USD. twenty minutes from hotel check out. An hour and a half from the border. Starving for lunch and we needed gasoline. We packed and checked out of the hotel in a flurry,felt around for our peso stash, put enough gas in the car to make it across the border, and high tailed it out of the USA.

 So, I did not get in all of my shopping, but that is the way things go sometimes, doesn't it..... Since we were getting a late start we stopped in San Carlos where there were no rooms available, stopped in Guaymas, where there were no rooms available and by dark we had made it to Obregon, where we found not only lodging, but a great steak dinner.

On Monday, I went directly to the Palacio to start the process of actually getting the Mexican plates and was told that only Mexican Nacionals can get their plates in Alamos. We were told to go to the Palacio in Navajoa................so there is another story I am sure when we go on Friday.

In the meantime, the vigas go up on the game room...Senor is playing bridge....I plan to take a siesta............and there is an 80% chance of rain this afternoon.
Que le vaya bien.
Linda Lou