Geoff and I just got back from a trip to the Bustamante area this weekend. Nothing like a pandemic to clear out the traffic! No lines going in and only 5 cars on the way back. We got 180 day tourist and vehicle permits. Lately we've been told that tourist permits are only good for one visit but not this time - a new and welcome change. Hopefully I won't be in for a surprise in July when I attempt to go back in with the same visa.
As always, we took the Camino Columbia Toll Road to avoid the Laredos. We were told that starting June 1st, only cars with the TexTag will be allowed to proceed past the toll. There will no longer be a manned booth. They said "You will be turned back". We will have out-of-state vehicles on our ISC field trip and if everyone doesn't have textags this will set us back time-wise. I want to avoid having to go out of the way but if we have to I guess we'll take FM 1472. More on Textag relating to Camino Columbia: http://caminocolombia.org/ Other changes are being made on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. The ole' traffic light with the Green light = Pase, Red light = inspection was in the process of being replaced with some other type of device. I'll sorta miss the old semaforos but they are still in use at Camaron Station further into the interior. The Mexican army is well represented at the border now. If you've ever been through the Columbia crossing you've probably noticed the playful statue of the naked dancing females just past the aduana, I think its called "Baile Alegre". Those ladies were doing their usual happy dance while the army lads, wearing bullet-proof vests and face masks were trotting around with their rifles in hand, in the 100 degree heat. A 22 Km stretch of NL 1 has just been widened and paved. There are two new and quite large Santo Muerte chapels along NL 1. There was a story in the Monterrey news about how the flu has taken a toll on one a quinceniera celebration (prompting some laughs) and canceled church services, but otherwise, our favorite haunts were open for business and all was calm. We had a great adventure at Minas Viejas with Nico Escamilla, Jim Kennedy and Emma and plan on returning for a grotto trip next October. The times they are a changin'
