Day 3 - Las Cruces to Nuevo Casas Grandes

We were all up at 6AM and after a quick continental breakfast at the hotel's associated Eddie's bar & Grill, we each brought our belongings down to the bikes and packed for travel. The Dodge Ram chase truck had volunteered to carry one duffel apiece, so my clothes are all packed into a rafting type dry bag and stowed in the truck. Hmmmm, I guess I should have introduced each of the players before. Roger(on a VStrom) is the tour leader from Aerostich Tours and Ken, his campadre, the chase truck driver.

Jim and I, of course, are on VStroms. Tom is from Pennsylvania and riding a BMW GS 1150.

Don is from Wyoming and riding a Kawasaki 250 Super Sherpa.

Leaving at 8AM, we headed for the border via back roads.

Map for Day 3 to Nueavos Casas Grandes

Nothing special, just New Mexico farms with not much character. At the Mexican border station we presented our passports to the nice young lady at the appropriate counter and were given forms to fill out in triplicate, name address date-of-birth, passport # etc. Once done, we proceeded to the vehicle window and gave up copies of vehicle pink slip, registration, driver's license and passport, along with copies of the first document we'd filled out(off to the copy window for that at $1). Lastly, a credit card was charged $350 for a bond that guaranteed we would not sell our vehicle in Mexico and a $26 fee for all the processing. Finally, all the paperwork done and documents we had documents in hand to enter Mexico, all but Ken with the support truck. Seems as if there is a 7500 lb. GVW limit for “tourist” vehicles entering, and the truck's was 8800 lbs.. The truck does have this weight classification, but is not a commercial vehicle and was loaded to much less weight than the limit. This was not something anyone had checked in years past, so came as a total blindside.



The nice young lady would not budge, but did allow us to proceed to her supervisor's station 20 miles South in the outskirts of Cuidad Juarez. Of course it was 40 miles out of our way, but the only choice, other than cancel the tour. Soooo, we made our way to the commercial check station, past the outskirts of the city, a very deserted squalid place.

   On arriving, Roger and Ken proceeded inside and after several times accompanying officers outside for inspections, and simply outlasting the officials inside(they simply conveyed the attitude they would not go away until a compromise could be reached).

Out they came, after about 1 ½ hours, relieved, with the go ahead(please go away) documents. With that we boogied North to the road we were supposed to be on. We headed South then toward our destination of Nuevo Casas Grandes, stopping for our first gas stop in Mexico, then at a small Gorditas restaurante for lunch at about 2:30.



We boogied on again thru what was some pretty desolate, dry desert area, until 10 miles above our destination, everything changed. The earth tuned to farm soil and the land sprouted crops everywhere. It stayed like this into Nuevo Casas Grande, where we negotiated our way to Mayte's B&B Las Guacamayas, around 5:30.

http://www.mataortizollas.com/

We all parked inside the courtyard and Mayte came to greet us, directing us to the three rooms reserved.

We deposited our luggage, grabbed a beer and headed for a quick tour of the dining area and Mayte's pottery gallery. She is a local and world class expert on Anasazi pottery and has encouraged a talented assembly of new artists into what has become a world renowned group. She buys and sells their works from her gallery.

 We retired to our retired to our rooms for a bit of a rest and then all met at 7:30 for a ride to her favorite restaurant, Pompeii. What a meal. Shrimp salad and beef to die for.



Back in Mayte's van. We toured areas of N.C.G. The streets were absolutely empty. All working class families were home with their own and readying for tomorrow. No nightlife for them. Back at the B&B, we slept well, awaiting the next day.