Bienvenido a Mexico

First thing’s first- crossing the border.. Uh, what border? There was a three dollar toll, that was it. No one verified Matt’s bike registration or either of our passports; we just rode right on through. We figured that wasn’t right so we pulled a u-turn and sorted the paperwork out.

Riding to Monterrey was calming (besides almost being hit by someone). There was absolutely nothing for miles and miles- not even a gas station. The first one we saw was on the other side of the highway; having to backtrack a little was definitely worth it.

Talk about a language barrier: I  couldn’t understand the signs and  having a simple conversation was difficult- attempting to communicate has been amusing to say the least. Thank goodness Matt is immensely better at Spanish than I am. The few times I’ve been without him, talking to Mexicans has been embarrassing and barely effective. They tend to look at me confused and shake their head in speechlessness. I’ve been relieved when I ask “¿Habla Inglés?” and the response is “Sí, un poco”. Everyone has been receptive and full of smiles. Not to mention, there’s always music playing in the streets, usually live. I can’t understand what they’re singing, but they sound great.

I’m not the biggest fan of Mexican food, but being here, just for these two days, has made me more fond of it.  The restaurants we’ve gone in have been highly decorated with friendly waiters. One observation I’ve made, and initially noticed in the first restaurant we ate in, is that the public displays of affection are everywhere. We were the only two people in the restaurant not sitting on the same side of the table. Even while I am writing this now, there is a same-side couple sitting next to us. It is absolutely adorable. All the lovey-doveyness in the streets, hand-holding, kisses, plus I’ve seen quite a few billboards with close-ups of kisses as well. I’d say people are more romantic here. I’m a fan.

As for the sights, all the bright colors and unique building designs has been a lot to take in. There are all kinds of sculptures and statues, churches, and tons of houses in the beautiful mountain sides. The neon cross above the this church reminds me of the Romeo and Juliet movie (1996 version), though that took place in Veracruz, about 520 miles from Monterrey (eh, close enough).

The hostel is gorgeous. It’s called La Casa Del Barrio.

One complaint- the bathroom situation: it’s down the steps and across the restaurant from the room (their specialty is waffles:). Not a big deal, just a little annoying (Really? Across tables where people are sitting down enjoying a meal?). But the set up is cute and I love how there’s no roof in the middle of the building.

Actually, a lot of the buildings don’t have roofs in the middle of them. It’s neat.

If you were wondering about Texas, well, nothing exciting happened there. Matt took the bike to a shop to get the sprocket and chain replaced, and we worked on our first CCNA podcast. I’m looking forward to the next one.