33rd Day - day 33 (for English scroll down)

Stupid, more stupid, on Elenasten! Really. The day started and ended great, but in between we were with one foot in jail! The morning repeated itself like yesterday: pool, sunbed, sea... simply beautiful. Then we set off for Tijuana for a stroll and dinner. This is unproblematic for visits shorter than 72 hours. We disregarded the warnings from the Uber driver yesterday not to go to Tijuana, but to go to a nice restaurant right by the hotel. We got in the car and drove off. Just before the border, we parked and then crossed the border on foot. There was no US border control for leaving, but there was a Mexican border control for entering. It was actually quite similar to a trip to Chiavenna. Almost. The Mexicans looked confused at our IDs and asked what they were. I explained to them that it was something like a passport in Switzerland and that we usually always travel with it. Since the Mexicans don't really care who enters the country, they let us through. But it dawned on me. Unfortunately, too late. We had left the USA and wanted to re-enter in a few hours without a passport or Esta (Visa) with us!!!!! How stupid was I!? I asked the Mexican if we could please go back out because I probably didn't have the right documents for the USA, but he refused.... Great. Without even setting foot in Tijuana, we hurried to the US immigration building to ask if we would be okay to re-enter with our IDs. There was a wait of about 4-5 hours(!) as the Uber driver had warned us.... I simply walked past the cursing Mexicans, with them trailing behind me. I was stopped by one of the guards and the gauntlet run began. We were passed from one officer to another and each told us different ways to get out of our situation. None of them was promising.... In the corner of my eye, I noticed that all but one of the officers were wearing their uniforms properly, and we said our prayers. Eventually, we ended up in an air-conditioned room with a few Mexicans and a few US officers who were not in a hurry. We waited patiently until we were asked to explain our story. There were the following solutions: 1.) We find someone we travel with to get our passports from the hotel and bring them here so we can go through. We don't have that - we are traveling alone. 2.) Each of us had to pay $591 for entrance papers. 3.) I pay $591 for myself and leave Zoë here, get the papers, and come and get her. 4.) They make a waiver and I don't pay anything, leave Zoë here, get the papers, and come back. We chose Option 4 with a queasy feeling. When my papers were ready after an hour, one of the officers noticed that Zoë wasn't that old. He asked us how old she was (this showed how well they actually looked at our IDs - apart from the fact that Zoë's ID had also expired...) We said 16. That made them feel uneasy. :-) So one of them said: let's make a waiver for Zoë too, then they can leave, don't have to come back, and we can go to dinner!!!! Yes, that was more than great and so we patiently waited another hour and left the customs building with a spring in our step, without even looking back once. We were aware that we were more than lucky. Still hearing the Uber driver's words in our ears, we went to the restaurant he recommended. We ate at the bar, as everything else was occupied. There we got into a conversation with a man about 70 years old who has a house in Coronado. We told him about our adventure and he said we were more than lucky. He had heard of similar situations where people were held in prison for up to a year!!! Besides, there is an ugly gang/drug war going on in Tijuana, and everything that doesn't look Mexican is a potential victim of theft or kidnapping!!! Okay, the candles we lit in Sedona had done their job! When the man left, he said it was a pleasure to invite us and to enjoy the rest of our vacation!!!!! He had paid the whole bill! What a day - today we experienced almost all possible emotions!

Stupid, stupider, the Elenaster. Really. The day began and ended great, but in between we were with one foot in jail! The morning repeated itself like yesterday. Pool, sunbed, sea.... just divine. Then we went to Tijuana for a stroll and dinner which is unproblematic for visits under 72 hours. We ignored the warnings from the Uber driver yesterday evening not to go to Tijuana and instead to go to a lovely restaurant just nearby our hotel, got in the car and drove to the direction of Mexico. Just before the border we parked our car and walked over the border. We did not see a US control point checking who is leaving. But we did see the Mexican immigration border control. It just felt like when we go briefly to Italy for dinner and come back. Well - not quite. The Mexicans looked at our IDs and asked what that was. We explained that these were our IDs and that we normally always travel with them. Since the Mexicans really don't care who is coming into their country they just let us pass. At that moment it dawned on me. But it was too late. We just exited the US and wanted to immigrate in a few hours again with no passport or Esta - just with some IDs.... how stupid was I??? I asked the Mexican guy to please let us back as we would probably not have the right documents to return - but he denied. Oh great... Without having put a toe on Tijuana we immediately went to the US immigration station to see if we were OK to pass the border again later. There was a huge waiting line about 4-5 hour- just as the Uber driver warned us. I just walked by the swearing Mexicans until a border patrol stopped me and the ordeal began. We were handed over from one officer to the next and each provided us with some potential solutions of which none was really appealing. We did notice that bar one all of the officers really looked good in their uniforms, but we kept on praying for a good ending. Finally we ended in an air-conditioned room with some Mexicans and some US officers who were not in a hurry. We waited patiently until we were asked to explain what had happened. There were following solutions: 1.) get someone to fetch our passports and Esta in the hotel and bring it to the border. That was not possible since we are traveling alone. 2.) pay 591$ each to prepare papers to pass the border. 3.) only one pay's 591$, I leave Zoë at the border come back with the passport and we pass together. 4.) I get a waiver, don't have to pay the 591$ leave Zoë at the border get the passport and come and fetch her. We opted for option 4. After one hour my papers were ready, but one officer noted that Zoë wasn't that old. When asked we replied she was 16 (so much for having looked at our IDs properly, which by the way Zoë's was even expired...) they were not so much at ease having her there on her own. So one officer said. Why don't we do a waiver for her too, so they can go without coming back and we can have dinner. Well we did love that option! We waited for another hour to get her papers done too and left the border control building without looking back once. We were fully aware how lucky we were. Remembering the Uber driver's advice to have dinner at the place next to our hotel, so we went there. We sat at the bar as all the tables were taken. We started a chat with a gentleman about 70 years old. We told him our adventure and he said we were very lucky indeed as he had heard of similar situations who ended up in jail for over one year!! Beside there is a gang fight going on right now in Tijuana and anyone who does not look like a Mexican is prone to be robbed or kidnapped!! Ok the candles we lighted in Sedona must have worked!! At the end of the evening the gentleman got up and said it was a pleasure inviting us and to have a lovely remainder of our vacation! We couldn't believe it - he paid all our bill!! What a day and what a journey through all possible feelings today.