The week leading up to crossing the border was weird. We had spent a few days in Lagos de Montebello in a remote part of the border of Mexico and Guatemala. That time was spent without internet or data, so we were unable to do any of the research and set-up needed to cross the border as well prepared as one could be. Thankfully at this campsite was a French-Canadian couple, C and G, and they were about to cross into Guatemala as well. Through conversations with them, we knew that the border crossing at La Mesilla would be safe to do, despite reading about some travelers’ history of informal crossings and sketchy interactions. It seems whether because of the U.S.’s pressure to increase border regulation into Mexico and the surrounding areas, or for some local politics, La Mesilla had upped their game.
As we neared the border crossing, we knew we had to cancel our Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for the car which occurred a couple of miles out from the border. We sailed through the cancellation of our TIP despite the struggles of getting the TIP. Once we approached the border, we got the car fumigated by the Guatemalan officials, and Arya was approved to enter the country, which only required showing them her passport containing her vaccinations and monthly meds. All of this happened on the Guatemalan side without us ever seeing any place to cancel our Mexico tourist visa AT the border. Wait what?
This border crossing was surreal. We had driven through a very narrow alley full of shops and people walking and taxis driving, and had approached the border with nary a sign in sight.
Apparently, the border crossing building for Mexico was 5 miles away from the actual border. So we had to quickly run back via a collectivo, cancel our tourist visa, and get back to the border, all while leaving Arya in the car that was parked near the military stationed on the Guatemalan side of the border, as we had already fumigated the car. When we got back to continue on with the process, we noticed a bunch of Guatemalan police officers leaning on our bike rack with Arya just barking mad. I did not appreciate that to say the least, but I was also not going to say anything to them.
The rest of the process went by without much fuss, thankfully. We were now on our way into Guatemala and to our first stop.