Roadtrip! Episode II

Arizona

Now lets see... where did I left off? oh yeah, Bonsais! it's funny, Mexico has a lot of sushi restaurants. Well, more than what I would have expected. Nice ones too. Well let me backtrack.

Saturday night we left San Diego, Drove through Arizona and made it to New Mexico. The ride was pretty and we got to see some interesting things on the way. One of those things was the Border fence. It reminded me of a big black snake. Right across from it though there was some guys riding the sand dunes!

Arizona/Mexican fence

Sand dunes!

Arizona was a nice drive, very scenic.

Beautiful sunsets in Arizona

We stayed the night at a Days inn in New Mexico. In the morning we headed to Texas. Texas by the way was a boring drive.

Entrance to the Days Inn

Bye bye! New Mexico

Texas

After getting to El Paso we went to a walmart to get the oil in the car changed. Stopped at a Starbucks to use the internet and get directions to the hotel in Mexico. Well Ladies and Gentleman.. That's the LAST time I will ever use Google maps for a different country. 

Hello Mexico!

Oh shit... it really is mexico!!

Right when we entered there was a tank with a turret on top of it, and soldiers with very big guns. They where telling us to just move along. They didn't check the car or anything. Five minutes into Mexico and tada! we are LOST! The streets where different, the people where driving all over the place, and google maps failed me for the first time.

After asking directions from drivers next to us and getting more lost into the "paths less traveled" by tourist I started getting really scared, finally we stopped at a convenience store and asked for directions again. A couple of guys where there buying beer and I got the guts to asked them if they could drive us there. They agreed and thank god! they drove right up to the hotel. We would have never found it so we gave them 500 pesos for their help.

Yey! Highly secured hotel with guards!

So, we got to the hotel and we are about to check in when.... We locked the keys in the car. Well at least we where at the hotel. They ended up calling the maintenance guy (everyone was really polite) he opened it with a coat hanger. It was quite a day let me tell you... Oh by the way... it was also our 2 year anniversary!

After hearing all the horror stories about Juarez all I wanted to do was just lock myself in the hotel room. However, my husband had other plans... He wanted to explore the area! (oh god...)  This area is a nice secured area so I agreed (didn't have much of a choice). We went to a shopping center near by and checked out their Office depot and a grocery store. After a while we got hungry so we ended up at a little restaurant.
 

Quesadilla!

His was flour

We got the food and I fixed it up, added onions, cilantro and what not. While I was doing this I looked up and noticed Chris' face. I wasn't sure what was going on... I hadn't tried my food yet so I was worried that it tasted bad. He then proceeded to tell me that it was the best meat he ever tasted, after a "that's what she said" joke, I took a bite out of mine... The meat tasted fresh, juicy, flavorful...  I can't describe it. It's as if my taste buds had awoken and started singing "hallelujah" (this was a "fast food" place btw) and the tortilla! my god... I didn't know tortillas had a taste...

This morning I woke up early since it was my fingerprint appointment today. Got ready and took the Hotels shuttle to the place. They dropped us off right in front and it was a nice area with lots of people, pretty safe. Afterwards we wondered around for a little bit. I heard there was a mall near by so we decided to take a look... It makes newpark mall look like something that should be in Mexico. Take a look!

It was a really nice and well kept mall. The public phones look really neat too!

After a while we got hungry so we ended up at the food court. There was a wendys in there as well as the usual stuff, hot dogs, pizza, burgers... Then I saw this...

I had to try it.. I just had to. So I ordered a "Torta" figuring that the food from the day before was just a delicious fluke.

It. Was. Not. I can't describe it... so I'm not going to try. 

Oddly enough the only thing I didn't like about everything that I have eaten here was the potato chips they served with it. They tasted too potatoey...

The Mall also has an IMAX theater.

Maybe we will go watch a movie later for now we are back at the hotel hanging out. Tomorrow I have to go do my medical. Kinda sad that I am missing Halloween with my niece but.. hopefully I'll be there next year.

-Roby

What I've Learned:
...unless you want to print out "street view" for your entire destination, Don't use google maps outside the U.S.