Eternal Bus to Tucson

Friday after school, the same 1st grade teacher that I had talked to before, who is new this year, rode the bus with me again.  She asked me my plans for the weekend and I told her I was considering going to Tucson to visit my family.  She asked me if I had a ticket, if I knew where to go...all the important questions to which my response was no.

She went into how to get there and which buses to take and I am just so hesitant when it comes to the bus system.  How do you KNOW when you're there?  If there's no one wanting on or off, the bus doesn't stop, so how will I know I'm in the right place?  "You'll just know" isn't really good enough yet.  In hindsight, I could've waited until the bus pulled into the bus station and it would've been quite obvious.  However, what if I had had to walk some? 

She saw the concern on my face and heard it in my voice and offered to ride with me.  We got there and bought my ticket.  There's not much thinking in Mexico.  That's not how it seems.  I'm the type who wants to see my bus options: times, types, days, etc.  I want to think about it.  I want to come back later and buy my ticket.

Not so here.  I considered going to Tucson.  Luckily I had heard from Amanda that I would not be imposing if I came, so I could buy without hesitation.

I went back home, charged up my computer and iPod, and emailed Amanda the details of my bus including the fact that so far my buses have been very prompt.  My bus left at 8, and you're supposed to be there 30 minutes ahead of time.  I left at 6 since I had to take 2 buses from my house.  

Riding the bus to school, there are stops that are parallel to downtown, but not in "centro centro," so I was a "wing and a prayer"ing it!  I got off from my first bust at 6:25, perfectly on time in my book.  I found my next bus stop (in front of the churros stand, but I resisted since I had packed some goodies) and got on the bus.  Neither was air conditioned, so I was two pesos richer, but hotter than I had planned.  Although, after hoofin' it through downtown with an overweight backpack and a rolling carry-on, I probably had no hopes of not being sweaty.

I arrived at the bus station a little after 7.  It is a long walk from the city bus drop off point to the buses bound for other cities.  I had time, so I enjoyed my casual stroll and even bought a 50 cent delicacy from the bakery.  How are things so cheap here?!  

I got to my waiting room, and Mabel called me asking me where I was.  I had misunderstood.  yet again.  She apparently thought she had told me she'd take me to the bus after she got out of class at 7.  I NEVER heard those words.  I had gone on and on about how I knew which buses to take and had practiced this afternoon with the teacher, etc.  She seemed peeved, but it turns out she was just worried.  I texted her apologizing, that I hadn't understood her to say she'd be back and that I hoped I hadn't caused problems, that I never wanted to be an imposition (something I struggle with at home, too).  She responded with, "It's okay, have fun, and don't get lost!" all in English.  I think she was just worried that I would get somewhere and not know where I was.  The odds were good, but I've never been one to let that stop me!

A little before 8, I took my stuff outside to be checked under the bus and got on.  I was in the front row, which is what I had wanted.  My thoughts were that I would have more leg room, I would have a window to sleep on, and I would be able to see out the front in case of inevitable carsickness.  I sat down next to a very nice woman who let me get out about 10 sentences before she asked me if I were form Culiacan.  Ha!  She said she was glad she was sitting with me instead of a man.  I thought that was hilarious.  She was on her way to Phoenix, where her husband is a dentist.  At 8:30, our 8:00 bus pulled away.  I had read that these buses get cold, so I had brought a long sleeved shirt and socks as well as my two pillows and sleep mask.  I felt very prepared.  I was tired from the week (and the coffee with the old folks!), so I fell right to sleep.  Within two hours, we were stopped.  Apparently there are checkpoints.  At this checkpoint, only the men had to get off.  Two hours later, another.  This time, all of us got off except pregnant women and children.  Two hours later, everyone again.  You get the picture.

By 4am, we were finished and got to drive "straight" to Tucson.

HA!!!!!!

At 10ish, when we were scheduled to arrive in Tucson, we were in the Nogales bus station on the Mexican side of the border.  After a 20 minute break there, we forged on to the border crossing.  We waited in line for close to an hour, which apparently isn't bad, for the bus to enter the bus unloading area.

We all got off the bus, scanned our suitcases and got back on the bus.

A few things:

I would never want to work at Customs and Borter Patrol.  Never.

I'm certain they get tired of dealing with similar situations, and I have no idea what their day looks like, but I felt very privileged to be a US citizen.  I also felt embarrassed at the way the Mexicans were treated.  The first woman off the bus was a grandmother with her grandbaby in a car seat.  His name was Adrian (Ah-dray-ON).  The customs agent was asking her is he was Adrian (AY-dree-in).  Of course she had no idea what he was saying.  She was looking at the smug other guy who responded in English, "Don't look at me lady; he's the one who decides your fate."  Then they realize it's the grandchild and ask about the parents.  Then make several comments including the work illegals.  When it was my turn, I asked what they needed from me (after all, I have a passport, and unregistered Visa, a drivers' license, and no idea what you need at a bus border crossing!).  The guy takes my passport, looks at it and says, "You a US citizen?" "Yes, sir."  "This a real passport or a fake?"  Luckily, even though I was tired and as un-patient as they get at this point, I responded in an appropriate manner.  He asked me if I were living in Mexico and when I explained about the exchange he said, "Good, so you're not crazy.  Why you ridin' a bus with all these crazies?"

Later, he pulled me aside again and asked me if I were getting on a plane at some point.  Nervous that I needed my Visa registered or some other paper work, I said, no.  He said, "Are you riding a bus all the way to Kentucky?"  (Passports show your birthplace.)  I assured him no and was thankful to get back on the bus...

When they asked us to get off again so they could x-ray the bus.

We get off, and all those who had to get special permission to leave the country or to enter the States had to go wait in a mile long line.  My friend told me that sometimes that part takes 5 hours.

Awesome.  I had planned on seeing Turner at 10am, but 10 pm was possible, right? Ugh.

Thankfully, while we're waiting on those people, the bus came back and we went to the Shell station just past the border to get some food.  It's coming up on 1:00 and we haven't had anything of real substance since the night before.  Okay, okay, I had my peanut butter sandwich at 6am, but still.  That was a long time ago!

From Shell, I call Amanda, who is leaving the bus station where she has just found out we haven't check in at the border yet.  I had been texting her updates, but I had been a little more optimistic than realistic.  I just hadn't really considered the issue of the border.

I told her I was at the Shell just outside the border if she wanted to come get me since it could be hours still before we left.  She agreed.  I knew it was out of her way, but there was no way to tell how long it would be til I arrived.

She texted me saying she'd be there in 25 and that her cell battery was dying.

Great.

At exactly the minute she should've been there, I checked out on of the Arizona maps for sale and saw the interstate name at the border.  19.  I asked the Shell worker, with whom I'd been chatting for the last 45 minutes, if that were 19 right there.  The answer?  No.  Great.

So I send Amanda a text and try to call, but straight to voicemail, so I figure the battery has already died.

The nice man offers to take me to the Shell at the other border crossing.  I debated wondering if she'd gotten my text.

I took him up on his offer, keeping the conversation going to calm my jitters about riding with a strange man!  I got to the other Shell that wasn't so much a station as a cashier's window and gas pumps.  I went into the McDonald's and had a Laura stress out moment.  I paced; I looked; I didn't find her.

I tried to call her, but all my credit to make long-distance calls on roam was gone.  Luckily, I got a text from her saying she was driving around and didn't see me.  I found a nice Spanish speaking man who had a local cell phone.  I interrupted his Big Mac lunch and asked him if I could make a call.  He had been watching my pacing, so he was more than kind to offer help.

Amanda answered, I explained the situation, and she came to her original Shell.

Turner greeted me with, "Wa Wa, what happened to your bus?"

I explained that it had taken much longer than I had anticipated.

I drove us back to Tucson so Amanda could get some reading done.  Obviously, her whole morning and most of her afternoon had been shot waiting for me!  She read some, but mostly we caught up.  We got to the house and Turner and I played cars for a bit, and then I needed a shower!  I took one, and felt MUCH better.  It's amazing how dirty you can get in three weeks!  I also started a load of laundry.  I can do laundry here, but on the weekends, so by the third weekend, I really needed to do some and wouldn't be around to do it!

Around 7, Andy came to pick us up for dinner, but after 7 on a Saturday night, there was a 45 minute wait.  I could hardly keep my eyes open from the lack of sleep the night before.  We ordered to go and took it back to the house.  I was so happy to have an American salad with non-limp lettuce.  The fruit here is really good, but the vegetables are not to my liking.

Turner and I got into bed pretty quickly after swallowing our last bites.

Sunday morning, we slept until 8 something, which is later than he usually sleeps when I'm there.  Of course his first request was PBS, and his second was a cookie.  I had brought him my favorite cookies (that I think actually originate in Spain) and Ashley's called Chokis that are like Chips Ahoy!

I obliged and we had a great day.  Amanda went to tutor and to work on all the work she had intended on finishing on Saturday.  Meanwhile, Turner and I spent most of the day in the pool.  I can't believe how much taller he is just since July.  In the 3ft section of the pool, his whole head is above the water.  In July, he seemed to be tip-toeing to keep his mouth out of water.

We played for awhile and Andy joined us.  When we went in that afternoon, it was time for a snack/lunch, a bath and a nap.  It took awhile to get to bed, so we weren't asleep until after 4.  At 6 something, Amanda came in and woke me.  I woke Turner and we went downstairs for dinner.  We had grilled chicken and pesto pasta with brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and it seems like something else.  It hit the spot!

We played a little while longer until Amanda had to go back to school to finish some other things.  We went to bed a bit late, but that's what LaLas are for, right?

Monday morning, Turner was cute about not wanting me to go.  Amanda had class, so off she went.  Andy came and we took Turner to buy a new fish.  Of course, we didn't know what kind he already had, so that made it difficult to buy something that wouldn't eat the current fish.  We went back to the house and then to the fish store again!

We came home the second time with a long-finned version of what he already had, as well as a catfish, a filter and a decoration.

Again, Turner and I napped, only this time I woke up after a couple of hours.  I started packing so I wouldn't have to talk to Turner while I packed, which would bring on the tears sooner than I would like.

He woke up and saw that I wasn't there, so he yelled, "Wa Wa! Where are you?"  I went up and lay down with him for a bit longer.  Then we decided to fly his kite.  It was a very windy day and perfect for kite-flying, though getting darker by the minute.

He asked me if it was time for my bus yet.  I said no, but soon.  He said he didn't want me to go and I agreed.  And he said, "Then you should just stay here, okay Wa Wa?"  Oh heartstrings!

He looked like he meant it.  And he did.  Then after Andy and I reacted in a way that let him know he had said something very cute, he grinned that mischievous grin.

After more crying, preparing, packing, hugging, and talking, Turner and I went our separate ways.  I went to U of A to pick up Amanda so she could take me to the bus stop.  It was in a shady part of town and hilariously located in a strip mall.  It looked like a little shop instead of a bus stop! 

I had upgraded to the $100 bus which includes two servings of food (on my way out it was a lunchable, Cheetos and a bottled water), more leg room, a footrest, and NO STOPS!  We checked in at the border.  There, you push this button and if it's green, you get back on bus.  If it's red, they go through your stuff.  Nice!  So I got back on the bus, but my mask on and straight on til morning!  It was an amazing difference.

There was a door to the front driver's area, so we didn't see the road, or the lights or anything.  14 hours later I was at the bus station in Culiacan texting Mabel to come pick me up, which she did.

I am now sitting in my room, finishing my blogs, listening to the rain (it has rained all weekend, so if there had been any doubt, which there wasn't, I'm so glad I went to Tucson!), and preparing for my extra-long nap before my extra-long shower.