to Brownsville TX: and drive to Victoria TX

July 22, 2017

"This is our last Oxxo chocolate milk" Rachel says as we take a break and buy a drink with the last of our pesos. "Not quite as good as 7/11 but they have been all right" adds Patrick. As we take off again just down the road is a 7/11. We think that they might be part of the same company.

We go through the town Matamoros. There are three border crossings into the US here. Then, our final border on "our two and a half mission to explore new countries where we'd not been before" and ending another stage.

After all the border crossings we've navigated, we missed where to get an exit stamp for Mexico. We pay a quarter to cross the pedestrian bridge and before we know it we have crossed the Rio Grande and we are at the USA immigration. Our passports are scanned, then the agent wants to look at our bags. He puts on gloves then barely looks into the bags that we opened. Oh well, we are back in our home country.

The 10 km ride to the airport was with a headwind! We had previously reserved a car for a one-way ride to New Orleans. Most rental companies charge high drop-off fees, but National did not. We have rented for one day, 4pm to 4pm, but with the tailwind we get there at noon. Picking up the car early was no problem, the manager gives us four free hours. The bikes and gear loaded in the car and we head out. We quickly find a Subway. The sandwich seems bigger with more vegetables, yet not as special as having a Subway sandwich in El Salvador.

As we drive onto the interstate, what hits us after days of cycling roads with very little services is the gluttony of businesses and eating choices.

We break up the long drive to New Orleans by driving about four hours today to Victoria Texas. Google maps helped us find a cheap Days Inn motel nearby a Texas Roadhouse restaurant.

Our first meal back in out home country. The steaks, salad and baked potato are awesome.

Our last OXXO stop. We have 36 pesos left, enough for two chocolate milks.

There is a hole in the fence but it has a gate on it. No one gives us an exit stamp for Mexico.

Back in the USA, our 44th country on this trip.

We rented a vehicle at the Brownsville airport. The bikes and all our gear fit in the back.

Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 35,727 km (22,186 miles)

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