Brigetta @BrigettaMarmalade 9 months ago That sounds like a nightmare- glad you escaped!
Megan
10 months ago
megan
Border Games
Many of us are used to crossing borders by air. You pretty much figure if they let you board the plane, they aren’t gonna pay to fly you back so you’re in. You’ll hear the cha-chunk stamp noise adorn your passport in no time with hardly a question asked.
Land borders are a little more challenging in my opinion. Add a car to import and a dog at some random outpost where employees have got allllllllll day and are in no hurry except to get to lunch breaks.
We prepared all our vet paperwork (had to see a vet in Mexico to certify Gus as cute), car paperwork, people paperwork and tons of copies all ready at 930am on Sunday in El Ceibo. We hydrated and chomped a snack before arrival to ensure no low blood sugar frustration occurred and tried to go in with the mindset that this would be an interesting cultural experience. We pull up and are directed to park our van inches off the main road and orange cones are put out. We are basically blocking the whole border, guess these don't see many cars. Let the games begin!
Has anyone done those escape rooms? I really like them and turns out we got a free one at the Mexico / Guatemalan border!
You walk into the game room, and there’s no info anywhere and just someone speaking Spanish really quickly asking for things. You quickly are told you missed your first clue, which includes walking back across the border to get stamped out of Mexico. Doh! Then behind mysterious white building one with no signage or info you solve other clues, move on to mysterious truck on wheels building two, then are pointed to walk a long way in really hot heat to pay at a bank in the hardware store in the border town. But wait, we get stopped while walking there and told no we pay here.
More clues drizzled around the room by three men all asking for various copies and stamps and stickers. After about an hour we unlocked the escape room and the orange cones are moved!
Not so fast muchachos - if you've ever done an escape room you’ll know that you think you’ve won - but there’s ALWAYS a second hidden room!!! As the timer is ticking down we move to the hidden room where the van inspection and fumigation occurs, which basically is some 19 yr old dudes asking how the van was built and taking photos with the cuteness of Gus. I pretend I don’t understand Spanish when they ask if we have any fruits, cheese, or nuts - 2 can play this not talking game! Finally we paid $100 total (seems too much but who are we to argue with the escape room staff) and the magic orange cones were moved again as a sign we had unlocked the second hidden room, just about 1hr and 10 min later!
Here's the uneventful border crossing....
Bienvenidos a Guatemala amigos! I hear the Nicaragua escape room is the hardest to solve at about five hours gametime so we’ll take our first victory that means we are officially in Central America! And Megan will cheer with her first Guatemalan beer.
