I had to leave La Paz sooner or later. It was too simple and peaceful, I was eager for some action. Life was easy and lovely, there were money for food and I had three places where i'd be welcomed to stay. But the time came. And there was a very exciting opportunity to deliver a boat from La Paz to San Diego, being paid of course and gaining the essential experience.
There were 4 of us aboard, two - professional captains and two kids. One of which was the son of Kevin, who grew up on the boat, but yet was under 15 and me, who was an independent traveler, kind of a newbie in the boat life. We took off twice, one time some of the systems wasn't working and we had to return. Although the second time was successful and brought us to US through the day in the wonderful endless sea with gorgeous bays and shooting stars. 10 days in this moving paradise. My stomach was becoming stronger and stronger, the wind colder and colder, San Diego was closer and closer. They say they say that going Northbound is not worthwhile, due to the strong cold winds blowing the wrong direction. We were brave enough to take this chance and were truly satisfied.
When we arrived to San Diego it was already dark and no people were noticed at the pier. Kevin called to customs and in 20 minutes they came to check our passports and our purposes for been in US. I was more then happy to learn that my visa was not cancelled and i could be in this country with my visa valid and without any headache. But again it was only the beginning, i asked the officer to issue me the i-94 which was obviously in his paper folder but he said that he can not do that and i have to call to a number which he gave me and to inquire there how i can do it. I was not expecting anything bad and i was happy and content to be again in the country which brought me so many positive emotions this and last year and i was not warring about anything. First night we slept on the boat, and at the morning the owner came, paid us and we happily announced all the troubles this boat can make, wished good luck and off we went. Saw Kevin’s friends in Shelter Island, watched Christmas boat parade and next morning after a night in a cheap motel i had to say good bye to everybody and start my own day, again by myself on the road but this time with a little money in my pocket.
I arranged the meeting with my friend from Tijuana which was by the chance also in San Diego and before that as i had 2 extra hours i decided to make a walk in downtown and refresh my memories of SD. I was like an alien, brightly dressed, with a wide real smile on my face and with an adventure in my eyes. One guy came to me smiling and pointed how he amazed by my coloures and i shared with him the information that Mexico gave me lots of inspiration and that i highly recommend him and everybody to check it out! But the rest of the people on the Broadway were not real, with plastic smiles, running fast to their jobs and lunches, dressed in suits and ties from known brands and with perfect shoes. That was real US, material, fast and fake. And also there were many homeless, many crazy people, yelling something to the crowd or just talking to the air. That was the real South Californian Downtown with all the unreal life taking place there. I was really scared if not to say more, i was frightened, i was freaked out and at this moment i so wished to be at home at lovely La Paz crowded with all those content and full of life families on Malecon!! When my friend Victor came i shared with him all my feelings and he was just friendly laughing reminding me the time when i didn´t believe him that Mexico is much more safe then US!!
Then i walked to Shelter Island grabbed my bags and took off to my friend’s house in Clearmont. And there was another crazy story. When i reached Old Town and was waiting for my bus one strangely dressed man was asking me too many questions, where i am going to stay and for how long i am here.. and when my bus came he entered it before me, but it was questionable if he really needed this bus or not, because on the bus stop i was staying was only one bus stoping – 30. And the fact that he entered it before me didn´t really mean anything! Then was worse – he took a sit in front when i sat at the back. Then he took his cell-phone and called somebody, holding it that way in which i didn´t see his mouth and couldn´t even (if i knew how) to read his lips and guess what he talks about. And during all his talking every 20 seconds he was turning his head to me and looked at me as he was talking about me! And at this moment the feeling of fear took over me and i started choking. I didn´t have anything with me to protect, no even pepper spray, i just had 3 big bags and a sombrero which would give to a burglar a nice chance to mug me without expecting fighting back! And becides i was a traveller, without any relatives here nor with knowing how to act in this country if something happens. So i realized that with all that i am just a sweet sacrifice for a criminal!! So the first decision which came to my mind is to go out on the wrong bus stop but with all that weight i was holding it was rediculous and foolish. So i decided to get out on the right stop but i had to do something before that i started staring at him, straightly as i knew what he was going to do. He kept on turning to me and i kept staring. Then when i recognised the area and my coming bus stop i went to a driver to confirm if it is really the right one and when he proved i asked him to stop. It was the deal of seconds, the bus stopped and i saw nobody was going to get out and i waited till the bus driver opened the doors and checked on this guy that he is sitting still and grabbed my stuff as fast as i can and just jumped out yelling thank you and checking if nobody got out after me. There were nobody, but my heart was beating almost painfully. And with all those emotions i mumbling went to my friend’s house, turning my head back after every 10 feet. If you have been to US you probably know that a lot of streets there don´t have street lights and this area wasn't an exception. I decided somehow to call my friend to pick me up because closer to there house there was even no wide curb and i had to walk almost on the road. So i went in the closest 7-11 and with trembling voice asked the store assistant to give me his phone to call my friend and luckily he was so nice that he did so. My friend James came and my fear left me as soon as i reached their house and hugged my friend Janet. On this point i decided to leave US as soon as possible!
That´s what i actually did, after i went to see the customer officer and he said that i have to have any evidence of been in Mexico for 4 months and i didn´t have any! So i left US for Mexicali where i am now, waiting for all my papers been sent to me and volunteering in the orphanage playing with 16 charming but not lucky with their families kids. My mexican visa was extended for more 90 days and now i had a headache with only american one, because with only evidence of me been out of states i can enter it now. And one more thing makes my tourist life more complicated – the last i-94 which i sent when i arrived to La Paz with the explanation latter never reached US and due to the officer´s words i had to take copies of all the documents i have or even send anywhere! But it was the first time and i wasn´t prepared for so many complications and hopefully this will help me! And furthermore now i own a plane ticket back home from Las Vegas and this fact should definitely make customs control of US take it easy. Keep my fingers crossed.
So next rule of a smart traveller – save all the checks and all the tickets and whatever you´ve got in a foreign country if some unexpected things happen with you like they happened to me!
Cheers
By the way, for a russian citizen Mexican visa has two parts. The first is the visa where there is a number of days which mean you can enter Mexico in those days, for example i had visa for 90 days, that means that i had to enter Mexico before 90 will past. And the second thing is the Tarjeta de Turista, which you get when you enter Mexico. Usually it is given for 140 days. So for a Mexican visa you have to pay twice! (visa – 36$ + 21$-tarjeta de turista)
Don´t brake the rules!
Yours,
Ana
There were 4 of us aboard, two - professional captains and two kids. One of which was the son of Kevin, who grew up on the boat, but yet was under 15 and me, who was an independent traveler, kind of a newbie in the boat life. We took off twice, one time some of the systems wasn't working and we had to return. Although the second time was successful and brought us to US through the day in the wonderful endless sea with gorgeous bays and shooting stars. 10 days in this moving paradise. My stomach was becoming stronger and stronger, the wind colder and colder, San Diego was closer and closer. They say they say that going Northbound is not worthwhile, due to the strong cold winds blowing the wrong direction. We were brave enough to take this chance and were truly satisfied.
When we arrived to San Diego it was already dark and no people were noticed at the pier. Kevin called to customs and in 20 minutes they came to check our passports and our purposes for been in US. I was more then happy to learn that my visa was not cancelled and i could be in this country with my visa valid and without any headache. But again it was only the beginning, i asked the officer to issue me the i-94 which was obviously in his paper folder but he said that he can not do that and i have to call to a number which he gave me and to inquire there how i can do it. I was not expecting anything bad and i was happy and content to be again in the country which brought me so many positive emotions this and last year and i was not warring about anything. First night we slept on the boat, and at the morning the owner came, paid us and we happily announced all the troubles this boat can make, wished good luck and off we went. Saw Kevin’s friends in Shelter Island, watched Christmas boat parade and next morning after a night in a cheap motel i had to say good bye to everybody and start my own day, again by myself on the road but this time with a little money in my pocket.
I arranged the meeting with my friend from Tijuana which was by the chance also in San Diego and before that as i had 2 extra hours i decided to make a walk in downtown and refresh my memories of SD. I was like an alien, brightly dressed, with a wide real smile on my face and with an adventure in my eyes. One guy came to me smiling and pointed how he amazed by my coloures and i shared with him the information that Mexico gave me lots of inspiration and that i highly recommend him and everybody to check it out! But the rest of the people on the Broadway were not real, with plastic smiles, running fast to their jobs and lunches, dressed in suits and ties from known brands and with perfect shoes. That was real US, material, fast and fake. And also there were many homeless, many crazy people, yelling something to the crowd or just talking to the air. That was the real South Californian Downtown with all the unreal life taking place there. I was really scared if not to say more, i was frightened, i was freaked out and at this moment i so wished to be at home at lovely La Paz crowded with all those content and full of life families on Malecon!! When my friend Victor came i shared with him all my feelings and he was just friendly laughing reminding me the time when i didn´t believe him that Mexico is much more safe then US!!
Then i walked to Shelter Island grabbed my bags and took off to my friend’s house in Clearmont. And there was another crazy story. When i reached Old Town and was waiting for my bus one strangely dressed man was asking me too many questions, where i am going to stay and for how long i am here.. and when my bus came he entered it before me, but it was questionable if he really needed this bus or not, because on the bus stop i was staying was only one bus stoping – 30. And the fact that he entered it before me didn´t really mean anything! Then was worse – he took a sit in front when i sat at the back. Then he took his cell-phone and called somebody, holding it that way in which i didn´t see his mouth and couldn´t even (if i knew how) to read his lips and guess what he talks about. And during all his talking every 20 seconds he was turning his head to me and looked at me as he was talking about me! And at this moment the feeling of fear took over me and i started choking. I didn´t have anything with me to protect, no even pepper spray, i just had 3 big bags and a sombrero which would give to a burglar a nice chance to mug me without expecting fighting back! And becides i was a traveller, without any relatives here nor with knowing how to act in this country if something happens. So i realized that with all that i am just a sweet sacrifice for a criminal!! So the first decision which came to my mind is to go out on the wrong bus stop but with all that weight i was holding it was rediculous and foolish. So i decided to get out on the right stop but i had to do something before that i started staring at him, straightly as i knew what he was going to do. He kept on turning to me and i kept staring. Then when i recognised the area and my coming bus stop i went to a driver to confirm if it is really the right one and when he proved i asked him to stop. It was the deal of seconds, the bus stopped and i saw nobody was going to get out and i waited till the bus driver opened the doors and checked on this guy that he is sitting still and grabbed my stuff as fast as i can and just jumped out yelling thank you and checking if nobody got out after me. There were nobody, but my heart was beating almost painfully. And with all those emotions i mumbling went to my friend’s house, turning my head back after every 10 feet. If you have been to US you probably know that a lot of streets there don´t have street lights and this area wasn't an exception. I decided somehow to call my friend to pick me up because closer to there house there was even no wide curb and i had to walk almost on the road. So i went in the closest 7-11 and with trembling voice asked the store assistant to give me his phone to call my friend and luckily he was so nice that he did so. My friend James came and my fear left me as soon as i reached their house and hugged my friend Janet. On this point i decided to leave US as soon as possible!
That´s what i actually did, after i went to see the customer officer and he said that i have to have any evidence of been in Mexico for 4 months and i didn´t have any! So i left US for Mexicali where i am now, waiting for all my papers been sent to me and volunteering in the orphanage playing with 16 charming but not lucky with their families kids. My mexican visa was extended for more 90 days and now i had a headache with only american one, because with only evidence of me been out of states i can enter it now. And one more thing makes my tourist life more complicated – the last i-94 which i sent when i arrived to La Paz with the explanation latter never reached US and due to the officer´s words i had to take copies of all the documents i have or even send anywhere! But it was the first time and i wasn´t prepared for so many complications and hopefully this will help me! And furthermore now i own a plane ticket back home from Las Vegas and this fact should definitely make customs control of US take it easy. Keep my fingers crossed.
So next rule of a smart traveller – save all the checks and all the tickets and whatever you´ve got in a foreign country if some unexpected things happen with you like they happened to me!
Cheers
By the way, for a russian citizen Mexican visa has two parts. The first is the visa where there is a number of days which mean you can enter Mexico in those days, for example i had visa for 90 days, that means that i had to enter Mexico before 90 will past. And the second thing is the Tarjeta de Turista, which you get when you enter Mexico. Usually it is given for 140 days. So for a Mexican visa you have to pay twice! (visa – 36$ + 21$-tarjeta de turista)
Don´t brake the rules!
Yours,
Ana
