Customs and Immigration was most of Friday and very confusing. Well, we did sit in the marina office waiting for about an hour and a half for the harbormaster to help us even get started. Then it was off to the immigration/customs/bank/port master office. I cannot imagine it without Enrique from the Cruise Port here in Ensenada or someone else to help. Anyway, the waiting brought us together with other families on the same adventure south so that was time getting to know them a bit better. Now we feel part of a family of cruisers moving south.
The process at customs and immigration went like this. Go to desk 1. Get immigration forms. Fill out immigration forms. Go back to desk 1. Have them review. Go to Banco (another desk 10 feet away) and pay immigration/visitor visa fee. Go back to desk 1 and let them see receipt. Immigration provides visitor visa and stamps the passport. Immigration - Check! Get number from Port Master (thanks Enrique for just giving to us). Wait until number is called although there never seems to be a real number being yelled. Steve goes up to validate that we have not been called yet. When finally our turn, they take more paperwork and send Steve over to Banco (remember 10 ft away) so that he can pay port fee. We did not have to go back to the Port Master desk, I think Enrique did that for us. Then we had to go to Customs, just 10 feet another direction and desk. Fill out the forms you see from an airplane visit. Another stamp or something it all seems a blur and we are done. All of that took about 4 hours, if you include the wait time back at the marina office.
We met tonight with a wonderful group of cruisers. Many are actually from the Pacific Northwest and Washington which seems like we live in such a small world. Anyway, we met and had dinner. A couple and their two year old had to leave to take their son for a stitch or two to is head, he fell while we were waiting for the group to congregate in it's entirety. Our kids are feeling quite bad since they were playing with him when he took the fall. Many of us are leaving tomorrow but all on slightly different schedules with circumstances. Everyone is taking precautions to be safe. There is some serious weather coming by the end of the week.
.JPG) |
| Art in Mexico. This was about "Responsibilities" Cindy and Kevin could relate to this. Their schooling has been turned 180 from what they know a school year to be. |
.JPG) |
| hummm.... |
.JPG) |
| Our slip in Cruiseport Marina! Ensenada |
We are leaving December 7th for the longest transit yet for us, motoring from Ensenda to Turtle Bay. We expect 45 hours of motoring to get there before a storm will probably keep us there through the weekend. Back at our group dinner tonight the group spent the last 45 minutes or so reviewing the weather forecasts, sailing plans, and when we will all be together again. It was a very fun evening, and a REALLY nice group of people. It will be fun to spend more time together in Turtle Bay,
No comments:
Post a Comment