Day Zero - Arrival into Tijuana

So today was travel day. Roxy dropped Valentina & I off at Madelaine's last night around 10. What a short night & a crummy sleep. I was looking forward to a quiet flight & a good snooze. Yeah right. Mom2 (aka Madelaine) dropped us off at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Yes, we were EARLY. Even Mom showed up at Mom2's early!!

We checked in & decided we needed a Jugo Juice to get the day started. As we were trying to find the elevator, Valentina was enjoying her cart ride, parading around on top. All of a sudden she decided to bail off! OMGosh. I've never heard such a thud. I still shudder. Her head smacked the tile floor & she was yelping, tongue hanging out of her mouth. When I picked her up, her left eye was completely closed. Oh dear. I've just murdered my dog. Unfit mother. Her eye socket was swollen almost immediately. We went to Starbucks & got a cup of ice so I could hold a cube against her eye. She let me & only three applications later, she was able to open up her eye. (And it wasn't even 9 a.m.)

So, we take it slow & keep the dog in the kennel from this point on. Jugo Juice was found & we were sitting there enjoying our drinks, when I realized we had a lot of time until our flight, but we still had our luggage. Uh oh. We raced for the doggie pit stop & then to the US entrance. We passed the first 2 stops, dumped out our remaining Jugo Juice & water when I realized my boarding pass was missing! I had lost it somewhere between the first US check & the 2nd??!! Argh! I leave Mom with the dog, luggage & everything else & boot it back to the Westjet desk. Of course, everything the fellow tried to punch into the machine didn't work. Next thing I know, we've just walked the length of the airport & I still don't have my boarding pass! Luckily 'Lino' knew what he was doing & printed off my boarding pass for me. I bolt back to the US section & race through, ducking under the barriers, adrenaline racing. I see Mom waving at me, waiting patiently. Luckily the line had been moving slow & she wasn't even at the front! Phew! We get through customs & when I meet her on the other side, she shows me my original boarding pass. It was in her purse. Hmpf.

Next stop security. Unloading everything, carrying the dog through, still pumped from the boarding pass sprint, I manage to slice my finger open on the file folder in my backpack. Great. Blood gushing everywhere, does someone have a band-aid? How about a kleenex because it's gushing out the end of the band-aid?

So by now it's about 10 a.m. We haven't even left Calgary. One near fatality, one injury & one missing, now found travel document. And who said traveling with me was smooth sailing? I love a good drama & that's exactly what I got!

The flight was smooth, Valentina was a rock star & our cab driver met us on the other side. (Cornelio) We stopped at Target to look for a shower filter. No dice. Next stop was the border. Traffic was heavy & Mexicans don't even look at who is beside them. Merging? What's that? Poor Cornelio had quite the task of moving over 4 lanes! We approach the 'Declaring Items' section. Apparently we are supposed to get out with our luggage & have an inspection. We pull up. Cornelio shuts off the van. The Customs guy comes over & they chat. Next thing I know, he asks me to get out & 'push the button'. So, I oblige. Light turns green. We go. That's it. That's the border crossing. Mexican Lottery. Red & you get searched. Lucky for us! Keep in mind that no one has asked to see Valentina's vaccination record, given us a Mexican visa, stamped our passports, nothing! CrAzY!!!!

Our Hotel is really nice. Although we didn't get the shwanky tub they advertised. Oh well. Good thing, as Valentina locked herself in the bathroom while we went for dinner & pretty much shredded the bottom of the bathroom door. We're buying glue tomorrow & playing puzzle. Poor girl was traumatized while Mom & I had a fantastic meal. Los Arcos is an absolutely amazing dining experience. Colourful decor, wonderful staff & amazing food, it was a blast! Mom even tried the home made tequila. It had a rattlesnake in the bottom of the jug. Worm? Worms are for sissies!

So there you have the first day of Tijuana. It looks like we're gonna need those prayers after all, not only for good health, but for as few mishaps as possible! See you soon! Love & hugs,

Jill & Valentina & Mom