We got up and left the hotel by 8:15. The delay was due to a foul-up at the front desk. They wanted us to pay an additional 178 bucks, but we talked them out of it.
Here we see a wonderful transit policeman who pulled us over to check to see if our bus's papers were correct. We were doing absolutely nothing wrong, other than passing throught the town at the legal speed. I was watching. Turned out that one of the stickers wasn't substantiated by a document and he said it would be a $7000 (peso) fine. He could make the problem go away for only $2000 in cash to him.
As you can see, he was very nonchalant about it, even allowing Fernando Ruiz to sit in on the negotiations for the bribe. Our drivers called Reynosa and determined they had the proper papers, but the cop said they needed to have them there when he stopped them. We could all just go along to police station and wait until the matter was cleared up. The driver paid the two thousand ($USD222) peso BRIBE.
Here's the car of this valiant law enforcement bandit. Number 009 is his license plate and his name is J.E. Martinez H. His shoulder patches said he wsas a Transito Oficial with DGSPT in the city of Tutilan, Estado Mexico. He is corrupt, and I can only assume his whole department is, as well. ¡Beinvenido a Mexico!
We checked into the hotel a bit later than expected after the delay waiting for the crooked cop to collect his bribe. Nine of the ten students from Texas Tech arrived and are staying in the same hotel. Here they are in front of the hotel, along with Guille, Dra. Laura Iturbide, and Santos Flores from Anahuac. Sorry, the students didn't bother to give me their names, so I can't list them.
Posted on 5/24/2001
