Latin America Collection

If you are driving to Costa Rica, for instance, you will be driving
through five countries and into the sixth. That means eleven border checks.
You usually do not have a problem leaving a country--it is entering them
where the problems seem to arise. Most of the guards are either underpaid,
or they like the authority to be able to harass the "gringo". Of course,
many are looking for a "pay-off" or bribe for not searching your car.
However, an attempted bribe could make you suspect.

There are a couple of things you can do to possibly avoid these car strip-
search situations (where they make you completely unload everything
from your car). As you pack the bags and boxes that you are taking, affix
a number on each of them, and make a list of what is in each piece of
luggage, and have it translated into Spanish. Make several photocopies of
this list. When you come to a customs check, give them a copy of this list,
properly numbered to coincide with the luggage. Do not list the contents
on the box, as that could make it too easy for selected theft. This may
suffice to prevent a shake-down search. But when they tell you to unload,
you are at their mercy. It is best that you cooperate with them.
Remember one thing. You will not be travelling in California where
the law requires clean, equipped rest rooms. You will find most rest-rooms
are filthy by our standards--most without seats and no paper. My wife
always carries her large straw bag with a roll of toilet paper and a few toilet
seat covers folded in it. The newer Pemex (in Mexico) and Shell, Texaco
and Unocal stations in Central America are considerably upgraded, but do
not depend on it.

One of the most useful items on our trip was a fold-up port-a-potty,
which uses throw-away plastic bags. As we drove along, we would find
an open stretch of road, and pull off the highway --then head back at a 45-
degree angle toward the road. I would stop and open the passenger side
front door. This made a secluded area where I placed the port-a-potty. My
wife preferred that to possible filthy rest rooms you are faced with as an
alternative. After our first "pit stop", we found it best not to use the plastic
bags, as they only caused litter and a disposal problem. A little water or
fertilizer is good for the desert when properly buried.