Well I never came back and posted on here LOL but here is a link to my CDJ experience!
GEEZ internet here in Mex is slow !!
Sorry this is so late I hope it can still help alot of people before the consulate moves !
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Sunday, August 3rd - We left L.A.If you drive from SoCal the drive is about 12 hours and be prepared for some CRAZYYY weather in New Mexico ! Lightening just yards from the car, wind blowing you off the road, heavy heavy rain.. etc. Thanks again to Cherokee for driving that leg of the trip !!
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Monday, August 4th - We left El Paso. This was the scariest moment of my life. I was in the hotel lobby bathroom at the Hyatt throwing up. The song Carry On was playing and I will NEVER forget that song. I felt like God or the universe was speaking directly to me and I tried to gather up the strength. We had to go leave the car in the El Paso long term parking lot and when I was taking the hotel shuttle back to the hotel I called hubby to let him know that we were on our way and then he told me Alfredo was there already I immediately got quiet and felt totally and completely sick to my stomach. I knew I was not going to feel better until I threw up. I was crying and sad and I was TERRIFED I did NOT want to go... Then in the actual crossing he separated us so we never had a big moment and we crossed soo fast and everything went so fast that it never really felt like I thought it would or how it should have felt for such a big crazy moment.
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Tuesday, August 5th - We left Los Cedros and moved to Hotel Colonial!! We also did the medical today. He left around 6 and was back around 9 and I was very surprised that he was back so early. I stayed in the room by myself the entire time and it was very lonely and I felt worried and then I was trying to read threads to find out how long other people’s hubbys had taken and then I found one (about one of the only ones) where it said they left and went in around 6/7 and weren’t back until 12! So here it was 9:30ish and I looked and thought oh no 3 more hours! But about 5 minutes later or I think maybe even less and there he was! I heard a knock at the door and I had been advised that the maids will knock a few times and then just enter (and had caught 2 girls hubby’s naked – all in one week alone LOL!!) So it was a hard knock so I knew it wasn’t the maid but he thought he was fooling me - I checked and I saw him trying to hide but I caught a small glimpse of his blue sleeve which I won’t ever forget! And then I knew it was him that goofball!!! We went to the Los Cedros breakfast buffet which was not as great as I thought it would be at least not by the way everyone talked about it! I guess that for a free breakfast it was good but not really at the same time... I love the buffet at the Viva Mexico WAAAAY more (except of course you have to pay for it lol!) After this we went to take a nap from which the Cherokees woke us up from to say that they were switching hotels and did we want to come? LOL At first I thought no way and hubby thought no way too but we were sleeping and needed time to process it lol. So then we decided it would be a good/fun idea and that we should all stick together with them and so we did we left! Mr. C called a cab and it was there and we had to pack up everything super fast (like 5 mins or under 5 mins lol and Luis was checking out so I think I had to do pretty much most of it!!) and we left so fast that we did forget something Luis forgot his earring I was sad/mad I liked his ear being pierced!! I told him he had to buy another one but we forgot to find one
Hotel Colonial
Hanging out by the pool!
MEDICAL EXPERIENCEHubby went to the one across the street our experience was a good one.. hubby said they were very friendly .. he said to others they were just professional, not mean but not nice, but because others acted all quiet and nervous.. But he just smiled and said hello and how are you and they treated him really nice.. so just be friendly !!!
They left around 6:15 and got there probably 6:30 .. he was back here around 9:30 so the actual time spent in the clinic was probably about 2 1/2 hours .. he said there was no line to go in you just walk in and wait like the DMV..
First they call you to get your name and stuff and then they call you later, take your picture, and take you to a tiny room where first you are with about 5-6 others for the X-Rays .. then you go to the exam room and they weigh you, take blood pressure, etc. Then you go back and sit down and wait to be called again - this is the naked part lol! They were really nice just kept asking him if he had any tattoos like 3 times even though he already showed them (the nurse even said it was nice and she liked it LOL (a cross).
We had to go back at 4 for the results, and then the next day at 12 to the consulate for document review..
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Wednesday, August 6th - The pre-interview was today. Again I was very surprised and scared when hubby came back so fast! (After about only 1 hr and a half!) Cherokee and I only had time to walk to the Superette and a Pharmacy and chill in the lobby for a while where we saw them pull up in the taxi and come in! Somehow I knew the taxi was him I have no clue why!! I saw a cab pull up and just felt it in my heart that it was him. I thought that something was wrong but it wasn't. I saw it pull up and heard a door slam and I thought again that it was him. Then I heard a second door slam and thought oh ok that's not him. But then I looked up again a few seconds later and saw Mr. C and then hubby right behind... They were striding off in the opposite direction and I called out to him but he didn't hear me and Cherokee called out to her hubby and they finally turned around and came towards us I walked to him and asked if everything was ok but he was smiling so I knew it was! You know I think for the waiver I am determined to wait outside because it is not that bad and by not waiting outside I feel like I am missing out on something.
INTERVIEW EXPERIENCEMr. Task and Mr. C had to go to the consulate at 12 to turn in the medical results and review the paperwork. They got there around 11:30 and were let in right away and just had to wait inside. After that they waited about 1 hour and were finally called up. The lady did not even ask to see hubby's paperwork. They never asked us at any point for anything. Hubby had to leave his passport with them and they changed his appointment time from 8:45 the next day to 6:30 the next day and was given a new paper with the time to come back and to go to Building B. Then they did the fingerprints (now free) and were let out.
The guys said their cab driver by the consulate today said business is very slow and they haven't been taking many people across the border like they used to... the cabs just sit around alot... The guy said he thought it was because they are approving less but I think it is because less people have appointments right now. Maybe they decided to slow it down since they are moving soon, I'm not sure, but I know that everyone has been coming out extremely fast. They said there was no line and then once inside they barely had to wait and it was sorta empty... And when MBLA's hubby came back it was something like 1:30 or 2 pm very early... The medicals were very fast yesterday as well. Plus every day when we go to the consulate it is busy but not like pictures I have seen from before. Maybe like 5 people inside each restaurant/waiting area... hmm who knows! Just our observations... We certainly have several people from the forum here!!
Questions Asked:- When did you enter the U.S.?
- How did you enter the U.S.?
- Where does your wife work?
- What is your address in California?
- What was your address in Mexico?
After the guys were back we went to the buffet at Viva Mexico. It will appear to be closed and this is because the front part actually is closed and there is another restaurant that was sort of part of it Yuba Cafe and it looks all abandoned. You just need to walk around the left side and walk towards the back. I will include some pics so you can see how to find the back entrance because it was completely worth it! The buffet was huge and for only $5 and included some great deserts. I really want to go back for the show. The shows are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights and are supposed to be extremely entertaining and fun.
- its not closed I promise !!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
After going back to the hotel and resting for a bit and changing out of their fancy clothes we left again and walked around to various malls before coming back and hanging out with MBLA and hubby who were approved today!! I can't even remember which malls we went to I know first we went to the Wal-Mart (the new one by Los Cedros) which is actually in a mall and then we went to the Rio Grande mall which is right next to the Wal-Mart. After that we went to the one by the Holiday Inn Lincoln. I remember reading a post that said these malls were not nice and do not go to them but they were fancy and safe and clean. All of them were very nice and seemed almost exactly like an American mall just with different stores and the main stores are open to the halls of the mall. Like you will walk in the entrance for the Wal-Mart or S-Mart and instead of being in the store you are in the mall and have to walk a bit to find the store.
At the Wal-Mart they have everything it is much bigger than it looks from the picture. They even had a photo department where I was able to get a picture CD. They said that several things hadn't arrived for example women's swimsuits which never came and so then they never ordered more because the season had passed. But it seemed like they had mostly everything. They even had a pretty good Electronics section and a very big grocery section. They had a huge pharmacy/personal care/health/cosmetic etc. section like a CVS or drugstore. The people working there are still fairly new and so we had to ask 3 or 4 different people before one of them finally found us some bug spray. So if you are looking for something just keep looking/asking more people. Here at this Wal-Mart the baggers are young kids. One was about 12 years old. Mr. C. said they work off of tips only and they do not pay them!! So please if you get one tip them!!
At one of the malls I think the Rio Grande Mall, we saw the cutest dogs and Cherokee was *THIS* close to buying one she was a Schnauzer it was so cute!! I've seen several pet stores around here they seem to have one at every mall and even in the swap-meet type place. I would be careful buying a dog from here though. There is a department store in the mall I think it is called Coppels or something like that and it was interesting to see how much things cost and to see the different washing machines and stoves, etc.
The food court in the Rio Grande Mall (by the Smart)
We were going to go the movies but the 2 theatres that were here (In the Rio Grande mall and in the Plaza Americas mall) were closed down. The one in Plaza Americas is closed for remodeling though and should be back open someday soon!
So we went back to the hotel and chilled for several hours with MBLA and her hubby who were of course happy to be approved! We got some tacos which made everyone sick haha. Me and hubby went swimming which was nice and refreshing. We stayed up pretty late even though we had the visa interview today lol. For some reason we weren't taking it that seriously and it turned out to be not a big deal so I guess... it was ok!
