Folks, the next chapter in the Saga of the Hijacked  travellers in Mexico.

-----Original Message-----
From: jm vanderbyl  <mjvanderbyl@hotmail.com>
To: us  <mjvanderbyl@hotmail.com>
Subject: the nightmare  continues.....
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 11:44:51 -0400

We took the bus to Monterrey yesterday early a.m. to get emergency
passports.
Got off the bus at the suburb where the cnsulate is --had a great
breakfast at VIPS...
took a taxi to consulate & said  HERE WE  ARE!  They were very pleasant and
said they were expecting us.. Only one  page of the 10 pages of forms had
got through to us so they said we might as  well start over..When that was
complete they informed us we could not get the  passports for at least 1or 2
days and that they are normally only good for 3  days but in our case  they
would be good for 10 days...pretty hard to drive  back to Canada in 3
days...When we said we would be lucky to be ready to leave  Mexico in 10 days  they
said one of us would have to come back to Monterrey  for the passports...
At that Jack blew his stack  at not knowing all this  before hand  and could
they not DHL the passports to our hotel..They said  they would have to get
permission so Jack said to get permission right now so we  know where we are
at. 10 minutes later we had permission. Then the shocker  ...they wanted
$81.00 Can. per person for a passport that lasts 10 days..Having  not enough
pesos we could get the gov,t to send us a bill and we would pay  later. That
we will do.So the day we are sure we will leave we hone or email  them and
the passports should arrive next day.WE HOPE
Got back at 7 pm  NO PROBLEMS...The dogs were well looked after by Pablo
,the maintenace manage at  the hotel who spoke good English. The people at the
hotel look after us very  well.
Won,t be much happening next 4 days.. Easter Weekend.
Dave  and Joyce.s lawyer finally showed up at supper last night but speaks
no English  and did not bring an interpreter.. Michelle,s spanish is really
improving.
We are well.
Michelle and  Jack