When we left our truck in Texas (due to the high cost of nationalizing it), I had no idea how long it was going to take to replace it here in Oaxaca. I hadn’t noticed before, but missing here are car lots with used cars. Ok, there are a few. They are all of the name-brand agencies (more about that later).

We spent the first month back using taxis to get around. The walk out to the highway wasn’t bad, but coming back loaded down with groceries, etc. was uncomfortable especially on hot days. We learned to respect the majority of the folks here that don’t and never will own a vehicle.  Planning ahead is crucial and we got a peek into the lives of how the vehicle-less survive. Grocery items don’t present too much of a problem but there is feed for dogs and chickens, and filtered water to be purchased and transported. It turns out the taxis are accustomed to hauling items apart from passengers. They were very accommodating, including delivering items right to our door (for a reasonable fee).

We were adjusting quite well, spending more time at home, and making fewer trips. However, it did drastically cut into our social life. We literally stopped visiting friends.  But our friends came to see us and on several occasions gave us rides to run errands. Our friends often showed up with fruit, bread, tortillas, and other basic items. I don’t believe we ever appreciated company as much as we did that month.

One Sunday we were at a comida at our neighbors when the subject of transportation came up. They had no idea that we were without our truck. Feliciano offered us the use of a vehicle but Beth and I were uncomfortable. We’d been offered other vehicles, but we were reluctant. A friend (Rosendo) had offered me his only truck.

A couple of days after the comida, Feliciano showed up at our house with a Jeep Wrangler. He had all the paperwork and proof of insurance. We were floored! Beth and I will never forget this act of kindness. We accepted the Jeep and have driven it for almost three months.

We diligently searched for a truck. We were adamant about wanting a four door pickup. Buying a vehicle in the States can be tough. Here, it’s scary as hell. Totaled vehicles can be repaired and resold here. They do a very good job repairing and painting. I almost bought a couple of trucks, but fortunately I spotted small signs that they had been repaired. There is also the problem of buying stolen vehicles. I probably passed on a couple of good buys, but I had bad vibes.

I bought a 2002 Ford pickup that had been brought down from the States but discovered that the original paper making it a Mexican vehicle was missing. We tried for a week to get it changed into our names without success. Ultimately, our money was returned and we returned the truck. We were sorry. It was a beautiful four door Ford truck. 

We became a little desperate and applied at the Nissan dealership to buy a basic four door new pick up. We filled out all the forms, supplied several references, and waited for an answer. A week went by, then two, and by the third week we became frustrated.

We looked at a few more trucks but were either wary or dissatisfied.

One evening we got a call from a friend who knew of a truck for sale. It was a 2002 Dodge Ram pickup with four doors. It was owned by a doctor who’d bought it new. We made arrangements to see the truck. It turned out to be the deluxe model sold that year. It had everything including a V8. But it was the smallest V8. In fact the motor wasn’t available in the US. The doctor was a nice man, pretty straight forward about the truck. The truck was built in Mexico for use in Mexico. I converted the kilometers to miles and came up with ninety eight thousand miles. Not bad. I had read the reviews online and was impressed by its rating. I could see immediately that the truck had been well maintained. I bought the truck that night for eighty thousand pesos ($4,200 USD).

After driving small vehicles for years, Beth and I are both amazed with the comfort.  Converting kilometers to miles and liters to gallons, I calculated we’re getting a little over 14 miles per gallon. Not bad as we don’t do an extreme amount of driving.

I was proud that I was able to change names, register the truck, and buy insurance by myself. A couple of times I had to have things explained a little differently but overall it went pretty smooth.

So, we finally have our land in our names, our residency, and a vehicle with Oaxaca plates. Life is good!

Our Jeep for three months. It was a blast to drive although a little chilly in the morning. Again, we thank Feliciano for the loan.

Our new truck. Very comfortable and we now have the space for friends to ride inside instead of having to ride in the bed. It's a little tricky maneuvering in Tlacolula. Most of the streets are pretty narrow. The doctor we bought it from had just had the air-conditioning repaired. It gets very cold!!!