We just returned from another trip to Mexico to renew our visas, where the Mexican government is really becoming more active in checking cars. This time we were stopped four times on the way through Mexico to our hotel in Comitán. Each time they wanted to see our passports and vehicle identification card and asked several questions about where we were from and where we were going.
First, we stopped at a newly opened customs site where they verified that we hadn't brought anything worth taxing into the country. Then we stopped at a military checkpoint where we all had to get out of the car (except Veronica) while they poked around inside. We were glad that they just looked at our mountain of luggage, left everything in its place, and let us go on. Then the third stop was at a government office by the roadside where a man walked out toward us waving his hand for us to stop. We guessed it was because of our Guatemalan license plates, but after he reviewed my documents and asked a few questions, we passed on through. Then we passed through another military checkpoint, where they also let us go through quickly.
We aren't nervous about these stops any more, since they have gone well so far, but we are always on guard. So far the authorities seem content with two things: that we are Americans there as tourists, and that we are only going into the country as far as Comitán. They also seem pleased that we speak Spanish! But I must confess that they speak much more quickly than the Guatemalans in Chichicastenango, and we end up asking them to repeat themselves. Our friendly smiles and a bit of chatting seem to help a lot, too!