Oops! Wrong country

After covering over 800 miles of Texas, we decided that since we were so close to the border with Mexico, we ought to at least stop for a visit. That's when the adventures began. Our first attempt was at a border crossing in the small town of Ft. Hancock to El Ponvenir. As we pulled up to the border crossing, we were duly informed that it was not a safe area as a US tourist had been kidnapped just Saturday and they found his beheaded body ealrier that day (Sunday).However, the younger of the two border patrol agents was going to let us walk out onto the bridge were there was a plague to take a picture. As we started to park the RV, the senior agent highly recommended that we try another border crossing as we would be within a pot shot range from the other side and things were very "tense" at this time. After some conversation, it was apparent that (1) this is not that unusual for the Mexico-US border stations, and (2) the problems extend all along the border and our government, nor the media care to bring the level of tension to the attention of the general public.

Well, needless to say, we decided to head for El Paso and the more civilized finery of Ciudad Juarez. Mason can now say he has been to Mexico, although we spent more time in line trying to get  back into the US than we did walking the streets of Juarez.

                                                    Can't wait to get back into El Paso

                                                 Ciudad Juarez - that's Spanish for shit hole

By the time we returned to the RV, the sun was setting and there were monstrous thunder cells in the sky, making for a beautiful sunset and interesting light show. We heard this morning that the same system casued wirdespread flooding just north of our location in New Mexico last night.

                                                     Big thunder storm in New Mexico

We both felt good after a dinner outside Deming, NM - a local diner with interesting clientele and decor you could only find in a 30 year old restaurant in the middle of the desert. We decided it was too late to find an RV park, so we headed for Tuscon. Didn't quite make it as the RV provided the first (and I hope only) surprise. Apparently the RV shop forgot to change the oil even though there was a sticker in the widshield clearly indicating an oil change was past due over 1,000 miles before we picked up the vehicle. So, we found a Walmart in Benson, AZ with a Jiffy Lube across the street.

Woke up this morning to learn the Lube shop was closed on Mondays, but, a nice man told us of the nearest alternative, just 45 miles away. Fortunately, it was on our way towards Tuscon. we passed Davis mountain AFB on the way to the lube shop. Apparantley, the base is the designated location for all retired C-130s as there had to be at least 500 of them lined up in mothball.

                                          C-130 graveyard at Davis Mtn. AFB, Tuscon, AZ

 We had our home serviced and are now heading into Yuma, AZ, Should be sitting at a tiki hut in Mission Bay just north of San Diego enjoying a cold beverage by late this afternoon.

Arizona desert