RAIN!

Saturday, January 26

Yesterday it sprinkled. Now it's rain. Wonder if we'll have a flash flood and "the wash" will be overflowing! The "wash" is a dry creek bottom. The rain does not soak in, it just flows away into a wash. Interesting. Different than from where we live!

Wednesday Buster and I drove to Quartzite, 65 miles north, to the big RV show. Along the way we saw farmland with  different vegetables ready to be harvested and at least a gazillion boondockers parked out in the desert. That's not my idea of fun but there sure are alot of RV'ers out there. They are self contained and set up their own little communities.

Quartzite was full of vendors with wares for sale of everything you'd ever want or need. They are all set up with streets. The "big tent" was at least 4 blocks long and a block wide. It was full of vendors, over 700 of them, all selling anything you'd ever want for your RV. We also viewed many new motorhomes and 5th wheels and really didn't see anything we liked any better than what we have. That was good news to Buster's ears!! Finally we went to the famous local bookstore, where the naked man hangs out. (No pun intended!) He only wears a sock. Dang, I looked in every nook and cranny for him but never found him. I found out he was out in his trailer having a nap! I was NOT going to go wake him up for a picture! It was a fun day.

Yesterday, Thursday, we went on a motorcoach trip to Mexicali. It is a city of over a million people located about 50 miles to the east right over the California border. Instead of taking the freeway, our driver took us down through Los Algondonas (where we barter-shop, go to the dentist, etc) and drove around the area. We stopped at  the last dam on the Colorado River, along the outskirts of town. It is on the American/Mexican border but under Mexican management.  Then through sand dunes and ended up at a brick making place. The bricks are hand made using sand, water and cow poop. They are all dried in wooden  forms for eight days. Then they are baked in a wood burning brick oven, with workers constantly tossing in wood for heat. It was very interesting. How would you like your house or fence made out of cow poop??!! We saw a couple places where fancy cemetary headstones are made. The Mexicans love to have showy cemetary markers.  Then we were off to Mexicali, along the backroads going past farmlands of onions, asparagus, lettuce and radishes Cotton had recently been harvested. (Buster saw a cotton combine in nearby Welton at a farm show which sells for over $500,000 new. The asparagus combine is made from stainless steel and sells for over $750,000).

We finally met up with a Mexican Interstate highway, which is 3 lanes each direction and goes from San Luis (just south of Yuma) over to Tijuana. The highway is very well maintained with many exits and overpasses.  The secondary highways were in very good condition too.

Mexicali has a population of over a million. It is a very modern city with Dairy Queens, Burger Kings, McDonald's, and other popular American restaurants, large stores and many casinos. We saw a McDonald's which is much bigger and fancier than any I've ever seen. The U.S. has moved many manufacturing plants to Mexicali -- Mitsubishi, Honeywell, Nestle, Coca Cola, BF Goodrich to name a few. The plants are huge and beautiful buildings. Chinatown, the largest in Mexico, is almost as large as in San Francisco. The city is the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California and the 2nd largest city in Baja California. The city maintains a highly educated and skilled population and the standard of living is one of the highest in Mexico. In Mexico, it is recognized for its investment in education as well as its low unemployment levels. There is a large university there.

We dined at "Pampas Mexicali", in the traditional Brazilian style. There was a large buffet and then the Mexican waiters arrived at each table with large skewers of meat. We had beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, shrimp and octopus. Everything was delicious! It was a fun and interesting trip. Our tour guide is from LIBBY, MONTANA!! She also told us that the area is becoming the new Silicon Valley.

Yesterday was another drive over to Los Algondonas as Buster had an eye appointment. His new bifocal glasses were ready at 2:00 and only cost $130 including the exam. I had a haircut for $7.00 and the gal washed, blew dry and styled it. We shopped awhile, bought our next 2 bottles of Brandy Alexander's and headed for home. Going through customs was fast, we only waited in line for about 30 minutes.

There sure isn't any time to get bored here. Everyday there's something to do or somewhere to go and we don't even golf! "Happy Hour" is at 4.......we can't miss that!

We will be leaving Yuma on February 4th for "the east" -- into New Mexico and Texas. I could stay here until time for us to go home!

I've given up on posting pictures. Susan