Day 31 August 4/14 Yuma, Arizona 5860 kms

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310 To Yuma Kilometers that is

Starring “Julianne Helli Moore” and “Ian the Duke Wayne”

Produced by David SUZUKI

Directed by Buddy Garmin

A can’t miss says the Desert Sun. Hot and steamy says the L.A.Times. Keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat for way too long, says Ian !

It just happened that it was exactly 310 kilometers today. Palm Springs to Yuma via the Salton Sea and through Calexico.

After yesterday’s heavy rains, it was a little cooler today. Around 36 and very humid. It made riding the bikes very bearable, almost comfortable. Once again it was all new roads for us today. Riding out highway 111 due south towards Mexico.

We really did not research the roads at all before heading out, this way we have learned to expect the unexpected. Traffic was very light and we just enjoyed the journey.

We came across the Salton Sea recreational area. It just wasn’t very recreating. There were no campers, no R.V.’s, no boats and no people. Yet it was very beautiful to look at. White sand beaches, a modern marina and hundreds of camp sites right on the water. There were just no people to use them. We were wondering if the water has become too polluted or there is no fresh water for drinking and washing (the Salton Sea is salt water and 2600 feet below sea level!) If you know please tell us.

We were still about sixty miles from the U.S. and Mexico borders when we came across our first border check point. There was a road blockade with what seemed like dozens of cameras and lights as well as several border agents checking every vehicle heading north. Being from Canada I wanted to thank them for prescreening for us but Helli wouldn’t let me.

Continuing south we reached the border and the town of Calexico. It surprised me at how clean and very homie it felt. Helli had read about a little Mexican restaurant located on the airport runway, so we checked it out. The airport is right on the border and the restaurant is right on the runway, that you can just walk out onto, too cool. The place looked closed and I was more than a little reluctant to go in. So Helli checked it out and as it turned out it was open. So lunch at ”Rosie’s Plane Food“ it was. It was very good.

So at Rosie’s there was a runway right outside the window and a ten foot high steel wall right outside the front door. To say it was a little odd is definitely an understatement. We could see at least five border patrol vehicles watching the wall from where we parked our bikes. This was a taste of things to come. We live next to the longest unprotected border in the world, so when you see the extent of the security along the Mexican border, it is a little unnerving. There are surveillance camera towers every mile or so, traffic barriers actually in the desert chained together, at least 30 border patrol vehicles in the 60 miles we travelled between Calexico and Yuma and the continuous ten foot wall !!!! As we are planning to stay close to the border as we continue east I am sure we will see much more of the same.

There are a couple of pictures we put in that try to show the road conditions. The best way to describe them is Helli talkalkalkalkalkinining tototototo me and makakaking fuununny sounds she spokokoke. A little like a 2 foot chop on the water.

So we are in Yuma, hope to have a chance to see a little more in the morning and then head east for Tucson. Cheers!

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Comments

[Carol]

Ian andHelen. We loved Tucson. You will have to go for a spin in the cactus national forest. It is a loop and it is beautiful. There is also a western town where gun fights happen It's called old Tucson studios, And the loop is called saguaro if I remember rightly. Beautiful cactus but Ian be careful of the cactus that throws needles at you if you get too close. (For real. )xo. The resort was called Hilton Tucson el Conquistador golf and tennis Absolutely relaxing. Enjoy. Xo