The Drive to San Luis

Hell is paved with good
intentions as is the road
to fair San Luis

~ carliewired

My day started innocently enough. I chose to go out rather than finish sewing my quilt top together.....that was a mistake.

Friendly Acres, an RV park in the heart of the old part of Yuma city, had their little quilt show. It was quite lovely and the ladies were very friendly and very talented. 

We fancied a drive south past Somerton, where we've been before. Streaking past the little town of Somerton, an agricultural area, we couldn't help but notice the border security fence separating Mexico from the USA. There was Hadrian's Wall,... there was the Berlin Wall ...and now there's this! It's not very pretty on the landscape. This section runs along the irrigation canal and skirts the wee town of Somerton very closely on its west side. See a previous entry about this fence here.

On we went into San Luis, which I dubbed "Little Mexico" at first sight. Most of the signs are in Spanish and most of the people are Latino. 

We veered to the left as the original lanes into Mexico were blocked for construction. We were in the three lanes chugging on closer and closer to the Mexican border. I was beginning to get concerned as the left lane did not allow exits or turns. We had no plans to leave the state of Arizona. I assumed D could make a loop back just short of the crossing into Mexico.
 I said, "I had better get out and let you turn around and pick me up. I don't have my passport with me and we don't need any international incidents at the border crossing."
 I jumped out of the truck leaving D. heading south. 
He called after me "Do you have your cell phone?"
 "No, meet me at the Chase bank." I headed north on the sidewalk and stood under the awning at the bank expecting him along any minute. 

That minute turned into over an hour. D. filed across the Mexican border completely unhindered/unchecked with the three lanes of traffic he was in. He finally found a way to turn around and head back to the United States crossing. This took about 45 minutes. The customs agent seemed undaunted as D handed over his passport. He told D that this happens to 2 or 3 travellers each day. Needless to say, I was much relieved to see his smiling face after an hour! 

We zipped back to Somerton to the Cocopah Casino for a late lunch. Normally, one can count on a casino for a good meal. Such was not the case today. It was a very disappointing meal! 

Somerton seems to have many buses that transport workers to and from the fields. Also, many latrines on wheels were sidelined beside the highway. Each bus tows a set of latrines for the workers it carries. 

We stopped beside the highway to watch a crop-dusting plane at work. Also, we watched many workers clearing a field of cabbage. They follow behind a conveyance machine while they cut the cabbage and place them into cardboard boxes for transport. It's all back-breaking work for men and women. 

I really should have stayed at home and finished my quilt.