Day 70 - 8 Mar - Nogales to Apache Junction, Arizona

Photo: Casa Grande - The 650 yr old building erected by Hohokam natives.

Odometer: 128,647 Temp: About 45 degrees….SHOCK!

We were on the road early this morning..about 8 am. I’m sure it had something to do with the fact we were in bed, asleep, by 9 pm last night. No electricity meant no lights other that running off the battery so not much else to do.
This area is proof of why I love Arizonaso much and never get tired of travelling through the State! Everything about it is so picturesque and there is no way anyone could come here without a camera or a paintbrush…even though you know that what you are capturing on ‘film’ or canvas can’t accurately reflect what you are seeing with your eyes. We are between the Santa Rita Mountains and the Canelo Hills on Hwys 82 & 83. Although it’s a tad cloudy this morning, each time the sun comes out the colours change and it’s a completely new picture. The forecast is snow and freezing rain with high winds....oh wait, that's Ottawa....here it's going to be sunny and 75 degrees.
This is Cochise (as in Indian Chief) country and it was here that he took his stand in the hills and held off gov’t troops trying to take his band to a reservation. It doesn’t take much imagination to envision Indians on horseback, in full regalia, riding over the hills. There are lots of ranches here but it’s so wide and expansive that they can be far off the highway and only the decorative arch at the entrance let’s you know they are there. A few houses have been built on top of the hills, either directed towards the sunrise, or the sunset…either of which would be magnificent.
We make a quick pit stop and Wayne has a look under the front of the van. I hear the dreaded words, “I KNEW it didn’t feel right”, and it turns out the nut/bolt from the front right tie-rod stabilizer bar has disappeared. It’s no surprise, in fact, I can’t believe that last Mexican ride didn’t do more damage! Our daily planned destination has, yet again, changed as we travel in to Tuscon to find the local Dodge dealer. (As I write this portion, we are sitting in the waiting room, the two geeky Corkums on their laptops, waiting for them to find the part and repair…who knows how long!).

We are back on the road within 2 hrs...damage is under $150 so we're feeling lucky! We set Gertie (GPS) to get us to the KOA campground at Apache Junction, just a few miles north of Phoenix. Along the way we pass a sign for the Casa Grande National Park which has the 650-yr old ruins of a building that part of a Hohokam native village. For many years archeologists did not know what happened to these natives as they had abandoned their villages and there was no indication of why or where they might have gone. Recent investigation points to them moving away from the farming they did with the aid of irrigation ditches and going closer to the river systems. The building is made from hard packed soil and is about 4 stories high and about 60 ft long. Its walls face the four cardinal points of the compass. A circular hole in the upper west wall aligns with the setting sun during the summer solstice. Other openings also align with the sun and moon at specific times. In the late 1800s, a large metal roof on metal support beams was put over the house to protect it from vandals and tourists (even then) and when you look inside you can see where 1800-style graffiti is still evident, ie. "James was here 1825". Interesting to say the least.

The drive to Apache Junction was like a mini holiday for us. The roads were wonderful, the sun was shining, the scenery was even better, and the GPS worked which all made for a great afternoon of driving. I keep looking at the wonderful CLEAN highways and noticing all the things we enjoy without really thinking about them. Mexico was wonderful; the people were friendly and we had a great time but I could not live there. It's a third world country despite the beautiful beaches and it was an eye-opener to drive through central Mexico, away from the resorts, and see how people really live. It's a different culture that has not yet reached the level of understanding that we have regarding sanitization and how that relates to health. I think I'm going to write the President of Mexico and tell him that to stimulate the economy, he needs to set up garbage depots and pay every person 10 cents for a full bag of garbage. Remember when the 'Do not litter' campaign started for us? That hasn't happened in Mexico yet so although store owners in the resort towns sweep and clean their front areas, the same is not true out of the town centre. I expect it will be a long time before there's an end to all the impromtu dumps along the roads in Mexico. Between that and graffiti, which is everywhere, on everything, they have a way to go yet to clean up the country.

The KOA campground is a delight and I look forword to a long, hot shower in a clean washroom tonight. It was so damn cold last night that it was a quick wash and a promise in the LuvMasheen. We're tired tonight...I know we were both awake off and on most of last night so we won't have any problem sleeping tonight. We've stocked up on groceries and I almost giggled as I put macaroni salad, bagels, and other things we haven't had in 2 months, into the basket. Tomorrow will be wash day and again...after 2 months, I'm looking forward to doing my own wash and bleaching those whites (sick, I know, but what if I'm in an accident and my underwear is less than gleaming?).

Until next time, take care everyone. Hugs and kisses to you all.