Update On The Ongoing Problems

 When, the van first got to the repair shop, which also is a NAPA Auto Parts store, the word was that it would take a week. if not more to get the parts. And it was explained as the result of a recent strike of the UAW and of course the fact that the parts would have to come from Kentucky.

I was not a happy camper with that, so I started phoning another NAPA store in Phoenix. I was stunned to learn that parts would be available there. So why hadn't the folks here in Ajo found this. I asked them to please call the Ajo store with relevant information. While checking on the progress this morning, I learned that the Phoenix store had not made the call and that the parts had already been ordered from Kentucky and would be overnighted to Ajo with arriving either Friday or Saturday. By Monday morning, the van would be fixed and ready from the middle of the day.

OK, at least we got that time line and I have no problems with it, as we are in a great place with our friends near by.

Weather was a little over cast today but plenty warm enough to take meals outside. 

 

And speaking of meals, Louise had made a huge load of spaghetti with meat sauce and I delivered the dessert - Flapjacks with Apple sauce. All was yummy!

First half of the afternoon was relaxing time, Bea napped, while I was outside listening to my favorite music channel.

With coffee cup in hand we then continued playing board games outside. Yves won twice and I won once.

Meanwhile, Dixie pretended to sleep, (or was she?) but alerted us immediately when a motorbike rumbled through the area. Dixie is the perfect guardian dog.

Old dried out tree remnant found under our desert walk. Can you see the shape of a goat head?

The Ride To Town Which Did Not Happen The Way We Intended It.

This morning we were readying to go to town to complete some errands. When I started the van and "put it into gear", our gear shifter came lose again. It was a moment of total disbelief. So I crawled under the van to check the shifter cable, it was sitting where it is supposed to sit, but the van could not be put into gear. Moving the gear lever at the transmission brought the gear shifter back into function, but only when shifting towards "P". As soon as Bea tried to move it into "D" (downwards) it got lose again.

The van was not movable!

So I found a towing service and automotive service shop and called COACHNET to request a tow to Ajo.

After multiple phone calls the guy showed up and above you see that he loaded it onto a flatbed truck. Since the van had been stuck in "P" we had to get it into "N" to roll it up onto the truck.

Later, I got a call from the shop telling me that parts were on national back order and would not be deliverable until next week. What a country!

But I guess we are lucky that we have our friends here and that we are in the desert where it is warm and all this had not happened on Monday while being on the highway.

Not knowing what the day would bring, we had taken a morning hike with Dixie. The BLM here is a very large area and one can walk on "for ever".

We found a cactus with fruits on top. Bea picked one and back at the trailer we sliced it open. Inside one can see the dark cactus seeds. 

Reminding a little of KIWI fruit

The fruity part has a sourly taste and can be eaten in small amounts. Small amounts, because it is high on oxalic acid and it has the potential to destroy your kidneys if consumed in bigger amounts. I am sure the Indians used it in their meals.

The name of the cactus is Fero Cactus, also called "Candy Barrel". And the fruits do look like candy. What you see peeking out at the top are actually the shriveled up blossoms.

Oh Sooo Lazy We Can Be

It was almost a pity that I woke up this early, but checking, I found out it was only 5:30am. Noo way, I would stay up, and so back to bed I went. But half an hour later I got up again. There had been too much change of time zones and on top of it all we had switched the clocks to standard time.

And by now, Dixie got to her feet and wandered over to the door - a sure-fire sign she wanted to get out to get done with her morning business. So off we went, a few steps into the dark desert. 

But, out east there was a lighter stripe of colour visible - the sun was on its way!

And only minutes after returning to the trailer an orange glow appeared in the east.

Morning had broken.

By the time Bea woke up, we had full daylight. A slight breeze moved the upper tops of the creosote bushes.

Dixie stayed outside on her leash and had started what she loves most - watching and guarding "the property", and I was sure she had a special eye on our friend's van.

After breakfast the sun had risen high in the sky and it was beginning to feel hot. I decided to take a closer look at our non-functioning water heater. Meanwhile Bea went for an explorative walk with Dixie. They came back quickly as it already was way too hot for hiking.

I started sweating where I was on my haunches in front of that water heater which resisted all attempts to get fixed.

Yves came over to help, but we finally gave it up for now.

Instead, we gathered up in the shade of their Dodge van, conversing back and forth about all our former travel adventures. 

We only broke it up for lunch, but got back together again for the afternoon. Yves and Louise had yummy Boston Cream donuts and we offered from our sweet home-made Blackberry Liquor.

Dixie had a great relaxing day as well and we decided to hang around here until Thursday, when we will take the last few hours to Holtville, where some other friends are already awaiting our arrival.

The day finished up with a nice sunset, which made us all running for our cameras to snap the best pic.

We Finally Made It To Desert Camping

 

Finally Desert Camping

Where should I begin? Last night was the worst we have spent during this trip. The massive influx of truckers on a very small Walmart lot was indescribable. Besides of a steady coming and going there were those who thought they own the place. Their parking was nilly-willy without any system and responsibility of keeping access open.

After going to bed some guy had parked his rig most bumper to bumper to the rear of our trailer making this hell of a noise with his engine. Leaving even his lights on to shine right into our trailer. Oh well, we are living through an era of unprecedented egoism and thoughtless behavior.

So, after a short and loud night we left this Walmart with the resolve of never to return. By the way, Deming seems to have a massive problem with crime as an armada of police vehicles raced through town hunting...what?

But the new day ran up bright and clear and after filling the tank with premium-priced regular fuel, we were heading west again - to Arizona.

The beauty of the desert

Naturally we were now looking forward to meeting our friends. From the I-10 at Tucson, we turned to the I-19 which runs all the way to Nogales Mexico. But after only a few kms we turned again, west again onto Rte 86 Ajo Way.

This is an old road connecting Tucson with the town of Ajo and the village Why. WHY is always leading to word plays, because of why would anybody go to WHY? 

But we had a great destination. A few kms south of WHY is a BLM area where one can stay for free over 14 days. No services there, but a beautiful area to camp between Cacti and desert vegetation, which, by the way, is still very green.

At Texas Canyon along I-10 only a few miles from Benson,AZ

It's over 100 miles along Ajo Rd, so at one point we decided to take a lunch stop right next to Kitts Peak Observatory.

Armed with a sandwich and a glass of milk, I was just stepping out of the trailer to walk to the park benches, when I saw a white RAM Van turning around 100yrds down the road.

Yes, it was them

On Ajo Road

It was giving a light signal and I recognized our friends whom we were to meet later at the BLM camp. I was just flustered and called out to Bea. Yes, it was them and they had seen the ISLAND TOURS parked when they they spontaneously turned around to greet us. What a great meet-up that was. There was so much to talk about, but eventually, it was decided to continue the conversation at camp.

Kitts Peak

 Arriving at camp, I first noticed how warm it was. First order of things was to find my shorts and get into a short-sleeved shirt. After getting the rig set up and the awning rolled out, we gathered for coffee in the shade. 

 

Man, life was good. Forgotten was all the road stress and excitement, it just all became banter and talk. Dixie was probably just as happy as ourselves, as she must have recognized the desert environment. Over the 4-5 days we had been worried about her mental wellbeing. It can't be much fun for a dog to be run down the bumpy highways for many hours every day. There was no doubt that she had been stressed out in the evenings. But here, in the desert, relaxing, she became her old self again.

Cacti forest

Dixie needs a walk

Evening glow