2024...and I don't understand....

 Reckon that's the same as any old year.  If you've kept up, read here, first, WHY (but thank you), and second, I'm on vacation.  Something I ain't done in a long, long time.  You?

I'm in Mehico, Puerto Penasco to be exact.  If you think of that 'arm' that hangs down from CA, we're right 'in the armpit' of it, on the Sea of Cortez. I can barely spell 'affluent' and certainly can't relate to it.  I'm 'playing poker' in my life, (almost) 'all in', ie, big ole chunka little ole IRA.  Oh well.  Oh well is onea my favorite sayings.  

Oh bien.  That's oh well in Espanol, I think anyways.

Backing up, there was the Greyhound trip from KC to OKC which was an all-nighter (10:45pm to 5:30am)... attempted sleep in a seat with about enough legroom for a stickman, then, HOURLY wakeup announcements "LAWRENCE, KANSAS", volume setting on 'HOLLER' loud...   "TOPEKA, KS"...  "WICHITA, KS"..  and finally, "OKLAHOMA CITY"..  yay.

7 plus hour drive to Tucson, to, a buddy of my buddy's house..  wonderful host (filet mignon), I think I hearda that once or twice in my life.  Two beers, an NFL game, SLEEP.  Victor, this is boring.  Write different.

Diferente'. Different.  Hey, that's what whoever that was wanted me to write.  On to Mehico.  The place where we're headed is THE closest beach to Phoenix, AZ.  There 'was' a POE (Google learnt me that means Port of Entry) in Lukeville, AZ that was literally a hop, skip, and saltar. (That be jump in Espanol.)  For many a year, things flowed, went, nicely.. this POE served as a vein, artery, however u wanna say it.. the Economy was perty darn good for PP (that's short for where we are.. Puerta Penasco)... life was good.

Then, they closed the POE in Lukeville a month ago.  Dunno the reason.  Some, wearing R shirts, say "Biden", some, wearing D shirts, say "He ain't got nuttin to do wit it, not his decision." Either way, now, that POE is closed, folks are forced to drive heap long way West to another POE, or, go through Nogales, AZ, which, uh oh, has been known (the route to PP) for cartel activity.  But, that's all selfish for "What about the people of PP? Tourism is their livelihood, lifeline?

Well.. it's put a chokehold on an economy that already had it's neckerchief pretty darn tight.

So, hilo de titar de la aguja (that's a needle pulling thread in EsPanol, but that ain't what I'm saying here.)  So, lavish highrises normally filled with money spending gringos now have a few or five cars in the lot.  Bars, restaurants hours reduced.. sadly, some employees laid off.. it's hurting.  PP is hurting.  No one knows how long this POE will be closed, but it sucks for everyone.

So... we chose to traverse via Nogales to PP, roughly a 4 hour drive. A buddy of ours arranged for a 'caravan' of us, to be guided by "R", we'll just call him that.  Amazing man.  Originally from Nogales, lives now in PP. Owns a business, is a 'do gooder' in THE GOODEST sense for all of PP.. charitable, gives, gives, gives his time, all for the benefit of fellow PP residents, businesses, and, us US'ns that come for fun, relaxation, to forget, at least for the time being, our worries.

The worry of the cartel, thus, our "hiring" or R to guide us. He never asked for a penny.  We met at 8:45 in Home Depot of Nogales, on the Mehican side - after we'd missed the turn to where we were supposed to meet him at 8:30.  Hey, all good.

R had taken a bus from PP to Nogales, spoke to all of us huddled 'Mericans for a short, explaining our path.. "really fine road for more than half of the trip... pretty fine 2 lane road for mosta the resta the way.. really, really crappy, pothole infested last 20 miles or so into PP."  No mention of cartel.  Yet, we, 'Mericans, were a tad bit skeered as there have been recent shootings, a couple US folks killed, but, they asked for it, ,Toyota, they got it (3am they ran a road block. Aye yai yai, whatever language that is.)

So... we're off. R, very cordial. He drove our vehicle, the lead vehicle. He pointed out, any, everything in route. The vendors, and what they were selling in the bags they held up, in the road at virtually every Alto sign.  The sites of Missions.  "Over there, that's farmers burning asparagus, everyone thinks it's cartel activity.  It's not."  Continued:

"The cartel normally fights the cartel.  Or, the Federales, and or the Mexican Army.  Usually, the cartels concentrate on one specific drug...  it's usually, cocaine, meth, or pot.  They will get greedy, argue with one another group, that's when S golpea el ventilador. (That's S hits the fan in Espanol.)  They don't have a beef with US folks.  The fear is mostly unfounded.  Crossfire would be the only worry."

BEAUTIFUL drive.  Mountains.  Valleys.  All kinds of agriculture.  Orange groves, almonds, pecans, wheat, the asparagus, grapes (biggest supplier of raisins to US). Much. What there wasn't, neighborhoods of 3 bedroom houses, Kohls, Macys, Sport's bars, yada, yada.  Yes, poor. But also yes, HAPPY.  The folks are happy, proud.  FYI, virtually every morning I peek in the mirror, I am that, poor but happy.  So nanny nanny boo boo to any of judgy-mental 'Mericans.

"None of this cartel stuff was going on until the kingpin Pablo Escobar was killed in Columbia - then, they infiltrated Mexico.  Cocaine cartels control this town, meth cartels that town, and pot, yet another community. Then they infight."

R, the wonderful community feller, led us down a very very nice, toll 4 lane highway.  And, yet another toll, 4 lane highway. We handed him the Pesos, he conversed with the toll takers, got our change, and we went on. Twice, this happened.

Down the road, a Policia Federale' car in the middle of the Interstate, routing us off to the other side.. closing all Westbound lanes.  Police cars, many, ahead on the right. Big ole cars, many, also. "The cartel, they drive BIG extended trucks, or, BIG, SUV's.  Ruh roh?  Cartel? Turned out to be just a wreck,  Whew. Not glad someone was in the mangled cars, but, a relief, no cartel.

We later turned offa the four lane to dodge the town where recent cartel killing happened.  Two lane.  S'more beauty, farms.. vendors at "Alto" signs.  In all this time, 'R' has taken, made, probably 20 phone calls.. He is, THE answer man for all things good in PP.

Finally, the last hour stretch into PP.  We stopped for all five cars to pee.  We made one last stop, "The very best oranges you ever tasted."  My buddy bought two big bags, one for R, one for us, and I can attest, "the very best orange I've ever tasted."  As we left the orange joint, "now, the last 60 miles, potholes, so if I dodge, you dodge."  Did.

Did we ever.  After ten or so miles, "R" says, "I'm calling the Director of PP Tourism, this is ridiculous. (the potholes.)  He/they, talked FAST.  I makey no attempt to learn any Espanol over and above 'dos frio cervasa' (two cold beers) and 'donde esta el bano' (where's the bathroom.).  Talky so fast, fruitless.

"There's no (cartel) activity going on because I haven't seen any 'points'." Points are parked cars, a Senor' inside keeping an eyeball peeled for any unusual activity.

We finally stopped, let R out at a gas station, he got out, we thanked him, verbally and $-wise, and his wife fetched him. Thanked him profusely, as did the other 4 cars... and drove into our joint, The Sonora Sun.  Six, mebbe, cars.  Normally packed full.  They, someone, obstructed the artery (POE Lukeville) into PP. Disrupting the city's livelihood, lives.  Makes one wanna tip more.  Grab a meal out versus bacon and eggs on the stove. My buddy and I, he was baby affliction (nuerology junk going on in legs) and me, well, let's just say I walk funny.. headed to the lobby to check in.  I am quite certain, the bellhop thought as he observed us, however you say in EsPanol "wow, here comes two gringo geezers on assuredly what will prolly be their last trip to Mehico." Oh bein.

Sorry, kinda, this is all me, me, me. If you only had a view from (somea) the stuff I've seen the stinky shoes I've worn the last year, and yes, I know, TMI. 

It's me. Who I is.  Sorry. Kinda, oh bien. (Oh well.)

The Isleys, I think it was, wrote Oh Well, parts 1 and II.  If you ain't asleep yet, yes, I'll prolly write Oh Well, part II.  And ten, and twenty. Only 34 more days of this siesta. Yum.

Adios, for now.

VICTOR?  Yeah?  The "2024.. and I don't understand."???  Oh yeah, sorry.  I no comprende' the language, and...  much.. much in life, including check engine lights. However, I slept 8 hours last night. I ain't done that since I had a 36" waist ten years ago. OK damnit, 30 years.

Love, Victurd