Spent the last few days getting all hot and sweaty. Hey! Get your minds out of the gutter! I meant that the temperature is soaring, and we’re loving it. Almost cracked the ton the other day with a 99F temperature in the area around Phoenix where we were, and it was really quite nice to not be thinking about putting on the Polarfleece jacket when getting out of the van.

We’re currently in Yuma (town motto : “Lots Of Old People From North Come Here Each Winter”) and the number of RV parks is staggering. We lost count on the way in, and in each park, there’s a few hundred sites. It’s really quite incredible.

Stopped at a rest stop on the highway last night and while we were sitting there just before going to bed, a torch was shone in our door (it was open). Turned out to be a Border Patrol Agent who was just checking us out. Apparently there were about 60-70 Mexicans crossing the border about 4 miles south of us, and walking to the highway where they had paid a person to meet them with a van. Happens each night apparently - not sure why they bother - I would have thought that “they are always waiting for it because it always happens” would have filtered back to them by now…

Anyway, since we were a van, they had to check us out, but we were able to assure him that we really didn’t need to get employment in the US by smuggling Mexicans. This morning, we actually got a look at the terrain they were walking over, and frankly, it’s 4 miles of dirt, rocks and sage brush - not very pleasant going at all, especially in the middle of the night with no light to assist them.

This morning we also met Chuck, the guy who cleans the rest stop and we got to chatting about land values. He was so happy that he was able to get cheap land in the area at US$2,700 per acre! We could not believe that someone considered that a bargain at all, and that he really believed it was cheap for land which appeared to be worthless.

It’s currently on 90F, and not too bad, and we’re heading to San Diego. Not entirely sure what’s there other than a zoo, but we’ll see. We’ve been through the Lonely Planet, tourist books, and other various guides we have and, to be honest, California looks like a state we could happily miss were it not for Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Death Valley National Parks, and a couple of other side attractions like the town of Felicity (”Official Centre Of The World”, apparently).

Los Angeles looks most unappealing, despite the fact that Verity flew around the world to see a storm drain in Griffith Park there. We’re thinking more of going for a drive in Los Angeles - should be a lot of fun. We hear that it’s a pleasant city for a lazy, relaxed drive and that there are very few people on the road. Well, perhaps that’s not what we heard. Perhaps it was slightly different to that…

Anyway, must dash. Lots of sand and dirt to see. With the exception of the occasional cattle feedlot which are very impressive to see. Right in the middle of desert, you just suddenly come across an ocean of green fields and cattle feedlot facilities, and then, just as suddenly, you’re back to the desert once more.
Oh, in important news, Diana has managed to find Coke made to the Australian recipe, not the US recipe, and it’s quite cheap. It’s Safeway brand cola, and at US$1.67 per slab of 12 cans, works out to be a lot cheaper than buying real Coke. Plus, it’s a lot nicer, so hurray!

Categories: Travel, Odyssey 2001