The Road Less Traveled (Part 2 of Visit Arizona)

Arizona shares about 378 miles of border with Mexico. This has resulted in a love-hate relationship that has spurred considerable controversy receiving national and international attention recently in the form of Arizona SB 1070. In case your head has been in a hole for the last few years, AZ 1070 is the "Immigration Law" which allowed officers to check the citizenship of people who were already being questioned for some other infraction. Many people were up in arms because they felt that this would result in discriminatory practices against people who "looked" like they were from another country, or to put it plainly, they had brown skin. Yes, there are probably a few jerk-head cops out there who take advantage of their position as an authority figure. How can we solve this problem? Make the citizenship question mandatory like the Miranda Rights for everyone...then we are all on the same level again and equally annoyed.

A related issue is the conditions "undocumented people" are subjected to in order to come to the US? Enter the human trafficker or "coyote" whose assistance is in high demand and whose fees easily run into the thousands per person. Oftentimes in order to evade capture and arrest by border patrol agents, these coyotes abandon their charges to wander the desert where they die of dehydration. The remains of 200 immigrants were found in the desert in 2011. The border patrol sets up water stations throughout the desert to help these people from dying of thirst. Of course, they are then captured and returned to their home country.

Drug smuggling plagues the state and has become almost unmanageable. Higher crime rate as well as more violent crimes have increased dramatically. Thousands of pounds of marijuana, hundreds of kilos of cocaine, and loads of the more recently manufactured methamphetamine flood the border cities where they are then driven to states across the US. Millions of dollars are spent patrolling the borders and incarcerating dealers and users alike. Many people blame Mexico for the influx of drugs but in all reality, if the demand for drugs didn't exist, neither would the supply.

Americas's drug problems seem minor compared to the terrors innocent citizens of Mexico witness on a day-to-day basis in larger border towns. Massive gang wars have broken out making historically promising places to work and conduct business, abandoned ghost towns. The news regularly reports shootings, mutilations, kidnappings, and assassinations in what used to be bustling border towns. Mexican citizens have deserted their businesses and homes in order to escape the violence. (Rest assured, Puerto Peñasco is no where near a major border town and although you may see soldiers in trucks with guns, they are there to keep us safe. My mom and I felt perfectly at ease the entire time we were in Mexico. So did the other hundreds of Americans strolling the streets in the old port area and frequenting the multitude of delicious restaurants and relaxing resorts.)

On the other hand, immigration has made us the powerful country we are today and I hope we will continue to be. Illegal aliens cross our borders every day and work jobs that no other Americans want. We have become to hoighty toighty to do menial labor. Many prefer to never work again and live off welfare for the rest of their lives. School is too hard for some and to those who want to learn it is too dangerous.

The largest school district in Tucson, TUSD (Tucson Unified School District) is a disgrace whose top heavy administration sucks the life from its teachers, students, and funds, redirecting any cash directly into their pockets in the forms of $90K salaries to a head of a department that no longer exists and the hiring of a specialist who can bypass the Board whenever he pleases. More than 30 students are stuffed into classrooms with disrespected, mistreated and underpaid teachers. Why do you think I escaped public education and decided to teach abroad?! The community is in an uproar demanding a complete overhaul of the district or begging to be annexed by Maricopa county in hopes the state or federal government will take notice that we are 50th in the state rankings with the lowest test scores.

I digress...I love politics but I find the issues so frustrating and people so selfish that I angrily cry out as a child would, "Why can't we all just get along?" But I know that humans are by nature greedy and lazy way to often. Instead of prattling on about topics which might cause my future in-laws to question Djorf's sanity for marrying me, I will move on to our trip.

Why, Why, Why, WHY!!!
Why do you ask?
Why is this place here?
Why did people ever come here?
Why are we in Why, Arizona?
Yes, the town is called Why. A befitting name with a convenience store: Why Not Travel Store offering free why-fi.
So you might ask yourself, why are we in Why. Well, Why is where you turn left towards Lukeville to get to Mexico. Do not accidentally turn right towards Ajo. Also, for the return trip there are no signs in Why telling you which direction to go to get back to Tucson. So when you drive back through Why to get home, you must turn right. Do not go to Ajo if you want to go to Tucson.
Why?

My mom and I stopped along the roadside to go to the bathroom. As soon as we exited the vehicle we aged 10 years as all moisture was sucked from our skin. We immediately slathered on oil free lotion, knowing that anything with oil might cause us to fry. People have been known to fry an egg on the sidewalk in Arizona.

We longingly searched for clouds in the sky which might promise rain. Monsoons should be coming soon. Along with the much needed moisture come an assortment of creatures like rattlesnakes, tarantulas, and gila monsters. Just after a thundering storm, you can hear the rattles of a million snakes out to enjoy the water. Tarantulas, gargantuan hairy black spiders, cruise across the roads en masse. Gila (pronounced like heela) monsters, 18-inch long black-spotted orange lizards, lounge about on large stones daring every passerby to mess with them. People and animals in-the-know would never touch these prehistoric looking monsters because they bite! Gilas latch on and never let go. Anyone arriving to the wedding with a gila monster clamped to his or her leg will no be permitted to enter. Desert animals can be gorgeous to look at but only from a safe distance or from inside the car.

An interesting fact about Arizona: the majority of deaths at the Grand Canyon are white males who feel it is necessary to teeter dangerously close to the edge of the canyon in order to pee off the side. Oddly enough, they fall in on a regular basis. Men beware.

You now enter Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. An organ pipe cactus resembles the pipes of an organ. They also look like skinny versions of saguaro cacti all growing up from the same base area with no arms. Most of the organ pipe cacti can be found along dirt roads which require visitors to leave the main highway. In the past this was a popular tourist attraction for botanists and bird watchers. Sadly, not long ago, the park ranger was murdered by "coyotes," the human trafficking type, and now visitors travel here with an armed guard.

The second border checkpoint is shortly after leaving Why. Watch out for sheriffs hiding behind AZ flora to catch speeders.

Camp sites are advertised...Space Available! Surprise surprise! Hold tight to your steering wheel: dust devils and rogue tumbleweeds abound. Which brings to mind a childhood experience I have repressed but now rears its ugly head. Returning from a trip to Puerto Penasco with my family when I was a wee girl, our mom made my sister an I collect tumbleweeds and stack them in the back seat of the car. Dreaming of a desert Christmas, she planned to spray paint them white, sprinkle them with glitter, and hang ornaments on them. But already dangling near the center of one weed, was a black widow! With a screech of terror from the back seat, the car squealed to a stop and the widow nest was kicked out. Never a dull moment in the desert.

Up ahead the town of Lukeville waits on this side of the border and its Mexican counterpart Sonoyta. We were stopped on the US side and questioned about where we were going and where we were from. Then we continued to the Frontera (border in Spanish) where a green light means keep driving and a red light means stop to the left so the Mexican border patrol can ask you questions and maybe search your car. They are mostly just checking if you have firearms or ammunition, neither of which can be brought into Mexico.

The speed limit is in kilometers per hour not miles per hour. Hopefully your car's speedometer has both. Otherwise 40 km is about 28 mph and 20 km is about 15 mph. There was construction when we were there last so you might need to follow detour signs. Follow the major flow of traffic because most people are also just traveling through. Many blue signs with Puerto Penasco or Rocky Point in white letters direct you to our beach destination.

This very desolate part of Mexico, sand dunes and rocks with maybe a shrub or two used to be a volcanic zone. There are lava fields and cave you can visit in the Biosfera de Pinocate recommended during a cooler time of the year.

Some road signs you might see along the way translate as follows:
No rebase - no passing
Area de descanso - rest area
Zona volcanica - volcanic zone
No arroje basura - no littering
Cinturon obligatorio - must wear seatbelts
Curva peligrosa - dangerous curve
(picture of a goat) - goat crossing
(octagonal sign at varying levels and shades of red to grey, might say alto) - stop sign

If you are caught speeding or running one of the many elusive stop signs, do not try to bribe or pay off the police. Mexico is attempting to cut back on corruption. Politely request to go to a police station to pay the fine. Americans are targeted for breaking laws in Mexico because they can afford to pay the fines.

Finally we are nearing the end of our journey. Puerto Penasco at last. A busy beach town, popular with spring breakers and families alike, welcomes visitors with open arms. The people are friendly, many speak English, and the American dollar is accepted along with the peso. Countless signs will direct you to Las Conchas where my wedding will take place. Remember to have fun, eat, drink, and smile. You are in Mexico and it is beautiful.

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