THE WEEK AT A GLANCE
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY
Well, this was a week of unfulfilled bliss. It started out with our departure from Rockport on Monday, the 9th. It was cloudy and the weather threatening as we "cranked up the diesel" and took to the road. We planned to stop in El Paso for some routine maintenance work thus, we decided to leave a few days early to allow plenty of time to complete the work and meet our caravan group for our Mexico trek. Further, rain was forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday and we wanted to avoid as much weather as possible.
We took Highway 181, a more rural route from the Rockport area into San Antonio. It was more interesting, with many small towns and ranches. I love the open spaces of Texas but I like to be reminded that there is human habitation. We stopped for the night in Junction Texas and "dry camped" beside a river just inside the city limits. It was a pleasant overnighter.
Tuesday morning we awakened to dark clouds and rain. We drove through the town of Junction and stopped for breakfast at what appeared to be the "town meeting place". After breakfast with the "natives" we boarded our "bus" and made our way through the passes over the hills and into the valleys in a steady rain and growing limited visibility. As we made our way over the highest pass, the fog was extremely heavy but it was short lived . Once we were through the pass, the fog lifted, the rain ceased and the clouds broke. By the time we reached El Paso, the weather cleared and blue sky welcomed us into the city. We stopped outside El Paso and spent the night in the coach at the Freightliner yard in preparation for the work to be performed the next day.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) an oil leak was found in a gasket in both the motor and the transmission during the routine inspection. Freightliner, the manufacturer of our chassis recommended that we have it repaired under warranty. We agreed though it would mean an extra day in El Paso. It took the rest of Wednesday to get approval from the engine manufacturer, Cummings and the transmission manufacturer, Allison. Once approvals were received, parts were ordered and work was to start on Thursday with completion scheduled for no later than Saturday morning. This meant that we would have to spend the next two nights in a motel.
Thursday morning we packed our "ditty bag" and off to a motel went we. We found a Red Lion down the road and decided that should be a good place for two nights on the road. Well, we learned that we have become very spoiled and dependent on our own bed. The bed was terrible and neither of us slept well.
The next morning we decided to check out of the Red Lion and if we had to spend another night in a motel, it would not be with a "lumpy" bed. Freightliner thought that possibly, they would be able to complete the work on Friday and that a second night in a motel might not be necessary. However, Friday morning it was raining, cold and freezing with intermittent snow flurries. Traffic on I-10 from Van Horn West was halted and as a result, our parts did not arrive. Had we left Rockport on Wednesday as planned, we would have been caught in the road closure. That knowledge took the sting out of having to spend another night in a motel.
What can go wrong, will and a belt that had been ordered for the coach didn't fit, so another night was spent in a motel. From all of this one might assume that we have fully explored El Paso. Take it from me. It is a thriving border town, well laid out, well planned and growing. Everyone is very nice, there are many good restaurants and Texas hospitality abounds. However, in my view, it is a good city to pass through and I do not plan to leave anything here.
We hope to depart El Paso late tomorrow, Sunday, February 15, and make our way into Saint David on Monday in preparation for our rendezvous with the caravan group and our week long trek into Mexico. My next posting will be upon our return, February 29. Until then, I will be trying to capture in prose our adventures and explorations below the border. Adios for now.
