With a 25 mph tailwind either dead behind me, or tucked in behind for the majority of the day, I was sailing. Add to that the fact I stand corrected and actually crossed the Continental Divide 25 odd miles into the day (oddly in the flattest riding terrain to date), which resulted in a gentle slope 95 miles downhill into Las Cruces, and you have the perfect birthday treat.
Riding wise there is little else to say. I finally broke after 16 days, and succumbed to McDonalds in the small town of Deming. To my surprise, given it was 11:30, the place was almost full and there can only have been 2 other customers under 50. Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it's a just the way things are done round here, but everyone was immaculately dressed. The tables were split by language pretty much 50:50 English:Spanish, but everyone was turned out impeccably; Suits, ties, jackets, Stetsons, the lot. And all in a fairly worn out highway Maccers.
Aside from that, the only other noticeable thing was the build up of border patrol vehicles on the highway. Less than 50 miles from the Mexican border I guess it makes sense, but I still find it surprising to see the checkposts every 100 odd miles. Whole sides of freeways being re-directed through open ended warehouse like structures so trucks and cars can be searched. I've not been through a check yet, as I've always been heading towards the border, but it will be interesting to see what they make of me and the bike when I start heading away next week.I'm laid up in a rather basic Motel 6 in Las Cruces tonight, and finally got to see why people were a bit cautious about this chain. Whilst checking in the guy on the desk was very clearly agitated, and it soon became evident why. I not sure how I missed it on the way in, but out in the parking lot a chap was kicking in the door of a car, with a lady still inside. Seeing as the car is made of reinforced metal, this seemed a rather self defeating exercise, and the lady appear quite safe, but lot of other residents then seemed to be trying to get involved to calm him down or pitch in, and it was clearly getting tense. At this point, to my great excitement, the chap at the desk "called the cops."
However when the 3 cop cars did pitch up, I rather took the wimps option and scuttled off to my room, double locked the door and put on my glasses in the vain hope that "no one would hit a man with glasses." It all appears to have calmed down now, but the door is still firmly double locked, and I've taken note of where a tough looking bloke I met in the lobby who is ex-navy is staying. He and his ex-sheriff wife looked like they would take no crap. I'll be glad to be out of here tomorrow. I'm sure it was a fuss over nothing, but I've booked myself into the Hilton in El Paso for two nights tomorrow just to get a break from the motels.Route - Lordsburg - Deming - Las Cruces
Breakfast - Cherrios, toast and Orange juice at the motel
Lunch - Agus Delux meal - McDonalds. It's bad, I know, but I needed something fast and cheap that I understood, this is what McDonalds was invented for. That and hangovers, and as a place for students to waste away their afternoons buggering about at the drive-thru
Supper - Chicken Mexicana - Chipotles, Las Cruces, NM. Very decent meal, grilled chicken, salsa and rice. Spot on, and great little family restaurant.
