Day 4 Vaughn NM to Laredo TX - WHAT A WINNER!!!

 Well the day started off well enough.  We weren't abducted and I think the red lights may have been from windmills and what I thought was choppers might have been trains.  Hey my mind got the best of me at night when you can't see shit!

So we made our way thru Roswell and I guess I was unimpressed.  For some reason I was anticipating something along the lines of Coombs, with aliens but it was a pretty normal town with an occasional alien statue here and there and of course businesses with an alien theme.  So pretty glad I didn't make a point to stop.  Carried on to Carlsbad, where the caverns are.  Cute town but still uneventful and that is where todays excitement starts.

We left there and headed along our route to find mass construction. 2 very narrow lanes that were still waiting for repair for miles and miles.  Think it was over 20 miles they were working on.  Well thru this area, the texture of the road surfaces made a hell of a noise and vibration in the jeep, plus the bumps and heaves in the road had it bouncing around, not to mention being so close to the oncoming lane when a semi blew by and the noise from the gust of wind terrified Kahlua.  She was so panicked, that she started climbing back and forth from front to back and was trying to get in the trunk.  I was getting a little fed up with the road and her so when we stopped in Ft Stockton, I remembered I had packed an anxiety collar in her bag, so I put it on her.  Damn thing worked like a charm and she ended up crawling into the back seat and going to sleep for the next shit show.

So we left Ft Stockton and started working our way towards Laredo.  Well the first part of this next section was all thru and and along the mesas.  Again the road surface was shit.  I think it was some form of gravel tar seal but not like we have at home.  The noise was horrendous (thank god she slept) not to mention heaves and bumps all well your navigating hills and valleys and curves and doing 60 to 70 mph.  I was worn the hell out from it.  Now somewhere along this stretch, I think I saw a Chupacabra, okay maybe it was a wild pig/boar but didn't look like any I've ever seen.  This is also where I drove all along the side of the border just live 0 Ave in Vancouver.  Only difference is it is extremely well patrolled.  They also have a roadway of a white rock/sand surface that they rake with 3 tractor tires behind their trucks.  I wasn't sure exactly what they were doing.

I was so glad to be done with those 2 stretches when I hit Del Rio.  Finally so semi normal road and was able to motor along and try to make up some time.  I got to Eagle Pass and that's when some idiot wasn't paying attention and just about rear-ended the guy in front of him.  Instead he hard cranked to the left towards me.  Thankfully I was watching everything and saw it coming so I in turn did the same thing into the middle lane and evaded being taken out 2 hours from my destination.  As I sat there cursing him out, puppy stood up on the console and started kissing my cheek, telling me its all okay mommy, I got you!  She's such a good girl.

We kept moving trying to cover as much ground before dark.  Along the next stretch between Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs the border patrol has a checkpoint.  So talked to the guy for a few before traffic caught up to me.  As I pulled up he was staring at my plate trying to figure it out.  He was amazed when I told him 3 days and it was my first time doing it.  I asked him about the white sand and tires.  He said that basically it is to track illegals.  When they swim the river and climb the mesa(that part amazes me as they are not small) then they cross this substance and 1 leave prints and 2 carry it on their shoes which allows them to be tracked.  Makes sense.

The last eastbound leg was after dark and was 100kms.  I was not amused.  It was a 2 lane road at 75mph...not fkn likely!!  I was having a hard time seeing with oncoming lights and just wanted to get here.  The end part of the road was a bit better as they finally put a bit of a extra lane which helped some of the lights but it took longer then it should have.

Then don't know if it was expedia or me and the nav system but it sent me to a different address for the motel.  So I had to call and find them.  Then when I got here, there was nobody here to check me in, so I had to call again and get them to send someone, all to give me my key.

So all in we are now here and will cross the border in the morning.

Viva Mexico, we made it!!