Day 18 - Marfa and Alpine

Today  is Martin Luther King's day and everything is closed.
Bill went on a run and there was a celebration in front of the courthouse and teachers, superintendent, and few students from the local school read speeches from famous people like Dr. King and Angela Davis. When I arrived they were reading 'Beyond Vietnam' by Dr. King. It was a very powerful speech for such a modest town. It was an amazing atmosphere. I was impressed.

In this afternoon we went to visit Alpine, a small town 26 miles west of Marfa.
We walked around a bit but even here everything was closed. On a positive side, the town had many beautiful murals

guns are not allowed in the bank

historical cattle brands

small art galleries/aribnb/cafe'

displayed in an antique shop

Day 17 - Las Cruces to Marfa

We did not stop in El Paso. We'll probably regret it. Maybe on the way back, if we have time, we'll swing by.
We are in Texas! Yippie Ya Yey!

The RV resort is basic but the internet is awesome! Finally! This is the first time from the beginning of this trip. I want to stay in Marfa forever.

Tonight there was the moon eclipse, so as soon as we saw it happening, we drove to the McDonald observatory, in the hopes that maybe there was someone with a telescope.

It took us an hour, but we made it around 10 pm. The observatory was closed and super dark.

The sky was so clear that we could see the milky way. And then there was the Moon in red, completely covered by the Earth's shadow.

We approached a couple of guys, the only two there and their telescope.

We talked in the dark admiring the firmament, looking at the Moon, talking about Texas and California. It was bitter cold and windy but Tai didn't seem to be phased. He was a first good introduction to Southern hospitality. We got lucky!

At night, back at the trailer, the water was not running. The hose had frozen.

Day 16 - Tucson to Las Cruces

Today, on our way to Las Cruces, New Mexico, we visited Kartchner Caverns State Park.
It was discovered in November 1974 by two cavers Randy Tufts and Gary Tenen. They had found a sinkhole in the Whetstone limestone mountain.
After crawling inside the cavern for a length of a football field they arrived at the 'Big Room', the mother lode of all caverns, never to be seen before by human eyes.
They swore secrecy for many years, afraid that the caverns would get vandalized if they became public knowledge. The park story had many ups and downs, that involved the land owners,  James and Lois Kartchner, Charles R. Eatherly, Special Projects Coordinator for the Arizona State Parks Board, two governors and a lot of money, which the state did not have. They were called the secret caves, and at one point of the story Eatherly had to be blindfolded and driven in the middle of the night for a cave tour to convince him that this was really worth it his attention.
For many reasons, it took a long time before the caves became a state park in 1988, and then opened to the public in 1999.

We took the 'Big Room' tour. Pictures were not allowed so we don't have anything to show.
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave a healthy slew of jokes. The caverns were amazing.
The tour start with airlocks and a spray of water to remove particles from our bodies. It was like entering a space shuttle before take off! They are really serious about preserving these caves.
We learned about different formations: stalactites, stalagmites, drapery, bacon drapery, soda straws, columns, fried eggs, popcorn... by the end of the tour I was hungry!

The 'Big Room' caves are closed during the summer for the local bat population mating season. I wish I could see them in there. Instead we saw many piles of guano.

My daughter called me from the Women's rally in San Diego, and I felt bad to have missed it. So I did my part in the parking lot :D

We spent the night in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 

In the evening we went out for a drink at La Posta de Mesilla in Mesilla. This restaurant has been around since the town was founded. There were rooms everywhere and a cage with several big parrots, including two macaws. I always get sad when I see birds in a cage, but these guys seem to be well taken care of.

We talked to the bartender to find out what we could see in El Paso. She named few places but at the end we were not too impressed. It looks like Mesilla fitted more out mood.

We also talked to a girl, Tracy from Florida, California and New York. She was a lot of fun, smart and witty. She told us about other places to visit in the south and we took note.

Sopaipillas con miel

Day 15 - Tombstone and Bisbee

We decided to stay an extra day in Tucson so we could visit Tombstone and Bisbee. Tombstone was historically the epitome of a wild west boom town. For a few years around 1880 the town was made up of prospectors, miners, gunslingers, gamblers, outlaws, marshals, sheriffs, immigrants, prostitutes, priests, ministers, Apache, etc., all mixed together in what must havehbeen a very crazy place. We got the lowdown on a half hour tour bus around town. By 1881 it was one of the largest towns between St. Louis and San Francisco.

Boot Hill cemetery. Favorite epitaph: "Here lies Lester Moore. Four slugs from a 44, no Les, no more."

County government building.

Schieffelin (founder of Tombstone) hall-opera house. It is the largest standing adobe structure in the Southwest today.

One of the many shops - lots of boots!

One of the saloons, it has been rebuilt over the years.

The most famous saloon and wildest of the town, The Bird Cage. Non-stop 24x7 poker table lasting years with multi-day waiting lists to get on the table.

Inside the Bird Cage - bullet holes can still be seen in the ceiling and painting.

Tourist stage coach ride.

More of the town.

A funny saloon.

View of the main street.

On to Bisbee!

Bisbee was also a big mining town, but mainly copper. It is located a half hour south of Tombstone.

It was a very successful town in the first half of the 1900's, but then the economics of copper mining changed, open pit mining was more cost effective, so the mines were closed and the town had an economic decline in the 60's. According to our guide, what saved Bisbee was that it was discovered by the hippies! They came, bought the inexpensive houses, fixed them up and preserved the historical sites. Now the city is a mix of old southwest buildings with various murals, paintings and sculptures. The shops have an alternative vibe and it is a pleasant place to hangout.

Getting ready for the mine tour of Bisbee!

A couple of strapping miners!

The town has renovated the main old mine for tours called the Queen Mine. We took the mine train down to 1000 feet under the surface (there are mines under town as far as 3000 feet).

Explanation from the guide how miners will place 27 holes in a wall 7 feet deep, and then pack them with dynamite. The middle hole has 4 empty holes around it, and it is the first to explode. That way the rock gives at that point (rather than have the dynamite just blast straight out the hole). The other holes then explode in order around the center point, and at the end the lowest holes explode to allow the whole wall to fall.

Old elevator to transport workers and materials down.

Heavy duty porta potty!

The newer open pit mine

Another look at the open pit mine. The water is very caustic due to minerals such as copper according to the guide.

View of downtown Bisbee.

One of the alleyways of town with paintings hung.

Art work in town.

Day 14 - San Xavier de Bac Mission

I was raised in a Catholic family. We went to church every Sunday. I was baptized, I had my first communion and confirmation. When I was in High School I went on a religious retreat with my cousin and for a short hiatus, I was a fervent believer. Later, as most good catholic young adults do, I succumbed to doubts. I saw on the news what ravaging effects a few fanatic religious men can do to a country, and repudiated the whole bit.
But lately, maybe because of life experiences, sometimes I get those feelings back. As I walk into the hall of a place of worship, I feel the warmth, protection, holiness, that feeling of being good inside, that feeling of sacred. Like when I would try to dissolve in my mouth the holy wafer from the communion without chewing. It was blessed and that was not to be done. Even though it was imposed, I felt guidance all through my formative years that gave me a moral compass, that probably kept me safe and away from troubles.
Now as an adult I am able to assert the worthiness without feeling uncool or naive.
But in Arizona, I feel I can go a step further. In this state, you really want to have fun with it. I really mean with the whole religion thing. You can get plenty of opportunities.
I might have gotten some inspirations from our good friends Ruth and Rich. There is a whole new aspect of the Catholic religion that I have never considered: the practicing of magic rites with saint prayers. I have seen books with formulas on how to properly pray to ...let's say... Saint Lucy and ask for healing from various illnesses. I promised myself to learn more about it. I bought laminated cards of Saint Mary and Saint Francis of Assisi with a prayer written in Spanish on the back (the English version did not seem to fit my purpose). I hung them in our trailer for protection on our long trip... hey you never know, we need protection.

So this morning I got excited when Ruth proposed to see the San Xavier Mission.
I was expecting to see a humble low baring white building, like I have seen in California, which is always a small disappointment as I come from Europe, where churches since the roman times are prominent buildings in a community.
As I parked our truck on the front esplanade, the view of the mission facade compelled me to review my concept of missions and their history.
San Xavier Mission stands on a large flat area with no other major buildings around, which overstates its presence, making it more prominent despite its size.

Original door 

The style is Mexican baroque, which is ornate but modest as its building materials. The baroque I have seen in Europe overwhelms you to submit to the religious power. In this case, it welcomes you as the angels in the altar that open the curtains on the statue of Mary and San Xavier.
I feel like I am in Mexico, but no it's Arizona. It is as worthy as any churches in Venice.
It was founded by an Italian Jesuit in 1692, Padre Eusebio Kino.
The current edifice was completed in 1797, with the will of the Franciscans and the labor of the O'odham natives.

It's rich and beautiful! Every detail has a story and a meaning.

The Franciscan rope is present and runs all through the walls ending at the altar with tassels.
Shells are displayed not just as an ornament but as a symbol of the Spanish faithfuls and the proof of their pilgrimage to the sea.
The statues of the four prophets are displayed on the four corners of the crossing of the nave and transepts, just like in my home town cathedral.

The facade columns pattern is repeated in the interior on the altar, but instead of four female saints, there are four male saints.
Symmetries are present everywhere in a maniacal manner. If on one wall there's a statue, there will be another one on the opposite wall. If there is a door, there will be one painted on the opposite side.
The transepts chapels are as rich as the altar. The chapel to the right has the original statue of Saint Mary, while the one to the left has the relic of Saint Xavier.

 

The statues wear real clothes and Saint Mary wears different ones according to the season.
The reason is not pagan, but due to the necessities. There were not enough materials to build an entire statue, since everything had to be carried from Mexico on a horse back.
Even the frames of the statues are made in wood and straw, and only the head and hands are in porcelain.

We took the tour and it was well worth it. We learned a lot and we enjoyed every detail. It was an awesome experience.