...dessert high-plain with spectacular sky and mointain in far background 

more yuca and scrub brush ... and mountains 

at the "Oasis" things don't look too bad from this porch 

getting into the mountains and the yuca 

...you have to be careful of the pricklies out here in the high-plain dessert 

When you are on the second floor in Texarcana you have to get up higher to see out 

The rest

Can´t find a wifi anywhere so have not been able to update. So here is the whole ten yards - spelling mistakes and all as I am in an internet cafe on a Spanish keyboard with no spell check.

Texas has some of the smoothest interstate highways I have encountered so made good time. Stopped in Waco for no particular reason and found the centre to be dead. I asked a lady in a shop where I might find pipe tobacco and she directed me to the mall on I-35. Had better luck in Austin where I never even tried to find downtown but just popped into one of their many upscale malls and found a Pipe World outlet right away. I have enough pipe tobacco to last a while. My order did not come in before I left Ottawa.

South of Dallas is all pretty flat. Reminds one of the prairies without the wheat. Not much wildlife either although one supposes there are cattle out there somewhere. You would not be able to see them as the flatness is covered by bush.

Got to Laredo the night of the 5th (by plan) and settled into a rather seedy place. Wanted to get to here so I could get an early start across the border next morning. Had serious trepidations about that. I saw them asking to unload all the stuff from the Chev so they could go thru it and ask all the embarassing questions and then not being able to fit it all back in.

We were at the border by about 8 am and it took an hour to get the car papers all together. On pain of death I have agreed to take it out of Mexico. Aside from the car the real border is about 20 km into the country where they catch up on folks that are actually entering Mexico rather than just going across to buy cheap beer and whatever. To my relief we were flagged thru and on our way to Monerey, Mexico.

I chose not to take the toll road and by Monterey had learned the lesson quite well. From there south there are some toll roads (which we took) but by and large it is free divided highway from Monterey to Mexico City - and beyond?

Roads are quite good, if loaded with semis - but what road isn´t? Landscape is much the same for first few hundred kliks after which the scrub bush gives way to yuca which is virtual forest in some spots. Mountains also begin to rise on either side of the wide high-plain dessert leading to some very spectacular views and vistas (pictures of which I may post if I can figure out how to get them into this internet cafe) It is very green due to rains one supposes and that it would look quite different after a winter of no rain.

Greg is very careful now about jumping onto grassy spots or venturing into taller shrubbery and a good thing too. The prickly things have become downright spiny. The cactus gets bigger and better as one progresses south and most are in full fruit. There is also quite a variety of roadside bloom of one kind or another which all makes the driving quite pleasant.

As espected, if Texas was a dump, then Mexico ................ Monterey has a colonial past as well and in the small area that still exists is quite interesting. Aside from that it is a bit like many American towns at the centre but with approaches form any side, rather dreary mile after mile of food outlets, (but not what we are used to), auto repair shops and worn out motels.

Decided to press on to Matahuala where I had heard I could find a dog-friendly hotel. We stayed at the "Oasis" which is well within ear-shot of the bumper to bumper semi´s gearing down for center town. Once inside it was ok although run down, however, the proprietor was nice and Greg got to sit by the pool. We also got fed which was about time. Elevation some 4500 feet and weather rather tropical - basically a farm town as are all the towns in this area.

This morning we expected a relatively easy run into San Miguel, which it was although we took our time and got here about 2. We crossed the Tropic of Cancer just outside of Matahuala and just as the Chev turned 90,000 kms - coincidence? Maybe.

San Miguel de Allende is about 35 km off the main highway that goes to Mexico City and about 60kms from Guanatero (turned off before getting there so can't comment on that city) in the middle of a serious agriculature area as the land and the weather appear to have improved for growing things. There are a lot of large farms growing asparagus and what looked like broccoli as well as lots of other things under black netting (could be ferns for the flower trade or veggies of some kind). This is the same climate as around San Jose, Costa Rica.

San Miguel appears, in my brief first look, to be located inside a large bowl so it has quite steep hills that go down to the centre. It is under UNESCO protection so retains virtually all of the original and any new stuff is being built in the same style. With some difficulty we found the hotel, (which I had not reserved) and got a room - but without TV. I don't know what we will do!

The hotel is quite lovely and close to the centre. It has a large artisan street located almost within its grounds which I have not yet had time to explore. Greg is pleased but not amused that I left him to gaurd the place so soon. I expect mornings to be quite cool with evenings and afternoons warm and pleasant. More later....

Getting warmer

Crossed the mighty Mississippi this morning to no great fan fair as we angled across the southeast corner of Missouri into Arkansas. The temperature changed about there and all of a sudden it was close to 30 degrees. The scenery changes quite rapidly as well as we get into irrigated agriculture and cotton growing. Pines replace the deciduous trees gradually. We had an interesting encounter with some low growing burs in the grass by a rest stop. These were nasty little critters the size of a small pea with serious spines and we spent some time getting them all out.

Judging from the road signs there are a lot of people interested in reversing their vasectomies. You can get it done using microsurgery as an outpatient from any number of practitioners. You can also get knee replacements done overnight. And if you have a dislike of dentists and haven’t seen one for 10 or 20 years you can go in, take a pill and they will correct those twenty years of bad management in a single sitting - while you sleep.

While folks in Illinois and Arkansas are busy cleaning up around them, it is less evident in Texas where litter litters – including, strangely enough, a number of large old car dumps. This will get me ready for Mexico I am sure.

Stopped in Little Rock for a while and explored the market area and the river park located as it is on the Arkansas River. It is a quite large and beautiful little city it would appear and it looks to be booming with all manner of construction going on. I stopped in an upscale shopping mall to retrieve some cash. Only white folks.

Went past Hope, Arkansas, which as everyone knows is the birthplace of ---- Bill Clinton. John, Dave and Darrell will all be proud of my decision not to actually go into the town to visit the Centre dedicated to his exploits. Finished this day in Texarcana.

Getting there - slowly

Stopped in Richmond Indiana overnite on Oct 2. Couldn't find a wi-fi so no internet. Had a little rest along the way in Bowling Green, Ohio for lunch and watched a couple of touch football games going on at the Bowling Green State University campus among what appeared to be 12 – 15 year olds. The Universty team was practicing on another field getting ready for a big game, probably tomorrow, Sunday.

It was cold but sunny after a run through southern Ontario rain - sometimes a bit typhoonish. A very large high-pressure system over the area with some cool Canadian weather has put most of central USA on a frost watch and indeed there was frost on the car this morning.

Border crossing at Windsor/Detroit was uneventful. Girl at the desk thought going to Mexico for winter was a good idea.

Ohio and Indiana are flat as is Illinois. Lots of corn going on here.

Took I-70 southwest through Indianapolis and stopped for morning walk in their central park and museum district. It was too early for anything to be open but Greg had a good look around although no encounters with other K-9's. We then took I-57 south to Mt. Vernon where we are a present. This, unfortunately is not Mount Vernon Washington nor is it George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia. It is just a little dump in the middle of Illinois. Could have done a lot more but decided to take some time off and watch a bit of Sunday NFL football. Will probalby take I-55 past Memphis and then I-30/40 to Dallas and then south to Laredo.