Chuco Town Bound

Woke up at the crack of dawn to catch that El Paso bus. Checked out of the hotel and hailed a cab to the station only to find that it was closed! Closed? Under the impression that greyhound was open 24/7 - shows ya how much I know. So, sat flat on my ass for three hours. (I had missed my 8:15 departure.)

Talk with a pleasant lady traveling The Great Southwest from New Zealand. We both agreed that Lonely Planet is full of shit on account of them stating that San Diego has a mysterious underground network of tunnels underneath the city. If it exist, I would know, right?

11:15 rolls around and the long arduous trip to El Paso - had taken this trip so many times. Flat arid desert passed under a hazy sky speckled with clouds. Rusted rancheros and gas stations housing bloated middle Americans and shifty eyed locals. And the passengers I was with? A busload of lunatics! Mad, crazed people - small Asian lady that scowled at all she surveyed, mumbling obscenities under her breathe, a white woman grinning maniacally at all who met her gaze, and the young, skinny black guy that had a pink sweater wrapped around his head like a turban with only one eye visible. he'd sit in his seat next to his appalled constituent (shivering little old Mexican lady) On occasion he would go into spastic gesticulations all ending with the pantomime of holding a pistol and firing gangster style.

I shared a seat with a hillbilly we picked up in Wilcox, AZ - a habitual tweeker, he even went as far as showing me a mouthful of his black rotted teeth at a stop at McDonalds.

Slept, snapped pictures of passing scenery and eventually rolled into Pachuco Town. I could already feel the life being sucked out of me from the lowbrow arrogant inhabitants. I vowed never to return to this sordid burg, but here I am.

Departed at the station, grabbed my gear and checked into The gateway Hotel (Where else?).

Found a cafe that was still open (Downtown usually shuts down at 7 every night) yet, as I sit here typing this out, there is an impromptu poetry slam going on...and it is quite good...