Tucson, AZ to El Centro, CA
354 miles
Rode through the Indian reservation, as planned, and found a level of poverty that we have not seen so far on this trip. Even though we passed through some very poor towns in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, even those places had the usual convenience stores, diners, dry cleaners, banks, etc. The Tohono O'Odham Indian Reservation seemed to have nothing but one grocery store, a small bank and a Family Assistance Administration office.
A man from the Department for Economic Security told us that there were little opportunities for people on the reservation, and he was concerned that some of the young people in town were showing up in new trucks bought in Tucson, but without having any visible means of paying for them. Others we spoke to confirmed that there was a drug problem in the area.
What a terrible shame. I'm not sure what the answer is to this problem. Obviously, the Native Americans are wary of any government interference, but without a serious commitment from those outside of the reservation, I don't see how they are going to grow their way out of the situation.
Oh, and the road into the reservation was lined with more memorial crosses than I have seen on any other stretch of highway. That was kind of scary.
With good weather and a clear road, I zoomed through Arizona and bought myself enough time to duck across the border into Mexico from just inside California. This is where you find a very different attitude towards money from in the United States. The people I spoke to would be grateful to get a minimum wage job, as they know it is enough to at least feed their family, unlike some people I have spoken to in the past who have told me that "it's not worth my while taking a job for less than $10 an hour." Maybe we expect too much in this country. Maybe we get too much too easily?
Couldn't quite make it to San Diego tonight, but I will be there early tomorrow morning to finish off what has been a tremendous adventure. I'm not wishing it to end, but I am looking forward to getting home to my family.
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