EAST TEXAS

Texas, up around Wichita Falls, looks a lot like Oklahoma. It flattens out

as I reach I-35 and head south to Dallas. Two hours to Dallas, and then, it

should take 2 hours to circumnavigate Dallas, but I got lost! I wind up

going right thru the middle of down town, getting onto I-35E and going about

50 miles too far south before I discover my mistake. I will say that a good

navigator is recommended if you are trying to get thru Dallas.

I am trying to get to a little town, Mabank, southeast of Dallas on Hghwy

175. It gets dark and starts raining, and I hunt for my friend's house in

the dark. He lives on Cedar Creek Reservoir, one of those little lakes that

punctuate the East Texas Jungle, about as much like the Belizean flatlands

as you can imagine. I finally find his house at about 9PM and we watch the

election results for a while.

Jay is a marvelous harmonica player, who can add wonderful sounds to any

band he plays with. I first met him walking down the street in Corozal on

Sept. 10, 2001. He looked pretty lost, and I struck up a conversation with

him, and he wound up pitching his little pop-up tent in our back yard,

taking a shower with the garden hose, and taking off for Laminai the next

morning. The trip didn't make-up, and he was back by 11:00, to join us

watching the unforgettable events of 9/11. So, we have that bond, having

shared the most unforgettable morning of the new century together. After

that, he played with our band three times, adding his own wonderful touches

each time, and then took off for Texas after he found out that virtually no

one would cash his travelers check after the post-9/11 shut-down. He left

with Bob, a Canadian lumberjack ex-pat who found that his airplane ticket

was no good!

Jay and I reminisced about these events, which make my current trip look

pretty tame! I am now in North Houston, in a cheap motel, catching up on

sleep & writing, and getting ready to find out just what the situation is at

the border by visiting the Mexican Consulate here.

RZ

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