Arizona

After a five minute cruise through the town of Hatch, New Mexico, past the gas station and the majority of the chile stands, we were able to locate B & E Burritos. Truman had the combo plate and I had a burrito with red and green chile for $2.85. It was fantastic.

We took Highway 26 over one of the flattest sections of the Continental Divide and drove I-10 into Arizona and over to Tucson. We met Spencer and headed over to Charro’s “downtown.” Carne seca is beef dried on a pole for 24 hours. It’s the best meat I’ve eaten since the super premium jamon we procured at the market in Barcelona.

Spencer went to poker night and we went to the dive bar near his house he recommended. We rolled in about 9:30. When we arrived, there were about six rednecks sipping slowly on bottles of beer and just a couple college-aged kids. One, a girl wearing an Arizona jersey, fell off her stool with a mighty crash, busting bottle into shards behind her which she almost backed into.

There was one decent-looking girl in the place, a friend of the also decent-looking bartender. Truman and I played heads up shuffleboard and downed Rogue Dead Man Ales. During the match, the enchiladas he ate in Santa Fe, the combo plate from Hatch, and the carne seca relleno from Charro’s found their way back to the forefront of attention. Spicy. Truman managed to make his strongest statement just a couple seconds before the one attractive girl, bartender, and a couple others suddenly decided to head for a cigarette. The back door was conveniently located right next to the end of the shuffleboard table where we were shooting. They were milling about at that confluence for a moment right during the impact. I was lining up a shot, Truman was pretending to watch, and the rest of them were slowly heading out the door. The odor was overpowering and unmistakable. I’m sure it’s all anyone was thinking about.

When they finally got out the door, we both pretty much burst out laughing. I’m sure they did too, on the other side.

A bit later a recently broken-up couple came in and challenged us to a game of shuffleboard. The dude worked at a bar that had a shuffleboard table and the chick had what OK Go would call “a body like a battle axe.” Both these characteristics would play a role in the match, but Truman and I were able to eventually emerge with a best of three victory. Let it be known that I have never encountered talent equal to my own on the shuffleboard table.

We parted ways with Spencer the next morning and ate a great lunch over near the University of Arizona. The poor waitress spilled ketchup right on Truman’s groin. A metaphor for what’s going on his life right now, I suppose.

We walked around the campus area and adjoining commercial section after lunch, ambling by this store apparently opened by a Macalester ultimate Frisbee team player:

Then we headed west to Saguaro National Park.

After a very enjoyable jaunt through the Park, it was on to Phoenix.