Day 18 El Paso to Ft. Hancock, TX

Today dawned a beautiful clear sky and slight wind 5-10 mph gusting to 15-20 at times - nothing like yesterday. With only a 45 mile ride we were encouraged to sleep in and leave later than usual. Most got up about 7 am which was a luxury. The continental breakfast was good and included Texas shaped waffles, hard cooked eggs, Danish, Toast and excellent coffee. By the time I had put together some snacks, pumped my tires and loaded my bags in the trailer, it was close to 9. Mary and I stopped at Walgreen's for new chapsitck and lotion. We followed the Mission Trail Rd. Stopped in Socorro at a beautiful church dating back to 1700's and again at the church in San Elizario. Stopped in Tornilla at La Calesa Restaurant - sort of a Mexican mom and pop place. Enjoyed Flautas - crispy meatfilled tortillas served with spoonful of rice, spoonful of beans, bit of lettuce and small cups of guacamole and sour cream - $6. Not too good really but OK. The final 19 miles to Ft. Hancock reminded me of the MS 150 road to Tunica - straight, windy and boring. The good thing was there was virtually no traffic. We passed plowed field after plowed field, could see mountains way off in the distance, occasional cows and several horse farms. (Emma Grace, you would have loved seeing the horses) Mary and I stopped to visit with a lady who was out watering her iris plants. Her trees (mulberry we think) were filled with bird nests. The birds had pretty calls and were black. Mary thinks they were cuckoos. . . . Ft. Hancock reminds me of the village in Ukraine where I volunteered once on a dental trip - very poor. The main street is paved but every single side street is dirt. We're about 1 mile off Hwy 258 that we were on all day and about 2 blocks from I-20 exit. The the way to the Ft. Hancock Motel which is run by mideast Indians, I stopped in at the Ft. H Merchandise store. Turns out it's a Texas Historic Site and filled with antiques and antique curios. It seemed to be like an old western general store - hardware, groceries and saloon. I bought an ice cream sandwich - perfect for the hot afternoon. . . . Arriving at the motel I discovered that the water system in the entire town of 1713 folks was down. It's supposed to be restored sometime this afternoon. The road today was really good with a clean, wide shoulder until we crossed a county line. The shoulder ran out and the terrain became more desert life. Ft. H is very close to the Mexican border. In fact close by is a large border patrol station. Another thing I've seen today are the roadside canals and irrigation system for the fields and pecan orchards. I wonder if the canal water is coming from the Rio Grande River which is close by....We ate tonight on paper plates, but the water was, finally, restored. My shower was a trickle, BUT it was hot.