Young persons in our lives

I read a blog today written by a nine year old.  It is the story of her and her family as the biked from the Arctic Circle to Argentina.  I will include the link to their website later on.  It is really amazing.

ANOTHER MEMORY JOG FOR ME

It reminded me of our first car  in Mexico.  We moved to Mexico in 2000 and went without a car.  The bus system in Mexico is amazing.  You really can go anywhere, anytime on any kind of bus.  From super first class to the clunker complete with the senora with the chickens and really no real seats.  That being said, we lived without a car for several months and decided that it would be easier and in some ways less costly to have a car.

BACK TO THE USA

So, we flew back to Austin, TX and purchased a 1992 Chrysler Van.  Maroon with lots of miles, but in pretty good shape.  We purchased Mexican insurance, crossed the border and decided to go back to Ajijic via Saltillo and Zacatecas.  The road between Saltillo and Zacatecas runs 200 miles and it is two lane and has virtually no shoulders.  It is not a toll road and heavily traveled by big rigs.

OH NO

About midway, Herb asked if I could drive as he was tired.  I took the wheel and proceeded to continue the trip.  The steering on this car was a bit slushy and I took my eyes off the road for an instant and I heard Herb screaming at me.  I had slipped off the road onto the non existent shoulder and was heading for the cactus lands.  By some miracle, the car caught a concrete guard rail over an arroyo (small dry stream) and it rode over it like it was a monorail.  We could hear the bottom of the car being destroyed and we soon flew off the end and landed flat.  The car was totaled.

HELP

We were not injured, a few seat belt burns, and we climbed out of the car.  This site was 100 miles from either Saltillo or Zacatecas, the literal middle of nowhere and trucks and cars were zooming by and not stopping.  Finally, a car stopped and we gave them our insurance info and he said he would call.  (He did.)  But, not another soul stopped and there were all of a sudden all kinds of people coming out of the cactus, on bike, by foot.  We are told that if you were injured they would strip everything from you and your car.  Fortunately, we were pretty shook up, but, not injured.

THE MIRACLE OF A CHILD

After some time a couple in another old van stopped.  They were returning from a vacation on the coast and lived in Monterrey.  Problem was,  they did not speak a word of English and we did not speak a word of Spanish.  The only bilingual person in our group was their 8 year old daughter.  She held her baby doll and translated what we said into Spanish and what they said into English.  This little girl literally saved our lives and what happened from there on is another story.  Until then, I hope you enjoy the story written by a 9 year old about their bike trip from the Artic Circle to Argentina.  http://vagabonders-supreme.net/TomlinsonFamily/Tomlinson1.html  All you need to do is left click on the link. It is a great read!