Monday in Mexico

As is typical of the Yuma S*W*A*G weekend, there are two events on Monday.  The first at 8:00 AM is Say Good-bye to the Canadians. It always meets in the same place, near a historic train engine near a hotel.

the usual geo-chit chat time

and finding a replaced (redux) geocache that won't disappear

like the last ones

After grabbing a coffee and roll at a nearby convenience store, we headed to Los Algodones, 10 miles or so west of Yuma, along the California border. The second geocaching event on Monday was held in the dining, drinking, shopping area named Paraiso. Five of us planned to geocache together once we crossed the border and then head to the event at 11:00.

I think there is a new roll of razor wire along the sheet metal wall

in the CA parking lot

there was a geocache Hubby and I needed for a 

challenge cache

tucked behind the sheet metal, at the end of 

The Wall on the Mexico side near the river

definitely new & more razor wire

we stopped for a geocache at the veterinarian's office

turkeys, chickens & ducks

no pig that we could see

Our geocaching excursion in Algodones took us to some of the back streets of the little community. Safe back streets, just ones not seen by the shoppers or those seeking dental and eyewear businesses. Along the way, a geocacher from Massachusetts joined our little band of 5 as we collected some of the newly placed geocaches. He needed to leave to meet someone, so an AZ geocacher joined us. While he and Hubby were exchanging names, they realized he had been geocaching in Watertown several years ago. He and some other cachers we knew were in our neck of the woods and we joined them for dinner one evening. Small World!

then back to The Wall for another geocache

our Wall selfie

signing a T-shirt to show we were at the event

We have geocached, shopped & drank in Algodones several times. Janice's father gave us a heads-up on a border change we could expect and I am so glad he did. In the past, depending on the time of day, we could expect at least an hour wait in line to cross the border. That depended on the number of custom's agents on duty; sometimes 2 or 3 and during really busy times, maybe all 4 lanes/lines would be open. Now 2 custom agents stand just on the Mexico side and ask to see identification BEFORE allowing  travelers to enter the turnstile and the custom's building. That takes two custom agents from the lines inside the building making the lines slower than what we experienced in the past. The reason for the change is, so I was told, if illegals  reached the turnstile and building prior to having appropriate documentation, they could declare asylum. That meant paperwork and the need for placement until they were sent back,  even if the border was a mere 10 feet away. Just one more change we noticed on this trip in the areas near The Wall.

and then, one more date shake for the road from

The Naked Date Farm...our favorite!

as we headed east to the Phoenix Area