Final prep and equipment

We're about 98% ready. Andy has begun packing and Pxl and I have finished entirely. We took an afternoon ride fully loaded in the light rain. I was able to use my improv bike jacket and it works well. I'm confident in the ride and equipment - we're just about ready to head out. It will be another day or two to finalize everything but we should hit the road Wednesday.

So for a complete rundown of the equipment I'll be carring on my bike - weighing in at about 135 pounds (+ me).

Bike:
1997 Specialized Rockhopper
2006 xtracycle with sideloaders
tires:Continental TravelContact
brakes:Shimano SLR
seat:Specialized saddle
lights: cateye 1000 cp light, rear blinking thing
pedals: Shimano spd pedals + extra set standard petals
shoes: Shimano spd
cassette: new Shimano cassette 14-32
chain: 2 zchains
wheels: front stock, rear ZAC double walled rim
PBS front panier rack
front bags:deuter rack pack uni

Equipment:
* Sunglasses
* Sunscreen
* Rei backpack (found)
* under saddle bag (found)
* Sea to summit kitchen sink
* katadyn hiker H20 filter pump
* Rei halfdome 2 tent + footprint
* extra rainfly (for bike)
* homemaid large "showercap" for bags
* rei air mattress litecore 1.5
* rei -20degree nylon sleeping bag
* bucky buckwheat pillow
* wxtex 15L and 25L drybags
* packtowl
* survival shovel
* T.P.
* petxl headlamp
* bruiton solar port 4.4 (solar panel to charge electronics)
* nikon cool pix p2 camera + road charger for use w/ solar
* giro helmit
* MSR wisperlite international stove + Service kit + fuel bottle
* rope (100 ft)
* First aid kit
* knife
* pepperspray (for dogs/bears)
* platypus 4 L waterbag
* ww2 GI issue canteen
* frisbee
* army poncho
* army waterproof bagliner
* ipod + small speakers
* fire kit + homade rocketstove
* crank bros. multi tool
* tools (pedal wrench, 2 cresent wrench, toothbrush, screwdriver, cassette unlocker, corona shears)
* large duffelbag
* luggage lock + cable
* Bike repair kit - tubes, patch kits, cables, housing, break pads, extra tire, spokes, break leaver, chain, lube
* books, pens, journal, maps

Clothes:
Novara bike shorts
REI bike shorts
Keen event boots
bandanas (2)
marmot rain pants
rei shell jacket
alpaca wool beanie
heavy wool socks
3 pair bike socks
hemp t shirt
wef t shirt
tie dye t shirt
long johns (patagonia capilene)
swim trunks
novaro bike gloves
thermal top
patagonia organic cotton heavy shirt
hemp pants (intertwined designs, wef)
2 light jerseys (found)
fleace

Militarization and inhumane treatment at the border

Spending time in Tucson provides one with ample opportunities to experience some wonderful cafes, bookstores, thrift shops and bars, but this experience isn't shared by all who visit southern Arizona. We've attended a number of activist meetings with groups that are working to provide humanitarian aid to the 1,000,000 + people that make a grueling (and often deadly) trek through Mexico and the harsh Sonoran desert in search of a dream of a better life for their families. Many of these groups have placed water stations in the desert in an attempt to save the lives of those attempting this crossing where 2000 men, women and children perished since 1998. Others help by providing aid to those recently deported and documenting abuses by the Border Patrol and others. Yesterday, we joined one such group, No More Deaths, or No mas muertes, and went to the Mariposa (butterfly) border crossing in Nogales, Mexico. This crossing is two miles out of town and used primarily as a NAFTA trucking corridor. This is also where La Migra (mata-suenos) drop off 600"deportees" each day.

We brought a pickup truck full of water bottles and beans to the No More Deaths tent about 50 yards into Mexico. Before long, the first (of many) caminon (bus) came and dropped off about 40 people on the US side and watched as they walked across toward us. We gave them water and bread as they were very thirsty and still had to walk at least 2 miles into town. I talked with many of them, however relatively few due to their numbers, and heard many stories. Groups of young men were describing 6-12 hours of walking in the hot desert before being picked up, detained then deported. They were all planning on trying again immediately.

Many others were living in the states for years with families and jobs. One man was living in Santa Rosa with his American wife and children and went out to walk to the store one day and was arrested and deported (he had a felony on his record for driving without a license, something not available to "undocumented" immigrants). He was just going to the store, unaware he would spend the next week being transferred from prison to prison, Santa Rosa to San Francisco to Sacramento, then on a plane to Idaho, then back to SFO, then to phoenix, then to Los Angeles, then back to San Francisco, then on to Tucson where he was held and then put on a bus and deported a week later. This whole time he was given a pack of cookies or a muffin to eat now and then but "not enough." I was there to greet him in Mexico and was the first to treat him with kindness since he left to go to the store in California. Ironic, as I am a upper-middle class white male from the Bay Area. He borrowed another volunteer's cell phone to call his wife who hadn't heard from him since he went to the store a week ago - I overheard him greet her in English "honey, it's me - I got deported again. I've got no money..."

This type of story was common. One of the volunteers there had been living in the US with his family for 25 years before being deported. Another for 15 years. I met a man who had been working as a janitor in Las Vegas for 6 years before being deported. They all describe inadequate food and water, inability to make phone calls, the border patrol cutting up their ID cards and green cards, as well as long detentions.

There were very few women and children - I was told that this was because the border patrol has begun dropping them off very late at night at this dangerous NAFTA port where they would be faced with a perilous walk past muggers, rapists and thieves into town to try and find a shelter for the night. This was in the name of "deterrence."

All who passed gratefully took the water as I noticed their lack of shoe laces and asked them if they were okay, if they had been mistreated or had blisters on their feet.

With all the very clear obstacles in their path, the 20 foot high steel border fence, the National Guard, Border Patrol, minutemen, the extreme climate of the desert, the expensive smuggling, the possibility of being raped, beaten and robbed, the possibility of deportation, every one of those 600 people would likely try to cross again the next day or sooner.

The fact that this was not the downtown Nogales crossing, but the NAFTA trucking corridor was deeply ironic to me. It is the influence of neo-liberal economics, NAFTA and now CAFTA that is impoverishing Mexico and Central America and creating the situation where 1 million Mexicans and 200,000 Central Americans will try to emigrate this year.

The answer to all these problems that go along with immigration (gangs that prey on immigrants, low wages at home and abroad, billions of dollars going toward trying to control the situation, human rights abuses...) does not include the constantly increasing militarization of the border. This will not stop the human waves of people dreaming of a better life in the US, but will only cause more death and suffering, when it comes to the border (and everywhere else) increased militarization = more death.

Groups supporting immigrants rights and lives at the border

No more deaths/no mas muertes

Humane Borders

Tucson

We got a ride to Tucson with all our stuff (unfortunately my camera went back to Davis in the car so you'll have to wait for pictures) and we're staying with Melissa, a friend of Andy's. Tucson is a neat city built in the desert - not many lawns. The architecture is decidedly southwestern and there is art everywhere: murals, public art, bike art, graffiti, galleries, etc... Rockin bike culture - we went to bicas, a cooperative run bike community center 12 years strong, many bike shops, 4th ave has trashbins and bike racks made of recycled bike parts, and there are lots of xtracycles around. We'll be here about a week, dialing in our bikes, doing some volunteering and "team building"

More Prep

I've moved out of my house and have only what will be going with me on the bike. We leave Friday morning and I'm 94% ready. I've got to true my back wheel again because I keep stripping nipples (ouch!) so I'll be at the bike church Wednesday. I also have to get those malaria pills but my health insurance ran out and I'll need to shell out like $200 bucks if I want them.

Chris taught me how to use a sewing machine (AWESOME!) to I could make a giant showercap for my bike bags and to add a few "secret" pockets to my clothes. There are a bunch of pictures here.

Andy just ordered his bike TODAY, so I hope our Oct. 27th departure can still happen.

Pxl had a great party and art auction on Saturday night. I was stoked to have gotten a piece that was featured in the reorientation guide and that he raised enough money to make this trip happen.

Critical Mass

I had a great time at the most recent Critical Mass in Davis. I'm bummed and stoked at the same time that it will be my last for a while. The bike culture here rocks and the people are universally interesting. I love you Davisites! The town is perfect to just cruise around with my retro cruizer rescued from certain demise when I recovered the beast from a campus dumpster. The Bike Church was instrumental in the process, as was a lot of patience. I'll miss cruizing the flatlands with those giant baskets but given the nature of the upcoming journey, that's okay with me - I'll be cycling in the beautiful country of Mexico in a short time.

Preparation

I've been thinking about this trip for months now. I had recently graduated from UC Davis, a place where I've come to appreciate my place on this planet in new ways and where I've developed a profound love of the bicycle. With no desire to don the "golden handcuffs" (thanks for the advice, John) and with the suggestion of taking an extended bike trip through Mexico to Guatemala by my friend Andy, the choice was clear to me.

Davis is the most bike friendly town in the US, and more trips are made by bike here (as a percentage of those made) then any other US town. I've lived here for 5 years now and have decreased my reliance on the automobile more and more as time passes here. I've discovered new bicycles (like cruisers, tricycles, bike carts, whimcycles, xtracycles, cyclacross, touring and racing bikes) that I had never heard of, I've learned to repair and maintain them, as well as how to worship them. That's right - worship. Not in the conventional sense, I don't pray to them or anything, but two years ago, when some amazing characters (Chris Congleton stands out) organized a local "bike church" I saw the light and became active in the community that formed around the bike church and helped to "save" "lost" bikes and to donate them to the church (more on the church later).

Anyway, the months have passed and we've put forth the intention to make this trip - a bicycle tour from Tucson, AZ to Guatemala City. We had another companion put forth the same intention and so we are now three. We've set the departure date somewhat tentatively for October 27th, leaving from Tucson and heading south.

I'll be posting info and stories about the trip here. Keep an eye out for a detailed list of gear, pictures and one hell of an adventure.