SMr Road Trip Mississippi to Nicaragua
Days 5 to 7 - October 7th to 9th - Seeking Recourse in San Antonio!
After speaking with Richard and Juli about all of our setbacks, it was clear we needed to drop the trailer and motorcycle and wait for the new title to arrive. And after a 31 year mistake we were a little concerned as to how long the correction would take. The Rhetts decided it'd be best to head back to San Antonio where the they had friends and we could stay safe, and for free. Kirk and Ellen own an international structural engineering firm and live in a big house in San Antonio's suburbs complete with its own police force. As Shakira screamed up their long, perfectly-paved driveway, with her diesel exhaust stained trailer and goods in tow, we imagined an open-mouthed neighbor dropping her newspapers and retreating into her air conditioned home. As we clicked a button close to the front door, a peaceful chime sounded within the house. Two LED lights turned on above and we saw a camera lens above the doorbell. Smiling, I immediately looked down at my diesel stained Chino's and scratched my new itchy beard, I definitely felt like a gypsy who had abandoned the road for a hot meal.
Losing the trailer, the team had to repack everything
Thankful for a team that prioritizes adventure gear! They managed to fit everything but the motorcycle into the car!
Kirk and Ellen were the most generous hosts we could have hoped for. They had an entire second floor that they let us take over and we each had our own comfortable bed. They helped us deal with some atomic meltdown of team relationships and gave calm and rational advice. All hail Kirk and Ellen!!
Hangin' in our Pares Hammock with Ellen and waiting for the FedEx man
We found San Antonio to be a lovely city with great roads and restaurants. The verdant Riverwalk downtown was like being in a Texan version of Venice, complete with boats floating by with serenading Mariachi bands. We stopped by to say hello to the Alamo and saw some of the historic missions from the era when Texas was still a part of Mexico.
Hangin' out in her Pares in front of a historic mission. Not a bad detour in the trip!
Lacy scoping out the walls of one of San Antonio's historic missions
Being marooned in San Antonio while waiting for the state of Mississippi to send us a new title was an endeavor in and of itself. We had already spent a week together and felt like we were back at square one, bringing many personality conflicts bubbling to the surface. For the first time in my life, I saw what some people mean when they say that you truly get to see someone's true character when you are traveling with them.
Exploring San Antonio
*Photos by Eli Baylis*