For the last couple of days I've been driving in the desert looking at the past and constantly amazed by the silence here. I would park on the road and then hike into the surrounding areas. The views, all the way to snow covered mountains in Mexico, are enthralling. Actually Mexico is only about 50 miles south of where I'm staying. I had to pull over for two Border Patrol searches. I was driving slowly on an unpaved road trying to figure out where I was headed when a border patrol appeared. Needless to say he knew the area well and gave me great tips on what to look for. I asked him about all the roadside stops and border patrol vehicles I'd see constantly and he said that this was a prime smuggling route for both illegals and drugs. "In fact sir you're driving the exact type vehicle the smugglers like to use. This is a rental right? Thought so. Yeah they like to use rental cars cause they're easier to dispose of. Have a great day now."

El Paso