Post 28- The Road Had Other Plans

5/30/2026

I thought I wouldn't write this week, that I would combine all of our travel experiences in the United States into one post, but the adventures we had and the time that was freed up this morning from traveling allowed me to share with you what is happening with us right now.

Monterey

We moved forward on the roads, the landscapes changing around us like a magnificent setting for a never-ending story.

We arrived in Monterey as planned at an Airbnb apartment we had booked in advance in one of its suburbs, since it is a huge, modern, and industrial city. We feel the American influence as we get closer to the border with the United States. We stopped for a few days to work, rest, and gather strength for crossing the border and continuing our journey.

We worked in the mornings, and in the afternoons and evenings, we walked around the city to get a sense of it. Tall buildings, huge billboards, and the noise of a big city.

We took an Uber to the city center. As usual, there is a square with large buildings surrounding it, a fountain, souvenir stalls, and lots of colorful, fried, industrialized food.

In the city center is a system of canals called Paseo Santa Lucía - it's a canal and a long promenade with boats and a pleasant walk that connects the city center to a large park called Parque Fundidora - a huge park that was built inside the city's old steel mills. We are impressed by the beautiful combination of old industry, lakes, grass, and space. Crowds of people come on weekends to enjoy the green area in the middle of the city, food stalls, a museum, games, bicycles, and seating areas.

After three pleasant days in a neat, clean apartment, with a swimming pool and all the luxurious comforts, we packed up and left early in the morning to cross the border. That's it, saying goodbye to colorful, vast, diverse, and beloved Mexico. The experiences we had there will burn in us forever. The amazing people we met along the way, the warmth, the cordiality, the smiles, and the willingness to help with anything. All of these become inseparable parts of us and of what we will take with us further.

The streets of Monterrey, a last Mexican meal at a fancy restaurant (the tastiest food is at the food stands)

Monterey Center

Canal cruise and visit to Fundidora Park

Colombia border crossing

We arrived at the border crossing with some apprehension, because we've heard stories. As usual, the stories are stressful, and in the end, they don't reflect our reality anyway. We stopped at a designated station and canceled Mexico's expensive and infamous TIP (we should see the refund on our credit card within a few days). We crossed over to the American side, along with lots and lots of trucks. Luckily for us, they have their own dedicated queue, and we joined the queue for private cars. Within two hours, without any special problems, we are cruising along the Texas roads.

Saying goodbye to colorful Mexico, equipped with a binder with all the paperwork, American flags flying in the background, and the lines at the crossing with the trucks

Texas

The roads are open and wide; there are no more Topes and no surprising potholes. We immediately felt a change in the atmosphere, as everything is expected and orderly, and after months of driving in Mexico and Central America, our nervous system wants to rest. We no longer have to tie up the kitchen drawers. The sides of the roads are clean, and we cruise along with relief, and there are endless butterflies accompanying us on our way, or perhaps we are obstructing them on their way (which makes more sense). It is a spectacular sight and we cruise along with relief, and joy at being back in a country of endless possibilities. Our joy did not last long because as soon as Sylvie realized she was home, she finally let out a breath she had been holding and told us the fuel filter was probably clogged again, which meant we had to drive slowly. We already recognized the case. We stopped for a moment to let her rest, then continued very carefully to reach a mechanic workshop as soon as possible. Pretty soon after, the light went off, and we wondered if it was a mistake.

Pura Vida - An organic farm in the middle of Texas

We turned on our beloved Harvest Hosts app and booked a place to stay on a farm, where we arrived in the afternoon and met the energetic Gailyn, who runs the farm with tireless energy. From the first moment, it was clear that the farm is much more than a place to live or earn a living for her; it is a living expression of her belief in permaculture, homeopathy, and a way of life connected to the earth. All the crops are organic, and she uses natural methods in both farming and raising the many animals - chickens, cows, goats, and dogs. The vegetables and fruits are beautiful and delicious, and she also shows us the small dairy that produces milk, yogurt, cheeses, and more. We taste and buy to support the maintenance of the place (that is the idea of the app - to stay and support the owners). We spend a deep and quiet night's sleep in the farm yard, with a big sky above us, spread out with stars and a moon.

The bear

The next day, we set off early, as we have a five-hour drive to our next destination.

But at some point, Guy starts to feel that something is wrong with the brakes, and another red light comes on. We realize that we must stop at a workshop to see what is happening with Sylvie. In the meantime, the landscape changes and becomes increasingly barren.

Fort Stockton

Google Maps - takes us to a place in this desert town. We met David who offered us a diagnosis and then a quote. We are in the United States, and everything is ordered. After about an hour and a half, we got a long and pricy quote. The rear brakes are out of order again, and parts need to be replaced.

Sylvie is gaping, naked from her cheeks, and getting a root canal with hooks, and an oil change.

David sends us to a roadside hotel within walking distance of the workshop and promises to work until midnight, so Sylvie will be ready for tomorrow morning, since we have a six-hour drive to our next destination.

It's terribly hot outside, and we're waiting for the sun to go down a bit before we head out for a tour of the place. As often happens to us, a mechanical failure becomes an opportunity to get to know a place we wouldn't have stopped at otherwise.

It is a small town with about 8,000 people, most of them of Mexican descent, serving as a service center for a large agricultural and desert region and, in recent years, also for the West Texas oil and gas industry. We are looking for the remains of the fort after which it is named, and we realize that the fort and town honor the memory of Robert Field Stockton, a famous American naval officer from the Mexican-American War. His job was to protect the main road from attacks and guard the passage through the desert. There was once a system of natural springs here, which were completely dried up by man's need for water. We are truly in the Wild West here.

In the morning, we get a message from David that the situation is more serious and that he also needs to replace the rotor, the large disc part of the brake system. We realized that we will be sitting here for a few hours. So we opened our table, had tea, coffee, and breakfast, which David also enjoyed, of course. Then the table becomes our work desk, and we wait for David to finish so we can hit the road again.

Our next destination is Albuquerque. Just for the name alone, it's worth going there. Yotam says we should look for Walter White (Breaking Bad). I'm not sure what's there, but we have a reservation at an overnight campground and hope to get there this evening.

So we thought that when we moved to the United States, the adventures would end, that there wouldn't really be anything to tell. But it turns out that the road always finds a way to continue surprising us.

We are scheduled to arrive in Santa Cruz by June 9th. Mole the cat is waiting for us there, and we will take care of him for a week while we prepare the bear for her upcoming winter sleep.

We will continue to update, of course,

Until next time

With great love

Guy, Efrat, and the Bear