20190109 - Going to RTR

     RTR - Rubber Tramp Rendezvous - is a gathering of nomads in the desert. Over a few years it has grown to a gathering of over 6,000 people. It is really difficult to describe over 3,000 RVs, vans, cars and other sorts of mobile housing gathered together in the middle of the desert. We are at the end of a relatively sparsely occupied "road" between two washes, so the picture of our campsite isn't like near the center of the event. RTR was started by a self-described recluse who wanted to help newbees, especially those living in cars and vans, be safe and have the highest quality of life. Now it is a place of programs for newbees, where those of us with experience share new ideas, we make new friends and reconnect with old friends. You will find nomads and part-time nomads in everything from cars to fifth-wheel trailers. It's awfully crowded for most of us, but we endure for the sake of the fellowship.  

     We went from American Girl Mine to Quartzsite, the home of RTR, through California. We wanted to check out a wildlife refuge that is supposed to be really good. Sadly, everything was closed because of the government shut-down. The shut-down isn't just making our lives a bit difficult it is a real hardship on so many people here. We think about it every time we see a USBP officer or a local merchant. 

     LaPosa South, which I mentioned some days ago, is almost deserted compared to previous years. Quartzsite is a town of 3,000 people who make the vast majority of their living off the over 1,000,000 people who come here each January. If they don't make enough to survive by March there isn't much hope. We're serious concerned about people here. We're also concerned about the land. Joshua trees are being cut down in Joshua Tree Nat'l Park and many of our parks are experiencing other horrible destruction. From my research, the politicians and most of the people who actually live along this border do not want a wall. CBS News did a piece that claims that no Congressperson representing a State on the Mexican border wants to fund Trump's wall.  Other research has shown that the number of illegal border crossings was way down long before Trump started pushing his wall agenda. We spend three to five months living right on the border - sometimes literally yards away - and have yet to see an illegal immigrant. We did have a cow wander across the Rio Grande one day. It took one look at us and headed back to Mexico. 

     This is the type of politics I find so disgraceful. No concern for people or the environment. Just winning. The only states I know of who want to offer money for the wall are states no where near the border. They are clueless about the real damage and impact a wall would have. They have no idea about what really goes on down here. 

     RTR is much further out Mitchell Mine Rd this year. Access isn't trailer friendly so we're camped out a couple of washes north of the entrance. There are still a lot of people. We came this close because a good friend and fellow nomad wanted us to camp by him. We're sharing the area with the LGBT folks. Our neighbors are a couple of young women who are on day 9 of their full-timer adventure, a photographer from Washington who is testing the waters of full-timing and is wanting to sharpen knives to make a living, and a lady who is so reclusive that she seems afraid to talk to us.