Here There and Everywhere

Expat wanderer

Security Check

I’ve never seen this before in the United States. We used to go through checks like this in Germany, in Doha, in Kuwait, but not in the United States. This trip, we went through several, all across our southern border.

All the trucks, and all the cars, pulled over to go through security checks, dogs sniffing the cars, men going through an entire truck here and there, or having a family stand to one side as they thoroughly inspect the car.

I love our retired military id’s.

The sign on the left tells us they have caught more than 7,000 illegal immigrants so far this year, and have confiscated more than 12,000 something. . . dollars worth of goods? Individual goods, like cars? I know if you get caught doing something illegal, you lose your property, even if it is a car or a house.

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April 15, 2015 Posted by | Adventure, Bureaucracy, Counter-terrorism, Doha, ExPat Life, Germany, Kuwait, Law and Order, Living Conditions, Road Trips, Safety, Social Issues, Travel | , | Leave a comment

Blue Onion in McAllen, TX: A Great Surprise

Sometimes you get a great surprise when you least expect it. We needed to get on the road, but we also needed lunch, so we just needed “a place” somewhere, anywhere we could find something decent, something acceptable. We weren’t going for great.

We got great.

The Blue Onion looked kind of new, it still had that new smell. It’s walls were a froggy green. It’s floor was a froggy green. Never-mind, we just need to eat and run.

But the staff was warm and welcoming and chatty-in-a-good-way, and the menu was intriguing. We saw one man order Bouillabaisse. In McAllen, TX. I ordered a Pizza Putanesca, and AdventureMan ordered some kind of barbecue wrap.

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Even the ice tea was delicious. When my pizza came, it was divine, memorable, maybe one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. AdventureMan was chowing down on his wrap, making sounds of joy, little moans of pleasure as he ate. His side salad of black beans was also very good, very fresh tasty with lime and cilantro combined with some spices in a delicious way.

Our just-a-quick-stop-before-we-hit-the-road stop turned out to be a meal highlight of our trip. 🙂

April 15, 2015 Posted by | Adventure, Cooking, Eating Out, Food, Living Conditions, Restaurant, Road Trips, Travel | , , | Leave a comment