BOLT: Black Old Lesbians Traveling

Our second week in Mexico has been one of great beauty, small inconveniences and lots of kindness. I’m writing while sitting at the laundromat in Guerrero Negro.  4 loads of laundry will take about 5 hours because while there were 4 washing machines there is only one working dryer.  But that’s giving me a chance to visit with my new friend, Osiris.

Osiris is 13 and when she’s not in school she helps her mom at the laundromat. She is very helpful and smart. We talked about our plans to visit Los Cabos and she shared with me how beautiful they are.  She is also really interested in life in Los Angeles. I did my best to answer her questions in my limited Spanish. 

Guerrero Negro is a really cool little town.  We had to return here because our travels south revealed no working ATMs or gas stations that accept credit cards for almost 200 miles. Rather than chance running out of money we came back here for banking and gas.

But look where we came back from! The little town of San Ignacio was like a step back in time. A beautiful church, lovely town square and quaint shops…no internet, banks, ATMs, etc but we definitely want to return for a longer visit, next time with plenty of cash.  We won’t assume or take for granted ATMs again. 

Before returning to Guerrero Negro we spent the night, just outside San Ignacio, at this lovely RV park.  We were parked right on the river and woke to all sorts of birds. There were horses running free all over the area. Another place on our definite return to list.

Another little inconvenience that turned into a blessing this week was our generator broke down.  We visited 3 repair spots and were told 3 times that it couldn’t be fixed. One kind mechanic actually fixed another problem before sending us on our way.  In the small town of Vizcaino there is a hotel and RV park.  We decided to stay there for the night. I told the manager about our generator problem. She got on the phone, called a friend and he actually came to us. The next day our generator was as good as new. If you are ever in Vizcaino, I highly recommend Hotel Kadekaman. Beautiful surroundings, great hot showers and wonderful management! 

BOLT loves serendipitous travel. Today Kathy noticed what looked like a small village on the outskirts of Guerrero Negro. Colorful houses topped with lots of crosses caught her eye so we drove towards them. Turned out to be the Guerrero Negro cemetery.  It’s very different from anything I’ve ever seen. There were really fancy houses as final resting places as well as completely humble graves. It was amazingly peaceful and touching to see how folks chose to honor their departed loved ones. 

So, that’s our week.  Thanks for letting me share it with you. We are still moving slowly south down beautiful Baja, hoping for whales soon and whatever adventures come our way. Have questions, comments, suggestions? We love hearing from you. Comment here or write us at boltraveling@gmail.com

Stalled on the railroad tracks in Lubbock, Texas sounds like the beginning  (or end) to a bad country and western tune.  But that’s exactly where these two black old lesbians found themselves on a chilly November eve, less than a week after Trump was elected. 

I’ve taken a while to share this story as Kathy and I know many of you worry as we undertake fearless, serendipitous travel in our 1994 Minnie Winnie RV.  As we sat, stalled, on those tracks we were a little worried too.  But that’s when  our angel showed up. ” Call me Bear”, said the  six and a half foot biker dude.  He had a beard down to his belly, a skull and crossbones bandana and a confederate flag proudly emblazoned on the big dooley truck he stepped down from. 

“This is not exactly the guy I was hoping to see.” Said Kathy as he approached our Winnie.  “You stuck?” He kind of growled at us. “Son, get the chain!”  Turns out this kind of scary dude was a highly skilled mechanic and one of the kindest human beings I’ve ever met.

He towed us to his home which had a four car garage set up as a automotive repair shop.  Yes, there was a Confederate flag flying there too but I was starting to feel more comfortable with this clearly Latino man and his shy, polite son.

After a brief conversation with the mechanic in Montgomery who had supposedly fixed all of Winnie’s problems; Bear quickly diagnosed the source of the trouble.  In the chill and the dark he manually, laying on the ground,  (he didn’t have a lift big enough to accommodate Winnie) pulled our enormous and heavy gas tank and replaced the faulty part.  This took over four hours, delaying his trip. He was on the way to Amarillo but had turned around to help us! While he worked he shared with us his hopes for his son (not to be a mechanic) and his love of travel. 

We were expecting a hefty bill, commensurate with the time, labor and after hours situation.  We were floored when he only asked for $200.  We were happy and grateful that we were able to give him more than that. 

I don’t usually have morals to my stories but this one had a clear lesson for me. To look beyond appearances, to listen for commonalities and to delight in the angels we find along the way.

I have a love-hate relationship with Montgomery and with all of the deep south.  Kathy and I love the warm hospitality here. Everyone is polite, friendly and helpful. I love being called ma’am and asked how ya’ll doing. Its  wonderful to see black folks everywhere …being greeted with love, holding conversations in stores and while walking, feeling connected and a sense of belonging.   I love the moss covered trees, the slower pace and the architecture. Not a day has gone by when we haven’t said “I LOVE MONTGOMERY!”  

And yet…we are squarely in Trump-Pence country, confederate flags fly unabashedly, the streets, monuments and buildings are frequently named for the racist heroes of “Dixie”.  There are reasons black folks left the south in droves during the great migration.  My own father left the south ahead of a lynch mob and never returned. 

Still, Montgomery is the birthplace of the civil rights movement. Black folks are working everywhere; holding office and I believe for the most part it’s a great city to be in.  This is not the south of my father but there is still much that needs changing . 

While BOLT has been here, enjoying the beauty and hospitality of Montgomery, we also have had some great opportunities to explore, witness and to serve. We visited the offices of the Equal Justice Initiative where the dark legacy of terror and lynching   is being documented.  I was deeply moved by their ongoing project of soil collection from the over 4000 lynching sites.

We attended a vigil for the pending execution of Thomas Arthur where we read the over 200 names of people put to death by the state in the last 40 years.

There are only 5 clinics in the state where women can safely exercise their right to choose to terminate a pregnancy.  We visited one of those clinics and were honored to serve as escorts.  We were called sodomites, murderers and hell bound sinners.  The protester’s words had little effect on me but I can only imagine the lasting harm done to the young women, seeking services, on a difficult and painful day.

So, yes, southern hospitality is real.  So are bigotry , injustice, sexism, racism and homophobia.  I don’t think I need to remind you that these things are not limited to the south. Being here, after a year in Asia, has  reinforced for me the realities of being black, woman and lesbian in the United States of America.  My sense of purpose and hope have been increased , as well as my deep and abiding love for my people. Benice Johnson Reagon says it best “We who believe in freedom can not rest!”.