I cannot believe our luck!

Our good friends Chris and Isabel, with Tortitas de Pollo

Well, as easy as the first legs of our adventures have been this last one has not. From delaying our start of the trip looking for a new Vstrom and having to get it registered in
Canada because we had to buy it in Idaho to being chased south by cold weather, and from melted hand warmers to missing pieces on our panniers. Add to these a fine going across the Mexican border for failing to turn in our visitors visa last April, something we have never had to do before on the Baja beause we never return the same year (good news is we talked our way down to a $80.00 U.S. fine from what could have been $500.00 U.S.) things have not been going too smooth.
Having made it across the border a little less cash in hand (and a little more in the Mexican authories pockets) we got up the first morning in Mexico to find our bike had been pushed over and several parts are either bent or broken. We fixed things up as best we could and continued on toward the Copper Canyon only to find that our bike is too low and is bottoming-out on the topes (very large speed bumps) all the way to Creel and the Copper Canyon-more to come on those later. This low of a bike will not do in Mexico and if it is going to be home for the next 8 months or so we really should make it right, so....Where are we now? Try Austin, Texas with our friends Chris and Isabel, and Mark getting everything fixed on the bike that needs to be and some more. Oh well we have the time now, the company is good (so is Isabels' cooking) and so is the weather. It's all good! No it is great! By the way we had no idea but Austin is home to Batfest and we had to see them for ourselves while we were here. At dusk about 1 1-2 million or more bat fly out into the city from under one of the new bridges built in the 1980's. It is like being in a Steven King movie. Austin is the captial of Texas and really very pretty, the congress building located down town is bigger than the captital in Washington, of course this is Texas, and in Texas everything is bigger!

Check out Isabels recipe for Tortitas de Pollo. Gracias Isabel y buenas suarte con vida en U.S.A.

Tortitas de Pollo

1. 3 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
2. 9 eggs, separated
3. 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
4. oil for frying
5. salt to taste
6. 6 c. salsa verte (recipe to follow)

Boil chicken breast in water with onion and garlic until done, cool and shred chicken, set aside.

Whip eggwhites until stiff then slowly add egg yolks. Fold in shredded chicken. Meanwhile heat oil. Drop chicken mixture into hot oil and spread slightly ( like pancakes).

Put fried chicken tortitas into a pot of salsa verde until ready to serve.

Serve with Arroz Mexicano.

Salsa Verde

1. 10 tomatillos
2. 3 serrano, or to taste
3. 1/2 c. onion
4. 2 cloves garlic
5. salt to taste
6. 1 chicken oxo cube

Cover all ingredients with water and boil for approx. 30 minutes. Cool slightly and then blend well in blender.

Arroz Mexicano

1. 1 1/2 c. rice
2. 2 large carrots, diced
3. 1/2 peeled potato, diced
4. 1 oxo cube
5. salt to taste
6. 2 tomatoes
7. 1 clove garlic
8. 1/4 c. onion

Fry rice in a little oil until golden, add carrots cook until soft. While rice is frying blend tomato, garlic, onion and 1/2 c. water in blender. Add tomato mixture to rice, cook 10 minutes. Add potato and oxo cube, add about 2 cups water to cover rice. Cover and simmer for approx. 15 to 20 minutes, until rice is soft.

Disfruta la comida!