Cj: "When Preston saw Susan his face turned from happy and exhausted to shell shocked and confused. Sue went right up to him, eyes like lazers peering into his soul. She pushed him and said, "You bastard, what a lame brain stunt you played on me back then." The whole room stood at attention. Preston, "I was so imbarrased and ashamed all I could do was look down, I was afraid to say I'm sorry." Sue, "I then hugged and kissed the hell out him. My one time best friend was forgiven." The room applauded and Chewie led the cheer. We finished off the tequila and opened the Dos Equis.

Our reunion was short lived. We ate a fiest of love and Joe pulled out a small bottle of tequila he had purchased. Salud! Within an hour of their arrival Marin's family ride had come to wisk them off. And an hour later Chewie's "taxi driver" from El Gran Trono Blanco to the end of the cul de sac at the beginning of our oddysey drove up in the same car. Without much more than a hug and goodbye, Our Mexican friend was gone.

We had done it. Chewie. His family. The three Mestizo's. Dan and Preston. Joe and the gals Cj, Susan, and Laury. Corazon in Spanish means heart. We had shared heart.

Our journey was no illusion. No matter how you feel about the whole undocumented alien problem on the U.S. Mexican Border, we had a once in a lifetime chance to practise cultural anthropology and the natural history of people in the desert better than any university classroom. We traveled across some hundred miles of zona seca or the dry zone, helping a few migrants get together with family in El Norte (see the movie).

During our trip we had seen what looked like to me like a condor. Susan had seen this bird of prey also. In the Flight of the Phoenix myth, the "condor" is burned up on the alter and the next generation, with an increase in confidence goes into another life. Chewie is a Phoenix. We Californians got touched by the flame. The gals who came in later, well, you'll have to ask them their opinion of my thoughts here. In Aztec mythology, the condor was ruler of the upper world and a symbol of power, able to take human prayers to heaven.

There is a saying in Mexico and far down into South America, that when the Eagle of the north meets the Condor of the South, healing will occur.

Go in peace.

P.S. I ain't done with Chewie. He came out of the bush when we said hello, and he left in a taxi when we gringos said goodbye. But Chewie had the last word, saying, "I'll see you vatos again."