My journey has begun. I’ve crossed over into charming San Diego, just the other side of the Mexican border (“What’s the best thing about Tijuana? San Diego!”, to quote the old joke), I’ve hired a car and I’m heading east into the desert.

The pedestrian line at the border in Tijuana was long and I have lost a lot of time so I decide not to cross back but instead drive out on the relatively luxurious Interstate 8 towards California’s border town of Calexico.