31-Mar-2007 -- On March 31st, 2007 on a very hot and sunny day, I took my 600cc bandit, a flash light, Cesar Martínez’ GPS, Norma’s map and the let me through letter from the confluence project, up north.
It took three hours from Santiago NL to Sabinas NL. From there it was a 60 km on paved road and 20 km on a dirt road until the battery of my motorcycle went dead.
I had to push it for nearly a mile to the next downhill in order to start it on second gear. On the way to Ejido "Puente Río Salado" I ran into an "extensionista", a government official that assists farmers into improving agro industrial practices. I explained to him my endeavor and suggested I met Señor Gumercindo Ramírez, the "juez" of the ejido.
An advice I followed after the moto incident.
Once at the insect free ejido (due to the salinity of the region), the Juez and his wife, Ma. Cruz López, appointed three young members of the five family members ejido to help with the 27N 100W task. Next it was a nearly 15 km truck ride, full of river crossings, deer and wild boar sightings, to just 1.5 km from the confluence.
We got on foot and could only walk 30m when we were overwhelmed with so many thorn bushes and clogged huisaches of the savanna. I asked Sergio the driver, to try the north route. But now, 5 km away from the confluence the old truck was running low on butane gas (the preferred source of combusting energy in the "rancherías").
Sergio said we could no longer continue. I then suggested him to drive just two more km northeast of the confluence and we would carry on walking. But 1 km later that truck stopped. We continued the rest on one mountain bike the juez let me borrow and 1 kid’s bike where Benjamín and his brother José rode; while Sergio stayed with the truck trying to call and wait for help.
We walked the last 800m to the confluence and voilá! We reached a perfect 0000000! Benjamín and José asked in disappointment if there was anything around to see. Knowing that no one will ever build a mall here during my lifetime, I just said to them I wanted this imaginary line crossing to be remembered as the "Caridad" confluence.