Basic needs in the desert

Tuesday, July 26th
Dateland, AZ to Gila Bend, AZ

(It's pronounced 'Heela'. I think they put 'g's and 'h's in Spanish just to confuse English speakers.)

A place to sleep

Who says you can't find two trees in the desert? At least in town you might, 'cause they're planted for tourists who like palm trees.

Morning camp in Gila Bend.

Wind gusts were strong during the night. The top of the palm tree above my head was blown clear off. My hammock only shook a little, but the wind over my face was loud.

It was around 90F when I slept at 9 pm. The air quality was bad. Something about high ozone levels in the region causing difficulties breathing. My lungs felt like they were inside a sepulcher.

High spirits

Slick Willy Clinton was charismatic as ever on Television, celebrating Hillary's nomination at the evening's Democratic National Convention in Pennsylvania. The body becomes weak but the spirit remains strong. I wonder how much he will age after eight more years of vicariously being president through his wife.

Hydration

Staying hydrated out in the middle of nowhere is expensive. Eight bottles of Powerades, Gatorades, and Aquafinas to Gila Bend. $2 a bottle, with no good alternative. Little grocery marts don't sell gallons of imported water - the brand they carry is filtered from somewhere nearby and doesn't feel right in my stomach.

I rejoiced when I landed in town at McDonald's. For $1, I drank enough Powerade to match the amount I rationed on the road. My tongue was blue.

I got a tip to drink salt early in the day to retain water. Plain water flows through me much faster. I've been downing Powerade and the salt in it does help. I rarely have to pee.

But the sports drinks are as bad for my teeth as soda. High fructose corn syrup is the foremost additive in all these drinks. The main problem is not that it sticks to your teeth, like some people believe, who suggest you drink with a straw and rinse your mouth. Just by ingesting the syrup, minerals leach out of you and your teeth rot from the inside!

HFCS causes more intense blood fructose fluctuations than white sugar does and this causes more minerals to be pulled from our teeth and bones. Losing these minerals weakens the tooth and leaves it open for decay. - http://www.rothfusfamilydental.com/high-fructose-corn-syrup-damaging-teeth/

So I suppose I'll cut down on sports drinks and eat pretzels in the morning or something.

Travel map.