Cacti and popsicles

Lovers or fighters?

My first full day in Tucson turned out to be a resounding success: I ate good food, had fun catching up with Shayna, and managed to avoid a sunburn despite spending most of the day outside in the Arizona sun.

We followed up our breakfast with a trip to the botanical gardens, which were a little short on flowers (not surprising, given the hundred degree temp), but did have some rather impressive cacti. We stopped off at the Circle K afterwards, where I was thrilled to find coconut popsicles and reminded of just how close we are to Mexico. For the record, that popsicle was amazing and I'm going for a repeat today. 

Next we headed out to the San Xavier Mission, a Catholic mission just outside the city that was founded in 1692. The highlight was, of course, the church that was built a hundred years later. Gathered outside the church was a row of vendors, which Shayna claimed would have fresh tamales - half the reason for our trip. As it turned out, there was not a tamale in sight, BUT instead each and every vendor was there selling Indian fry bread. Upon ordering up a serving, my suspicions were confirmed: it was bannock! I find the continuity here interesting, as I inquired about bannock during my time in eastern Canada and generally received only confusion in return. It seems as though a cultural tradition that doesn't pass west to east instead moves north to south, which I suppose isn't that surprising, as it is often the case in BC.

Although the fry bread was delicious, it was not sufficient to fill Shayna's need for protein. I decided that since I'm in the US of A, it was time for a burger. We headed to Zinburger for an early dinner and discovered that this meant happy hour - which included 2 for 1 appies.  The excitement this inspired was probably irrational, as we ordered up a couple burgers, a BLT salad, truffle fries and zucchini fries - all of which Shayna assured me would get eaten. Sadly, they did not, but we made a solid effort. Full to the point of discomfort, we attempted to work off our dinner with a walking tour of downtown Tucson. Highlights: The Hotel Congress, where John Dillinger was killed, and a statue of Pancho Villa, which was presented as a gift to the city of Tucson by Mexican president Lopez-Portillo in 1981. I couldn't help pondering the Mexican sense of humour at this particular gift.

It's now Day 2, and I'm contemplating coffee and a late breakfast as I await the arrival of Dr. Nguyen this afternoon. Our plans after that consist of a trip to Tucson's famous El Guero Canelo for Sonoran hot dogs (yes, I'm going to eat a hot dog) and dinner and drinks with the lovely Kelley Merriam Castro. This will hopefully be followed by a good night's sleep before we hit the road at 5 am tomorrow morning. Dragging me out of bed at such a godforsaken hour will surely be a test of Joe's determination. I trust he's up to the task.