Day 4 - Patagonia to Ajo

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Hello My Friends,

Today we embarked on a journey from Patagonia to Ajo. It was an eventful trip with a lot of fun adventures and lots of singing featuring the new hit band out of Patagonia, The 5 Cubs. Additionally, we completed the song ( all the verses) of "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall." We took a stop in Tucson at a local market, The Mercado, where we enjoyed the local treats. The rest of the trip to Ajo through the immense Sonoran Desert was also filled with singing, fun conversations, and bonding between the group.

When we arrived in Ajo, we stationed ourselves in the Sonoran Desert Inn, run by the International Sonoran Desert Alliance (ISDA). The inn is stationed in an old abandoned school that was renovated into the only non-profit hotel in the country. The high school was made into apartments for artists to live and work in. We met Crystal, who is of both Mexican and Tohono o' Odham heritage, and Jay, who is Caucasian and from the midwest. They explained that the ISDA is an organization that is trying to restore this abandoned mining town in a way that is environmentally and economically sustainable. While Crystal and Jay come from very different backgrounds they both wish to see the growth of the ISDA and the betterment of the community. We then received a tour from Crystal about the history of the school and of the city, which is filled with interesting, beautiful and unusual features, including a series of murals. Lastly, we enjoyed some scrumptious burritos before we went to bed.

















Congratulations to Ryan Thompson for Graduating!

- Bernardo and Chase


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