Roswell, New Mexico

After leaving Santa Fe, I drove south through Albuquerque and stopped in Portales, just south of the town of Clovis. The drive down was interesting as there was a thunderstorm and I drove right through it. It was pitch black, the road was wet, and all around me lightning bolts illuminated my passage. It was quite eerie, in a way.

Thanks to my poor planning, the Blackwater Draw museum, where I had hoped to see the Clovis artifacts, considered to originate from the oldest known North American culture, was closed on Mondays, so I didn't get to go in. I was somewhat disappointed, but decided to keep going rather than staying one more day.

My original desire to visit Roswell was due to its UFO fame. I wanted to see the UFO museum, which is properly called the International UFO Museum and Research Center, though I was a bit puzzled by the research bit. What was being researched there, after all these years? It turns out there is a library attached to the museum, which is supposed to be the most extensive UFO library in the world (well, after the Vatican, that is. Go figure!), so you can do your own research.
I had also hoped to perhaps get to see the spot where this supposed UFO had crashed, but as it turns out, this is nowhere near Roswell as the craft, or whatever it was, landed about 30 miles north outside a town called Corona.

As I was planning my route, however, I also looked at HelpX opportunities in New Mexico, and found one right in Roswell. I hadn't used HelpX before, but I wanted to connect to people more and perhaps contribute to them in some way, so I was experimenting with it. I contacted the person in Roswell and got accepted right away.

I drove through the town first to see where the museum was (right on Main street!), then made my way to my first HelpX assignment, a few miles west of Roswell proper.

I was welcomed at the door by Karen, who has been living in her house for a couple of decades, and who also keeps a menagerie of llamas, goats, chickens, ducks, cats, and goldfish. That day she had in her house three other people, all from HelpX. I met Chuck and Eve, a young couple from Louisiana who are traveling around on a semi-permanent basis, and Brad, who is from Fort Collins, and also travels more or less full time while participating in HelpX.

Brad showed me the duties he would be passing on to me as he was leaving the next day. All that was required of me was to water the plants around Karen's house and feed her pets while she was away in Albuquerque for a few days. I would basically have the house to myself from Thursday morning until Saturday night, and in exchange all my food would be provided as well as accommodation if I required it.

That night Chuck made supper for all of us and we got to know each other around the table. Afterward I was chatting with Eve and since she had several tattoos, I mentioned that I was looking for a way to get one myself without paying too much, if anything, so perhaps in exchange for a service. As it turns out, Eve has been a tattoo artist for sixteen years and she offered to do it for an amazing price and a ride to the laundromat, to which I gladly acquiesced.

The next morning after having breakfast, I submitted my arm to Eve's needles and came away with a beautiful replica of two Japanese calligraphic characters on my arm, which read "wabi sabi". This is the Japanese concept of the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

For the next few days I spent my time hanging around the house reading, socializing with animals, and occasionally trying to meditate. I rode my bike to the city on Wednesday and saw the UFO museum, which left me somewhat unimpressed. On Thursday I rode to town again and set up my slackline in a park for a few hours.

Friday evening rolled around and couchsurfers rolled in. A couple from Finland came to stay at Karen's house for two nights, as did two young men from Germany. Saturday we all drove down to Bottomless Lakes State Park and later Bitter Lakes Wildlife Refuge, where we walked around for a bit. In the evening Karen came back home from her trip and we sat around the campfire talking and roasting marshmallows.

Sunday morning was departure time for everyone, and gradually we all bid Karen farewell and went our separate ways.

My introduction to HelpX was a very pleasant one and it has made me want to take part in this exchange more often. Hopefully as I travel through Texas I will find more assignments.