The Breakfast Club: MOA Rally 2015 [page 14]

Friday, July 24, 2015

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Alberto’s tale… DAY TWELVE - BILLINGS

I was up as usual, early. I had purchase a Rocket Boiler, some contraption that has gas/pot/lid all integrated. It comes with all the accoutrements to make a French-press coffee. I did. I should not have done it. The coffee I made tasted like urine! Don’t know what urine tastes like, but I bet it must be this bad. Acidic!

amazing! Harvey and Chris were up before six am on their own. This is cause for celebration! Don’t know how, but celebration must be done.

Right off the bat we went to a gas station as both Chris and I have bone-dry tanks, and while at it, get some coffee. In short order we were on our way to Hardin, the nearest town to our destination.

Hardin is a sleepy community. You’d swear there is nothing here. We had to stop and ask a pedestrian as to where to have breakfast… “Oh, go to Sherry’s Bakery, I work there and it is very good. Just a block down the street”. There we went.

Sherry’s Bakery as a building could not have been wider than a two car garage, it did not look very promising. But, it came recommended. I open the door for the guys, and they file in one at the tim. When I get inside… WHAM! This is a very modern facility, maybe 80 feet deep. Lighted quite brightly… And every chair taken by the locals! It, was a sight to see as it was so unexpected. The food, while not bad… Better, let me ask you, how can you fail frying an egg and make toast? Serve coffee the American way. Right? You cannot mess it up, and they did not.

We must be going, because we must be at our destination at 9:00 am. I have been rather coy about where we are going as I want to make it a surprise for you all.

The Little Big Horn.

Yes, the famed place where good ole Custer, became custard. Yep, he took a shellacking as you all well know. Yet, history books in your educative years present the “last stand” as something heroic. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the last two decades much has been learned that Hollywood, however much they would like to distort, cannot be hidden. There were many survivors from that big battle. To every conflict there are two sides, and the Indian side of the story told among the Indians paint a not so Hollywood a tale. More, the archeological research bears much truth to the Indian side, also some distortion. But for the most part, the Little Big Horn is now clearly understood. To sum up the nature of the conflict this quote from Sitting Bull, who was a great military strategist and statesman, should clarify. He said: “if we win this war, we defeat the enemy, but if we lose this war, we lose our way of life”.

Needless to say I was much impressed by what the National Parks had done with this exhibit, and everyone comings to Montana should take it upon themselves to visit this site. You would learn much about human nature, and behavior. Why do people fight wars? Because they want what another has. Really, there is no more to it than that.

We had to return to Billings, some fifty miles back. Chris, Harvey and I have volunteer duty from 3:00 pm until 6:00 pm. Not hard, and we had the duty in a air conditioned building… Yeah! Our duty was to receive a ticket and hand out a mug, a pin, and a badge. While at it, do a bit of shopping at the vendor stands. Oh, man. How hard can that be?

7:45 pm. Marvin, Chris and myself decide to find a Chinese Buffett. Not a Chinese restaurant, mind you, it has to be buffet. Marvin insists on seeing his food before ordering. 2 miles one way, nothing. 3 miles the other way… Bingo! Dinner that made me happy.

Back to camp. Our little campsite has grown again. Four or five newcomers. Everyone is chatting almost at the same time. There are three subgroups carrying independent conversations making the entire campsite quite a social event. I listen to all of them and none of them… You see, this is Clark Kent reporting for the Daily Planet.

Good night.