Day 44

Well rested but soaked to the skin ... sleeping bag, liner .. everything is wet after being hosed on. Things will dry out quick when the Sun gets up. Have a cheap breakfast in PJ's and meet Elliott Tyler and his wife Helen(?) from Alabama. Elliott is a retired maths teacher and is heading up north to see the sights of Alaska. Pointed out a few things of interest that I should see after Monument Valley. My plan now is to stock up with water and head down to Bluff and perhaps Mexican Hat (isn't that a great name?) Trying to figure out which is better ... Seeing a sunrise or sunset in Monument Valley? It's suppose to be unlucky to camp in a Navajo reservation without permission ... sure, everyone knows that Indians don't attack at night! Nice run south into Blanding. Still climbing but the gradient is gentle and it's cooler than I expected.


Strange thing is that the greater elevation changes the flora ... now seeing mature conifer trees rather than the bushy desert scrub ... I thought it would be the other way around. Another cyclist coming towards me ... 'tis Paul from Poland. He's been on the road 30 days visiting all the local National Parks. Came through Death Valley ... that gives me some encouragement ... everyone suffers in the heat. You just have to cope as best you can. He and Peter from Austria have both suggested taking in the old historic Route 66. They both said it was a nice cycling road ... I'll do that.


This is Paul from Poland. Downhill all the way to Bluff ... bleak open scrubland. Think I can see some of the features of Monument Valley away in the distance. Lots of the local faces here look either like Mexicans or Navajo ... I can't tell and don't want to offend anyone by asking? Think they're Navajo. Stopped off for a spot of lunch at this cafe nestling under a weird rock formation. Coming over the plateau you could see flashes of lightning coming down through distant showers ... can't help feeling that the weather here could get very violent, but I'm lucky ... there's a nice tailwind pushing me along. Will be in Bluff in no time. The lady in the library assures me that the locals are Navajo ... the biggest India reservation begins just a few miles down the road. Pity I didn't get a photo up at the cafe ... there was a lad there who just looked as if he'd come off a film set. Nice evening ... getting warm again. Won't try to reach Mexican Hat tonight ... have completed 55 miles and that's good enough. The odometer clocks me as having completed 2500 miles ... only 600-700 miles to go. I'm surprised how straightforward the trip has been. I see an opening in the fence with a dirt road leading into the scrub. Let's see how I fair tonight ... I'll call it a day. Nothing but cliffs, rocks, cacti and small bushes for miles around. The night sky is also worth looking at ... don't think I've ever seen the Milky Way looking so dazzling ... it's just a band of light right across the sky and everything is so clear and bright. Oh! this is super ... two meteor trails ... wow! It can't get much better than this, no light pollution and I feel I'm the only person on the planet. Don't know when I'll get to sleep now. Goodnight.

Location:Monticello, UT