We made it to Taos yesterday, uneventfully. Today, we started a dream motorcycle ride - in the making for years. This ride is on big heavy dual-sport motorcycles with the ultimate goal of riding the canyons and parks of Utah on dirt roads, trails, hills, rocks, river beds, and, best of all, camping in the middle of the desert, with incredible rock formations all around, and with no moon to detract from the brilliance of the stars.
Within 10 minutes of leaving Taos, the road that we were on had caved in and was closed. A 60 mile detour ensued down a beautiful river canyon with lots of twisties and beautiful scenery. Not bad after all.
It is amazing how everything in these parts (Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah) seems so ephemeral - houses made out of wood, rotting away, on dirt roads, with rusted things around, trailer homes, falling fences ... If nobody touched these things from now on, it would be swallowed by time in 50 years with no trace of anything.
Why aren't there any permanent structures that could last centuries like forts, castles, mansions. Everything feels temporary - like people living here don't really belong - visitors, hippies, travelers, artists, philosophers?
Pagosa Springs is a nice resort town in the middle of nowhere. Great river, great hot springs. We had the best meal so far at this cafe where everything was nice and everybody was smiling. What a difference it makes to be surrounded by positive and happy people.
Durango and Cortez, Colorado, and on into Utah. Great scenic road to Mexican Hat in between canyons, rivers, farms. Amazing how things change everytime you cross a border. Even a state border. From Colorado to Utah, the pine trees stop, green vegetation stops, and Grand Canyon looking landscapes begin. Great contrast. We tried our dirt road skills going to see the famous Mexican Hat rock. Good prelude for things to come tomorrow.
It is amazing all the places that came to mind when traveling today - Vietnam, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Guatemala. It is indeed a small world with patterns that repeat everywhere.
Miss the family. Everybody is again in different places. A sign of independence? wanderlust? curiosity? self-reliance? Probably all ... but thinking of them nevertheless.
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