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Joshua Tree

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Pacific Ocean in San Diego

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Finding Ramona again

It was hard to leave the comfort of the west coast, San Diego has a strange comfortable quality. The Hostel was really welcoming and there was no hour of the day when I did not meet people and had interesting conversations. The one that will probably last longer in my life are a trio of German bikers on their way to Mexico trailblazing the route that I will ride next year to Argentina.

I got on small routes and ready to enter the desert again, going due west passing the towns of Ramona and Julian I’m aiming for the Salton Sea and a place I’ve been made aware of by one of the german bikers, Salvation Mountain.

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Salvation truks

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Salvation estate car

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Salvation tractor

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Salvation clay

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Into the cave

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Intricate architecture of god

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You’ve got to wonder how much work went into this place.

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Pop-god-art at it’s craziest.

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And the mountain itself

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Not the only one taking pictures.

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Not sure I get it though

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Salvation scooter

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Don’t know about this, Trump got elected, didn’t he?

Having had enough of god and crazy Americana, as well as being rather hot, I had forgotten how hot it gets in the desert, I jump back on the saddle and make my way to the rest for the night, Joshua Tree National Park, the 10th of the 12 US National Parks I will have seen by the end of the trip.

Aside from playing a part in my upbringing in the shape of the cover of the Joshua Tree album from U2, I have wanted to see it since I first rode in the higher Mojave Desert and in Death Valley a few years ago.

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At the gates of the park

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You’d think nothing could grow here

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And there is the Joshua Tree itself

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Spectacular spot for the last camping night of the trip

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With views to match

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Sunset

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I camped and had a look around but I could not stop myself taking pictures, this is a small selection of the hundreds I took. I had some food, cooked some sausages left over from the hostel days and I had them while listening to U2. and then I put more soothing music on and spent a few hours just lying on my back looking at the stars. Nothing beats the desert for stargazing.

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