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.
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.
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.
Ciao Alex. Quando ripassi in Italia? scrivimi Domenico
Hey, sono di nuovo in Europa e vengo a Modena alla fine della prossima settimana. Ti chiamo quando arrivo.