Pulled into town after dark this night along with two serious Harley bikers..one from Fort Worth, the other from Nashville. We'd been traveling from way up in the Navajo nation where we'd met at a defunct gas station. Good dudes, veteran riders who were off on a three week ride. Both were serious Freemasons... both in their Sixties.
God I'm tired. It;s about 1:30 AM and this is one of the shitiest motels I';ve ever found. Those guys' room next door smelled so badly of piss that the Mexican woman running the joint had to go in and spray everyuthing heavily. Stinks like Lysol now. My room has carpeting covered with water from a leaky bathroom pipe. I have no TV because when I turned on the microwave to cook cheap hotdogs from the Rocket 66 Mart some fuse must ahve blown and now I only have one lightbulb and this compuyter for lumninescence.
But we had a good time... found the only bar in this part of town open. The town is half a graveyard... most of the hotels are dark, as are most of the storefronts. We had to stop here because Barry's Harley had a clogged air cleaner (I did the diagnosis) and we needed an auto parts store. As it was after dark I wanted to find a cheap motel, and these two guys finally gave in and got a room also. They were originally going to run out past Albequreque.. but the air cleamer thing slowed them down, and now they expect to make a 700 mile run to Fortb Worth tomorrow. Ouch. That's a long way... even on a touring Harley.
I left the Navajo township of Keyanta this morning... went oyut past Monument Valley and Mexican Hat... across hundreds of miles of dry, barren Navajo territory. At one point I came across a local Indian festival on a back road; a rodeo and some carnival rides. At first I entered the parking lot... but realizeed there were many horses that were skittish of the motorcycle. Also, looking around, I felt strong vibrations that this was NOT a place that I belonged... and yes, I have pushed my way into many strange places in Asia and Europe before... but this looked LOCAL and there were no Eurpoean Americans. Lots of lean Navajos dressed western-best in cowboy hats and western gear. I saw one guy on a horse, walking it sideways witrh ease... and I concluded that this was a Navajo-only event. This was far out in the middle of the reservation.... on a small road. Across the street, where I looked to buy gas, were a couple of dozen Harley riders... they all looked Native and they all looked grim... and I Vamoosed the hgell ouyt oif there.
Long ride today past many barren landscapes where you would easily DIE if you got stuck.
I'm beat... it's way late.... and I mustr sleep.... tales of the Blues Festival on the Navajo Nation next time.. made great friends... learned the Navajo Ways,,,,...... goodnbight
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