I woke up to a chilly 25 degrees. Still don't know what that is in normal measures but I do know that it was enough to freeze last nights leftovers.
Most of my day was spent in the Petrified Forest National Park. This is quite a small park with a lot of 'painted' desert formations known as 'badlands' because nothing will grow on them and they erode at a phenomenal rate. Interestingly in this area as they erode, out roll very colourful petrified logs and ocasionally dinosaur fossils. It's quite an intriguing concept. It is also difficult to imagine that this area was once a lush forest with towering trees, home to myriads of large animals.
After a morning of paleontological, archeological and geological exploration I thought I'd just pop down to lil ol Phoenix. I discovered it's rather a long way but luckily through some spectacular gorge country - with trees and running water this time! This is Apache land so while I'm sure the Indians were treated atrociously for a long time, they were given some pretty stunning scenery as compensation. As I shot out the other side of the mountain range, I found myself once again in the desert but this time with real cactus (you know the kind in Speedy Gonzales cartoons) so I put on my Mexican hat and sped into the outskirts of Phoenix. Andale! Andale! Arriba! Arriba! 80 miles later I was still speeding (though less enthusiastically) through the outskirts - Wow a lot of people live out here in the middle of nowhere!
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