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The Big Adventure - Day 9, Santa Fe
Oct. 11th, 2006 03:59 amFor some reason I woke up at 6.30 this morning (though maybe it was cos I fell asleep about 10.30 last night *cough*). So, thought I, I'll get sorted before I set off to Santa Fe on that 11am bus!
Well, I had my tentative plan all drawn up - two nights in Santa Fe, day trip to Taos, back to Albuquerque, up to Durango, back to Albuquerque again... then west. It was only as I was lugging my case onto a teeny weeny bus in Santa Fe that it really hit me how much time I'd not been able to use doing things I wanted. Not that I've really *wasted* any, in particular - but it just takes so long to get to places, and so long to organise, and then you've got to wait around (sometimes overnight, meaning you've got to book a room, cos I ain't hanging round Albuquerque Greyhound station between 10pm and 2am), that the time I've been able to actually spend doing the things I'd planned to has been minimal.
So, long story short, plans have changed again! I'm going to have to cut out Durango altogether, by the looks of it, just because of the having to arse about in Albu for two more separate nights - I just can't justify it. :/ So, no Mesa Verde for me this time. *sigh* Just like no Monument Valley, and no Canyon de Chelly, and no Acoma. Instead, I'm going to try and have a few days around Flagstaff and St George, where *maybe* I'll get to see the Grand Canyon, and, even more maybe, I'll get to Bryce or Zion.
But, despite my feelings of disenchantment as I got to Santa Fe, they were soon dispelled because it is a truly gorgeous town - Museum Hill is an amazing location, and you drive through such a lovely adobe-style area that you could almost imagine you were in some kind of pueblo setting anyway. So, hopefully I'll get to Taos and see a real pueblo tomorrow, and hopefully I *will* actually then get to do some hiking, and see some canyons, and maybe even some archaeology, from Flagstaff.
Sorry, this has been a slightly more downbeat entry! But I shall wrap up by recounting my dinner, cos hey, it was a highlight for me! I went to a place called the Blue Corn cafe, and they have a microbrewery! So I had a pint (an actual pint!) of a lovely dark brown ale, and there were lots more on the menu. :9 I also attempted to eat a fry bread taco, but I got halfway through before it defeated me. ^^;; It was, like, 2 inches deep with beans and mince and guacamole and cheese and fry bread! But damn, it was good guac. And good chile. :9 I'm currently working on a cheesecake chimichanga, but it's a bit odd. o.o Also, forgot to mention I'm staying in my very first hostel! :D It's so cosy! Though I do have to make my own bed. Boo! But they have a well-stocked kitchen and you can help yourself to anything, and there's a ovely laidback, friendly atmosphere. All very hippyish, but that's what I am at heart. ^_~
Finally, the weirdest thing happened to me on the bus back! Two ladies got on, and I could hear they were English, and, even more, I could hear they were Northern. So I asked where they were from, and it turned out that one was from Nottingham, and the other was from the next village to my mum! Unbelievable - I've probably passed her in the street before, but I get thousands of miles away and bump into her! Amazing. I love these little coincidences!
Well, I had my tentative plan all drawn up - two nights in Santa Fe, day trip to Taos, back to Albuquerque, up to Durango, back to Albuquerque again... then west. It was only as I was lugging my case onto a teeny weeny bus in Santa Fe that it really hit me how much time I'd not been able to use doing things I wanted. Not that I've really *wasted* any, in particular - but it just takes so long to get to places, and so long to organise, and then you've got to wait around (sometimes overnight, meaning you've got to book a room, cos I ain't hanging round Albuquerque Greyhound station between 10pm and 2am), that the time I've been able to actually spend doing the things I'd planned to has been minimal.
So, long story short, plans have changed again! I'm going to have to cut out Durango altogether, by the looks of it, just because of the having to arse about in Albu for two more separate nights - I just can't justify it. :/ So, no Mesa Verde for me this time. *sigh* Just like no Monument Valley, and no Canyon de Chelly, and no Acoma. Instead, I'm going to try and have a few days around Flagstaff and St George, where *maybe* I'll get to see the Grand Canyon, and, even more maybe, I'll get to Bryce or Zion.
But, despite my feelings of disenchantment as I got to Santa Fe, they were soon dispelled because it is a truly gorgeous town - Museum Hill is an amazing location, and you drive through such a lovely adobe-style area that you could almost imagine you were in some kind of pueblo setting anyway. So, hopefully I'll get to Taos and see a real pueblo tomorrow, and hopefully I *will* actually then get to do some hiking, and see some canyons, and maybe even some archaeology, from Flagstaff.
Sorry, this has been a slightly more downbeat entry! But I shall wrap up by recounting my dinner, cos hey, it was a highlight for me! I went to a place called the Blue Corn cafe, and they have a microbrewery! So I had a pint (an actual pint!) of a lovely dark brown ale, and there were lots more on the menu. :9 I also attempted to eat a fry bread taco, but I got halfway through before it defeated me. ^^;; It was, like, 2 inches deep with beans and mince and guacamole and cheese and fry bread! But damn, it was good guac. And good chile. :9 I'm currently working on a cheesecake chimichanga, but it's a bit odd. o.o Also, forgot to mention I'm staying in my very first hostel! :D It's so cosy! Though I do have to make my own bed. Boo! But they have a well-stocked kitchen and you can help yourself to anything, and there's a ovely laidback, friendly atmosphere. All very hippyish, but that's what I am at heart. ^_~
Finally, the weirdest thing happened to me on the bus back! Two ladies got on, and I could hear they were English, and, even more, I could hear they were Northern. So I asked where they were from, and it turned out that one was from Nottingham, and the other was from the next village to my mum! Unbelievable - I've probably passed her in the street before, but I get thousands of miles away and bump into her! Amazing. I love these little coincidences!
