Hibyehi Flagstaff!

So I'm back to my beloved Du Beau Hostel to find it's not my beloved any more. More rules, the good friends are gone, the guests and staff are mostly local. Hmmm. Seems to me I won't stay here for long this time. I feel that I'm less than welcome, just tolerated.

Anyway, I decide to spend some time and money on Julia. Fixing this and that and finally found the place to buy Julia brand new shoes! 255-70R18 new Cooper tires. Cost a little fortune, but they are wider, smoother and with a better grip. Princess Julia looks lovely. So Klyff and I decide to premier Julia's new shoes (and my own, I bought myself a new pair of leather sandals for the date) going to the Diné Res next morning. We invite Mick. Mick is an Aussie adventurer, late 40's, energetic, emphatic, a sacred flamed guy. I don't understand a shit of what he says, thick accent, but I enjoy his conversation. My old friend Mike wants to join us but next morning fails to wake up in time. So here we go, again, me driving novices to the land I always come back to.

First stop, my mountain. My first and only mountain I ever climbed. It is close to (my Dine friend) Jack's ranch. Jack is not there. I look at my mountain and wonder where did I found the courage to climb it, three years ago. Now, will I ever be able to find that courage, and a good left knee to do it again? You never now, eh?

Mick is sensitive. I tell the guys if they would like to hike the mountain a bit. Mick asks:" Is this a spiritual place for the natives?" I say yes. "Then I won't without being invited". Cool guy. He knows the ways.

I drive them to the Hopi  Res, a quick visit to the Hopi Cultural Center, and a quick rush back to Flagstaff to watch the Champions League finals. On our way back, a desert storm blinds us now and then and slows our pace. We arrive to Flagstaff in time to watch the last minutes of the game.

Klyff comes from the hostel with bad news. We have no room at the hostel because we didn't give notice we were staying. Come on, guys! You know me! I left my stuff, I didn't check out, I still have the keys... Not one could think that I would stay? I feel expelled. Ok, I say to Klyff, this means we have to go.

We pack our things, jump into Julia and start our way down to Baja. I say good bye to no one except to Mitch, my good old spiritual teacher.

I don't feel good about leaving like this. While I'm driving I think: Oh well, If it is meant to be, it will. If not....

Julia's transmission stops working. We end up at the road side, waiting for a tow, hahaha, back to Flagstaff!. The tow truck driver is Larry,  older than me, with a stiff leg like me. How did you get that bad leg? Motorbike accident like me. What bike? A Harley, like mine. What color is you bike? Purple, like mine. Klyff looks at me amazed and starts to believe there's not such thing as coincidence. As for me, well, if Julia and the gods don't want me out of this land yet, here I am. After all, this is what life is all about. Expect nothing but the unexpected.

A year ago I was in Intensive Care fighting for my life. Now I am stranded in Arizona with a broken Julia. Ha! Ha! Ha! Life is good.

Back in the U.S.A.!

Klyff, my CSer road buddy, Tyler, a Sandiegan hitch hiker we picked up in the middle of nothing close to Manning Park, B.C., and I hit the border close to Osoyoos. I expected a long struggle and a series of funny questions about my personal life, and of course, a complete check of La Julia. After all, our looks justifies being suspected of everything considered illegal in the States. None of that. Two minutes and we where in! What! Have I lost my aura? Is this a sign? Sincronicity showed up in my shuffling I-tunes music: "Y volver, volver, voooollllveeeer!". Yes I'm back, I'm back, I'M BACK!

We had left rainy Vancouver looking for the sun. None. All our way into the U.S. and then all our way East from Washington State, Idaho, Montana and Utah, rain, cloudy skies, no sun, no sun, no sun. Even in Moab, Utah, we had alternate showers and sun. I feel urged to go back to Flagstaff. Klyff is OK. But then he mentions the sacred place: "Pity we can't make it to Monument Valley". My place. He doesn't know that, he doesn't know that Monument Valley is a slight divertion in our way to Flagstaff. I roll my dice. Six, six and six. That's an emphatic YES! So Monument Valley it is.

We drive there and we have enough time for me to show him my favorite spots. I do have time to go to my very special place and do my rituals. I do them. I can't stop crying.

We camp. I sleep in La Julia, Klyff in a tent. Early in the morning I get a wake up call from a horse. The sun is about to rise. I get up and get ready for my morning rituals to welcome the sun. And there he is! Beautiful, warm, welcoming. Not a cloud in the sky. My first full sunny day since I came from Argentina.

I am back.