Spirit is peacefully asleep, and I have to keep looking at the map for this town in Utah we are near by. Kanab. For some reason I have a hard time remembering its name. So we are in what is called the Grand Circle. Took us a couple days to get here… because my fuel pump went out!… almost anyhow. It was taking 2 key turns to start the old engine, then 3 and suddenly 4 and 5… Not much in the little town of Page, AZ, besides a Ford Dealer that is probably smiling today… sure, it was replaced by a Ford, mind you, fuel pump which had to come all the way from Phoenix, and to make the matters better, because I had just filled up I was told it would cost more… Just like the bike… it is inside the tank! Ah!… but I do have a 12 months unlimited mileage warranty on that wonder! You think that for $550 they would have washed the car and fed me and Spirit lunch too… I truly dislike being had… as they knew my choices were not of many..

Anyhow, Spirit will have to go on a diet and for myself, it will be tightening the belt for a while, specially that the purchase of new tires for the rig is coming up… and also just received the bill from my webmaster, or whatever you want to call him. A shocker…

Since we were in Page, I did not want to backtrack to 89A… so forward we went staying on 89. Oh! Almost forgot about 89 when we left the park, the East entrance. Seems like 80% of the traffic comes from the South and 89 northbound, actually all through Utah is just a wonder of a road… marked scenic on the maps in parts, the complete way to me is just a blast, so much to see, almost wanting to stop every mile for a picture!

It is all Hopi and Navajo Indian Reservation, and that will be another subject some time later.

I know that it borderlines “politics” which I do not do, but it is also “human story”. I had a chance to talk candidly, diplomatically, to a few… it is a weight on my mind now, it is filled with sadness, a portrayal of greed from the government, what injustice throughout their lives, compounded, as that was not enough, with major disagreements between themselves!… and nobody likes to talk about it… even though many villages still living as in 30 to 40 years ago with no electricity or sewer… When I think about Sedona just a few miles south… with its wealth displayed on every corner… I cannot help thinking “what kind of World do we live in!”.

We stopped at the Little Colorado Gorge… more tame in colors and first impressions, but definitely a more intimate setting to admire the scenery… The “crack” visible from plain flat land is impressive… nothing to warn us about, it is suddenly just there as the Grand Canyon is!

I was not even looking down when I took the picture of the river down below!!!… Vertigo does his trick… I just hold the camera in its direction, look up or close my eyes and snap… no sense losing the stomach so early in the day, it is a long drop!

As we enter Utah, with the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument on our right, 4 Mountain tiers which gave it the name, I found out that there is not a single paved road throughout!… and four strategically placed offices to take care of the visitors, filled with maps and so much information. I am loaded with maps fo the area, even maps that they are doing away with but were kind enough to give me. One can spend months in this area alone… from witnessing Dinosaur dig outs to the many Canyons, it is an immense area.

I love the road with its curved, cliffs at times, and constantly ever changing scenery… got lucky with these three shots into a gap.

We pushed North all the way to Panguitch, the elevation being over 7000 feet and with much snow on the Mountains with temps dropping way down and wind howling! Coldest day I was told, will warm up a bit and next week another cold front will come through. The campgrounds are not open yet and it was bitter cold. A wise move was a must, as we backtracked south and settled by the town of… Kanab, with warmer weather, a nice little town actually called “Little Hollywood” as many movies have been filmed in the area…

I will check it all out…

Till then… you be well…

Ara & Spirit

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 22nd, 2007 at 9:22 am and is filed under travel, spirituality, pit bull, sidecar, motorcycle, cooking, photography, riding, homeless. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.