Figure 8 On A Bike

* Day 1: Woke up in Chama feeling pretty lousy. Nauseous with a headache. Apparently Susan was feeling nauseous too but she complained a lot less than me. Over a little breakfast we chatted with a friendly lady from Texas who informed us that, unlike now, "back in her day people had to work". I was really slow getting my bag back together because I kept taking breaks to hunch over the toilet in case I threw up. By the wee hour of 9 AM we finally checked out of the hotel and walked down the road to the supermarket parking lot to throw out our thumbs. One driver took us a little ways to Tierra Amarilla and pointed out the Sleeping Giant, and then an old man with a poodle in a yellow 2-door pickup let us hop in his bed and dropped us at the gravel road for Ghost Ranch . We failed to get a lift down the road to the ranch and plodded along in the already-hot 11 AM sun. At Ghost Ranch we bought a couple overpriced snacks, learned a bit about Georgia O'Keefe, fantasized about...

* Day 0:  Get to Albuquerque . Despite the airports' best efforts, sitting on the tarmac 30 extra minutes in Omaha and an hour in Denver. I guess in Denver they had to tape the plane back together. And then we spent 20 extra turbulent minutes circling Albuquerque. I don't think I can take another plane this year. After the motion sickness wore off we enjoyed a birria quesadilla down the street from the Super 8 in Bernalillo . Excited to hike tomorrow... Less so for the last bus ride. Sandia Peak is pretty and there's even an aerial tram to the top. Albuquerque has a light rail all the way to Santa Fe. Are we actually in Europe? * Day 1: 5:30 alarm to catch our Lyft to the bus stop and then catch our bus to Cuba . I'm grateful I tried the hydroxyzine because I managed to catch a little more sleep on the bus and didn't even get motion sick. It's raining lightly, and is supposed to rain most of the day. Walk to the Cuban Cafe for French toast, eggs, bacon, and COF...

  * Day 1: Drop off, leave Lordsburg at 6:30. Excited and sleepy and a little car sick. Bumpy. Met a talkative yo-yoer. Cool day, I guess it snowed a teeny bit last night. Glorius weather for us as we're dropped off at Crazy Cook , the southern terminus. Mostly flat around Big Hatchet Mountain. Ocotillos in bloom, fiery red torches scattered in the creosote. Snagged some shade from big junipers and saw one big green tree. A few lizards, and Susan saw a bright yellow bird (someone said a Warbler). Maybe 20 people started today. Camped at the water cache after 14 miles. Good first day. Waiting for the shuttle early in the morning Crazy Cook Monument, southern terminus Fruiting cholla plant Susan admires a blooming ocotillo At the first water cache *Day 2 : Hard. Nauseaus overnight and woke up feeling bad. Nervous about my health. Susan is a saint, put up with me and did everything in the morning. Seriously considered taking the shuttle back to Lordsburg. We didn't start walking...