From Los Angeles to Houston

[lars de wit]

Hello hello !

Last two weeks I spend in Holland, celebrating Christmas with Yvette and her family.
Which was great !
And I booked a ticket to the USA, to Los Angeles where I am now.
3 months cycling here in this great country to Houston.

Yesterday I spend the last hour of the long flight looking out of the window, 10.000 meters below I saw these great mountains, red, brown, green, awesome ! I saw desert, Las Vegas, snow topped mountains, the Grand Canyon and many more.

Can't wait to start cycling and won't wait
I start today !
No plans to celebrate new years eve so I guess I am on my own tonight which suits me perfect ! Camping either in the mountains along the coast or maybe on the beach, I will see where my bicycle leads me

Plan is to cycle north along the coast to Santa Barbara and from there inland to maybe Death Valley and then south; I make a plan one of these days

For now I start packing my bags, do some shopping and hit the road !

I wish all of you a very good new year !

Have a good one, so will I

Lars

[###]

Heel veel plezier Lars!
Ik ben ook weer een reis aan het uitstippelen door de USA, kan niet wachten.

Gijs
http://www.reismetgijs.nl

[lars de wit]

Hello hello !

Ha ha now you are reading my mail don't you sweetie ? ( normally she doesn't that often hi hi .. )

Shame, I was typing this mail yesterday in my tent in Red Rock Canyon SP, unser a million stars, in my tent on my new notebook, drinking a chivas 12 year old single malt whiskey ( thank you Britisch Airways ! ) and eating some chocolate.
But unfortunately someting went wrong and I lost my text, I hope this one is as funny as yesterday evening ...

I had a great resting day in this beautiful park, great campsite under amazing rocks !
California starts great !
Here in the desert the californian babes are hard to find.
Maybe I am not looking ( good enough
Fact is I love the desert !
Cold at nights though, one night when I was camping in the middle of the prairie it was -7 at night, -3 in my tent ! Just before sunrise it was even -9 outside !
I woke up at 0600, one hour befor sunrise and it was cold in my tent, brrr. Just before packing my tent I was shivering so much I decided to put on my jacket, good timing Lars !
But cycling with shorts he, no matter what.

At night I heared the coyotes howl, not that far away, super ! Allmost as good as the lions in Africa, they were even closer. But I prefer to hear the women howl at night, very close , or is that my dirty mind ?!?

Anyway, I am now on my way to Death Valley NP, I hope I survive !
Probably no connection for a week ( for the lucky few of you who receive a sms sometimes ... )

Okay, I am out of here ( Mac Donalds with free wifi internet )

Adios !

[lars de wit]

Hello hello !

I had a great resting day in Red Rock Canyon SP, such a quit and peaceful place. The campsite was located just at the bottom of these magnificent pink rocks, so beautiful !

A couple of days later I reached Death Valley, after an immense hard day of climbing and headwinds … No matter which direction I cycled, east or later west and north, headwinds all the way ! And cold it was, 14 degrees and later 10 degrees, brr. Very cold and tired I made it to Emigrant campsite, 500 meters above sealevel.

Next day was easy, going down to 0 meters and later even lower. Death Valley is absolutely stunning, theis huge wide valley surrounded by mountains. The mountains are so colourful and, I don’t know, special, you have too see it for yourself I guess.

I met Don, an american cyclist, in Furnace Creek, in the middle of Death Valley. we started talking and he gave some nice advice about some routes out of the park; one was a dirtroad. If I choose for that dirtroad I needed more then my 9.5 liters of water. Now, for days, weeks, I was scanning the road for big 2 liter water bottles. I never buy them, one of my strange habits , I really refuse to buy them. I just pick them up on the shoulder of the road, wash them and fill them with free tab water. But so far no luck so there I was, no empty bottles to fill, in front of that shop in town. Grr, now I had to buy 2 bottles of water, 4 $ ! So I did but I made a joke to the cassiere : If I find outside two empty bottles I return these, okay ? She smiled ... I loaded my bike and drove away, looked to my right and saw .... 2 big garbage containers. I looked inside and yes ! I did see two small, 1 liter, water bottles. Picked them up, washed them out, filled them with tab water and went back inside the store. The girl saw me coming and laughed I gave her my bought, unopenend waterbottles back and got my 4 $ back ! Very happy I left the store !


I’ve been to the lowest point of North America, 85 meters below sealevel. Now I am camping at -60 meters, somewhere south in the valley. When I was checking out this spot I saw a coyote look at me and run away. When I was walking back to get my bike, the campspot was good, I heard more coyotes howl, maybe young ones calling for their mother who I chased away ?

I hope they won’t keep me awake tonight, although it is something different then chickens or dogs or thunderstorms & lightning or safetylights at the police station which kept us awake in South Africa most of the night … But coyotes would be nice, I think J

I was fine that night, brilliant spot ! Full moon above the valley, amazing, just amazing !

Two days later on a 58 km never ending climb I found my first good water bottle, after 923 km finally !

Now I am in Laughlin, little Las Vegas, at the Colorado Belle. This is a huge hotel in the shape of the old mississippi steamboats. Big luxury room for only 18.50 $ a night !

So I stayed two

No, hi hi, I planned to take a resting / washing day here anyway before I head for the old route 66 from Kingman to seligman. From there to magic Sedona.

How that is you will read later, I hope

Adios my friends !

[lars de wit]

Hola !

And not only happy because I found already 2 new license plates, one Californian one and the other one an Arizona one, which is a beautiful one !

But lets start with some colder news, my God what was it cold in the north, riding from Laughlin to Kingman on old route 66, which was great by the way !

Freezing temperatures at night, to -7 degrees, water bottles inside my tent were frozen … In Ashford, northwest from Sedona, where I wanted to go, I asked at the gas station what the weather predictions were. Snowstorms coming this evening for 2 days. Oh no … Now the sky was grey all day en temperatures hardly above 10 degrees and a bitter cold ( head ) wind. At the gas station was a motel but I decided, in all my wisdom haha, to cycle a little further and camp in the wild. That would save me a couple of bucks and give me a nice cold evening ( good for my beers hi hi ) And when in the morning there was snow I could always go back, right ?

So I did and 2 km further I found a good spot, next to the ( not so busy ) highway.At night I heard on the radio about expected snowfall in Flagstaf of 5 to 10 cm … ) In the morning it was very cold but no snow so I decided to cycle further. But looking to the east the clouds were so grey. And east was Sedona, my original plan to cycle to … After some hard thinking, and shaking from cold I decided this was no fun. I had to get my ass south, as quick as possible ! Get of this 1700 meter high plateau to lower and much warmer grounds. With regret I decided to do so, Sedona is for another trip ! So that day I took two rides of 25 km each with a pick up which brought me to Prescott. From there I cycled another 85 km, over the mountains to a 1000 meter high campspot, much warmer and no icy wind anymore. Very happy I made camp and had a good, warm, sleep.

Next day I cycled 120 km. The most great, superb, awesome kilometres this trip ! Sunny again, temp of 22 degrees, almost no wind and the many organ pipe cacti( cactus and then many more ) here. They grow only 30 cm in 15 years ! Pfuh, I'll do that in 15 seconds So great to look at, the cacti that is, I love each one of them ! And there were thousands today so a lot of love !!!

I choose my campspot with view on one of them and on the sunset over the mountains. What a cool place ! So quit ! Nobody here but me and …. a small plane not that far away and flying maybe a 200 meters high, flying over the area. His second turn he flew a 100 meters west of me and saw me … He came straight over my tent and I waved at them. A minute later he came back and made a strange loop just over my tent. ( was he pointing out the place to some men on the ground ? ) I thought so and was not sure what to do. The place so quit and beautiful I didn’t want to leave. Maybe the police, if they were warned, couldn’t find me or, or … I didn’t know and decided to stay. Later, during diner two dogs spotted me and barked for 45 minutes, came closer and closer. I didn’t pay attention and then suddenly they were gone !

Jippie !!!

Finally by myself and finally happy !!!

Yeah, it was truly a remarkable day in the wild wild west !

At night the dog came back for 15 minutes and later a couple of coyotes, pretty close to my tent actually but thank God no police or other people to chase me away. Maybe the pilot didn't warn somebody or it was I waved at him so politely hi hi.

Now on my way to Ajo and further south to almost Mexico; Organ Pipe Cactus NM is my next destination, looking forward !

All the best !

Lars

[Walter M]

You were most likely spotted by US customs border patrol!
This section of the border (and other sections close to border towns) are hotspots for illegal aliens and drugs that cross the border. You will see a lot of border patrol these upcoming days. Do try to get info from them about your safety; they are very likely to help you out.


Veilige reis!

Walter

[Walter M]

And oh yes:
You are biking in desert area in winter.
However when it does rain a phenomenon called 'flashfoods' occur.
When camping in the wild (which is mostly legal on your itenerary) do NOT pitch your tent in riverbeds; washed out areas or areas with a lot of gravel. Look for higher ground.
Also put your shoes in your tent and zip your bags due to snakes and scorpions. Chances are small you run into them but its better to be safe than sorry

Happy travels, you are biking an itinerary that is not biked much and very pretty ( in my opinion)

Walter

[lars de wit]

Hello hello !

Cycling to Organ Pipe Cactus NM was great, no, awesome !
I really love those Saguaro's ( look at the pictures and you know why .. )
It gives sort of a wild west feeling, me riding my aluminium horse, jihaaaa !!!!
The only things missing are my pistols.

But I have some powerful friends ...
That day I was cycling near an army base and saw two fighter jets flying nearby and very low. They came so close I could almost see the pilot and I waved at them.
And then they waved back !
With their wings !
Some powerful friends I have from now on hey

The organ pipe cacti were ok, I like the saguaro's better.
The park was great by the way !

Now I am in Tucson, bought me a fine very detailed map of Arizona so I can puzzle out more nice routes to cycle.
I love doing that.
Ofcourse cycling them is even nicer !

And that I will do tomorrow, going up north a little to Theodore Roosevelt Lake and then south again to Bisbee and Tombstone.

Seeing some more of awesome Arizona !

All the best !

Lars

[lars de wit]

Hello hello !

I left Tuscon to the north and within an hour I was firing some guns !
Arizona, together with Alaska, have the most liberal gun laws.
So there were a couple of sights in the mountains where people were firing all sorts of guns. Ofcourse I stopped and looked ( like a kid really wanting an ice cream ) and yes; these two fellows asked if I was interested in firing a gun too.
I was !
And it was great, even hit a 1.5 m skippy bal at 20 meters , no haha, it was a small bottle, yeah !!!
Cool !!!

I cycled around Theodore Roosevelt lake, the north side a gravel road. People wearned me is was a bad road, 4x4 but it was a great road, I have had much worse !
And the mountains keep my eyes busy, so nice and the view with every meter changing, me my own director of my movie ...
Hi I even decide how long the movie is !
Or when ...
Or where ...
With or without other caracters

Hi hi okay back on the road, through Apache indian territory.
Maybe i run into some indians and can shoot an arrow, that will be nice too, if not nicer !
But I didn't see indians or even other cars, riding this dirtroad.
Camping under a million stars with a million dollar view...

Sun is shining all day, around 22 degrees celcius.
The nights are cold though, many times freezing up to -7.
So I leave with my gloves on, a long sleeve shirt and a wind jacket.
After 10 minutes I loose the jacket, the gloves and long sleeve shirt stay most of the times untill 11.00.

Tombstone where I am now is an old wild west town and just gorgeous with all the caracters walking around in old western clothes, complete with guns.
And many saloon's !
Yesterday I visited two of them and had a great time with a drunk girl ( she hardly could sit at the counter, that drunk she was ) and an old cowboy ( who was pretty drunk too; he kept slapping me on my shoulder hahaha )

Oh yeah, as couple of days ago I met a guy on the road, he rode a motorbike and wanted my picture. Now, that is nothing new, everybody wants my picture haha, but he asked where I was going and all that stuff.
'Houston ? ' he asked.
'Yeah' I said.
'Are you single ? ' he asked.
'Yeah I am, recently'
'Oh man you should go to the clubs in Houston, the best and most beautiful woman and ' , he made the money move with his fingers ... ( with money ?!? )
'You should go after 10 and you go crazy' he said.
'Oh, after 10 ? Normally I am in bed by 8 so I don't know ' !
'No man, you should go, you get laid by and again he made a figure with his fingers, 2.
'Ha ha are you sure ? Okay man, I do go to the clubs, I promise you man ! '

Hi hi and we said goodbye.

Yihaaaaa !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Houston here I come !!!

Have a good one, I hope I will

[lars de wit]

Hello hello !

What a name huh, for a city, Truth or Consequences ...

Back home, last year, I looked forward to visit this city, now I am allmost there
But let's start with when I left Tombstone. I cycled to Bisbee, a romantic little town wedged between the steep and narrow walls of Tomstone Canyon. Very nice indeed !
Outside Bisbee I stopped to look at an open mine. After some photo's I wanted to leave but ...
A car had arrived and this old lady started to talk to me. She saw my loaded bicycle and said that she too made once a bicycle trip, in Europe, back in the fiftees. With 12 americans and 12 french cyclists they cycled 500 miles through France. Then the real miracle came ...
She said that 13 or 14 years ago she met a dutch girl on a bicycle, in Montana. A pretty girl, blond hair and smart. She even rememberred her mail adress, something with onbike@hotmail.com.
Stunned I looked at her, chicken skin all over ...
I got this feeling who it was, immediately...
Then she said her name was Bernice.
No way I said, this can't be true, I knew you were going to say that !
I wrote down her name, Bernice Baardmans and showed it to her. That's her she said !!
No way !!! You know, this morning I send her an email ... and now I meet you and , and ...
Incredible, a miracle !!!
The woman, Elizabeth is her name, was as surprised and excited as I was, what a coincidense !!
We talked for an hour orso, she wrote down my adress and I hers. She even wrote a card to Bernice, which I hope to post tomorrow, in Silver City. She also gave me 50 USD which I really tried to say no to but she insisted ; you buy a nice bottle of wine she said and toast to Bernice ( what I am doing now for the last three nights, hips
After some photo's we said goodbye; I allmost had to promise her to visit her one day ( in 2014 she said , in Kalispell. Ha ha ha, she said I buy you guy's a week in a nice resort, you have to come ! 4 more hugs later I left, waving her goodbye.
What a miracle huh ! The rest of the day I was whistling and singing on my bike

Now, I have been doing that for the last 2 or 3 weeks to be quite honest; there isn't a single day when I do not make a fist and shout something like yihaaaa or yahoooo !!!! , riding my bike in magnificent Arizona. One enormous valley after another; I climb a pass and there is another valley, so wide ... so deserted ... so great !!! Mountains all arround and me just cycling through, I just can't get enough of it !!! Sun is shining all day, and so am I

Last night I camped for 3 USD at some Hot Springs; after a hard day of cycling, which began by the way with a 2 hour hike in great and awesome Chiricahua NM, a more than welcome treat !

Now I am celebrating my last day in Arizona ( tomorrow I will enter New Mexico ) in my tent, camping in the bush with a glass of whisky, some chocolate, radio on and a candle is burning.
I didn't want to drink the whisky but I thought it would make a nice story to tell so I drank it anyway, wouldn't want to lie to you

Tomorrow Silver City, if I can make it ( +/- 130 km ) , then some more hot spings at Gila Hot Springs and then, finally, Truth or Consequences
Can't wait !!!

All the best, from the wild wild west

Lars

[GerdC]

Je komt in de buurt. Als ik een suggestie mag doen. Backcountry camping in White Sands N.P.



Gerd

[lars de wit]

Hey Gerd, dat was ik idd van plan !
Over twee nachtjes ben ik daar

So I made it from Silver City to Gila hot springs, in the gila national forest.
When I cycled out of Silver City I met another cyclist, coming down and I asked how the road was. Very heavy he said, many uphill and 2 passes to climb, you better stay somewhere in the forest and go furter tomorrow. But I want to make it before dark, today, I said. He looked at me and said, no, that is I think not possible ...

Mmm, don't say that to Lars !
Anything is possible !

So I went for it, took the first pass above 7000 feet, crossing the continental divide for the second time. The last pass, after 71 km was quite heavy, steep. Many 10 % and up but I made it ! After 94 km and almost 2000 altitude meters I was there and there were these magnificent hot pools and the campsite, together for only 5 dollars !
And the water was so good ...
So hot ...

Briljant spot !
Next to the river and in between some great mountains.

Next day I visited some nearby cliff dwellings ( houses in caves ), also awesome !
And the ranger told us very interesting things, a great day indeed !

On my way to T or C, where I am now I had to climb another pass, just over 2500 meters.
The day before that I camped at 2060 meters and in the morning, during coffee making it started to snow ...
And the clouds were so thick and grey, it didn't look good at all !
If it is snowing here, how shall it be at 2500 meters ???
A little worried I finished my coffee and see, the clouds were disappearing, it stopped snowing and the sun came, very carefully, out !
Thank God !
I made it easily to the top and the a downhill, from 2500 meters to 1300, yeah !!!
But cold that it was ! 2 degrees and a strong wind made me put on my long trousers, my raincoat for the icy wind and an extra sweater.
Ready to rock and roll !

So now I am in T or C at a Rv park, camping in between these big motorhomes.
Toninght I am invited for dinner, a big steak.

Tomorrow into no mans land again, on my way to White Sands NM and Roswell.

All the best !

Lars

[GerdC]

Lars, als je net als ik van een pilsje houdt na een dag fietsen en toevallig op zondag in Roswell bent: Het gemeentebestuur van Roswell heeft bepaald dat er op zondag in Roswell helemaal geen alcohol verkocht mag worden. Dus zorg dat je voorraad bij je hebt.

Gerd

[lars de wit]

Ha Gerd, ik heb het gemerkt !
In de supermarkt was het drangedeelte afgesloten maar alleen tot 12 uur, daarna mocht er weer verkocht worden, pff, lucky me. ( en ik heb bijna altijd een reserve biertje bij me, voor in zulke gevallen

juli 4, 1947, about 11:50 pm
Mac Brazel, rancher on the Foster ranch near Roswell heard a loud noise, different from thunder

july 5
Brazel discovered on his land a crashed flying saucer with 4 dead bodies, small, about 5 feet tall ...

februari 21, 2012, about 10:30 am
Lars de Wit visits the International UFO Museum & Research Center in Roswell

That same day he files his report, hi, here it is

The museum is very well documentated with a lot of eyewitness reports and ofcourse lots of other interesting stuff. I read the original faxes, reporting the UFO crash.
Many people were involved, the nurse who saw the bodies en made notes ...
The truck driver who drove the remains of the UFO and the bodies to area 51.

It is all there.
I think that even the greatest sceptic would have second thoughts ...
Go see and find out for yourself !
I know that I wouldn't be surprised if one of coming nights, camping in the wild, I hear a knock on my tent, some 5 feet tall guys asking if they could sleep in my tent
Beat it guys, I would say, the universe is yours, the earth is mine

4 days of cycling brought me here, the 15 th of februari I left Tor C, looking for a dirt road to ride to El Paso. Checking out directions at the village of Engle ( 1 building ) some very nice people told me how to drive, even made a phone call to somebody who knew even better ! And when I wanted to leave and filled my water bottles I was in the kitchen and saw this huge cake. Somebodies birthday ? I asked.
No, that's left over from valentine's day, have some !
And so I did, some valentine's gift afterall I thought hi hi

The night before I visited White Sands NM I camped at White Sands missile range.
Nowhere else to go or 40 more km to the park, which I didn't want.
So I climbed over the fence, ignoring hundreds of signs at the fence sayiny : government property, stay out !
Pff, not me, hi.
I found a nice spot for my tent and had a good night, no missiles or other objects flying over

White Sands NM was great, I indeed camped at the foot of the immense white dunes, awesome !
Impressive ...

Day after I camped in the mountains again, at 2250 meters high, pretty cold !
I stayed at a mescalero indians ( Apache ) house, nice people invited me in but I said I'd rather sleep in my tent. Drank coffee in the morning with them, nice indians !

From here it was 145 km to Roswell so I thought of doing it in 1 1/2 day.
But strong, very strong tailwinds and more than 1000 meter descending made me arrive in Roswell at 14:30 that afternoon.
Checking in at the Red Barn RV Park I saw a foto of some cyclists at the wall.
I looked at it and .... no way ...

Guess 3 times who was on it ...

All the best, I am heading south to Carlsbed Caverns NP and Big Bend NP at the mexican border.
That't what makes cycling here in the USA so great, you cycling from one NP to the other, so much to see here !!!

Adios !!!

[AB]

prachtig om te lezen Lars, zoveel herkenning, tombstone, chiricahua, silver city, klimaatproblemen, eindeloze wegen. Zou per direct wel weer terug willen en dan ga je ook nog naar Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad en Big Bend . Je hebt toch wel de film "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" gezien, oppassen dus voor drugssmokkelaars en border patrol .

Maar waar zijn de foto's?
succes met je rit, awesome!

[GerdC]

Guess 3 times who was on it ..

Bert Sitters, Lance Amstrong, ondergetekende?

Gerd

[lars de wit]

Hahaha Gerd, nee geen van die !
Maar ook niet degene wie ik dacht, al lijkt ze sprekend ) vind ik ... '

So forget about it !!!

Hello hello !

Just found my last license plate, well, the last one I pick up ( I am riding with 8 plates now ... ). Most of the plates have a saying on it, Arizona says : The Grand Canyon state and Texas says : The lone star state.
Mmm, sometimes I feel like a lone star, riding on my bike in this huge, enormous country !

I rode my bike to Carlsberg Caverns NP.
These caverns are one of the largest in the world; for hours you can walk, 700 to 800 meters below the surface ...
I read something about 160 miles long, these caves ...
And beautiful they are ! Absolutely stunning !
Had a great afternoon walking around.

Day after was also nice, I rode to Guadalope Mountains NP where I did a 2 hour hike which was great too !
That's what makes the states, in my opnion, so great; you ride your bike from one NP to another, to a NM ( National Monument ) a SP ( State Park ) or a SM ( State Monument ).

Sort of NP, NM, SP and SM hopping.
The last one is funny to read, SM hopping ..
Maybe if I turn it around, MS hopping.
Nah, also not too good, although .....

Forget about the hopping and join me on my ride.
Open the song that I send with this mail ( for you who receive this by mail ) and open the picture ...
I wait hi hi

Can you imagine me riding on my bike here, sun is shining, an endless road, no traffic, just me and these mountains ...

So beautiful I got tears in my eyes ...
Okay, the song also reminded me of South Africa, so happy and sad at the same time !

So grateful and happy that I may see this and enjoy the view !

It was sure one of those moments never to forget ...

The road brought me to van Horn, a little town where I camped in the desert, 5 km south of van Horn.
Next day a tough 120 km ride ( lots of head or side winds ) to Marfa, where I am now.

From here tomorrow to another NP, Big Bend River NP, bordering Mexico.

Another highlight of this wonderful trip !

Have a good one !

Lars, the lonely star

[Fietsertje71]

So now you're captainnnn Cavemannnn..???

You got already a wooden club, don't you

Enjoy the ride.

We got now temps around ten degrees, but only one blanket of cloud and no sun.

Roald

[lars de wit]

Ha ha ik blaas wel wat zonneschijn en warmte jullie kant op Roald, het is hier nu rond de dertig graden ( celcius ja ) dus ik kan wel wat missen.
Het hoeft niet maar als jullie het zo koud hebben

Groetjes !

[lars de wit]

Hello hello !

Let me begin by saying that my cell phone doesn't connect to Texas provider, Roaming.
So for allmost 2 weeks no connection and even here, in Alpine, nothing, nada, niente.

Big Bend River NP was and hope still is beautiful !
From Marfa I cycled in two days to the park at the border with Mexico, separated by Rio Grande Del Norte. Well, forget about that Grande, the other day I threw a rock over the Rio Grande and it landed in Mexico
Some places the water 10 centimeters deep and the river 4 meters wide ...

Day later I met Jim on the road, he invited me for some beers at his hotel but that was something like 30 km further and I was already tired after some serious climbing and many kilometers. But the day after I saw Jim again in Terlingua. It was only 10 in the morning but I decided to stay because ...

Some other guy told us about this party in the local theatre, Burlesque dances !
I didn't know what that was but he explained that it involved pretty girls, lots of beers and clothes leaving bodies. Throw in a pole and you get the feeling ( I hope )
With a smile on my face I declared that I stay for the night.

The cabaret was great !
Yeah, it was a mixture of striptease and cabaret.

Just before I met a nice girl, Annie, at the campsite who then invited me for a beer.
I ofcourse said no because I had an appointment with Jim to go out for dinner

...

It's true !

Later I could kick my own head but it was too late.

But I saw Annie again at the theatre and together ( with some beers ) we watched the show. And we had such a great time !
The guy introducing the girls was so funny, Annie and I laughed loudest of all people and when I didn't understand a joke or 2 I still had to laugh because of Annie, hahaha, boy she could laugh !!!
And when the girls were stripping guess who was shouting and whistling loudest ?
Yeah, right, Annie !!!
Boy, my cheeks were acking from laughing, what a night !!!

Next morning I jumped on the bike again, waved Annie goodbye and hit the road again.
Plan was to cycle to a backcountry campsite at the river, hot springs nearby

No cell phone, no radio either ( except for dutch shortwave, I listen every day half an hour to dutch news and I love it ! )
No other camping locals or tourists either, so quiet !

I had a memorable resting day at that place.
Me sitting in the hot springs at the shores of the Rio Grande ...
Overlooking Mexico and the USA at the same time, perfect !
Lots of reading in one of my 500 books, praise modern times !

Another 3 days of cycling through Big Bend River NP brought me back to Alpine, civilisation again.
From here I will go eastwards, getting closer and closer to Houston ...

All the best !

Lars