Phoenix

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I gave a lift to a Costa Rican chap (Ignacio) that was in the dorm. Wer drove from Flagstaff and stopped frequently in Oak Creek Canyon to take loads of photos of the beautiful scenery.

The drive was really scenic with very red rocks and formations all around. At the end of the valley was the town of Sedona. Sedona thinks of itself as some sort of hippy healing place. Ignacio almost bought a CD of tribal drumming rubbish until he saw the price. There were lots of spiritual shops selling all sorts of tat. No doubt the the town is in a great setting with red cliffs surrounding the town.

We carried on to Phoenix after a cheap bbq lunch and ice cream. We arrived at the hostel (which is in quite a poor neighbourhood but only a few blocks from Downtown) to find the mens dorm beeing fumigated for bed bugs. I don't know whether it is good that they were dealing with it or bad that they had to in the first place!

I took Ignacio to Maricopa which is a nearby town. He was getting the train later. It was a bleak place but he insisted at being left at a supermarket where he would spend 5 hours or so. I would rather have been left at the rather nice looking Mexican restaurant opposite the station.

By the time I'd got back to the hostel and cooked dinner, there was time for a quick chat and a beer with a couple of guest. One a scouse lad travelling the world and another an American college graduate on a motorcycle tour of the USA. His bike was a big touring Honda, looked real nice. Told me that he had been accused of being a wimp in California by other bikers for riding with his helmet on!

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