Enjoy the silence!

For some reason, I couldn't sleep well at that fetid Motel 6. I woke up at 6:00 AM and couldn't go back to sleep. I picked up my stuff and left for Bloomfield, NM. under a bright blue sky and 51 degrees of temperature. A good way to start a Thursday.
In 20 minutes, I was about to learn my first lesson on how to ride the high desert with enough gasoline in your tank.
I left Tucumcari with my tank half full. I am riding RT 66 and was not worrying about gasoline, after all, it has not been a problem getting it.  The only place were I felt worried about it was in the Blue Ridge Skyline in Virginia where distances between gas stations can be long.
I took RT-104 towards Las Vegas, NM. It is a desolate road where the sound of the silence is deafening, barely a soul around and miles and miles of beautiful desert.
I was thinking that I will see a gas station the next 15-20 miles outside town but to my surprise the next one was 92 miles away precisely in Las Vegas. So when I saw this vast extension of land in front of me, I stopped and returned 10 miles back to town to fill up my tank. From then on, I was riding a little worried. I couldn't stop thinking what happens if the motorcycle breaks or if there is no gas in the next town. I see that all the time. I will see a town and when I approached it it was empty.

I then made a habit of filling up my tank whenever I was 50 miles down. You'll never now where the next gas station will be.
The height increased dramatically from 4,000 feet down in Tucumcari to 7,000 feet in Santa Fe. It got colder and I had to break out the winter gear.
The views were magnificent and I could see the snowed mountain peaks in the distance.
I moved from Las vegas and across Santa Fe National Forest to Santa Fe and on to Espanola. In Espanola, I stopped for lunch and since I was in Mexico... err I mean New Mexico, I went for Mexican food.
Food was good and at last I ate a decent Guacamole!

I hit the road again on Rt 84 then RT 96. this piece of road was simply amazing. Lost of pine trees and old forest but the beauty ended when I took route 550. I was riding across Apache land and vast desert plains. It was boring as hell but the thought that I will soon be in a comfy hotel kept my spirits high.

I arrived in Bloomsfield at around 7:30 PM Thursday 12 to a well known Motel 8. Did my laundry and slept like a baby. Clean clothes boost your moral.

This is the view I had in front of me when I went back to fill up my tank. 92 miles down the road was my next fill up.

The altitude was changing and with it the temperature. By the end of the days my lips were all chapped and cut.

This is at 6,000 feet of altitude.

This is the view I was talking about.

High desert at 7600 feet

This was going to be my view for most of the day.

Time for lunch. A little salad, guacamole and chips. Sweeet!!! (high pitched sweet)

Thosethings on the right are supposed to be shrimps. That was the only sour note of the day

On route 96. One beautiful  road

Still on 96 but about to end. 20 mins after this picture, I will be cruising along Apache territory