Yet another week, we're back to update you on our adventures! As you know the objective for now is to kill some time, if only every time I had to do this in my life it were the same! We've traversed landscapes with amazing views, we've camped down in valleys after enjoying long and satisfying downhills, and soon after refreshing ourselves in the river water at the bottom while loving the green vegetation around. But something that you learn quickly on a cycle tour is that after every decent there is an accent, and viceversa! We've indulged in the pleasure of sleeping under the stars at the top of a mountain after a beast of a climb. And with this little summary... Let's start the blog of the 7^th week, where we find ourselves halfway through our time in the USA!

We found ourselves in paradise, enjoying the cool under the trees and with the river at our feet to be able to take however much water we needed (rationing the water has been one of the most complicated tasks so far, so having a lot is a relief) and a hole in the ground that was perfect for lighting a campfire in at night. For these reasons we were contemplating staying an extra night but the downside was that the spot was close to the water level and there were clear signs that this could rise quite rapidly ... The previous night it was raining all the time (12 hours non stop!) and we thought that the main weather front had passed, but no. We awoke to more showers and the sound of serious thunder approaching. This was the decisive moment where we packed up as fast as possible to get the hell out of the river valley. That way we could at least sleep in peace that night since the previous one we'd spent half awake checking the water level from the tent doors. The next stage of our route involved climbing a mountain of 600m, so some progress no matter how small would help the next day when we'd take on the big climb. We finished the day setting up camp on a small hill with some fantastic views of the red canyon that spread out beneath our feet under the shade of a tree and tucking into the tastiest risotto ever to pass the lips of man.

Breakfast being the most important meal of the day, after chowing down our daily dose of porridge and honey, of course accompanied by a good cuppa, we set off up the mountain. To put things into perspective, apart from the vertical 600m, I think it's important to note that the road was really a dirt track and in various states of repair. Therefore our expectations weren't so ambitious as we'd planned to reach the top in two days. But to our surprise we managed it all in much less time than we anticipated, it's pretty amazing being truly fit! After a few hours we found ourselves at the top, from where we could really appreciate the entire valley surrounded by red rocks, eroded away by the river at the bottom. We discovered a small footpath right at the top that led to a top class place to camp.

And what an awakening! Opening up the curtains of your "house" and finding yourself face to face with a radiant sunrise illuminating the valley at your feet, hard to describe with words. We starting this beautiful morning cooking American pancakes (that have become our speciality) and smothering them in honey recently warmed by the sun. Soon after we were conscious of the absence of our favourite wooden spoon, that we'd left out in the cold soaking overnight for the first time, it was gone! We searched high and low around the camp but there was no way we were going to find it... This spoon had been with us for many years, I think since Rob was at university, so its passing was hard to bear and it won't be easily replaced. Although this had made us a little sad, I must say that the downhill on the bike cheered us up! And even more still when we were headed for a campsite where a good shower was the order of the day. Dead Horse Ranch State Park (you'll have to wait for the launch of the audiolog to listen the the story behind the name) was our destination and although the name didn't sound all that inspiring the place was fantastic. Surrounded by the curves of the Verde river (meaning the green river, you understand why when you see the streak of green life it supports along its banks) and with hills filled with desert vegetation. We were so at home that we treated ourselves to a good old BBQ accompanied by a crate of cool beer, Tecate, our new favourite brand of Mexican beer (no need to mention it's the cheapest, right? ;)).

Can you believe that after 3 beers we had a hangover?! And what's the best solution? Hair of the dog of course! And what better than being accompanied by good friends. We finally managed to join one of the "zoom parties" that Rob's friends had been arranging during these crazy times. This call gave us the perfect excuse to drink before it generally becomes socially acceptable. After a rather intense start to the day we dedicated some time to the infamous audiolog and ended the day having a walk down a path that a local cyclist had recommended who we'd bumped into the day before on the mountain top. And talking of this guy, what a coincidence that we saw him again at the campsite with his wife as they were on one of their regular rides! It was great crossing paths with him as he'd recommended lots of things to us for the next few days (although we can't remember his name we do remember that his wife was Beverly!). Thanks to Beverly's husband for your help. The day also stood out for the peculiarity of our new camping neighbours, since deciding to stay an extra night we had to move places. And my word what neighbours! Turned out it was a group of 5 men, who were getting on a bit, and you could tell, that since arriving had been tucking into beers until they couldn't even stand up, smoking like chimneys (cigarettes as well as wacky-backy) and arguing amongst themselves. Not setting the best of examples!

With check out at noon ahead, we had nothing to do but enjoy and make the most of the basic commodities on offer... water and electricity. We'd be setting off into the countryside once more, without knowing how long it would be till we next found a campsite. According to our provisions I foresaw at least 5 days which will lower our average showers per day considerably, I hope no one is betting on a high number! With all our batteries charged to 100% and with the water tank full to the brim we headed out to cross the valley by the route suggested by Beverly's husband. After some small worries about the direction we'd taken we started to remember the details and gained some confidence in our heading. Everything was going smoothly until we stopped for our regular hit of peanuts on the roadside, where a helpful couple pulled over after taking an interest in our route, and although I don't think it was their intension, they made us start to doubt everything! That the venomous snakes were waking up this time of year, that the road would turn to an impassible off road assault course, that there was no water for miles and miles... Well, to put us at ease we had plenty of water (always rationed until we know where to find more), food (although we know there are rattlesnakes about, but little we can do apart from try to avoid them) and good advice from others who knew the area. After continuing the route we can assure you that this couple were not very adventurous as the track was perfectly ridable!

We woke up with the idea of taking a stroll down the track we'd camped on to try and get some more water from the river. Although after a short walk, while we shared curry recipes and other things over the phone with my brother Javi, we were left content with just the meadows covered in a carpet of purple flowers since the water was to be found at the bottom of a huge gorge. The road we'd taken headed to a place called Sycamore Canyon so we decided to leave the panniers in the tent and cycle over to said canyon, which promised to be worth seeing. It was an 8km ride to the start of the footpath that lead into the depths of the canyon. What a spectacular place! It was amazing to see the contrast of arid desert and rock to the river banks that were a brilliant vibrant green with so much delicate plant life.

Now having satisfied ourselves with this part of the valley we headed out to compete the loop we'd planed to do a couple of weeks ago hoping to get halfway to the next town called Sedona. After an early start, today was blog day (and maybe a rest). With a few difficult climbs on the way we camped in in a place looking out to the reddish rocks that we'd fallen in love with and spent the day in the shade of the tent with the oppressive sun beating down upon it. But first we tucked into another one of our specialities: "Dead Horse Quesadillas" (more info on the recipe in the upcoming audiologs). Trying not to crap our pants each time some monstrously large wasps came a sniffing...