And... We're already in the second week of our trip! It seems like the green progress line is starting to take shape, as we ourselves are getting into shape. The average daily pedalling distance is increasing, going from 40km in the first week to almost 60km in the second. At the very least this deserves a beer to celebrate!

I'll start by mentioning the Corona virus since it's such a sensitive subject at the moment and, as most of you are pretty badly affected, we're getting asked a lot how it's affecting us. Well currently in the USA each state is taking its own measures with only a few taking similar action to that seen in Europe, and even then generally less strictly. Until now we have been travelling through California which one of the states taking action, so all the restaurantes and bars have been closed for about a week. As for the movement of people it appears that there are only general recommendations which you'll be familiar with such as keeping your distance from others, washing hands regularly etc. That said, we are heading to Arizona (we're close to our first milestone!) where we believe restrictions to be less severe... although we'll keep you updated. For now please all look after yourselves and make the most of it to rest up and get all those lingering tasks you can never be bothered with done!

With that out the way, let's get on with the show, our second week. Enjoy!

As mentioned in our previous entry, this week started with an unexpected late night arrival at our campsite, so now things could only get better! We found ourselves in some pretty rocky mountains where the wind blows right through you, but besides that we had some home comforts like a picnic table with a small roof, toilet (hmmm well this is a bit debatable as it consisted of a hole in the ground where the "presents" left by our neighbours were all too visible upon opening the lid... ewww!). Even still, having finishing our first week we clearly needed a break for some R&R and getting up to date with this blog so we took 3 nights in total. The days passed by in a relaxed manner where we could rest and get some "me" time without having to think about getting up to leave the next day. We took the chance to plan a little for the coming days since my birthday was just around the corner and we had the daunting task of crossing a desert of nothing for 300km with little else but what our bikes could carry; so if things went tits up it could put a downer on the celebrations... And we didn't want that! So we inevitably came to the conclusion that we should have a rest day at a campsite for such an import occasion and set to putting the plan into practice.

Another leg under our belts, it was a tough day since we were so relaxed from the time off but even still all ended well. We headed to a campsite Rob had found, although it seemed a little expensive so we weren't convinced. Then just before arrival we stumbled across another place we hadn't seen on the web and we were pleasantly surprised, firstly by the price (half the price!) and secondly how well kept the camping area and toilets were. I must say that it didn't take us long to decide on sticking around, and what a great decision it was! We set up camp right next to a lovely little lake surrounded by trees with well cared for flowers at their feet. A family of ducks had made it their home and gave the place a special feel. After taking a much anticipated warm shower and with everything in place for the next day we collapsed into bed for the night.

And at last the morning of the 18th March 2020 dawned, a beautiful morning next to our lake with some lovely sunflowers that Rob had given me and, the best bit, the birthday cards and congratulations from everyone that made me feel at home. We kicked of with a delicious breakfast of scrambled egg on peanut buttered bagels, although the combination might sound odd we encourage you to give it a try as it's really tasty! For the rest of the day we'd got everything ready for a super BBQ including the most important ingredients of beers and chicken wings! Our new best friend Jeff, the maintenance guy at the campsite who had plenty of conversation, joined in the fun and we spent many hours with him during our stay. As well as helping us out with a million and one things to make our stay as good as it turned out to be he also introduced us to our new favourite American beer "California 805". Thanks for everything Jeff! We finished off blowing out the candles (in truth the torch on a mobile phone) on a triple chocolate fudge cake that was to die for!

Officially I awoke to my title "sexy older lady" which will continue for the next 4 months until Rob's 31^st birthday... And so we got stuck into the longest and most extreme leg of our trip so far, crossing the Mojave desert where water and resources are separated by massive distances... So we started this leg a little on the conservative side, as you can see we went a little less than 50km, and since we'd had so many days of rest we weren't really all that fit. We carried on the old route 66 until we found a small hill next to the freeway which seemed a nice spot to stay the night wild camping without standing out too much. It must be said that this was the first time I actually enjoyed the experience of wild camping. I loved the feeling of freedom and safety in the middle of the desert with only ourselves and the various bugs that were about for company. After putting up the tent we tucked into some noodles and a fantastic cup of tea to end the day with Rob learning some chords on the Ukulele and the sun setting softly on the horizon.

The longest day to date, 70 amazing kilometres! In all honesty looking back on it now I can't think of any really tough moments, it was an easy day of constant peddling on route 66 with very little traffic, maybe 3 cars an hour. We had a long 2 hour lunch break where the occasional friendly truck driver took an interest in us and we recuperated for the miles ahead. The day ended with our "triumphant entrance" into the small hamlet of Amboy, since we had our first puncture of the trip on Rob's bike! Apparently the town, if I can call it that, was famous for being a handy stop on the old route 66 and for having a well known motel/cafe, Roy's, with its neon lights and characteristic classic car welcoming you in (where various tourists stopped to enjoy what was left of this amazing place) As we walked up to the building we saw that there was a petrol station just next door where a talkative Mexican lady, Vanesa, and her ex-special delivery man American friend, Mark, were to be found. Mark was hilariously being forcibly taught Spanish at the time, they looked like an old married couple! This "couple" turned out to be the key to our night's sleep as they offered us a place to sleep in an old building out the back, although on closer inspection of its state of repair we were left with the following options:

1. A room with 4 walls and a roof, but with with a broken door and a lots of dirt and dust (not even with a broom could the place be made acceptable).
2. A room with 4 walls, one with a broken window, and no roof although much cleaner than the former option and out of sight of the road.
3. A area with a roof similar to a petrol station's but in pretty bad shape...

Which would you have chosen? We went for number 2 and it was the best solution as it was one of the best nights we had, mainly from being protected from the relentless winds. And for sure it was one of the weirdest places we have ever slept! The next day we had breakfast with Mark, which consisted of coffee and some oat biscuits with nougat inside that seemed to be semi popular in the States, who helped us plan the day's route.

Now the difficulties returned as Mark let us know that the next part of route 66 was closed and we'd have to take the freeway... which may not have been 100% legal and would have added a good few miles onto our planned route. At first it appeared that he'd convinced us, but at decision time our indecision would take over (I've even earned myself a nickname for this sudden change of opinion, "Ruth límite 48 segundos") and rather predictably when we arrived at the crossroads... Bam! We changed plan and carried on along the closed route 66 ignoring all the "road closed" signs that stood defiantly before us. Clearly this was the adventurous option and led to a day of solitude with the road to ourselves where we saw various bits of tarmac beaten up by the recent heavy rains but nothing that could stop us in our tracks. This long route, which was made up of infinite straight road that would get lost on the horizon and with the ever present sun as our only friend, ended in the only petrol station for miles around. It had a rest area with a few ponds full of Asian looking, massive fish, a few trees home to a colony of birds that filled the place with life and where we decided to spend the night after the owners gave us the option.

After an interesting night, something had apparently made me feel pretty rough and I had to get up in the middle of the night to visit the little girls room (what you might call in Spanish calling "Juan" given similarities to the pronunciation and the act of chundering) although the next day was much better thanks in large part to the porridge and honey breakfast Rob had prepared so thoughtfully. With energy levels on the up we set off on our final leg of the week towards the town of Needles. This leg got our spirits up, mostly due to the long down hill stretches, although we had some concerns about my physical state as I felt pretty fragile after the exploits of the previous night. But thanks to the breakfast and some rehydration powder we'd put in the water I got back to normal pretty quickly and we managed to arrive at a campsite at about 4pm. This campsite visit was brief but rewarding, even if the welcome was a little cold at first soon after the guys there showed us their good intentions by gifting us a couple of eggs. We then had the chance to see a roadrunner! (now we just need to see Wile E. Coyote) And how the people who worked there would feed them raw hamburgers (the last thing I'd have expected). We only had one small setback... everything seemed to be going swimmingly until we were putting up the tent and one of the poles snapped leaving us with a rather sorry looking home (we're in the process of sort it out as I type). As we had few other options Rob did some tent surgery and we managed to bodge it all together. We then had a rather generous shower and laid down on a massive sofa in front of a huge TV in a common room all to ourselves... Yes!

And what better way to finish this entry than with a summary of the three best moments that have made us smile this week, and the three no so good moments that we've learnt from:

Let's start with the good news!

1. Spending my birthday in the loveliest campsite and feeling the love of friends and family even if from a distance, thanks all for making it possible!
2. Watching the sunset in the middle of the desert with Rob "playing" the Ukulele on a wild camp.
3. Being able to lie down on a couch in front of the TV, all to ourselves! You can't imagine how much it's possible to miss such creature comforts and switching off at the end of a day. :)

And the not so good...

1. The cold nights, particularly at the start of the week. Although with all the clothing you own on and a hug it's survivable...
2. Calling "Juan" and all his mates in the middle of the night. I hope we've learned our lesson!
3. Although it might sound like a lie, we can't think of anything else so bad as to make it on this list. So of course... the good times win!

With that to finish us off... until next week!