July 7, 2011

We get up extra early to try to beat the heat and are surprised to find that there are clouds – not seen those for a while!  It doesn’t last long before the sun burns them away, but at least we manage a few kilometres before the hottest part of the day.

The terrain is just like that from a wild west movie and as we ride through sandstone canyons where we wouldn’t be at all surprised if a party of Sioux Indians came over the horizon.  The only things that come over the horizon are a few circling vultures and nothing much else.  No villages, no people, no cars.  It is quite a wild and desolate place.  The heat in the middle of the afternoon is oppressive and, despite our early start, 74 km is as much as we can manage.  Fortunately, we find a camp-site where we expected one to be from the symbol on the map (doesn’t always happen) and we’re glad to find a shady spot.  There is nobody else there.  How do these places make a living?