We camped in a median strip in Gallup, New Mexico. Okay, it wasn’t really a median strip; in fact, it was a real campground, and it was almost completely occupied. Unfortunately, it was located directly between two highways, next to a railroad track! It was a little noisy…
We’ve noticed something in all the campgrounds we’ve stayed at, and we’re beginning to think we’re doing something wrong. Every morning, there are men peering under their motorhomes. Sometimes, they lean over to look underneath; sometimes, they lie underneath and tinker. Often, they shout things and sometimes they run around their motorhomes. We never peer or tinker underneath the Gumby van, as there’s nothing there but wheels, and we’re beginning to think we might be making the big motorhome owners feel bad. So, from now on, we’re planning to peer, tinker, and yell with the best of them. Sandeep is working on a desperate run with his hands covering the back of his head as if he expects an explosion.
We also have a new, very versatile phrase we overheard from a restaurant kitchen while we sat in the dining room (Ali, stop reading out loud now, or Matty might also have a new phrase). Someone shouted, “What the hell is that?!?” NOT something to inspire confidence in your meal… Sandeep is thinking of shouting it after peering under the van and before the desperate run.
I didn’t get much sleep last night, despite the soothing rumble of trucks a few feet away, and I’m giggling uncontrollably as I write this; nevertheless, I’ll try to stop being silly and move right along to our actual day…
After some van maintenance activities (see, we DID do some peering and tinkering of our own!) like checking the tire pressure, we set off across New Mexico towards Santa Fe. Western New Mexico is a lot of brown and red desert, and we were on Interstate 40, AND there was a traffic jam, so it wasn’t our favorite drive. We were looking forward to visiting Santa Fe, however, and it lived up to our expectations. It’s a lovely city, and very low-key, with a friendly and artistic atmosphere. The central Plaza is a green square circled with shops and restaurants, and a large cathedral dominates an adjacent area. The houses, in even the fanciest areas of town, are low, adobe-style, and nearly hidden behind adobe walls with beautiful wooden gates.
We’ve noticed something in all the campgrounds we’ve stayed at, and we’re beginning to think we’re doing something wrong. Every morning, there are men peering under their motorhomes. Sometimes, they lean over to look underneath; sometimes, they lie underneath and tinker. Often, they shout things and sometimes they run around their motorhomes. We never peer or tinker underneath the Gumby van, as there’s nothing there but wheels, and we’re beginning to think we might be making the big motorhome owners feel bad. So, from now on, we’re planning to peer, tinker, and yell with the best of them. Sandeep is working on a desperate run with his hands covering the back of his head as if he expects an explosion.
We also have a new, very versatile phrase we overheard from a restaurant kitchen while we sat in the dining room (Ali, stop reading out loud now, or Matty might also have a new phrase). Someone shouted, “What the hell is that?!?” NOT something to inspire confidence in your meal… Sandeep is thinking of shouting it after peering under the van and before the desperate run.
I didn’t get much sleep last night, despite the soothing rumble of trucks a few feet away, and I’m giggling uncontrollably as I write this; nevertheless, I’ll try to stop being silly and move right along to our actual day…
After some van maintenance activities (see, we DID do some peering and tinkering of our own!) like checking the tire pressure, we set off across New Mexico towards Santa Fe. Western New Mexico is a lot of brown and red desert, and we were on Interstate 40, AND there was a traffic jam, so it wasn’t our favorite drive. We were looking forward to visiting Santa Fe, however, and it lived up to our expectations. It’s a lovely city, and very low-key, with a friendly and artistic atmosphere. The central Plaza is a green square circled with shops and restaurants, and a large cathedral dominates an adjacent area. The houses, in even the fanciest areas of town, are low, adobe-style, and nearly hidden behind adobe walls with beautiful wooden gates.
We visited the Museum of International Folk Art, which was interesting and entertaining; on display were folk art objects from America, India, China, Africa, and many Central and South American countries. We saw masks and home altars, puppets and dolls, embroidery and carvings, and much more. We also saw three statues by Nek Chand, an Indian artist who created the Rock Garden in Chandigarh, India, which we have visited. Click on the link to see Rock Garden pictures; it's a huge, amazing place with sculptures and landscape made of broken bits of all kinds of things! It was fun to see three little immigrants from the Rock Garden standing in New Mexico.
After we left the museum, we waited for a long wedding procession led by a mariachi band to wind its way down the street. We walked, with Molly, past art galleries along Canyon Road, and around the Plaza. The trees in the plaza were lit with little lights: very festive! Molly was very popular in Santa Fe, with nearly everyone stopping to say hello to her. Sandeep and I (and not Molly, unfortunately) ate at the rooftop cantina of the Coyote Café; the food was wonderful, and the location (really on a roof, with overhead heaters to combat the chilly air) was a lot of fun. We would have liked to spend a few days or more in Santa Fe, but not on this trip…
We drove eastward for another couple of hours, finally stopping in Tucumcari, New Mexico for the night.
We drove eastward for another couple of hours, finally stopping in Tucumcari, New Mexico for the night.
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