It is sunrise next to the river. I hopped out of bed with
the intention of heading up to the main house to brew up some coffee and rustle
some breakfast. Popped on my sandals, jeans and shirt then headed up the path
from the garden riverside cube to the house. Beautiful serene surrounds, crisp
air and beams of sun light through the river valley. “Gobble gobble gobble”.
Holy mother of Mary…that is a big turkey.
Demented Turkey and a Nosey Mouse
I stood still for a movement as if on a Big Five Game walk.
This bus sized turkey has me in its cross hairs. It squares me up from the
other side of the yard, kicks off the ground at pace and comes straight at me
with death it its eyes and demented shrieks of “Gobble gobble gobble!!!!”
My
flight psychological response kicked in and I legged away from this possessed
piece of poultry. The fiery-necked fiend chased me around the house, all the
way around, until I ended up at the kitchen door again. Hopped in, Kung Foo’d
my way through a massive spider web and slammed the door behind me. People in
Africa would be so embarrassed if they saw me right now.
Safe in the kitchen I brewed up some awesome freshly ground
coffee and got breakfast on the go. I noticed this poor little fellow in the
sink drain. Little mouse like creature with a long nose parking off drowned in
the sink. Shame – he must have just got away from the turkey as well.
Spain and the Rockies
We headed out from Abiqui down a scenic little stretch of
road on our way to Taos. As you traveling along you come across the southern
tips of the Rockies, more crystal blue streams and long open plains. Fantastic
scenery. The Rockies are as the name suggests – very rocky. It looks as if
somebody blasted the top couple of feet of rock and left it lying there. Makes
for some pretty awesome terrain.
We arrived in Taos, had early lunch at Old Martina’s Hall
and took in some of the local sights. Wonderful Spanish architecture dotted
around the town. The Church directly across from the restaurant was
particularly impressive. It feels like a scene out of Desperados. Beautiful
clay finish walls, strong wooden timbers as roof supports and huge open spaces
inside the buildings. Beautiful Spanish architecture.
Taos and Into the Rockies.
We headed out of Taos, past the odd little subterranean
housing complex (Upmarket Hobbits?) and headed in the general direction of
Denver. The road conditions in New Mexico were great but the surfaces and designs
of the roads in Colorado, as we were about to find out, are spectacular. We
couldn’t help but stop every couple of miles for a picture. Beautiful,
beautiful place. Huge snow-capped peaks, meadows and lush green plains with a
sweet smelling yellow grass that surrounds you as you keep stopping every few
miles.
Now, I live in Africa. Africa has the most remarkable and unparalleled scenery on this planet. There is no place that has the potential to leave you as awe-struck like our African ecosystems can. Or so I thought.
Southern Colorado is the most beautiful place I have ever
seen in my life. The most.
The San Juan Skyway.
Dude. I do not know where to start. This scenic byway is, by
a long shot, the most impressive driving road (queue Clarkson) …in the World. I
have watched a number of shows on the Stelvio Pass which I have always admired
but I just can’t imagine it being better that the San Juan Skyway. The road
surface is impeccable, the water management is unreal and the banking angles
means you get the Harley to touch pegs on either side with comfort and ease.
There are historic markers of old mining towns and battles with native
Americas. There are massive snow peaked mountains, uninterrupted forests and
hairpin beds a plenty. I thought I was in biker heaven.
Then, it got better. The road leads you straight through the
middle of a ravine, cliff hanging off the mountain walls hundreds of feet above
the river, the roads twists and turns as the topography carries you along this
slice of paradise. We came around one corner and in front of us is a short
tunnel section with a waterfall cascading down from the cliff face, hundreds of
yards above our head. The water fall hits the roof of this tunnel and flows
over the top of your head and down into the valley below. The long, banking,
bridge ahead covers a deep slot cut out by another massive waterfall which you
rumble over and around to the other side to a pier style viewing deck.
Tunnels cut out of the mountain rock, spaghetti road map,
gushing rivers disappearing under the roadway, a road surface made with
surgical equipment and sunshine. Glorious sunshine.
The road eventually comes out the other side and you are displayed
with a long valley in front of you with the small town of Ourey. It looks
exactly as in the movies. I couldn’t believe it. Remember Silvertown from Joe
Dirt? It looks exactly like that.
The little towns all along the San Juan Skyway are elegant
and well maintained. They emit a wonderful feeling of culture and history. Unfortunately
we stopped so many times on our journey today that the sun was setting and we
still had to get up to Montrose. So we couldn’t stop. Just dropped-jaw rumbled
our way thought the town.
Barbara and I fell in love with the San Juan Skyway.
We sat down to eat at in Amelia's Hacienda Restaurante in Montrose, successful and
happily worked our third Airbnb deal with a lovely couple and headed off to
bed.
No comments:
Post a Comment