The Inn at Halona, Zuni Pueblo. I dropped Chuck at the airport at about 11:15 am today and was off for the rest of my adventure alone. Thanks Chuck, you have been a great friend, a tolerant sidekick and a good luck charm. Hang on to that purple jacket, it may be responsible for the good luck. Chuck was with me for the most physically challenging, emotionally difficult and work oriented part of my journey. On to phase two.
After pushing Chuck out the door, I headed west out of Albuquerque. As I passed the Coors Drive exit (wondering if I was still in West Denver) I remembered that that is where a woman we met in Madrid (at an ice cream shop next to Jezebels) said she lived. I thought "gee I should have stopped". I was a couple of miles down the road when I thought "you know, this trip is supposed to be about people". How many times do we meet someone on a trip we really like, take their number and then promptly forget about it? I had visited with her while Chuck visited with her husband, they gave us their # and said "if you are ever in the area blah blah blah". I decided to stop, so I did what I yell at other people for doing; a U turn through the center median that the cops use. And it was back to Coors Drive. I called her up and she gave me directions to their house. We visited for an hour, they were very gracious and invited me to spend the night next time I am in the area. He said he cooks a mean breakfast and I said "just what I need to start a mean day". She recommended I stop at this Native Arts shop in Gallup, New Mexico, and I'm thinking "could this be part of the thread leading back to homeless dude"?
Next stop was sky city. An ancient Pueblo atop a mesa in west New Mexico. It was beautiful in a stark, crystal clear, windswept sort of way. Ancient (rebuilt) ruins still in use. On the way out of Acoma I had a meltdown, Sue and I had just missed the last tour three years ago and I couldn't help thinking she should have been here. Nuf said.
Tomorrow it is off to meet up with Marcus Coochwikvia at Hopi. Jon