Texas baby, where everything is bigger

After a great few days in Heuco, we headed north-east to Austin, the live music capital of the world after which we headed further north into the heart of Texas to watch a real rodeo. Here are some high's and not-so-highs from that time:

Yeah! this sign was followed by several saying "Don't mess with Texas" and stating the fines for littering

- eating a chocolate covered banana in a small German town in the heart of Texas

- thinking we were running out of petrol and driving 50kms without air-con just in case (it was more than fine)

- staying in a hostel

- watching the sun set over the river and city of Austin while lying on the jetty 

- going to listen to some great live music in Austin

- dancing on the roof top to live country music 

- discovering that vodka and lemonade was half the price of a beer (both a

 good and bad thing)

- eating more good Mexican food

- riding a mechanical bull (with our friend Naureen in mind) 

- saying it was my birthday to jump queues (we've decided to make it my birthday trip so Dez says it's my birthday at suitable times)

- discovering that a 3-level dance floor means one dance floor with stairs going up two levels to the "restrooms"

- learning that making eye contact with a base player in a band is pointless since they never come off stage to chat to you

- arriving at the hostel after 2am and after a brief scan of the dorm doing a little dance while singing out loud "we have the dorm to ourselves" only to hear someone begin to moan and groan beneath a pile of blankets

- driving through the hills of Texas

-  arriving in the friendly Athens

 - watching cowboys ride wild horses

- watching cowboys ride bulls

- watching cowboys jump off their horses to catch a calf

- watching cowboys team up to lasso calves

- watching cowboys sit on the railings

- watching future cowboys and cowgirls try to catch the ribbon off a calf (there were about 100 kids, it was hilarious)

- watching cowboys

- taking the long 7 hour drive to New Orleans (or as the locals say "Nawlins")

- stopping for a Texas size steak and a BBQ sandwich along the way 

- one last jump in Texas outside the quirky  lunch stop

- saying goodbye to Texas and hello to Louisiana

Hueco Tanks, a world class bouldering venue (and party hub)

We eventually left Vegas and began the very long journey south-east to Hueco Tanks. It is a world renowned bouldering venue and we wanted to see what it was all about. Here are some highs and not-so-highs of this section of the trip:

- staying in a dodgy motel on the way 

- seeing a few cattle factories (too many cows for the amount of space)

- stocking up at Walmart and finding a cute dress and short shorts for the warm weather ahead

- being welcomed by three cute climbers at Hueco 

- being the only women around (this has high and low aspects to it)

- being amazed by Hueco Tanks a huge amount of boulders in an otherwise flat and dry place

- being blown away by the number and quality of the bouldering problems (one section has over 3000 problems)

- going bouldering with a group of psyched climbers 

- realising that some of them hadn't showered in days (one admitted it had been 2 weeks since his last shower)

- bouldering (including a real high-ball)

- sitting around talking nonsense with the boys

- teaching the Americans words like "bakkie" instead of "truck"

- some more yoga poses

- complaining that the local beers and ciders don't have enough alcohol 

- being fed "ricky-o-ritas" as a result of the previous comment (made with authentic Mexican tequila - Dez has the recipe)

- having a party around the bonfire

- burning a couch (it was old and extremely dirty, it had to go) 

- playing Foosball (table soccer) and ping-pong (the guys took ping-pong seriously)

- staying in the house Todd Skinner built with some help from Fred Nicole (both extremely well known climbers)

- saying goodbye

- taking an unintended detour and finding some aliens 

Vegas...what a trip

After 4 nights of rough camping, we were ready to pretty ourselves up and be back in civilisation. Las Vegas gave us that and more. Here are some of our highs and not-so's

- being in a place where the weather is warm

- getting a relatively cheap room in the famous Circus-Circus hotel 

- getting to put on a dress (for Dez - I thought my skirt was too short)

- realising that my skirt was very long in comparison to what the girls that work in Vegas wear (they wouldn't pass Desiree's shirt/skirt test - if you lift your arms up and it goes too high it's a shirt)

- being amazed by the diversity of people 

- Yoga in the streets of Vegas

- seeing people gambling in a petrol station shop

- jealously watching people walk around with drinks in their hands at any time of day

- being invited to the Mirage night club and offered free drinks

- dancing the night away

- being wow'ed by what Dez appropriately named the OTT (Over The Top) buildings

- eating a decent lunch

- seeing limo hummers (it's pink!!!!)

- shopping

- a tiny bit of gambling (the house took our money) 

- discovering that staying an extra night in the same room would cost us 3 times what we paid (rates go up in the weekend)

- being told our hotel was considered "ghetto"

- leaving Las Vegas

Wild Geese

I love this...

Wild Geese

by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes, 

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, 

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting  

over and over announcing your place 

in the family of things.

Via

© Mary Oliver

Moab...highlight of the trip thus far

There aren't many words that can describe how incredibly wonderous and beautiful Moab is. It simply should be on everyone's to-do list, especially if you admire natural splendor. Here are a few of our highs:

- driving through the red-brown canyons that surround Moab

- camping for 3 nights along the rocks with the bare necessities

- driving through the Canyonland National Park with its majestic views and yet unexplained crater 

- realising that Americans have not yet discovered 1-ply toilet paper (even in campsites)

- getting to hear a musician named Lou play amazing guitar by the camp fire

- falling in love with Lou's dog "Ruby" 

- going 3 nights without a shower (a low for anyone within smelling distance)

- getting amazing 4-day unwashed bed-hair  

- seeing the local rock art

- finding the sport climbing spot with the shortest walk-in in the world (literally 1 meter from the car)

- despite the short walk-in, the climbing was scary enough to convert Dez to trad climbing

- taking time to meditate

- being disappointed by misleading signs

- finding out that Desiree's new tent works 

- discovering that a 6 pack of beer at the shops costs the same as one in a bar

- walking to delicate arch (a breath-taking view) 

- getting on TV

- seeing a wedding party wearing hiking shoes to go take pics at the Delicate Arch

- seeing a double-cab "truck" (bukkie) pulling a 10 meter long trailer, with a Jeep (Discovery) towed behind

- more yoga and jump pics

 

- enjoying the excellent and friendly service everywhere we go

- bouldering on the fallen rocks from the red faces high above 

- saying goodbye to Moab (low point)
- listening to country music on the radio (a high)
- almost crying at the lyrics of country music (a low)

Driving to Moab...

We decided to drive to Moab via a small town called Dinosaur, it took us 12 hours and we had a blast. Here are some of the memories we gathered along the way:

- pumping our own "gas" for the first time

- spotting a UFO house

- seeing the snow topped mountains in the distance

- driving into the snow-topped mountains

- juggling snow

- barefoot yoga in the snow

- laughing at the odd signs on the side of the road
- improving our ability to photograph them while driving
- seeing our first real trailer park
- feeling snowflakes fall on our faces (a life dream of mine)
- watching the landscape change dramatically
- having lunch in a local sports bar of a small town
- going through towns with names shared with friends

 


- Searching for dinosaurs in Dinosaur
- spotting a sticker on a car reading: "cowgirl up"
- reaching Utah

Yoga pose of the day

- best jump of the day

Boulder: the Highs and not so...

Boulder is a great student town and very friendly. Here are some highs and not-so-highs from our time there:

- having to use a Tyrolean to get to the climbing 

- the 100s of tulips along the main walkway 

- freezing while climbing

- trying some local beers at Mountain Sun

- hiking to the base of the Flatirons 

- leaving some skin on the rock 

- getting carded and kicked out of 2 bars because Dee's drivers wasn't accepted (low for her, high for me)

- ringing in my birthday with some live music by Eric the Viking 

- climbing in the sun while looking over the pine forests

- taking time to smell the flowers

- yoga with the tulips

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