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Yesterday morning was action stations. We were up, packed and out the door by 9. We used the Valet parking so we waited for them to fetch the car and loaded it up. We drove down the Strip, much more pleasant than trying to walk it, and we were on the open road again. Then we got stuck in traffic. All before we even made it out of Vegas city limits.
It wasn't long though and we were on the huge, open roads that we remembered from before. The ones that stretch out to infinity and beyond. Within a couple of hours we were at Death Valley Junction. It didn't seem to take as long or seem quite as remote this time. Everything else was identical though. Nick got out to Gopro it but I didn't bother. I stayed in the car. I didn't like it there the first time so I was hardly getting out to see it again. I could see it just fine from the car. Luckily for me, Nick didn't want to have lunch there which is just as well. We're still reliving the last visit when I got my lunch flung at me.
We'd already decided we'd stop at Furnace Creek for Taco Bowl salad, just like our honeymoon. We did manage to get some lovely pics of the deserted dessert roads but we both said we thought the roads were much busier. We remember it feeling really remote and not seeing another car for ages. This time there wasn't many occasions when there WASN'T a car visible. It seems Motels and General Stores have cropped up on sections of the road that were previously barren. This just means that coach loads of tourists have come out.
It got hotter and hotter the closer we got to Furnace Creek. It reached 106 degrees! It was hotter than that last time but that was years ago. Time enough to forget how oppressive it is. Getting out of the car was like getting hit in the face with an oven door. It is so hot it almost steals the breath from your lungs. It's not just the direct sun either. Even in the shade was reminiscent of being in a sauna. I don't know how or why people live here!
We went into the 49er café place and was met by the most miserable cow. Clearly the heat had dried out her humour and fried her friendly genes. She shuffled off to find us a table. Despite the fact we could see loads of vacant ones she went to the furthest point and was gone for ages. She came back to show us where we'd sit, thrust menu's at us and shuffled off. Watching her reminded me of the Julie Walters scene when she's a waitress. Must remember to tell Dad cos it was really funny.
Things went from strength to strength after that. Opened the menu only to find NO taco salad! Don't know why I was so sure the menu wouldn't have changed in the last 6 years but the thought never crossed my mind. It was burgers or sandwiches. Much to Nicks surprise I ordered a burger. The best of a bad bunch really. Nick ordered a French dip which is basically a meat sandwich with a pot of gravy stuff for dipping. The slightly less miserable waitress took our order and then we waited. And waited. And waited. I saw the waitress go to the serving hatch a couple of times but she didn't leave clutching our lunch. Then I heard her say "French dip" so I can only assume she was chasing up our order. Clearly the bloke in the kitchen has never heard of French dip if the look in his face was anything to go by. He looked like he didn't know what she was talking about, then slowly, the realisation that she actually wanted him to make one dawned on him. He looked positively horrified! He marched backwards and forwards almost beside himself with panic. She bought my burger, apologised for the wait and said Nicks sandwich was on the grill. Well it would have been if the cook could have yanked his head out from up his arse and calmed down. He eventually got his act together enough to produce the, much anticipated, sandwich.
Back on the road for the remaining couple of hours to Lone Pine. More semi deserted roads and miles and miles of dry arid land. Although we were both a bit disappointed the roads weren't quite so empty the landscape is still breath taking. It's so different to anything we'd normally see. To say it's so big is underselling it. It stretches out as far as the eye can see and has a way of making me feel almost insignificant on the grand scheme of things.
We arrived at the Dow Villa mid-afternoon. It's a nice little motel with a pool and spa tub. Flanked by Mount Whitney. The mountain landscape is so close and clear it looked super imposed. By the time we arrived I felt really ill. I've got a cough, I'm freezing one minute and sweating the next and I was so tired I could hardly walk. Now I'm prone to exaggeration but not this time. Not a good sign at all. As soon as we got in our room I laid on the bed, like a stiff turd, and that was where I stayed for a good few hours. In a desperate attempt to not be a complete party pooper I did eventually prize myself out of bed and shuffle off down the street to see what's what. I don't like it. That's what's what. It has one main street that is about 2 minutes long. The people are proper red necks. Bit skanky and they all look like they should all live on a trailer park. Maybe they do. Who knows? We stopped at a bar so Nick could 'blow the froth off a couple'. It had saloon doors, was full of men and smelled of damp. I suppose I might have been more inclined to look for more positives if I hadn't felt like a corpse. We had a couple of drinks and got talking to some people from New Zealand. They are doing their journey the other way around to us and their next stop was Vegas. They came out on the 1st September and go home on 25th October! While that initially sounds like a massive treat being away for that long, in reality it must be really hard work. We've only done a fraction of what they're doing and I've knocked my pipe right out.
I couldn't force myself to stay out any longer so we went to the weirdest supermarket for supplies. The stock was weird, if that's even possible, the staff were weird and it smelled funny. We grabbed up drinks, pitta bread and dips, seafood salad for that dirty git and some cinnamon rolls. We took our grubbage back to our room and sat in bed eating out little picnic while I introduced Nick to the wonder that is Murder she Wrote.
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