19/06/13

On tour bus driving through Mohawk Valley en route to Yuma.

‘En Route’, 2 groovy French words meaning ‘on or along the way’.

Derek’s on the road again wearing different clothes again, so sung Manfred Mann and his amazing earth band back in the 70’s. Well here’s another song. ‘Don’t go down to Tuba city baby, they got 2 time zones and no beer’. Have I got the blues, you’re damn right.

Ok Boys and girls we are coming to the end of week 2 and the journey continues, we have cut the umbilical cord from the bus and are out on our own for the next 2 days. First stop is Durango where we couldn’t find the kid but we did rent a Ford Econoline.

First stop is Four Corners Monument where you can be in Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona all at the one time. Jamie is no stranger to this sensation as he is used to being in a few states all in one day.

We drive west on the 160 briefly stopping at Baby Rocks to shoot a video for ‘In A Broken Promise Land’ then head north for Monument Valley, where the earth meets the sky. Home of the Navajo and in the words of the great John Wayne ‘God’s treasure’.
It’s hot, it’s sticky and my scrotum is painfully trapped between my buttocks and perineum. I desperately need to get of the Econoline and adjust myself. We have all seen the pictures of Monument Valley a thousand times but you have to be there in person to witness the panorama.

It’s getting late so we head back on the road, destination Tuba City Arizona. We arrived at the hotel around 21.00 hours yet when I walked over the street to the truck stop it was nearly 22.00 hours. Arizona does not observe Daylight Time, though the Navajo reservation does. In practice the town is a bit varied on this time zone thing, tribal offices and schools observe daylight savings time while most businesses do not. This is a fantastic excuse for being late for the bus next morning.

I ask the big guy behind the counter with the Mohawk where I can get a beer. He tells me it is not allowed in town and if we are caught drinking alcohol then we are likely to be thrown in jail for the night.
Sod it; I’ll go to Denny’s

That is all.