Temperature differences.

I checked the forecast for Arizona last week and it was favourable, when I landed in Phoenix on Friday it was a balmy 23C and that was at 10pm so I was looking forward to the next few days. However, when I started driving to Utah it was all uphill, up to over 7000 feet above sea level and the temperature dropped rapidly. This morning it was colder here than in Gwytherin so I am having emergency acclimatisation training and I should be OK by the time I get home.

I met some of the locals in Stetsons and beards yesterday and bid them a cheery good morning only to receive one of those stares that says "why are you talking to me?" and I thought all these members of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints would be happy clappy and full of welcome as were the crew who ran the visitor centre at Bluff Fort, from talking to them I found that more than 50% of the original Mormon settlers in that town were of Welsh ancestry mostly Jones and Williams.

Today was another tick off the bucket list, a visit to Monument Valley to feel the presence of the Duke, there are photographs of John Wayne in every tourist venue and in nearly every retail establishment. I had planned to explore on horseback but at £40.00 per half hour it was outside my budget, the guided tour I took instead with Will Cowboy of Spirit Tours was excellent, not only was he full of information but he took us places that the public cannot go on their own and he also sang us two Navajo travelling songs which will ensure my safe return home.