From Los Angeles to Flagstaff

Welcome to a brand new world : LA ! Not as bad as what I had imagined. A nice and friendly county, indeed, with its 88 cities which have their own identity : Marina del Rey and its thousands and thousands of boats, Venice with its artificial canals and its famous beach, Santa Monica with its pedestrian streets and its jazz clubs, Beverly Hills, where you can pretend to be Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman in front of the Beverly Wilshire hotel or on Rodeo Drive, Hollywood and its Walk of Famez where Michael Jackson's star has turned into a pilgrimage target and finally the old pueblo, the historical center of the city, a bit of Mexico in the middle of Los Angeles.

If heaven on earth could be in the Northern Rockies, hell could be somewhere around Barstow : imagine a small town in the middle of the desert, 35°C in the shade, except that there is no shade, so let's call it 45 or 50°C behind the carglass. A short break at Bagdad Cafe is more than appreciated, to get a cold drink and have a chat with Andrea, the tender.



"A desert road from vegas to nowhere
some place better than where you're been
A coffee machine that needs some fixing
In a little cafe just around the bend
I am calling you
Can't you hear me
I am calling you
A hot dry wind blows right through me"

First hours in Nevada, just for one night in Laughlin. I entered the casino of the hotel with 1 $ and went out with 1.5 $. 50% more, not bad, but I will have to find another way to get rich ;) At least I did not lose any money....

After Nevada, direction Arizona and ... Grand Canyon !!! When you are there it is easy to understand why it has become one of the 7 natural wonders in the world. So many incredible colours and shapes... It is hard to find the words to describe thi (and I won't try, it is getting late, and the day has been very long, it is time to go to bed)