Antigua, much like Oaxaca became a place that kept drawing us back like a magnet. Partly because we were awaiting respectable weather for climbing the nearby volcanic peak of Acatenango. Mostly because there was a lot of really tasty food.
The distance on the map didn’t look to be that far. Really, kilometre-wise it wasn’t. But how long it takes to get there can depend on which roads you drive on.
We promise. No more dilly-dallying. This is the one where we cross the border to Guatemala. Finally.
There comes a time in two perfectly reasonable people’s lives when they decide that driving cross-country to New York is a sensible thing to do. “Now wait a minute” I hear you exclaim “Aren’t you driving to Argentina? That is quite a lot further away from Alaska than New York and therefore a slightly madder thing to do!” I’ll grant you that the plan of driving to Argentina does sound a little crazy, but ultimately it comes down to a question of timeframes.
Our initial plan to take a detour south through Escalante—Grand Staircase National Monument was foiled—by torrential rain washing out Cottonwood Road. We formulated ‘Plan B’ when a couple we spoke to in Kodachrome Basin State Park motivated us to pay a visit to Capitol Reef National Monument. A quick look at a map showed an enticing looking road heading south through there, so we decided that would be the best route to take.
After the surreal landscapes of Utah, it seemed like an obvious choice to take a detour through Monument Valley. It turned out to be one of the most memorable drives of our journey so far.
Things have been pretty hectic with last-minute trip prep of late, but I decided it was well past time to start working through and publish some of the nearly written blog posts that have waited in the wings for a while. So here’s some more about Australia: Part two of our brief Australian excursion took us North to the Gold Coast to spend some time with family. Staying just inland of Surfer’s Paradise, we were treated to great hospitality, warm weather, dramatic thunderstorms, plentiful wildlife, golden beaches and abundant tropical rainforest.
Photo Friday—Southerly storm