+ Sandia Peak, NM

The altitude was a welcome respite from the stifling ABQ heat!




The La Luz trail is a much famed trail but much much longer ..










Our 2 mile hike led to the shell of an old stone cottage that once served as a hiker's resting point.




With an incredible sunset!

+ rancho produce

For an open air fruit and veg stand by the side of the road, they certainly had a very grand sign.


Ristras, I learnt, are arrangements of dried chili pepper pods hung just about everywhere as a decorative and food storage thing - in homes, restaurants, random fruit and veg stands.

+ Albuquerque, New Mexico

At the time, the heat and desert dryness of Albuquerque was overwhelming but now when I look over the photos, I see what a beautifully photogenic place it is. Skylines are spectacular and the pink-hued sunsets of the Sandia Mountains show why they named after the Spanish word for watermelon.



We went for a walk around Sandia Park, where Ben grew up and his parents still live - mostly dusty roads and huge tracts of land with a single house on each.


Looking east, all the way to Texas (maybe).



It was the only time during daylight hours where you could get a respite from the hot climate.



Evening primrose plants adorn the sides of roads, opening up their pretty yellow flowers at dusk.


Storms loomed in the distance, but never reached us.