6th of October - Phoenix from Surprise to Apache Junction

No Garmin, Justin doesn't have something like it but he rode this segment. Ca. 60 miles through the City, not a lot of elevation but plenty of traffic and scorching sun, paired with over 100 (38 cel) degree heat.

I took meanwhile the car the lot behind our hotel belonged to an body shop and I talked to a guy back there over the fence. I had to climb on a heap of discarded air conditioners. But the guy told me to come around with the car. "It's always a pleasure to help a sexy Lady!" Weird, I never get that in my bicycle outfit, and he was pretty put off when he saw later that I was like a foot taller than he was. Anyhow he was just the help and the owner did come found a fitting screw or however that is called. Justin is very big on throwing technical terms around (only a shame that this doesn't yield much more than buying stuff, which will not solve the problem).

So I went on my way through Phoenix. I was here before and hated (looked at Scottsdale, where at least the Biltmore is great, it looks so good that I had a totally overpriced lunch there and considered a room some years ago, but it was in that category that makes me think that no place is worth more than 50$ an hour of which you spend most sleeping anyhow.)

So this time I went through downtown which is remarkably similar to Sacramento. Phoenix is not only the 5 th. biggest "city" in the US but the most stretched out as well. So if you have to drive for more than an hour to reach your downtown which doesn't even contain shops or restaurants, why would you bother.
Than I passed through Tempe which looked like small college town for several blocks and where there were actually cyclists - Justin loved it because they had bike lanes there. He is easy to please.
Finally I arrived Apache Junction where I tried the ugliest Motel 8 and than the Best Western of the map as well but they were just to expensive and stuffy as well. Leaving the best Western I saw a little forsaken Motel on the other side which I tried. The rooms were clean and reasonable
and it had Internet connectivity. When I checked in a fat couple came in as well, they were driven by a Police cruiser. They told me that the nice Policemen were driving them already for hours around but as they got only 50$ for the room probably from the city, they could not find a place to stay. Here they got a room for 50$, but they still needed 4.95 for the taxes, so I let the pretty strict Indian owner, who was a bit like Champa and scared as well as annoyed Justin, because he wouldn't allow the bike in the room, charge it to my card. They promised me to pay me back, whatever it will take. I am sure this will be pretty soon the case, they just need to have the money and than my name and address, easy!
But after all the talk, about the great depression all over again, they looked like straight out of a time capsule. How do the kids call them in San Francisco - Hobos.