Chicago overcast, Denver overcast and cold, Albuquerque warm and sunny but windy
Distance driven: 6 miles
Given the need for a relatively early departure, I was up at 7.10. I surprised the cafe staff by opting for a lighter breakfast than previously. I finished packing and headed down to reception to check out and to await arrival of the shuttle to the airport which I had requested for 8.30.
The shuttle arrived slightly early, and after a scheduled stop at a more expensive hotel nearby in the hope of additional custom (none was present), headed out on the main road to the airport. It made good progress and arrived at the airport with ample time to spare.
Check-in was swift but security proved somewhat tedious and involved, if thorough. I had read warnings that the X-ray scanners at US airports were not overly film-friendly and that while a single pass through them should cause no harm, multiple passes could potentially cause damage. I consequently tried carrying the films in my thigh pockets but these were sufficient to trigger the metal detectors, and each required individual attention in the explosive-sniffer.
There was a long wait prior to departure at the the gate for the 12.00 departure to Denver. A light snack was served on board the Boeing 757, while some rather unexciting programming was shown on the plane's TV monitors. We arrived at Denver around 1.30 local time (an hour behind Chicago), to find the local weather very different. Temperatures were barely above zero; indeed a day earlier the city had suffered a heavy snowfall. This was caused by a turbulent weather system which further east of the Rockies had been wreaking havoc in the form of record numbers of tornadoes, not to mention severe thunderstorms and heavy rain, and indeed would continue to do so for some considerable time.
With a quick change scheduled, I had time to purchase a light snack at Denver and then to wait at the gate for my onward flight down to Albuquerque. The Boeing 737-500 was late boarding for some reason, but subsequently made up the time in the hour-long flight south. This was somewhat turbulent at times owing to the weather conditions over the mountains, but Albuquerque proved to be in bright sunlight and pleasantly warm.
Having reclaimed my case, I took a shuttle bus to the car-hire depot, a combined site serving all companies operating from the city's ``Sunport'', as the locals called the airport. Having gone through the formalities with Alamo, I went outside to collect the vehicle and was surprised to find that I had a choice of vehicles. With a little advice I selected a Texas-registered Oldsmobile Alero, having previously driven a (slightly larger) Oldsmobile and liked it, and because its metallic gold colour might be a little more reflective of the desert heat than some of the other vehicles on offer.
It was a short drive along interstate I-25 to Albuquerque's Central Avenue, on which I headed west for a couple of miles until I reached my hotel, the Hotel Blue. This was an old Route 66 motel (previously the ``Downtowner'') which had been elegantly restored in an Art Deco style. I checked in to a comfortable first-floor (or second in the local parlance) room decorated with 1930s travel posters on the walls, and rested for a while, finding an episode of ``Friends'' on the television.
I went out later and walked towards the Old Town Plaza, a little under a mile to the west. This pleasant square was bounded on the north side by San Felipe de Neri church, an adobe building dating from 1706, its orange walls illuminated by the setting sun. Officially it was closed, but the caretaker was inviting an American couple to take a look around before he locked up and I joined them. The interior is a splendid example of the region's historic Catholic churches.
Around the square were various trendy art shops and places selling Native American items, while nearby was a rattlesnake museum. There were a handful of restaurants around, mostly Mexican or New Mexican. I chose to dine at the oldest of them, one named La Placita situated in a wood and adobe building dating from the same time as the church. The interior was cool and spacious, and I had an excellent meal of steak and enchiladas (stuffed corn tortillas with cheese and chilli). I returned the the hotel afterwards and, after attempting to clean a slightly dirty camera lens and making a few plans for the next day, went to bed at 11.20.