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Sedona - view from Chapel Montezuma's Castle
I meant to update this much sooner - here I am back over a week now. What can I say...laziness pure and simple.

Phoenix was great fun - I'd go back if circumstances worked that way. (eg: doing the half marathon down there in January) But I could not see myself ever going there for the winter. I enjoyed staying downtown - the Budget Lodge was very clean and central and the price was definitely right for my "budget"!!! The public transit worked for me most of the time - loved their light rail - new, clean and very efficient. I was able to take it to and from the airport which certainly helped with costs. I could get a day pass for public transit which cost $3.50 - can't beat the price. Of course it meant sitting around waiting for busses but I am a patient person and it was no problem - I enjoyed chatting with the locals. Met all sorts.

I managed to get on a tour to Sedona which was really good. Except for the fact that one of the passengers yakked on her cell phone almost the entire trip - she was working so we had to listen to her blabbing away to different people. The driver mentioned something to her apparently but she ignored him. He said to me later he was too lenient - most drivers would have told her to quit. She even asked when we were having lunch as she was going to be on a conference call. I thought that was terrible - she should have let her husband and daughter go on their own rather than do that. I was embarassed for them - I'd have been mortified to be with someone like that. Her voice was generally low but then she would get louder - and in a ten seater van even when you are talking low everyone can hear you. Anyway aside from the stupid bitch yakking and everyone else straining to hear the driver talk it was a good time. We stopped at Montezuma's castle which wasn't Montezuma's and wasn't a castle. It was a home carved into the rock - very interesting. Sedona was pretty - surrounded by red rocks. Because I've seen a lot of red rocks I wasn't as blown away by it as most of the people were on the trip. Now that I've seen it that is enough - I don't need to go back. The town was a tourist trap - loads of stores. So I took advantage and bought some gifts - they do have some great artisans in Sedona so I did get some wonderful things. On the way back we stopped in Jerome a former mining town - loads of shops there too. We really didn't have much time there. I was the first one picked up and the last one dropped off as everyone else was at the resorts in Scottsdale. So a 12 hour day.

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