I do not know why but in my mind Joshua Tree was full of green even though I have never been there. The only other association was with U2 hit album so perhaps this is the source – Irish band from green Ireland and Joshua Tree. Green. Huh…

It is brutal. It is not as bad as I though it will be, but still brutal. Endless empty space of dry flat land surrounded by grey or yellow mountains on the horizon. A big rock here and there. Dry bushes, usually covered with strong, unbreakable needles. Don’t touch. Don’t try. Rattlesnakes and desert rats. +42C in shadow, between 10:30 and 4 p.m. just hide, away from trails. Somewhere, in your car, in shade of a rock, out of the park in a bar. Best to wake up for sunrise and do your things before it gets really hot. Then survive the worst and continue in the afternoon until it gets dark.

But there is magic too. Sunrises and sunsets with their warm orange colors and shadows on rocks, small life capable of surviving here – rabbits, mice, ants, birds. And stars. Similar to those we saw on Moorea. Campfires and simple camping life.

It is our first camping on the trip. We bought a lot of gear and now it fills our car up to the roof. Tent, mats, sleeping bags, stove, food, water. Lots of water. We are doing great here. I was afraid it will not work or the boys will complain all the time because no shower, basic bathroom, super hot, no Internet but no. We are doing great and it seems our plan for „camping US” is a good plan.