I was pretty stiff after three major hiking days ( a total of 17 hours hiking1), and there was still a lot of the valley I had not seen. Also, I just wanted to flop and be lazy with the tourists. Went to the village, and checked out the gift shops and museums. The Ansel Adams Gallery was nicely set up, but it didn't grab me. The museum had a nice video, but I would have appreciated a better presentation of the geology and history of the park. The Indian village was an unexpected bonus. It was quite fascinating to find the names and uses of the local trees and shrubs, and to see a sweat lodge, with a notice saying that entry was prohibited because it was still used by local natives on ceremonial occassions. Rented a bicycle. They refused to rent me a lock, saying that none was needed and I could just leave the bike whereever I wanted. Just like the idyllic childhood images, a kid riding his bike around without any cares, leaping of whenever he felt like, and just leaving the bike. The valley is quite an amazing area - flat meadows, many recently burnt, deer and coyote wandering around, free shuttle buses between all the tourist sites, and incredible views all around. Cycled to Mirror Lake, but it was all dried out. Saw a bunch of school kids having a lesson there - neat classroom! Ate dinner in the nic dining room at the Yosemite Lodge. Nice meal, but the Californian real estate lawyer at the next table was rather too talkative. It would almost have been better to dine alone and in peace!
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