After a wonderful stay in the Big Texan Motel in Amarillo, we met some of the runners of another event who happened to be staying at the same motel.

They are called 'Run It Forward' and are running along route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles in 18 days. They are trying to promote health and fitness, especially among children in various underpriveleged areas.

They seemed to like our cause as we do theirs, and with a long road ahead of each of our teams, we took some photos and got back to our running once more.

Meanwhile, I had to take one of our vehicles to be serviced this morning by a very good crew of mechanics in Amarillo. Son and one of his employees, Stephen, hold the torch after servicing our Kiwi van. Greeny, our other runner support vehicle, was worked on there yesterday. Keeping up the 'infrastructure' is quite a task at times.

We left the Panhandle of Texas today and the air became drier and hotter. As we passed through the town of Fiona we met some very nice people from the company called MK which services major farm equipment in the area. They were very enthusiastic and even called the local newpaper, the Fiona Brand, to come and cover the story.

Along this highway we saw many very long trains, some with over 100 cars in tow. Airplanes and jets also flew overhead to the nearby Cannon Airforce Base.

Reaching New Mexico was a thrill as we now are entering the Four Corner States which begin to offer more and more natural splendours and enchantment. New Mexico, 'The Land of Enchantment', will be our 'home' for about three more days before we run through Santa Fe and up into the mountains of southwestern Colorado.

Having a foot in both states here it was hard to leave the vast and beautiful state of Texas, but we have to keep moving forward at the rate of 90 or more miles per day.

Running into a stiff headwind with temperatures in the 90's, or over 32C, made it difficult to do our 100 miles today.

The landscape is becoming sparse and dry and the wind sometimes blows out the torch flame.

But the flame of our own inner yearning to share harmony and peace with all those who greet us along the way keeps the torch moving along no matter how hot, dry, windy and dusty the weather may become.

This ranch is one of many cattle and horse ranches we pass along the way in the prairies as we head up to the high deserts.

With the scarcity of trees out here it was hard to find wood for the campsite tonight in case we wanted to have a good 'ole campfire, but Homagni found a nice log as he was running.

We found a good spot to camp at Sumner Lake State Park just before sunset.

It took a few girls to set up the tents in the stiff dry wind tonight.

The sunset was absolutely gorgeous with the perfectly shaped orange star that offers us all a source of light, heat and energy everyday on this wonderful planet.

The beautiful lake was serene as it offered a wonderful backdrop to our evening and a good place to meditate on the beauty of nature.

Out here in the dry and hot high desert exciting forms of vegetation, such as this blooming cactus, begin to appear.

As we ate dinner another life form surprisingly appeared out of the bushes...

A whole family of deer came quite close, probably because they were very hungry.

We're not sure if it is good to feed the wildlife here but these deer were very skinny and looked desperate.

As evening set in and dinner was over our new friends retreated to their place in the bushes as we also set up our sleeping quarters and enjoyed a peaceful night among the billions of stars which shine so much more brightly in the high open deserts of New Mexico. Sweet dreams...

 

---

Video Message from Dr. Davidson Hepburn, President (2009 - 2011) of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for 25th Anniversary of the World Harmony Run and a vision for the decade: "Toward a Oneness-World".

Full Text of the 25th annversary message and link to 25 language informal Translations: http://www.worldharmonyrun.org/25

or Click on language button for separate youtube videos wth sub titles in varous languages

See also:

• Youtube video on African experience which illustrates IYY slogan "Our Year Our Voice" International Year of Youth - Zambia World Harmony. They surprisingly mention Presidents and UN Secretary-General in a unique way!

• Listen to the World-Harmony-Run song: 2 min version // 6 min

---

See start of the International 25th Anniversary Celebration across from the United Nations at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in New York.

On 27th April 2012. in many cities around the world, special events marked the WHR 25th Anniversary

 View some  early highlights. The United Nations had proclaimed 1986 the International Year of Peace, and Sri Chinmoy wanted to offer a heartfelt and sincere expression of peace on a global scale. The opening ceremony, broadcast live on NBC-TV's The Today Show.. On April 27, 1987, five minutes of global television time was dedicated for the inaugural Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run with strong support from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the UN Secretary-General, celebrities Carl Lewis, Clarence Clemons and Narada Michael Walden, and thousands...Also includes Clips from Philippines; Sahara Desert, Morocco; Botswana; Scotland, Nepal, Russia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Ukraine, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Ethiopia, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Great Britain, Colombia, Bahamas, Hungary, Spain,  Mongolia, Czech Republic, Portugal, USA

– Arpan

---

Distance: 103 miles

Team Members:
Arpan DeAngelo (New York), Shobhavati Davies (New Zealand), Jana Duskova (Czech Republic), Tom McGuire (New Zealand), Katya Percheklii (Ukraine), Larissa Zub (Belarus), Matthias Eckerle (Germany), Priyala Carvalho (New Zealand), Dzmitry Kuzmich (Belarus), Daulot Fountain (Seattle)

Harmonemail:
You can send a message to the runners or read the messages.

Gallery: See more images!

< USA 22 May

USA 24 May >