Driving towards Flagstaff, the elevation increases and the climate becomes cooler with more green. The weather is still very dry, but the landscape is filled with pine trees and rolling hills. It was like an escape from the oven hot Phoenix, from hell to paradise.
Grand Canyon South Rim is essentially a huge tourist trap. I have been here before when I was young, with a tour group from Taiwan. It was one of those tours where you spend more time on the bus than off the bus. The joke was “Sleep on the bus, pee off the bus”. This time, I was a free man. Free to go wherever I want, free to stop whenever I want, free to pee when and wherever I want.
Things have evolved since for the better. Most national parks in the area now have their own public transport where tourists just ride the buses to different spots of the park as opposed to driving causing traffic jams. Grand Canyon adopted this system which is surprisingly convenient. No long waits, air conditioned and comfortable bus with friendly drivers. Best of all, it’s free.
There’s nothing much to be said about Grand Canyon. It explains itself. Basically, it’s a big-ass crack on planet Earth. However, the canyon start to look the same no matter which angle I admire it from, and before long, I thought I am done with the place.
Nonetheless, it is the experience of being able to feel something as awesome as this in person. The sense of scale is indescribable. It changes one’s perspective about his existence on this planet. Basically, I felt like an ant standing on the edge of a tile crack.
Leaving the park, I didn’t realized that the hotel, in the town of Hurricane, was a good 5 hours away. So we drove, and drove. It was pitch black. There’s thunder storm in the far and the sky was constantly being lit with lightning flashes. That’s when we can, occasionally, get a glimpse of what’s around us at the moment. Then we came across a bridge and realized how amazing the stars are. There was no one around. We knew we were in the canyon, far from anything. So it was time for some night shots. This was the first night shot I took during this trip, so it was more like a warm up for me.
What awaits down the road was my kind of dish. Twisty mountain pass. Having never been in the area before, I had no idea where I was, what’s around me and what’s coming next. The car turned, climbed and accelerated. Then it rained and the road was wet. Going through the mountain pass trying to make up for lost time in the rain when high-beam wasn’t really much of a use, it was more than exciting. Oh, and there were deers all over the woods that I had to watch out for.
Finally, we arrived at Hurricane. We survived the night and looking forward to another day of adventure.
Moar photos HERE!!
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