Grand Canyon

During our trip to the USA over New Year we had the great chance to visit the Grand Canyon. Although it was a long ride through the desert, it was worth every minute. I have seen so many photos, videos, posters, but standing there in the early morning when the sun slowly creeps into the valley, it is simply different.

Of course I had my long-time partner and buddy with me, Tux, and he enjoyed it even more. The warm times in Joshua Tree National park are not good for penguins, so more icy outlooks around Grand Canyon were a real paradise for him.

While Masumi tried to enter the Canyon by walking down as far as she could, the rest of us were content by walking along the rim, exploring every possible outlook. In fact the stretch which was described as leisurely walk of 1.5h or so took us much more time, due to breaks, chitchatting, watching.

The path we walked covers the whole history of the earth crust, millions and millions of years. Along the path there are stones from the various layers – I think it is the only place where you can have gneis, granite, limestone, and about 30 other types of rocks that I never heard before, in one place, openly accessible.

Whenever you turn around a corner, every view into the Canyon and its sidewalls open up new, different, impressive vistas.

After meeting up again with Masumi we did a few more trips along the southern rim before setting of along the Desert View Drive for the Desert Point on the far eastern corner of the Grand Canyon, famous for nice sunsets and great view. And indeed, although it was biting cold a lot of people have accumulated there, and there was a reason. The panorama into the great wideness below us, all tinted in warm colors, is a memory I will not forget so fast.

Together with the colors in the valley, the sky also turned into an explosion of colors – all that with the clearness of practically no air pollution – how would I like to see something like this in Japan!

The longer we waited the more colors turned into a deepness even I with my color weakness was astonished to see. I somehow cannot imagine how normal-sighted people experience these colors.

When it was already dark around us we turned back to our Motel in Flagstaff, with our hearts full of new impressions. The awe I felt there inspires me to fight more and more for the preservation of our precious and endangered natural surroundings. Thanks a lot, Grand Canyon!