The Grand Canyon Galore…

People said, it is just a big hole in the ground, people said it is amazing….me? I had to see one of the Wonders of the World!

And I am sitting here trying to think how to tell you, thinking about going to get a dictionary to get new words to describe what I saw and what I felt today, walking the rim of the Grand Canyon. It was icy cold with a wind cutting through our layers of all the clothes we got, but not even that could dampen the beauty.

Our day started with paying the entrance fee for a vehicle of 25US$, parking the RV at a marked spot and then enjoying a movie about the Canyon at the Visitors Centre. We wanted to do a trail, and tried the Bright Angel, but the trail was frozen over and slippery for the first two miles down. The first skinny Chinese trying to go down landed on his butt, so we decided rather to stay. One slip for mankind....

Hopi House

We visited the Hopi House, with the little basket hanging in the door way. Johan left all his worries and sorrows in the basket before he entered the house, and while he was there the little silver bells helped all his sorrows blow away, and when he exit the house the basket was empty.

When I go home, I will hang a little basket for you, for when you come to visit me, you can empty your sorrows in my basket…

Never before were hot dogs so tasty than the ones we had in the restaurant. A fire place was burning and it was nice and cozy.

After lunch we took a shuttle to see if we can walk the Kaibab trail down the Canyon,

 but we were despondent when we met hikers just completed their hike after overnighting in the valley, geared with walking poles and metal traction under their walking boots. The trail is full of ice, and the cliffs are too close, just a slip of the foot… So with our ‘running shoes’ on, we decided that we have to come back one day, and I would love to come and stay deep down in the canyon for two days! We overnight in the RV Park, just outside the park, in the snow! It was a challenge to take The Walk to the restrooms in the early morning hours.

Marco didn`t feel the cold at all. He played in the snow, made balls, threw Joe with it, kicked the ice and,

and… It was Johan who was freezing and who was trying to find a sheltered spot in the sun.

Too soon it was time to go, and we enjoyed the shuttle cruising slowly around the rim route, dropping us at scenic spots until we reached our wheels.

We left the huge Canyon but still enjoyed the beautiful drive around the Canyon, visiting the Watch Tower, with a great view in Navajo style.

All the time Marco was looking out for the Condor!

This majestic protected bird with a wing span of 9ft and 6 inches was waiting for him at the Navajo bridge, playing underneath the bridge, giving him a show, while spreading those huge black wings! Thank you, thank you, thank you….