So, what of the Grand
Canyon , I hear you cry! Well it was just a dirty great hole in the
ground. It was a bit like the Welsh slate tips really. Really?
Well, no actually; it was awesome
LOL
Just forget my rants of yesterday, as is so often the case I jumped in with
both big feet and got it so very wrong… I was up bright and early, hoping to
catch the sunrise there, just as I had done at Death Valley a couple of days
earlier but for some reason I must have been a bit slow packing my kit up and
as I was wild camping I didn’t want to risk leaving it set up. However, it was
still early enough to miss the bulk of the crowds and all but the earliest of
the tour busses. I had one small problem in that my right ankle was very sore
and a little bit swollen, plus I had a rather large blister on the big toe of
the same foot. I was damned if I was going to miss the opportunity of at least
a short walk around the rim, even if I couldn’t manage a full blooded hike, so
off I went. It is staggeringly beautiful even without the sunrise. As you move
around the rim the view changes second by second both with the viewpoint and as
the sun climbs a little higher. And there wasn’t a helicopter to be seen or
heard. I guess they send them further along so as not to disturb Grumpy Old
Men! I Managed to walk, or at least hobble, about three miles and then caught
the shuttle bus back to the car park. I must say credit where it is due; The
parks people have the network of shuttle bus routes well sorted, no matter
where you are or where you want to go you don’t wait more than about 15
minutes… and they are all free!
Once back at the visitor centre I
headed of to Desert View Point, and stopped many more times on the way for yet
more photos. If you want a rough gauge of just how good it is, I took about 400
photos. That’s good! I could have (should have) stayed at the Desert View camp
ground whilst I was there, it was only $12, but as it was still only lunchtime
I carried on until I met the Hwy89 at Cameron and turned north to pick up the
Hwy160 up to Tuba. Which is where I am now camped, in a rather strange RV site
behind a Quality Inn Hotel, which has just 6 tiny tent pitches for which charge
just $3 less than for a huge RV pitch ; $19 against $22! Oh well, at least I
had a fun evening talking and drinking beer with one couple who were towing
their Harley in a trailer behind their RV. Bob & Debbie where a delight to
spend an evening with. Meanwhile my ankle was getting fatter and fatter and
ever more painful. I suspect a touch of gout as I certainly don’t remember
knocking it or twisting it. I managed to scrounge a couple of strong Ibuprofen
from Bob to tide me over until I can get to a pharmacist in the morning ! So
tomorrow It’s on up the 160 towards Monument
Valley
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