Ollie woke me at 5A.M and suggested we go and get in the car, eat some breakfast and wait by a view point for the sunrise. Wrapped in our sleeping bags we sat and ate our cereal in darkness. It was still snowing and the sky was lost to heavy clouds that consumed everything around them. We walked over to ‘see’ the sunrise but it was no use. Although it was getting lighter, we couldn’t see the sun at all. What we did see though was pretty spectacular. Below us in the canyon clouds were slithering along silently. I was so excited to be above the clouds! Ollie said it was like we were mythical Gods looking down on the world. I had to agree, it felt just like that from on top of the rock. O.k. so we didn’t see the amazing view some people get to experience but we did get quite a unique one. Apparently it’s never normally this cold at the South Rim! We stayed until a bus full of Japanese tourists turned up and started getting in the way of the rangers trying to shovel the snow.
Back at our tent we packed up as quick as possible, folding it up in the mens toilets. Once again we were putting away a soggy plastic mess. Not wanting to get trapped up there we said goodbye to the English Cyclist and started our journey back to Flagstaff. Along the way we past even more new scenery including vast red dusty plains that looked like we were on Mars! I spent this time wondering what I would say to a Martian. It took us quite a while because of the driving conditions and then our fuel started to run out. We had been told to return the car empty as we had paid for the initial tank and I think we took them very literally! As we rolled into the airport, Ollie had his concerned face on. You know how he is with the petrol gauge! We cleaned up the car as best we could using wet wipes and the ‘smacking the seat’ technique.
It was only 10 A.M and we had until 3.30P.M when we would catch the bus. We caught a taxi into the centre of town and went in search of a clothes shop. When packing to go away neither of us had considered taking anything smart at all. Travellers didn’t need to dress well. We had forgotten Vegas though and there was noway walking shoes or flip flops were going to cut it in a place that thrived on over indulgent night life. So Ollie found a pair of shoes and so did I. He at least had a shirt with him but I had nothing at all. Oh what a shame! A new outfit for me...how utterly troublesome for me!!
I must mention here Ollie’s top moments of our road trip : -
3. Getting taken over by a snow plough because the EW was so useless in the snow.
2. Accidently driving into an exhibition at a small outdoor Navajo museum, having to do a u-turn in said museum and dragging dirt everywhere.
1. Driving up to a viewpoint with a sheer drop on the other side and shouting ‘Amy. The brakes!’. Then having to pull over so he could stop laughing while I tried tried to not cry.
At the bus station we were able to sit in the warm to wait and eat the leftovers of our three day road trip. A weird Macaroni salad and a tin of sweet corn it was then! But it didn’t matter, soon we would be on our way................VEGAS BABY!
7/10/11
Loved it
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