Grand Canyon - Glorious, Gorgeous, GRAND indeed!

I may as well be posting on Mountain Time (most of the Grand Canyon's time zone) instead of IST. So decided to make it easy with a picture post. But before you get to the pics, here's a serious suggestion. Please please DO VISIT natural wonders like the Grand Canyon before they get altered irreparably by Mother Nature. And be a RESPONSIBLE tourist. No, a piece of rock chipped off is NOT a good souvenir, your name painted on the walls is NOT a good memory, your plastic chips and pretzel bags or water bottles are certainly NOT appreciated there nor is the Grand Canyon responsible for your limbs and safety if you choose to climb over the fence to take a pic. Be good. Be serious. ENJOY the journey and DO WALK lots!

We started with the Zion Narrows, where you walk in water, and the two sides of the canyon move closer and closer and closer till we don't fit in (well, some earlier than others!) but do not touch!

Our first view when we started the trek

Wading through... it was shoulder high at the point we decided to return

Next stop was Toroweap! Its a not-often visited part of the Grand Canyon where the North and South rim are closest with the Colorado river cleaving its way between them. And your overlook point is 3000 feet above the river, remember its the Canyons! Its Red Indian territory and we had a blast remembering stories, talking about conservation and using the dry bathrooms (no, not a blast this!)

Our picture perfect entry to the Toroweap overlook

The Colorado doowwwwwnnn below

A friend clowning around!

And then a scene outta a disaster movie! We drove back REAL quick. 

Next stop the Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon. Some more hikes and funny trekker memories (But I shall stick to the pictures part!)

Slowly tiring out...in our defence, it was HOT!

And these cool parents strut by, baby in kelty, taking pics everywhere (shocking to us Indians!)

The Canyon vista behind

This BEAUTIFUL Angel Window far behind. Still brings goosebumps!

And one more day of trekking.... the picturesque Bryce Canyon next. The natural formations, called hoodoos, just took our breath away. The beauty of these formations is that they were not shaped by water, but by wind. Imagine how many millions of years 'wind' must've worked patiently to create these masterpieces. And my Tam friends, no we did not sing a la Aishwarya Rai in Jeans, no, not anywhere!

The beautiful hoodoos

Naturally carved

The Hand of Thor

At Sunset

The Grand Canyon is one of those places that'll come to your mind time and again, and again, and one more time! Its beauty is timeless, classic, a wonder. It lingers on and I hope to return.... one day!


ps: We had a HAIR RAISING ghostly drive back to Vegas really late in the night. More on that some other time.