I have finally managed to sort through most of the hundreds and hundreds of photos taken on our trip and the albums are now online - 16 of them, one for each place and the link to each is a little further down. First I would like to say three things:
- The best way to view all entries and photos related to the trip is to go to the Archives section on the right of this page and click on the August 2005 archive. This will display everything on the one page.
- For those of you who are more comfortable with French, Remi has also kept a blog of our trip and you can access it by clicking here.
- Unfortunately, Blogger does not allow you to automatically open the links in a new window. For those of you who are a little less techno savvy, if you wish to view the albums without leaving the blog itself (since that's where all the links are!!), place your mouse above the link, right click, and select "Open in New Window". That's it, that's all!
Now, for the photos, please click on the following links (or do as stated just above :P) :

Boston Day 1
Boston Day 2
Prescott to Sedona
Sunset Crater, Wuptaki and the Grand Canyon
Montezuma's Castle and Montezuma's Well
Petrified Forest and Painted Desert
Meteor Crater and Walnut Canyon
Grand Canyon
Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley
Antelope Canyon
Lake Powell
Bryce Canyon
Zion to Vegas
Las Vegas
Saguaro National Park and Sonora Desert Museum
Sedona

When looking at the photos it is interesting to note the differences in rock formations and colour between each place. I hope that you get even an inkling of the beauty we were lucky enough to witness! Happy viewing :)

Remi and Tash tripping out at the Chapel in Sedona

Shooting at Sedona

On the boat to Lower Antelope Canyon

A blurry shot of Tash and guide in Antelope Canyon

How a lot of the beautiful photos came to be

Wanted for crunchy nut bar theft

Amazing skies

Trailing in the Grand Canyon

Back in Montreal it's raining and the heatwave finally seems to be over. A friend told me that it even got down to 10 degrees while we were away. I'm really freaking out about France but also glad that I don't have to relive another harsh winter here. We stepped into our apartment yesterday and it looked like a bomb had exploded right in the middle of it. Total recall of how hectic the last couple of weeks were before we left for the States, what with my last days of work, my birthday, last minute plans for the trip etc. we didn't really have time to take care of the domestic side of things. So now it's back into overdrive trying to get organised for the big move and packing things for Catherine to bring back for us when she leaves for France this afternoon since she has a pretty huge baggage allowance compared to what we will have. So we're packing all our Quebec winter gear... scarves, boots, gloves, hats, coats, plus photos and whatever else will fit.
This is my last weekend in Montreal! *sniff* I'm having a bad flare-up since the night before we left Phoenix, probably a symptom of my internal panic at what lies ahead. I swear I just spent 3 weeks hearing nothing but negative things about France, especially the elitist society that it is and how hard it is to find work or break out of pre-defined moulds. We will see what the future holds I guess, but from what I've seen since leaving Sydney, Australia really is the lucky country!
Yesterday we bought my TGV (very high speed train in France) ticket to Lyon where I will be welcomed by Remi's mum. So it's off to Paris Friday night, arriving Saturday morning, then boarding a train to Lyon a couple of hours later. We still don't know if we have managed to secure a studio apartment in Toulouse, so fingers crossed.

I have just added about 10 posts to catch up on the rest of our trip. It had to be so due to time constraints on the road and lack of internet access most of the time. In an hour and a half we will be heading to Phoenix airport to start our journey back *sniff*.
Back in Montreal we will no doubt be sorting through the hundreds of photos taken and assembling our online photo albums so stay tuned!

Tarantula sighting at Sedona

Sedona

Today was our last day of sightseeing and adventure since we all decided that tomorrow being our last day in Phoenix we would veg out by the pool and do not much at all aside from perhaps visit Scottsdale between about midday and 2 when the heat is too unbearable anyway. So today we finally set off towards Sedona and we got the perfect weather for it. It was a pretty easy day of drives and scenic points. We also stopped for ice cream and strolling in the little shopping village called Tlaquepaque which is built to look like a Mexican village. The highlight in Sedona turned out to be the chapel on Chapel Rd. Not only is the chapel a sight to behold but the surrounding views are fantastic. I spent quite a bit of time there lying on my back staring at the great flawless blue sky with my arms outstretched towards the heavens to feel the wind. After the chapel we happily set sail back for Phoenix (after spotting the above tarantula right by our car), another successful adventure. We made it back by about 7.45 and the girls jumped in the showers since we were to be meeting Gael and Jesper for dinner. Instead they showed up at the
front door so the boys sat around drinking beer and playing poker for a while before we
headed off to Scottsdale for some Mexican food at El Torito. Very yummy but very big portions! Now we're off to bed... I'm not looking forward to going back home to Montreal and being confronted with the new life creeping up on me way too fast and all the goodbyes and being separated from my Remi for a month or more. Courage!!

Oh the pretty kitty

Sonora Desert Museum

Remi and I woke up this morning and headed straight for the pool where we met some lovely nuns on holiday. We soaked up some rays and headed back in for breakfast after which we packed our lunches and headed for Tucson (2 hours South) where we planned to visit Saguaro National Park. Unfortunately when we got there it turns out they had had some severe thunderstorms the day before too and most of the park was closed. We decided to visit the Sonora Desert Museum instead. Great choice. Highly recommended. It's an outdoor museum so you really have to suffer a lot of the desert heat but it's well worth it and they provide refrigerated water fountains and some shady rest areas along the way. The museum presents the geology of the area, a true to life reproduction of caves, the reptiles, insects, birds, and mammals of the area, as well as grasslands vegetation and a cactus garden... Hmm come to think of it, when you list it like that it really doesn't do it justice. Go see. We absolutely loved it and had a great day. we had only left ourselves 2 hours and a bit to visit the Museum since it closes at 5 and Catherine's guide said to set aside 2 to 3 hours for it. I'd say you really need at least 3 hours to do it properly but more like about 4.5.

New York New York at crazy crazy Vegas

Phoenix

Sunday we left Vegas around midday and drove all afternoon to get to Phoenix by about 7 pm. We had figured on about a 5 hour drive but that was before we met some really severe storms head on. We drove through lightning storms, very heavy rain and hail and very strong winds. At times it was really scary but we made it, though we did see one car perched on its roof by the side of the road with its two occupants sprawled in the grass not too far away. We didn't stop because 3 or 4 cars already had and we figured it was under control. We crossed the police cars a little while later.
We moved into the split level condo that is our home until Thursday when we head back for
Boston. The apartment is very nice and very well furnished, even the French were really
impressed and that's saying something! :)

Water falling at Zion

Zion National Park / Las Vegas

We almost skipped Zion because we had such a busy schedule. Lucky for us we made an effort to squeeze it in because it's really worth seeing... the most beautiful landscape that we saw there was actually on the road leading from the entrance to the park to the visitor center. We didn't really have time to discover the park in its entirety though. I believe that even without a lot of the hikes the visit takes a full day. We only managed to squeeze in a 1 hour hike to the lower emerald falls - one of the easiest hikes you can do there.
We left Zion to head for Vegas. Crazy crazy Vegas. That city is crazy insane and though I can't imagine ever going back there, in retrospect I'm glad I got to see it and experience it. Everything in that city is geared toward excess and temptation. We headed into the heart of it all to find our hotel which is no easy task in a city that is full of them, each as grand and picturesque or tacky as the other. We finally settled into our rooms which were very spacious, well fitted and clean - we got an excellent deal in fact. Again on Priceline, we managed to get 2 $200 rooms for $65 each. we dumped our stuff and made a beeline for one of the resort pools, sunning and swanning until we had enough appetite to take in some food and the Vegas scene. We decided to sample an Indian restaurant we had read great reviews about in a local tourist magazine. We figured since it was so far from the strip it was bound to be good and we were all hungry for a great tasting meal after being on the road a few days and mostly having to eat a lot of crappy food. The Indian place lived up to its reputation and we left full and satisfied. We then decide to head down to the strip for some sightseeing. We had the great idea of taking the car down there - really not a smart thing to do... traffic crawls when it's not at a complete standstill for ages. We managed to get out of there, take a detour, and park the car near Fashion Show Drive (or on it, I'm not sure) in the Macy's carpark. Our first goal was to catch the Pirate show at Treasure Island but we figured since the next session was an hour away we had some time to explore. We ended up at the Venetian, past the gondolas and into the Casino to try like hell to figure out how the game of Craps actually works. The attendant had a really hard time with me because I really had no clue so they all just ended up having great fun at my expense until I finally understood that 7 is always a losing number no matter where the puck is at. Go figure. Still not really clear on how it all works, we decided to go back to the pirate show which should be starting about 15 minutes later. No chance, the place was packed and you couldn't see anything. Disappointed, we left and decided we would come back for the last session at 11.30 pm but with about 40 minutes advance to guarantee a spot. We figured by then that walking up the strip was a good idea and by coincidence we witnessed the eruption of the volcano which was kinda umm... lame.
When you walk down the strip, apart from being blinded by all the lights, shoved by all the Saturday night Vegas crowds sporting yard cocktails and whatnot, subliminally lured into every dingy half arsed casino on the way promising in a soothing 1984-like voice to "fulfill all of your wildest dreams" amongst other things, there are the people - men and women - handing out cards. The same kind of cards you would get in Sydney, advertising the latest theme night at the local night club, except in Vegas these cards are stripper/prostitute business cards. When you come back through later in the night, the footpaths are littered with topless women with their
legs spread. In passing, I have no idea what incites people to bring children to Vegas.
We got a fair way up the strip when we realised we were too far from the pirate ship to make it back on time to get a spot for the show. We decided it was high time to head to Caesar's Palace, the place to be. It is HUGE. Actually, even HUGE is a gross understatement. We stepped into the casino and Remi and I spent a long time watching people at the roulette table. Minimum bet was $25 so we didn't play but were quite sick just watching others blow ridiculous amounts of money. Average earners would just waltz on up to the table, casually place a hundred dollar note on black, only to watch red win. Without even winceing they would just walk over to the next table and probably do the same kind of thing. Crazy. Everything is geared to make you spend and gamble. You can't sit in the casino unless it's at a slot machine or a gaming table. We don't really have a budget for gambling at the moment but we decided to get into the spirit of things anyway and put a few dollars in a 5 cent slot machine. So we can officially say we won a dollar
in Vegas. What we were stoked about though is the free drinks. You basically get free drinks so long as you keep playing. I was sitting at the slot machine and at the time the 3 others were just standing around me for support, and we all 4 got free drinks - Margaritas for the drinkers and coke for me. Crazy huh?
When we finally left the casino we walked through some of the Palace's galleries. More illusion there. The ceilings are painted blue with white clouds so you think it's a lot earlier than it is and you actually have no concept of time while you're in there. All the shops are designer and open till about midnight, I suppose for those who win and want to spend their loot as quickly as possible.
After the Palace it was back onto the strip, heading to the Bellagio. By the time we got there we were completely zapped and dead tired. Vegas is a culture shock coming from anywhere, but especially after two weeks in full nature visiting national parks. It was all too much for me. Oh another thing... In America you have little vending machines for newspapers by the side of the roads in the big cities. In Vegas those vending machines don't sell newspapers, they sell porn mags.
We headed back to the car which took ages because we had got a lot further than we thought, the strip being so long. We got back to the hotel and collapsed into bed. The next morning we had a real American huge breakfast at a place that was recommended to us at the hotel, and then it was the last stretch of the strip that we hadn't seen yet... the MGM lion, New York New York, Paris, the pyramid and sphinx... I think Vegas is the only place in the world where you can visit Venice, Paris, NYC, Egypt, the volcanoes, Monte Carlo, all in the same 3 mile radius.
And now we were leaving it all behind to head back to Phoenix. To really do Vegas properly you need a few days and a lot of cash to blow but as I said, I doubt I will ever be going back there again.

Dodging the storms at Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Into Utah! Land of the Mormons! We set off at 8.30 for what we thought would be a 4 to 5 hour drive but only ended up being 3. A while back we had booked at Ruby's Best Western Inn but this area gets booked up so fast at this time of year that we were only able to secure ourselves 1 room with 2 king beds so we're all sleeping in the same room tonight. Us girls in one bed and the 2 boys in another. Ruby's Inn is huge and to me it seems quite sci-fi. It's got everything rolled into one stop, even a Chevron petrol station and a laundromat. We tried to check in on arrival at 11.30 but were told we had to come back at 4 because even though check-out time is 11.30 they have about 350 rooms that all need cleaning (!!!). We decided to eat some lunch and go visit the Canyon.
Bryce Canyon got its name from Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon settler who built his cabin in the canyon and who also supervised the construction of the oldest Mormon church ever built. Our visit was punctuated by periods of rain and a lot of cloud the rest of the time, but we still got to experience the canyon's beauty first hand and it's definitely a sight to behold. We were all just very sorry that we're so unfit because the hiking trails must be quite spectacular. We got a taste of those in the 20 minute movie viewing at the Visitor Center. Bryce Canyon reminded me of a majestic place of worship, a nature made cathedral with an abundance of gothic spires. Apparently it's a great place for star gazing but unfortunately we chose the wrong time of the year for that!

Squeezing through Lower Antelope Canyon on Lake Powell by boat

Antelope Canyon / Lake Powell

Thursday morning Remi and I woke up early because our main goal for that late morning was to visit Antelope Canyon but we found out late the night before that the Canyon is on Navajo Reservation and is sacred so you can only visit with a Navajo guide. Follows then the mad scramble to find a tour that wasn't completely booked out and that would allow Remi the time and space to take photos. We finally found Antelope Canyon Slot Tours because the others were full and I couldn't face Remi's disappointment. We struck it lucky! We later saw that all the other tours would bring 6 trucks in at once with each truck carrying about 15 passengers. We got separated for our tours - 3 of us were going on a 1 hour tour of the Canyon and so it was just us and our guide. Remi got taken with his photographer group - about 6 people in total - with another guide. We got the best deal actually because we were very small group so the experience was much more intimate, but also because our guides knew the rush hours and timetables of the other tour groups and were thus able to work us in in between so we didn't get the crowds. It was amazing. Antelope Canyon is not to be missed, especially if you love photography (in this case a tripod is a must) - running my hand flatly over the canyon walls was an experience in itself. I think you will be amazed by the photos of this place.
Our guide also informed us that even though the Navajo have a power generating station, they do not have running water or electricity on the reservation!
I got back from the tour ready for a nap so opted for bathers and swimming pool for an hour while waiting for Remi to get back from his tour so we could all go out for lunch.
Lunch was good old American cooking at R.D's Drive-in. Very good, so if you're in Page, stop by but don't order the medium sized milkshake. I broke my rule of only ever ordering small in America (because everything is so huge) and regretted it because I struggled to even get halfway through.
3 of us had booked an afternoon cruise on Lake Powell to discover Lower Antelope Canyon, the part of the canyon you can only discover via the water or a pretty difficult hike involving 75ft ladders (!!). We dropped Remi off at the beach and set off to the marina. The cruise started badly since we barely made it out of port when they decided the boat was not mechanically sound and we had to go back and switch vessels. I was completely stressed by this because we had already left late and now we would be getting back much later with no way to warn Remi that we would be late to pick him up and him stranded in the middle of nowhere with thunderstorms rolling in very fast. We switched boats and when we made it to the Canyon I managed to forget my stress. Unfortunately the pictures don't really capture it but it was so surreal and serene and at times I had no idea how such a big boat was managing to fit through the very narrow canyon corridors. Kudos to the boat's captain! We made it back to base just before the storm hit us on the boat, we raced back to pick up Remi who was really not very happy because he had long run out of water, got hungry, had to shelter himself from rain and storms in a little poor excuse of a shelter next to the toilet block :/
Then it was back to the hotel for showers and off to town for Italian at Stromboli's which had been recommended to us but of course I picked the wrong thing on the menu and hence really didn't enjoy my meal though Remi's pizza looked pretty good. And then back to the hotel for another bout of packing before another action filled day!

Taking in the view at Canyon de Chelly

Canyon de Chelly / Monument Valley

We set off early for a long day with a lot of driving ahead. Our first stop was to be Canyon de Chelly, then onto Monument Valley before proceeding to Page where we would spend the first of two nights. All the places on our itinerary today are deep in Navajo country and it's our first real experience of Indian reservation life which to us seems quite squallid. Though the scenery and landscapes are harsh, they are beautiful and oftentimes breathtaking... especially the road between Chelly and Monument Valley - or should I say between Chinle and Kayenta. Coming into Canyon de Chelly National Park you are greeted with Indians selling jewellery and paintings along the side of the road. We spoke to some really lovely people - I should mention our experience of the Navajo so far is that they are very lovely people and open to conversations but up till we visited Canyon de Chelly the ones we had spoken to seemed reluctant to speak about their people or their way of life. At Chelly they were different, friendly and open and willing to explain and talk and to top it off we got some beautiful pieces of jewellery at fantastic prices you wouldn't dream of getting in the shops. Remi bought me some silver bracelets and we both got our mums a present each :) Now as for the Canyon, it was nowhere near as picturesque as the Grand Canyon but we both absolutely fell in love with it. There was a real emotional pull we had or have not felt anywhere else on our trip and so far it is the highlight of our trip. The Grand Canyon is so AWEsome that it's overwhelming. Canyon de Chelly was like a cool smooth breeze over your soul. We spent longer there than we planned and then set off for lunch - unfortunately not much choice for that in Chinle so we had to stop at Burger King. Then it was onward through remarkable desert scenery and patches of very heavy rain and thunder to Monument Valley. Unfortunately when we got there there had been so much rain the roads were washed out and so they had to close off access to the public. We were only allowed access to the Visitor Center area but from there you should get a perfect view of the main monuments and to be honest the scenery we were faced with up to that moment in the day made me quite blase about Monument Valley. It's beautiful like every other National Park around here and it's worth seeing but it's not something I would rave about. Actually come to think of it, I don't think Monument Valley qualifies as a National Park in the US because it's actually Navajo territory and run by the Navajo who protect it and lay down the rules.After the Valley it was time to set off to Page to rest our weary bodies. A couple of hours and a lot of heavy rain later we finally arrived at our destination, the Days Inn Lake Powell. No complaints there except for our two friends were supposed to have a room with two beds (one each) and instead they got a king size bed and a lousy sofa bed that looked very uncomfortable. Coming into Page at night in heavy rain is interesting because all you see is a huge heavily lit factory that looks more like the Spaceship Enterprise... it's really quite impressive when all around seems to be drowned in darkness. We found out the next day that it is in fact the Navajo Generation Station which is set by the Glen Canyon Dam and supplies/sells electricity to a lot of California and Arizona, and I think also Nevada. The next day we also found out about Church Row which is an odd street filled with churches and chapels of all sorts of denominations: apparently when Page was built they offered free land to churches and to boot they guaranteed no taxes for life, so of course everyone wanted a piece of the action!

Feeling pretty Zen

Grand Canyon

We couldn't have hoped for a better day given the monsoon season. We set out early - 7 am - to tackle the 2 hour drive and get to the Canyon as early as possible in case the storms hit around 3 pm. It was raining in Flagstaff and indeed the sky remained grey all the way up to the South Rim entrance. About half an hour after we got there though, it was clear the jumpers were coming off and the nasty little canyon bugs were biting so it was set to be a hot and sunny one. Those bugs, by the way, they don't talk about in any of the tour books. They are nearly invisible but you will feel their sting and see them on your clothing. Tiny little orange bugs. I think the more you sweat and the more it swelters, the more they bite because the easier it is to spot you by smell. I am not sure if Aerogard type spray helps protect you against these, all I know is sunscreen doesn't and the bastards can drive you quite mad. But I digress... so back to the Canyon.
We did a couple of the first lookouts before heading off to Hermit Road to catch the shuttle. Hermit Road is closed to all private vehicles except if you're handicapped and you apply for a special permit. You therefore either have to get a Pete Harvey (I think??) tour bus - not recommended, or the shuttle bus, or even hike. We got off the shuttle at the first lookout, got back on the next shuttle for the second lookout, but decided to hike the rest, a very easy and pleasant hike as long as you're not scared of heights or susceptible to suffering from vertigo, because there's no guardrail and at some points it's just sheer cliff next to the path. Remi and I are the sociable ones of the group, so we chatted to quite a few people on the way and ended up spending most of the hike with an Italian couple who were very friendly. We also spotted a lot of
beautiful birds on our walk and were lucky enough to have a condor fly over us very closely twice at one of the lookouts. I say lucky because there are only about 50 condors in the whole Grand Canyon now according to what I have read.
We finished off our visit at the same place we first saw the Grand Canyon - Desert View. This time though we got to visit the Watchtower which has great views and is painted throughout by a Hopi artist with traditional motives which you will surely see later when the photos are online. As we drove off with the sunset to our left, the clouds and thunderstorms rolled in and we headed back to Flagstaff for our last dinner in the rented house. Then it was packing and organising for an early departure the next day!

Meteor Crater panorama

Meteor Crater, Walnut Canyon

Today we set off at a leisurely pace towards Meteor Crater. Our hostess Helena had arranged for the boss there, a friend of hers, to get us in for free. We got there and expected that he would just wave us through once we told him we had been sent by Helena.
Instead, it was an extremely warm welcome. He practically hugged us when we got there, ushered us through, introducing us to all the staff as he went "These are my friends from Quebec" like we were VIPs from Hollywood. He gave us the guided tour up to the theater
room where he left us to watch a 10 minute introductory film which I really enjoyed. Then we were supposed to set off with a tour group led by "Bob" but we got to the first lookout outside, he started his shpiel, and everyone got a bit spooked by the fast approaching lightning so off we went back inside and out to the undercover observatory points for our lecture which, again, I found extremely interesting. I didn't know, for instance, that Australia had about 4 or 5 meteor craters and at least 2 of them are massive.
After the talk it was back inside to give Eduardo (our friend the boss) an update on where we were at in our visit, then it was on to the museum portion. A visit cut short when lightning struck out all the power and the lights went out. By the time we left, it was pouring rain but the schedule we had set ourselves meant we still had to visit Walnut Canyon. We wanted to picnic there but ended up eating in the car because the rain was too heavy. Remi and John did the steep hike down and back up. I wasn't allowed to go because of my knees and Catherine opted out so I had company while waiting for them. I was really worried about Remi dying out there because the lightning was very close and in these wide open spaces it's a very real danger. Luckily he got back to me safe and sound though a little worse for wear - the descent is 200 ft, mainly steps which of course you have to walk back up to return. Also, apparently the walk itself was pretty challenging due to the slope and the altitude and they had set off without water! I don't think I need to stress that that is a big no-no in these parts even when it is raining.
The evening was spent preparing for the next two days expedition: laundry, cooking for picnics, etc. Tuesday itinerary: Grand Canyon and pray for sunshine.

Stormy skies over Painted Desert

The beauty of Petrified Forest is not in the petrified wood. If the visit had just consisted of petrified logs laying on the ground, we would have gone away rather disappointed. Instead, we started seeing some pretty landscapes at Crystal Forest so our appetites were wetted by the time we made it to Blue Mesa. Unfortunately with a pending storm and 1 hour to closing time with still a fair amount of ground to cover, we couldn't do the 1 hour hike down into the Mesa. Newspaper Rock held other treasures we had been looking forward to seeing: the petroglyphs. And then, the piece de resistance... Painted Desert. I had no idea that I should be expecting a Painted Desert at Petrified Forest so I was stunned when I got one and in awe of its beauty. Amazing lightning storms swirled around us all day but we were graced with sunshine and Remi got to take a couple of great lightning shots from afar.

Get your kicks on Route 66...

Today Gael was arriving at midday and so 3 of us had planned to visit the Northern Arizona Museum in the morning since Remi was not interested in attending. It turned out to be the perfect plan since it rained and stormed pretty much all morning. The museum was surprisingly large and very informative. I found out a lot about Indian day-to-day living in these parts and the migrations from Mexico etc. For me who loves North American Indian jewellery it was also great to finally learn the difference between the different main types from this region: Zuni, Navajo and Hopi. I can now tell them apart! :)
We went back home for lunch and after some lazing about, chatting and eating, we decided it was the perfect afternoon to check out the historic town of Flagstaff. That wasn't very thrilling but John got to do a bit of souvenir shopping, Remi bought a great Swiss knife at a great price in the local surplus shop, and we all enjoyed a yummalicious cuppa at a local eclectic cafe that was cheap, yummy and full of personality but unfortunately I don't remember its name. I think it's Macy's on Beaver Street.
The evening was marked by card games, barbecue and chatting until about 11 when it was time to turn in, in preparation for the next day's trekking! :)

Montezuma's Castle

Friday was a bit of a non-event. We set out to see Lake Mary and Mormon Lake on the way to Sedona. The lakes were less than impressive, in some areas they even just looked like swamp. Our hostess had suggested we could swim there which was in fact why we made the excursion, but no you can't swim there unless you want to come out with diseases. We then got completely lost and missed all the Sedona turn-offs ending up much further South than we intended. We saved the day by visiting Montezuma's Castle and Montezuma's Well at Camp Verde.
Montezuma's Castle is a pueblo set high up into the rocky cliff. It was built and inhabited by the Sinagua people ('Sin Agua' is Spanish for 'without water'). It is thought that they built their houses facing South to make the most of the sunshine during the winter months. The pueblo was accessed using ladders and within it they moved from storey to storey also using ladders. The lower level was used for storage, I guess because it was cooler. This pueblo housed a community of 30 people.
Montezuma's Well is a natural well caused by erosion that made the rock sink in. The people then built an irrigation canal to feed their crops. The well is completely leech infested and populated with gorgeous little turles. We took the trail that brought us all the way to the bottom to the outlet. Remi had the bright idea of putting his head in the water and came out with a small leech on his cheek. Yuck.
On the way back we should have swung by Sedona but again we missed all the turn-offs and ended up 10 miles away from Flagstaff. Add to that the pouring rain and Remi's headache, we decided to go home.
That night after dinner, we set out for a stroll. Halfway up the street Remi decided we should go for a drive to a lookout to try to take pictures of the stars. We drove up to Lowell's Observatory and while we were setting up the tripod the police pulled up and asked nicely if we could please leave because the Observatory people did not like people being up there at night. They were nice enough to let us stay a few minutes to take a few photos but as soon as we realised we were encouraging more cars to stop, we left. The policemen had also recommended we drive up to Mount Elden lookout to see the view from up there. What they didn't tell us was that it was a 45 minute drive on dirt road with hair pin bends and deep ravines on the side. The Hyundai's headlights don't seem to light up the sides of the road so it was a bit of a frightening experience. Add to that Remi and John had started spooking us all with serial killer references. When you pass a run-down blue pick-up truck parked on the side of a deserted mountain road, you wonder where the guy is burying the body. I was completely spooked and by the time we made it to the top, there were no lights, you couldn't see anything ahead of you and I was completely stressed out. On the way back down though we were able to laugh about it, though the blue pick-up spooked us just as much the second time as the first. All in all, though it wasn't the perfect day, we had a most excellent adventure.

Awe-inspiring and it's not even the Grand Canyon ;)

Yesterday we set out to Sunset Volcano Crater, a crater that has been extinct for about 700 years. It was very beautiful and fascinating to see the mixture of dead and living and indeed life springing out of things that seem quite obviously dead to the naked eye.
We then drove on to Wupatki National Monument which is a Hopi ruin set in desert. There I was surprised by a few things: the common area which was a circular walled in bench set around a campfire, the ballcourt which is believed to have been an important place for trading, the burial room which was inside the house rather than separate as I had witnessed with the British Columbia First Nations, the blowhole which was man-made air-conditioning using the forces of nature. You will see more on the blowhole when we upload the photos which will include an explanation.
After Wupatki we decided we might just make it to the Grand Canyon South Rim for sunset, so off we went. The scenery before you even hit the National Park official entrance is awesome. The side of the road is littered with Indian (Navajo) peddlers selling jewellery and pottery etc. Even some amusing roadsigns stating "Friendly Indians Ahead" then when you have passed the stalls the roadsigns become "Friendly Indians Behind You, Quick Turn Around!". Tickled my funny bone. Then you get to this amazing canyon which I think Remi knows the name of since he was carrying the map... it was stunning though difficult to encompass in a photo so you will have to make do with that posted above. The green plains surrounding it were so flat and perfect that it literally looked like the earth just suddenly split open. Then of course with it being monsoon season we were again treated to some gorgeous cloud formations and even a rainbow to crown the landscape.
We made it to the Grand Canyon just before sunset to be greeted with absolutely mind-blowingly breath-taking views at the Desert View point. It's unimaginable. Something so grandiose and vast and powerful. The highly unfortunate thing was the scores of tourists (most French... Aaargh!) which sadly rob you of the spiritual experience. Hopefully when we go back we will find a lot of more deserted spots. We don't plan on going back there for at least a couple of days because we want to be just as amazed the second time.
Today we should be setting off to visit a couple of the lakes in the Flagstaff area before spending the afternoon in Sedona... Happy trails!

Just outside Prescott

Off to Flagstaff
This morning we checked out of the Hilton and into our rental SUV (4WD for all you non-Americans). What seemed like a huge car to us ended up looking rather small compared to all the huge Tonka trucks people drive around in over here. First we set off in search of breakfast but for every Denny's sign we saw by the side of the road, the actual restaurant remained elusive. We settled for an Old Country Buffet near a shopping mall somewhere in Phoenix. Hah. It was pretty revolting but we managed to find a few edible things and fill ourselves up for the journey. Then we set off to Flagstaff via Prescott and Sedona. Amazingly, the landscape changes rather rapidly from completely flat with the odd rocky "hill-mountain" in the distance to completely mountainous and surprisingly quite green in areas. The cloud formations were also amazing and someone told us that it's rare to see clouds here... only in monsoon season. He has been here for a few months now and until recently he hadn't seen any. Just outside of Prescott, when you turn onto Highway 89A North to Sedona via Jerome, you are struck with the most awesome scenery and you are so surprised by it that it seems all the more spectacular (see photo above). On to Jerome where we stopped for a stroll and an ice cream. Gorgeous little town set into the mountain just after 158 tight road bends in 12 miles (not for the weak of stomach), an old copper mining town that was deserted and then rebuilt - you will eventually see the story on it in the photo album, unfortunately I cannot upload the albums right now since we are only on a modem dial-up connection graciously supplied to us by our host who lives upstairs from the house we rented here in Flagstaff for the week. After Jerome it was on to Sedona. Sedona is breath-taking and we will go back and spend a day there to visit Red Rock and Sliding Rock national parks. From Sedona to Flagstaff where we settled in to what will be home for the next 7 days: a gorgeous little house/cabin in a quiet wooded area. We set out in the rain to do a huge load of grocery shopping for supplies, came home and devoured home-made chicken fajitas before settling in for the night. I am sitting here writing this on the morning of Day 2 in Flagstaff. Us girls are awake and the guys are still sleeping. We haven't planned our day's excursion yet but John is still recovering from his jetlag and very long trip so I think we will not stray too far from home. Perhaps to the meteor crater. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the clouds fluffy... a beautiful day!

Cruising in Boston

Day 2 Boston, Day 1 Phoenix
When I left you yesterday it was pelting rain and we were not sure what to do with our second day in the beautiful city of Boston. As I logged off, I looked up and out the window at a perfect blue sky. Our minds were set for us, it was the perfect day for a spot of sightseeing around the harbour. The website advises that for a full day you plan to see 2 of the 34 islands. Since we only had about 4 hours, we decided on only one. All cruises go via Georges Island, that is you leave Boston, get dropped off at Georges Island where you can grab a quick bite to eat or snatch a scenic stroll while waiting for your connecting boat. We had finally managed to settle on going to Lovett's Island, which incidentally is apparently the best to go to and allows overnight camping as well, but would not have had much time to discover it. We opted instead to visit a group of islands without leaving the comfort of the boat. We had a fantastic afternoon. The weather was perfect, the people were friendly, the water was beautiful. So that's how we spent about 2.5 hours roaming around Boston harbour. After our perfect afternoon we had to rush into the city to find a bookstore in order to buy Brian and Julia a "thank you for your hospitality" gift, then off on the T direction their place where Brian had been to the fresh grocers market and was preparing us yummy fresh burgers with salad, followed by yummiest fresh raspberries and whipped cream for dessert. Remi and I had to be up at 3 to finish with the packing and get ourselves ready to be off to the airport. (side note: we actually left way too early but Remi is used to International flights so...). I finally got to bed at about 10.30 when at around midnight I was woken by the biggest thunderstorm I have ever heard in my life. It was rolling all over the place and crashing down, I thought the sky would just explode. I got up to seek out Remi's comforting arms and found he and Brian in the loungeroom totally excited at the windows. I only suggested that perhaps it would be a good idea to unplug all the computers. Then we started making jokes about Remi being Crazy Weather Man, a pun referring to his profession as meteorologist, but also to the fact that during his first visit to Boston back in January they had had the worst snowstorm recorded there in at least a hundred years. Now he was bringing on the world's freakiest thunderstorm.Anyway, it finally stopped and I finally got myself back to bed closer to 1 am to be harshly awoken 2 hours later by my alarm. And then it was off. Marathon to Logan Airport to catch our flight to Philadelphia where we had a two hour stopover before a connecting flight to Phoenix. We arrived in Phoenix about 10.30 this morning, greeted at the airport by one of Remi's best friends, Gael. Then it was off to collect Cath who was arriving about 40 minutes after us with a different airline and hence in a different terminal. We checked in to the Phoenix Airport Hilton where we had managed to snatch an amazing deal on Priceline - paying 40 bucks a room instead of 145! Ensued a brief administrative glitsch that tested everyone's tired nerves, and finally when the situation was resolved we scampered off to bed to rest our weary bones and sleep through the hottest part of the day. I woke up at 4ish ready for a dip in the pool where we ended up staying a good couple of hours frollicking and having fun. Then it was off to showers and down to meet Gael and friend who were taking us into Tempe for a most yummy grill. The boys have now gone off to pick John up from the airport since he is now arriving from Belgium via NY and Dallas, to form the last of our fantastic four. Tomorrow it's off to Flagstaff where Gael and Jasper intend on joining us for the weekend. And yet again, a great time was had by all! :)

A little American humour ;)

First day in Boston!

Well, it must be said that our holiday got off to a very shaky start. To get to Boston, Remi had found a girl who wanted to come down and spend the day with our of her friends but not necessarily pay a lot in rental car fees. This was perfect for us, we would pay the first day's rental and get a lift with her. She was supposed to pick us up at 6 pm from our place and then we would proceed to the airport to pick another of our travelling companions who was arriving in from Paris. We would then be setting off straight away, set to arrive in Boston at approximately 1 am. That was the plan. But now we still had to apply Murphy's Law.
6 o'clock came and I was still lying on my bed, undisturbed, reading Harry Potter. 6.30 came and Remi starts to panic as his friend's plane was due to be landing and we really should have been at the airport by now. 7.30, still no sign of this girl. We get a phone call from Cath who had been waiting for us patiently at arrivals and we had to tell her to get a cab over to us. Straight away we launched into emergency planning for an alternative solution, and considering last minute flights between Montreal and Boston were selling for 640 CAD, our only option was Greyhound. If we left just before midnight that night it would be a 13 hour bus trip... a nightmare. If we waiting till 6.30 the next morning we would have to get up VERY early, and still suffer an 8 hour bus trip plus lose most of our Sunday plans in Boston. We were not impressed. Cath arrived and opted for departing the next morning. I was desparate. I knew there had to be another way, I just couldn't see it.
In the meantime Remi added the girl who was supposed to pick us up to my MSN. And by some miracle she came online. I was furious. But I tried to contain myself. I messaged her straight away to try to figure out what exactly had happened and why she had not even bothered to call or email. It turns out she had been out on a plane all day and they landed a lot later than planned. By the time she got back to Montreal the rental car place was closed and she was now scrambling around for somewhere that was open and had cars available. All the while we had made Cath's bed and she was just getting ready to crawl in and settle down for the night. The girl asks if we still want to go. Hell yeah. I tell her to try the airport, the only likely place to be open at 9 pm on a Saturday night. She manages to book with Avis and we plan a meeting at the airport. Finally around 10 pm we set off, with the Montreal fireworks festival finale punctuating our crossing of the river.
About 45 minutes outside of Montreal, something in the conversation triggered an alarm in my head "HOLY SHIT!". Mad scramble for the bag and the passport. Oh no oh no oh no. *sigh*
I then had to try to explain to people that I had forgotten to staple my valid Canadian visa into my passport when I had received it a couple of months prior. The visa in my passport was expired. Shit shit shit. Should we turn back. We can't turn back, we'll get to Boston at 5 am. Ok, we decide that the visa may not be such a big deal for entering the US but that I would definitely need it to re-enter Canada upon our return. We decided that Lydia, who has the keys to our place while we are away, will have to go and find the visa at our place and courier it over to us in Flagstaff. That settles that.
Freezeframe, US border crossing.
We sit in the car while the guy takes all our passports and examines them while asking us a bunch of nosey questions. Ok, he says, the Canadians are fine, the Australian and the French will have to come inside and pay the 6$ fee for the visa waiver. We park the car, Remi comes out with us. As we walk in to the office there are about 5 customs officers roaming around and we have no idea which is supposed to be dealing with us. I am pretty sure that is done on purpose to make you uncomfortable right from the start. Then suddenly a hispanic looking one who was sitting in the background looking stuff up on the computer starts yelling at us quite aggressively : "Which one of you is supposed to be at the airport!"
We look at each other not really knowing what he's on about. He repeats twice, the tone getting nastier and nastier. Finally we point to Cath and say "well, she's just come from the airport..."
"NO" he says. "Which one of you is supposed to be deported from Canada, which one of you is supposed to be at the airport because you are in breach of your visa". It becomes clear to me then where he's coming from. "Well actually I'm not in breach of my visa. I have a valid tourist visa, I just forgot to staple it in my passport before leaving". "NONONO, you are to be deported! we know! They called us!" "Errr... well, that's ridiculous, they couldn't have called you because I have a valid status so there's absolutely no reason they would call you."
And with that, he walked off merrily, his job done. And now we get passed on to Mr Nice Guy for processing. Classic good cop, bad cop. Grrrrrrr.
Remi was getting real nervous about my forcefulness because he figured the guy could just as easily be a real prick and deny me entry. Luckily, I had read him right and I got through fine.

So we finally arrive in Boston at 4 am and my first impression is very positive. That impression was then confirmed yesterday when we had the opportunity to taste the flavour of the city. Boston really is a great place. We are staying with our friends Brian and Julia and yesterday they played the perfect hosts by showing us around the city. I had my first ride on the T which is Boston's tube/metro. We went downtown, walked through Boston Commons and the gardens, then through part of the city and the theater district. We walked down to Quincy market for lunch, then off to the Italian quarter for a yummy cappuccino and cannolis from Mike's Pastry. Then it was off for a walk along the harbour foreshore, all the way to the Aquarium where we admired the seals in their pool from outside. After that, we still had a couple of hours to kill before we had to meet some other friends for dinner at Harvard Square and some people were getting tired of walking, so we went to the Imax to see "Aliens of the Deep". Loved it, it was great.
After the movie it was off to Harvard to meet Ry and his girlfriend. We went to a brewery called the Garage... the food was fine, unfortunately the service was really crap. On the way home we walked through some of the grounds of Harvard University which was a pretty incredible feeling.
Today, it's been raining since we woke up so we're not clear on our plans but if I look up now I can see blue skies, yes sir! So I guess the second day's adventure is about to begin :)