Carr has just informed me that today is day 42 of our adventure. We stayed warm all night despite the temperature, which dropped to -5 degrees Celcius. In the morning we headed in to Kanab, failed to win again at the Wave lottery, then drove an hour and a half to beautiful Unka Tumpee Wun-Nurrx Tungwatsini Xupakichu (the original Paiute name for what was later called Bryce Canyon), home of the Hoodoos.
Hoodoos, for those not in the know, is a "pinnacle or odd-shaped rock left standing by the forces of erosion" (I am also told it means "to cast a spell" and that it is sometimes used as a synonym for "voodoo"). Well, Unka Tumpee Wun-Nurrx Tungwatsini Xupakichu (now called Bryce Canyon) is delightfully full of Hoodoos. Mama hoodoos, papa hoodoos, little baby and ole granpappy hoodoos and everything in between. And the place does cast a spell... Check out the photos in this post (which do not do it justice) for a sample of this enchantment. Hiking around the hoodoo valley is really something.
There were throngs of tourists at Unka Tumpee Wun-Nurrx Tungwatsini Xupakichu (now called Bryce Canyon) today, which was not surprising as it was a splendid day, cool and sunny. I will admit that I am not a fan of crowds and people's screaming children, teenagers in acute iPhone withdrawal with bored/agonized looks on their faces, and tourists who can't detach themselves from their cameras or stock market conversations to actually SEE and be present to the place they are privileged to be visiting. I know this is my own judgement of the situation, and I tried to soften my harsh appraisal throughout the day. I was moderately successful in this. We did manage to find some minutes free of the crowds, and it was very cool to hear the stillness of the forest and the valley.
Back at camp now, another cold night. We're about to build a fire then turn in. I've been reading Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, Death's End by the same Chinese author I mentioned in a previous post, and (re-reading) Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.
Hoodoos, for those not in the know, is a "pinnacle or odd-shaped rock left standing by the forces of erosion" (I am also told it means "to cast a spell" and that it is sometimes used as a synonym for "voodoo"). Well, Unka Tumpee Wun-Nurrx Tungwatsini Xupakichu (now called Bryce Canyon) is delightfully full of Hoodoos. Mama hoodoos, papa hoodoos, little baby and ole granpappy hoodoos and everything in between. And the place does cast a spell... Check out the photos in this post (which do not do it justice) for a sample of this enchantment. Hiking around the hoodoo valley is really something.
There were throngs of tourists at Unka Tumpee Wun-Nurrx Tungwatsini Xupakichu (now called Bryce Canyon) today, which was not surprising as it was a splendid day, cool and sunny. I will admit that I am not a fan of crowds and people's screaming children, teenagers in acute iPhone withdrawal with bored/agonized looks on their faces, and tourists who can't detach themselves from their cameras or stock market conversations to actually SEE and be present to the place they are privileged to be visiting. I know this is my own judgement of the situation, and I tried to soften my harsh appraisal throughout the day. I was moderately successful in this. We did manage to find some minutes free of the crowds, and it was very cool to hear the stillness of the forest and the valley.
Back at camp now, another cold night. We're about to build a fire then turn in. I've been reading Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, Death's End by the same Chinese author I mentioned in a previous post, and (re-reading) Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.