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Monday, October 7 , the night has been complicated for some because of the incessant passage of freight trains passing every half hour not even 100m from the motel. For my part, I slept like a log. Although I woke up again before dawn because of the time difference. After sending a few sms at 5am (13h in France ), I look at the program and some documents recovered from here and there. The phone rings at 6:30 , it's time to get up. I finish my luggages and let's go to the breakfast. Too tired last night for noticing it, but there is on the back wall of a large map, hand-painted, representing the route of the famous Route 66 with major cities-steps.
This morning, has always, country potatoes and scrambled eggs. No bacon but thick slices of grilled ham. There are also bags of instant muesli ( not bad at all) and the attraction of this morning, the realization of his own Waffles ( U.S. waffles ). A cup of dough is taken, it is distributed in the oven is closed, it returns and 3 minutes of cooking... Is opened, out , watered with maple syrup and it's ready!

After lunch, return to the room, starting in 30 minutes. Direction the Grand Canyon in advance, explanations on the bus.
Once on the bus, heading for LA visit of the day, Mark tells us that the Grand Canyon is still closed, but the company offers us the scenic flight (about $ 200 per person), but in exchange, it will compensate for the visits we couldn't do and that are included in the planning.
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Good... It should be a digression. Because, some people in the group are quiches numeracy. You should know that everyone in the group has paid a price for this tour. That price is lower by about $ 600 that we would normally have to pay (always group, not being there went alone). Added to this was the fact that the total input price parks per person ( and always at the group rate ) is about $ 70... So, calculating the company, giving us the flight (although we would still have the opportunity to visit all the other parks ) is found, with the $ 600 before... to roughly $ 700 loss per person ! ( We were 31, the company has lost $ 21,700. ) So when I hear that it is not normal to ''have only this''... I'm sorry, but I had wanted to strangle some. Obviously, there is always the famous phrase ''I paid so I must have it'' and the absolute stupid remarks : ''it's the fault of the guide if it's closed .''
Also be aware that the book was given to Brive and the guide's planning were different. It seems that the person who has written the book Brive did not take into account the distances and then reversed the miles and kilometers. Added to that some parks were simply wrongs... ( Yosemite was expected, not the Sequoia National Park). I find it particularly UNGRATEFUL and CAPRICIOUS from the grumpies these people who attack a person (the guide in this case) that makes its possible despite the complicated situation ( and disastrous for tourism). Marc spent his time giving calls, finding alternatives, preparing everything for us for not being and see that despite everything about it can be found that in the booklet .
This is the rant of the day... I sincerely hope that the persons concerned will recognize and be ashamed of their behavior.
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This being done, instead following the report with two photos of the landscape between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon (with a beautiful smell of skunk, which we continued for several miles while we were simply passed over it... persistent ! ) :

On the second photo, you can see contrails. You should know that in the U.S., this kind of trails passes to be ''Chemtrails'' ( chemical trails ). And from the eyes of much of the population, military-industrial plots to viral and bacteriological experiments on people and take control of the weather. The followers of the conspiracy theory to take this theory is, unfortunately for them, not scientifically verified objectively. Indeed, it may not be strong winds at high altitude and weather conditions particular, it's not impossible that simple condensation trails that we know last just longer than usual because these particular conditions... For my part, I think they are simply local conditions that allow the condensation to stay longer in place. As reflecting two seconds... if a volatile chemical or nanoparticles is sent in the wake of an aircraft... if there's little or no wind, it will stay in place. If there is a lot of wind, it will dissolve into the atmosphere. Exactly the same as for a trail of condensation ! Do not forget that we know very little about weather behavior at these altitudes, even with the vast amount of measurements, balloons, researchs conducted. So before you cry to the wolf, you better make sure there is really one.
Once at the National Geographic center of the Grand Canyon, we have a few minutes before we go see a movie in Imax of the Grand Canyon. I also want to take some pictures with a bird which I have not managed to find the name (but who looks like the Boat-tailed Grackle) and the Tusayan Fire dept :

Just before the movie, I went to the National Geo shop, there's cool stuff. Then the movie... it was really beautiful, with the history of the discovery of the Grand Canyon, its mystical history with Indian, researchers and explorers of all hair who tried the descent of the Colorado River that flows through it. it would have been much better if there was not a flock of German tourists filming and taking pictures throughout the film... not to mention that in the end I got a beautiful ''fuck you asshole'' for their saying that the photos and videos were forbiden... (So I summarizes : Generally, on vacation, the French are ungrateful and grumpy while the Germans believe that everything is allowed for them... Fortunately that Europe is great and I hope that other countries are not like that... My impression on the German was approved by the keeper of the National Geo center... ).
After that, we galloped towards the airfield. Boarding the plane, it is not very big. Having had the opportunity to be in place of the officer, here is a picture of what I had in front of me :

By the time we arrived above the Grand Canyon, I'll explain a little what it is.
Firstly, its dimentions : the top plate reaches 2'800m altitude, it reaches over 2'000m depth with an average 1'300m. Its width varies widely between 1,500 and 29'000m ! The canyon stretches between Lake Powell and Lake Mead 450km. Nevertheless, it is neither the deepest nor the largest canyon in the world. Although this is not the greatest, the erosion caused by working the Colorado River snaking through the sedimentary and igneous rocks loaded iron (hence the red color). The river has an average flow of 650 m³/s but could go up to 2'300m ³/s before the dams! We can understand how, with such a power, the rocks have been dug.
The Grand Canyon has a very interesting geology since, thanks to erosion, we can go back in time with rocks up to 1.7 billion years ago. A time when the only living beings were single-celled organisms. The scope of the update rocks through Colorado can trace the entire geological history of North America.
Appointed a National Park in 1919, he is ranked World Heritage Site in 1979. Its rich landscape and its natural diversity (flora, fauna, geological) bring each year over 4 millions tourists worldwide.
The different colors of the rocks are explained by a greater or lesser concentration of iron oxide, the type of rock (sedimentary such as limestone, igneous, even metamorphic in some places) and ambient light of course. Thus, each hour of the day gives different shades. Pastel morning, colors become very strong and clear at noon, while the sun declines, the cliffs ablaze in red, orange and bright yellow. As if the whole canyon was on fire.
Here we are for the Canyon, up to the photos now :

We fly over some forest apparently devastated by fire

Then resumed flight over the Canyon rocks with a clear view for tens of kilometers away :

After this wonderful overview of the Grand Canyon (which lasted almost 1h anyway!), it is time to get started to eat. Yep, it is barely noon ! The restaurant is located just outside the center National Geographic, we park in the same place. And where there was the bird before the movie, there is now a police car (Marshal's car). Quickly, a photo and then the meal!

The meal consists of a buffet which is ultimately quite quickly swallowed. After that, the bus and going to our motel at Pages.

The road is long, but there is a stop at the Cameron Navajo's Trading Post. Marc tells us that this is one of the best in the region, where the Indians (mostly Navajo) come to sell what they produce themselves (jewelry, pottery, rugs, etc...), the money earned by the trading post is only used to pay the Indians and all that therein is authentic. As in most Indian offer us a discount since we came by bus... I think I'll take the opportunity to bring local souvenirs. I am not disapointed by the Trading Post, it's large and well provided. Silver jewelry, wood and turquoise alongside hand-painted pottery and carpets with typical drawings, leather clothing handmade, colored sands drawings and dreamcatchers. There are also more basic stuff and probably unfortunately not made by Indians, such as postcards, glasses and other tourists stuff... But for the rest, the quality is there and the price too! As surprising as it may seem, the prices are really not very high (the same objects in France would cost them 6-7 times the Indian price!).

Leaving the Trading Post, I see one of those famous school bus in the USA, the big yellow and black bus... With a magnificent misplaced balance

Starting from the Cameron Trading Post, the sun sets gently and offers us in his last moment, a beautifully lit sky :

We arrive at night Pages, and even before going to the motel, we will eat. Tonight's Steakhouse! We go to Kens Old West, the decor is very nice, san mention that we have a country singer in the room and it is not to rest the strings of his guitar and for the waitresses who were very friendly!

I pass over the usual grumpies to say that I still enjoyed the meal (even if the dishes have a little time to arrive, we were close to 200 in the room and there were only 4 waitresses, QED) the food was simple and good, we were even filled our glasses without having to ask! I know some people who would wanted to be at my table tonight to eat these beautiful pieces of meat... too bad for them (niark!). And, still having these country music during the meal, being only a handful and around a campfire, the same thing would have really had the air of old western.

It's past 23h00 when we last at the motel. The day was long and a good night's sleep can do that well. Tomorrow, big things are planned... We will, among others, meet Gordon Freeman... finally... almost! Until then, good night!

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