The splendid southwest – 2

 We were at the start of the trail to the delicate arch, the most famous natural stone arch in the world according to the National Park Service, at dawn. I was sure that we would be the only people there that early but was surprised to see a lot of cars in the parking lot. The hike became progressively difficult as we went uphill. The last part is easier and ends rather suddenly where the narrow path along a rock wall turns a corner and there stands delicate arch in all its glory. It was much bigger than what I had imagined. I am not sure if it was the time, sitting there in what seems like a sandstone amphitheater gazing at it from a distance was absolutely calming. It was ideal for meditation, the serenity rewarding us with the right head space. The arch itself lives up to its name, delicate yet unwavering, letting us forget that the fleeting moment that we behold its beauty will not last forever. It was accessible only by walking around a depression which looked steep. There were some who dared to go all the way and touch the arch and take photographs under it, but I did not. I hope to go back some day when I can muster enough courage, if it is still there.

 We spent the rest of the day driving along the whole park road, spending a few minutes at some viewpoints and much more at others managing to keep our hunger at bay with some bread and cheese. It was not particularly crowded since it was a weekday before thanksgiving but was not deserted either.  My favorite arches would be the sand dune arch and the pine tree arch. Another popular hike there apart from the delicate arch trail is the one in Devil’s garden that leads to the Double O arch. We were not too keen on this one having exhausted ourselves already and turned around at the Landscape arch, the largest arch on the planet as per many articles. By the end of the day, we had had enough of arches. We did try to squeeze it all in in the few hours that we had thanks to our mishap while driving there which contributed to our weariness. We made up for our lack of food throughout the day at the second-best rated Thai restaurant in Moab on Google where I had the best coconut soup I have ever tasted after a considerable wait outside. We did go to the best rated one, but they had a huge wait time and my dearest vouched for the fact that their food was not that good anyway, having eaten there by himself the previous night when I chose to settle for some leftover pizza for dinner. My stomach seems to behave very differently on a trip. I who feel like I would die without a meal every three to four hours while at work manage to survive on very little while I am out hiking or just visiting places I like. It could be because the mind feels full and does not bother to check on the stomach to keep itself happy.

 While having our breakfast the next day, I overheard our neighbors who were there from Europe discussing how there is so much to see and do in the USA and how they keep coming back. I could not agree more. On this week-long trip, we had only tasted the southwest, leaving so much more to be devoured. We were on our way to the next place on our itinerary that I had the least idea about, Monument valley. A recent Windows spotlight image had helped me realize how beautiful it is but did not prompt me to research any more. I tried to read up on it in the morning and was feeling guilty that I had underestimated it, setting aside only half a day to explore, to be followed by a drive to Page, Arizona where we would spend the night. The nearly three-hour long drive through canyons, red rocks and such was spectacular in most parts, me trying to decipher Grand Canyon at a distance. I spotted a few more arches on the way. I am not sure if they were real or my mind tricked me because of the many we had seen. We stopped to see the Mexican hat rock, the name giving away everything about it. We arrived at Monument valley tribal park in time for lunch, pulling out of the road very often to take photos as we approached. It is in Navajo nation, a native American territory, with parts in Utah and Arizona. As we parked the car and walked up to the visitor center, I was taken aback by the landscape spotted of buttes and mesas. It did not feel like we were on earth anymore. I thought “Eureka!” when I discovered that the word mesa meant the same (table) in Spanish and in Malayalam, though the pronunciation is slightly different. We had loaned this word and many more from the Portuguese, but I had hoped it was the other way around. We sat at a table with a view of the valley for a sumptuous lunch and then proceeded to drive on the 17-mile dirt road through the valley.

Apart from being a photographer’s paradise and a set for many western movies, it is also a holy land for the native Americans. There is something otherworldly and mystic about it, something that can only be felt and not experienced. Some of the monuments like the rain god mesa and the Thunderbird mesa looked imposing with their sheer magnificence while others like the three sisters made us wonder what forces shaped them. It is no wonder that the natives deem Monument Valley as a sanctuary for nature and spirit. The artist point overlook, suitably named, is where I would go if I ever ran out of all motivation in life. We were not sure what the best place to view sunset in the valley is but got lucky that we were back at the visitor center at just about sunset for some extraordinary views of the valley complete with the moon in the backdrop. We halfheartedly took leave of this special valley nestled in the desert, reminding us that nature could create beauty wherever it pleased, wielding forces that we can only dream of creating.