Day 18

We started the day watching the sunrise over the mittens. Lynne was especially pleased as the view from the bedroom meant she didn’t even have to leave the bed to watch it! We headed down to our Navajo guide for an 8am start, although this was delayed to 8.30am waiting for the only 3 Germans that have ever been late for anything!
At first, we were dubious about the cost of the trip, but it turned out to be money very well spent. We explored parts of the valley that are only allowed to be seen with a Navajo guide, so got to see much more than we would have done on our own. We saw where John Wayne set up camp for numerous westerns and also the cliff from which Thelma and Louise drove off! Apart from the film locations, the scenery was spectacular and unlike anything either of us have ever seen. At one point, the guide told us to lie down on a rock, close our eyes and just listen. Never before have we heard such silence, which was only to be broken by Lynne’s rumbling tummy!
Three hours later we were dropped back at The View and it was time to head to the Grand Canyon. The first sight of it was awesome (in the correct sense of the word, not the American one) although the amount of tourists does ruin it somewhat. Especially the French ones. This is probably because we’ve been spoilt by the tranquillity and emptiness of the last two places we’ve visited. After reaching our cute cabin, we decided to do a little exploring - the more you see the more amazing it gets. What also lifted our spirits was being able to have a beer after a few days of being dry in the Navajo nation. A beer at altitude after a few days of nothing does have its effect though! Two drinks and a meal and once again it was time for bed - not even a Bruce Willis film could keep us awake!