Day 20 - all good things must come to an end

It’s 3.23pm on Thursday and I have two and a half hours until my shuttle gets here to take me to the airport.  I’ve been on my feet since 7 and in this hot, dry heat that LA has delivered this week, I am fading fast!  . Have managed 18k steps already, my feet are sore, my eyes are scratchy and I’m a little bit cranky, which tells me it is time to go home.

Started with a quick trip to the drug store for some requested chocolate for Hayden, followed by final pack upnof my room and onto the first of three buses to get me to Griffith Park and the observatory.  Not great views of LA today - combine the smoke from the Palisades fire with the usual smog and there’s not much to be seen, but still lovely up there anyway.

Struck up a conversation with a cyclist at the top of the mountain who was very interested to find out what bikes Aussies ride (and surprised they were they same ones as in the states).  We had a good old chat about what we love about riding, helmet laws and other road users. It was a heck of a ride up there for him, and he was returning to the San Fernando valley afterward, so I wished him safe riding and started the walk down the hill to get to my next location shot - the tunnel used in the Back to the Future movies.  Immediately recognisable, it is also amazing realising how they chop and change Ange’s and scenes to make things appear longer or flatter or shorter as the case may be.

Back into another bus and it’s back to Hollywood for the Museum of the Dead.  An okay way to spend an hour in a hot day - interesting that they have crime scene pics from the Manson murders and some other bits and pieces from serial killers who’ve served on death row etc.  while interesting, I probably found it all a bit glib - especially the gallery of suicide victims and traffic accident victims - I thought they could have recognised right from the start that these were real people and a modicum of respect could have been shown, but each to their own - one couple happily watched autopsies being performed in the theatre room before leaving.

As I walked along Hollywood Blvd, I hear my name called and would you believe it was my friend from work, Shauna and her bf Carl.  Still cannot believe that she picked me out on the street (I had a hat on so my hair wasn’t anywhere near as obvious).  I had only just been thinking that the regular hawkers hadn’t been trying to shove brochures into my hands over the last three days, so was feeling confident that I didn’t look too touristy.  Then these two come along and before you know it, I’m getting flyers thrust my way.  However upon splitting from them, no further hawking, so it must have just been them!

It was great to see a familiar face after almost a fortnight travelling solo. I’ve enjoyed this adventure but am now ready to head home. I miss my hubby, my kids and my dog - can’t wait to see them all in a little over 24 hours.

So that’s it for another adventure. Next stop, the Camino in 10 months.

Day 19 - closing out the odds and ends

Next to last day before I fly home, so I decided to use my tap card to its full advantage and get around town a bit.

Started early with a walk to my local Target to stock up on candy, cereal and chocolate for the family.  We always bring home some weird convictions that we can’t get in Australia, so family, be forewarned that with Halloween almost upon us here in the States, there are many pumpkin flavoured treats (even M&Ms) to try.  Would you believe I spent over $100 AU just in that one store!

Back to my room to tidy up all those bits into the spare bag I brought with me (I’m taking full advantage of being able to bring two bags on my return flight) and then out again just as quickly to catch the bus to a couple of photo ops - namely the Thriller House (the one featured in the film clip at the end) and the Charmed house which is only a further two houses up the street.  I felt really self-conscious taking the pics until I realised there were three cars in the street doing the exact same thing!

Down the hill and I discovered a glorious little piece of paradise in Echo Park.  My workmate Bernie has mentioned the park when we first started our holiday. It had drawn her attention because you can hire paddle boats shaped like swans out on the lake.  Found the swans in all their glory, but gave them a miss as I think they are definitely a two-person kind of thing - so another thing to add to the “next time” list.

Left Echo Park on what I thought was the correct bus to get me to Santa Monica (or at least to the Metro that would take me there), only to find I was ass about and heading the wrong way.  Jumped off, found the correct bus and was soon on my way through Downtown LA, admiring the architecture and beautiful murals all over the buildings downtown.  Swapped bus for the light rail and before I knew it, I was on my way to the beach.

Today’s PT wasn’t without some interesting characters. First bus stop waiting for the 14 and I got talking to a nearly 80yo woman who works one day a week at the library just to keep her mind active.  She had recently moved to Reseda in the Valley after 63 years of living in Hollywood.  She was curious about my accent and guessed English or Australian after just a few words.  Funnily enough I told her she didn’t sound like an Angelino and that I could hear Eastern, almost NY tones in her accent.  She admitted she was originally from Connecticut - I felt pretty clever with my guess!

The light rail was an adventure, as a lot of the homeless ride it back and forward all day, sprawled across the seats, trying to get some sleep in a reasonably safe environment.  I don’t want to come across as a snob, but there is an odour that I can now identify fairly quickly to know when they are near.  My carriage had three - one who slept the entire time, one who just roamed up and down the carriage and one who talked out loud for the whole trip.  Mostly felt safe until the last other person left the carriage and it was just me and the three boys.  Fun times!

At Santa Monica, I wandered the pier, did a bit of people watching, settled myself at the bar at the original Bubba Gumps for a meal and a cocktail and got talking to the fellow next to me when I heard his accent - I leaned over and asked “any chance that accent I just heard was Aussie?”  Turns out he’s from Melbourne, a Richmond supporter who was at the GF and we had a good old chat about the footy.

Left him propping up the bar, and walked to the hotel we stayed at last time we were in this part of town, as I knew that there was a SoBi rack with bikes right outside. After all, when there’s a beach and an awesome bike path, how could I resist. Pedalled happily down to Venice Beach and back, and comfortably did a bit of on road riding as well.  It is amazing how quickly my brain has adjusted to driving on the opposite side of the road - I find myself automatically looking left first - I hope it switches back just as quickly back home.

Contemplated heading home early, but really couldn’t resist the call of the surf, so took off my shoes and socks and walked on the sand to the water’s edge.  I think I could almost hear my feet sigh with relief as the icy cold water splashed over them and up my tired legs.  Walked about 500m along the beach in the water, shorts got wet and I didn’t care one bit.  As I walked in the direction of Malibu, I was saddened to see that the Palisades fires were still burning, and there was a constant stream of helicopters water bombing the area to try to get it under control. The sunsets would be spectacular down there with the smoke there for the light to bounce off.

Back on the light rail and struggling not to fall asleep after a full day in the sunshine.  Quick exploration of Hollywood to see what had evolved for the film premiere, a bit of last minute gift shopping and an earlyish night repacking, rethinking tomorrow’s movements and looking forward to the flight home.

Don’t tell the family, but I’ve really missed them! 

Day 18 - back in LA-LA Land

What an adventure the train turned out to be. Who’d have thought it would be easier to sleep on the train than a plane? Put the phone down at 10pm and woke up at 4.30am with only 3 and a half hours till Union Station.  The wait for the train was entertaining in itself,  as there was one guy who was a know it all trying to tell me about living in Australia and another guy who just wanted to keep fiat bumping me every time he said something.  He introduced me as the smart Aussie to everyone who came through the door and I heard him tell the same jokes and stories to all and sundry.  Add to that the Amish woman who kept giving me the side eye (apparently my hair colour is a problem) and the dude who stinks of hash and it’s an interesting bunch.

The train ride went smoothly until I went to the loo only to return to find hash guy had taken up residence in my seat, next to my sleeping train buddy.  After a bit of head shaking he got up and moved to goodness knows where and I resettled back into my comfy but now hash smelling seat.

Wrestled my bags up and down escalators to get to the Metro, then more escalators to get to the bus, only to find Hollywood Blvd closed out front of the Chinese Theatre due to a red carpet premiere later this week of The Irishman, starring Al Pacino and Robert de Niro.  After some quiet cursing under my breath, caught the bus to my hotel in the hopes of leaving my bags so I could explore before checking in later.

Best words in the world heard - we have your room ready now - and I could shower and dress before hitting The Grove for some shopping for Hayden, and the Farmer’s Market for lunch - a peach milkshake and a shrimp po’boy - something that has to be experienced to understand how good it was. 

A quick stop at the hotel to drop off shopping, charge my phone and have a quick nap and onto a bus to Studio Coty to be part of the live studio audience for a taping of the new CBS sit-com - Broke, starring Pauley Perrette (NCIS), Jaime Camil (Jane the Virgin),  Natasha Leggero and Izzy Diaz.  Having been on a sound stage for a sit-com during our WB tour earlier this month, it was exciting to see it all come into play and be part of the live taping.  The MC, Roger, found out I was an Aussie, so I was interviewed during the breaks a couple of times and there were lots of prizes given to the audience to get their enthusiasm up and maintain energy throughout the taping.  The only downside - they take your phone and lock it away for the duration, so my phone was in jail for 6 hours while we watched the show.  I hope it comes to Australia as I really enjoyed it and the stars were super-nice coming over to interact with us.

My Uber home has given me some great tips for places to eat over the next few days, so can’t wait to try some out.

Not many pics today - will try harder tomorrow!

Day 17 - amazing Flagstaff, Arizona

I honestly thought I would sleep like the dead last night, but it wasn’t to be. Up at sparrow’s, so I got myself packed, checked out and made my way to Tourist Home Cafe - recommended to me by Jeremy. Again, it pays to ask a local to get the best places to eat.  His recommendation did not disappoint. Traditional Eggs Benedict with a side of fruit salad (pineapple, strawberry, banana).  I honestly did not think that pineapple would be any good but it was almost as good as the best pineapple I’ve eaten at home.  The eggs were great too! Really friendly staff who loves to chat with an Aussie.

That reminds me of two phrases that my hiking buddies liked.  Jeremy loved that I referred to the composting toilet as a Long Drop and everyone was talking about Snowbirds - which I realised is similar to our Grey Nomads.  Not exactly interchangeable but close enough!  

Next stop, Meteor Crater - about 30 miles out of town and the site of a verified meteor impact. Tour guide was part Navejo and part Hopi and he was so entertaining with his commentary.  Who knew that geology could be so interesting and fun.  The impact of the meteor absolutely pulverised it - vaporising it into flour-like particles.  Our guide ran magnets through the dirt surrounding the impact site and showed us the tiny iron filings picked up by the magnets.

The crater is about a mile wide, 550 feet deep and creates a weather inversion, which means it traps the hot air in the crater rather than it rising to be replaced by cold air.  The phenomena is so deadly that they no longer allow people down into the crater as the only rescue chopper that can get through the weather is military based at a cost of $85k per rescue (payable by the evacuee of course).

The desert is beautiful all round the crater - relatively flat land all as far as the eye can see - at least to the mountains in the distance.  Our guide hunts so many animals in the area - including grey wolves, elk, mule deer and so many other animals I can’t remember them all.

Next stop, Walnut Canyon and a wonderful telling of the Sinagua (no-water) people.  They actually lived on the cliffs in the canyon, and were masters at catching, collecting and storing water during the three months of winter when snow is falling, and sustaining with their farming during the next nine months of drought.  They often had two rooms - one for summer and one for winter, where they alternatively stayed cool or warm as the case may be.

Finally off to the Sunset Crater National Monument, where you can see the lava tubes created from the fissures that erupted from the volcano.  There is something very primitively beautiful about those scenes and again, I learned so much about the geology of the area.

My only disappointment today has been a lack of mobility, so I was only able to do the easy walks at each site. My knees are on strike as far as stairs are concerned, so I had to take the accessible options each time. Still saw everything I could hope too, but would love to have hiked to the top of the crater to see everything from the top.  Not to worry - I will add it to the Route 66 list for our big tour across the US.

Speaking of 66 - managed to cruise along a whole section of it today and got a little excited at the thought of following the Mother Road.  So many things to see and do.

Anyways, after returning the car I explored a bit more of downtown Flagstaff (sorry Phoenix, you’re not my favourite any more) and am now waiting at the Amtrak for my overnight train to LA.  This is an experience and a half.  Let’s just say that I am a strange magnet - every weirdo catching the train wants to talk to the Aussie girl.  Goodness help me - I hope I get some sleep tonight!

Days 14-16 The toughest days of my life

Day 1 - 7am Friday morning.  My backpack is packed, I’m in my hiking clothes and I’m waiting for our guide  to pick me up from my hotel.  I slept poorly the night before, had vomited a couple of times and was nauseated while I waited. My cold hadn’t improved and I was still nervous.

Jeremy picked me up in the Four Seasons’ truck and we scooted around to pick up Tanya and Chad from their meeting point.  It was about 1 and a half hours to our starting point and we all chatted on the way and got to know each other a little better. After all, we were about to spend three days together in some of the most remote terrain on earth, so it was only right that we know each other well before we start.

You can imagine my surprise when I find out that Tanya is a nurse navigator at a hospital in Minnesota - it seems that I naturally gravitate toward nurses!

We got to the Grandview Trail trailhead and Jeremy handed out the extra supplies that we would be carrying over the next three days.  I was given the Gatorade and drink additives and the others carried all of our daily snacks.  All of us were given our own bowls and cups to carry, as well as a toiletries pack.

Now let me set the scene.  This hike, over three days, would see us descend 3500 feet into the Canyon, camping overnight at Cottonwood Creek. We would carry everything in with us - water, food, bedding, tent, clothes, toiletries and all other equipment. Luckily we only had to carry 30-35 pounds each, while Jeremy carried about 80 pounds of gear.  We were only going to walk 6 miles (about 10kms) - how hard could it be? Turns out it was pretty tough as we spent most of the day descending, which puts a real load on the knees.  My right knee blew up a bit, and with the combined lack of sleep, throwing up and nausea (which meant I didn’t eat much throughout the day), I had a pretty rough time, with a bit of light-headedness.  I was feeling like a total idiot, but Jeremy brought out an umbrella to shade me from the hot sun and we were soon headed to our first campsite.

We had heard that the creek had run dry, however when we got there there was a light flow - enough that we could draw water if we had needed it.

Highlights from Day 1:
1 - saw my first tarantula on the trail. He was very cool and even raised his rear end up in warning
2 - realised I was hiking with three very supportive people. They were so encouraging and supportively generous that they put my self-doubt to rest
3 - I was down in the canyon. Like really down. Like surrounded on all sides by some of the most breath-taking geological features
4 - slept with the fly off the tent so I could just gaze up at the stars throughout the night.
5 - Jeremy’s cooking skills - we had Chicken fajitas for dinner and they were great!
6 - finding out we only needed to carry out our used TP and not all of our waste.  So we could dig cat holes for the waste, but had to take out any non-natural items.
7 - the silence. It was so quiet out in the middle of the canyon that you could believe you had lost your hearing - it was eerily silent at first, but you began to get used to it after a few hours of it.

Day 2 - wake to coffee brewing and breakfast cooking.  Breakfast burritos - bacon and scrambled eggs made with Hatch green chilies- what an awesome treat!  I’d slept fitfully - having subconscious dreams of medivac rescues, dying in my tent and generally negative thoughts.  At the visitor centre there was a sign that noted that there were two kinds of travellers in the canyon - those who do it once and never hike again, and those who fall in love and return again and again.  If you had asked me at the end of day 1, I would have easily said I was the first type of person, questioning my very sanity and ability to do this task.

Pack up our camp and head out on the trail where we would head towards our lunch site looking down to the Colorado River and then winding around the west arm of Horseshoe Mesa on the Tinto Trail and up to our second night’s camp site.  A shorter day on the legs but gaining back 1000 feet of the elevation lost.  I managed to get cactus spines stuck in my foot (through my shoe) and had to dig some of the finer spines out of my toes and thumb.

Highlights Day 2:
1 - once again, the people I spent the day and night with.  While I was much slower, they were always encouraging and never made me feel less for it. Generosity of spirit in spades!
2 - our lunch site - a lovely charcuterie board of cheeses, salami, crackers, dates, spring peas and cucumber.  Sitting on the edge of the cliffs looking down to the Colorado River and watching some paddlers going through a section of rapids.  My travel companions are both avid paddlers, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be seeing Facebook posts of them travelling the Colorado sometime in the future!
3 - dinner - miso soup and chicken teriyaki - Jeremy could make delicious meals out of just a few freeze-dried pouches.
4 - the sunset over the Mesa was like nothing I’d seen before, so many colours bouncing off so many points around us - the most gorgeous light show, all for free thanks to Mother Nature.
5 - sleeping once again under so many stars.  The Milky Way looks spectacular with zero light pollution.  I was especially happy to wake during the night and be able to identify a few constellations from back home - Leo Minor and major, Canis Major, Orion, Taurus and Pleiades.  Added Cassiopeia, Ursa Major and Minor to the repertoire and felt just a little more connected back home.
6 - finding I still had a piece of cactus splinter in my pinkie toe at 2am - only to have it work it’s own way out by 5am

Day 3 and we wake early to watch the sun rise over the Mesa.  Spectacular light show once again and after a breakie if bagels and coffee, our final day stretched ahead of us. Pretty much climbing the entire day (gaining back 2500 feet over 3 miles) with a smaller amount of water as we were running a little low.  Went to the composting loo before I left - the first toilet in three days.  It was literally a loo surrounded by 3 walls, so as you sit and do your business, you are looking out over the most beautiful vista - it’s the ultimate loo with a view.

It was a tough days’ climbing, and the self-doubt was creeping in again, but with my very own cheer squad waiting for me at the end and willing me the last 100m, it was done.  I was exhausted and elated.  I cried as I took those final steps.  There were high fives and hugs all round and I can’t thank Jeremy, Chad and Tanya enough for their support.  They got me through one of the most challenging experiences of my life.

Day 3 highlights:
1 - that sunrise
2 - finding the inner strength to just keep pushing through the pain to continue to the end
3 - re-finding my self belief
4 - that feeling of accomplishment as I took those final steps and sharing in the experience with three amazing human beings
5 - making new friends through those experiences

I’ve glossed over a lot.  I might write further about this later, but for now a recap is enough.  I’ll add a few pics here, but I have more on cameras that I’ll consolidate back home.  The biggest learning - hiking in the Grand Canyon is unlike hiking anywhere else. The final day was 3 miles and took just over 3 hours. The guides plan on 1 mile per hour and regularly stop for breaks to recover on both climbs and descents.  It is some of the most amazing back country in the world with the chance to camp in some of the most remote areas on earth.  There was no easy exit strategy, no short cuts, it was all or nothing.  So glad I chose to do this, and looking forward to a Yosemite adventure in the future.

Day 13 - the nerves are kicking in

I feel sick to my stomach. I am a bundle of nerves and trepidation.  I’m sitting in the Greyhound bus station in Phoenix, ready for my bus to Flagstaff, Arizona.  The day is almost here and the self-doubt is setting in.

This is no doubt one of the toughest things I’ve done. Not for the physicality of it, as it is hiking, but more for the fact that we are going to be hiking at altitude, with a full pack and my old enemy, fear of failure is just niggling at the edge of reason.

So my mantra today is the same as the little engine that could - I think I can, I think I can, until it is done.  I can’t wait to see this beautiful country again (hard to believe it is only ten short months since my last visit to the Canyon).

Speaking of the Greyhound, I really wanted this trip to be more than just flights, hence the drive from Orlando, a bus to Flagstaff and following my trek, train back to LA.  As it’s getting to the end of my trip, money is a little tighter as the exchange rate has been a bit of a killer. Point in case, I wanted to eat at Rustler’s Roost last night for dinner. They serve authentic deep fried rattle snake, but with an Uber ride at $20 each way and the meal cost about $35, that’s a US$75 meal for one - about $115 Australian, so I ate at my hotel instead, for only $21 and the company of a local bartender.  This morning I caught the bus (well two actually) to get to the bus station - at a cost of $4 compared to $18 Uber. It all adds up and means I have more to spend on just the incidentals for the rest of the trip.

Waiting here for my coach to arrive, it is an interesting little sub culture who catches the bus. There are the loud, angry, outspoken women who are not happy that they have to sit and wait for connections (72 hours, 72 HOURS, the connection station was closed) and have been asked to step away from the line-up areas. When they get tired of waiting they elect to get into line anyway, and then there’s the woman who turns to anyone who will listen and says that she was told she couldn’t line up yet and they shouldn’t be lining up either.  After ten minutes of loud complaining she joins the first people in line, only to be asked by the security guard for them all to sit down and wait in the waiting area. First woman storms off to customer service to complain, second woman says I told you so to anyone who will listen and they are all giving the stink eye to the guard.  He must be used to this though cos he takes it all in stride.  I catch his eye and he gives me a tired smile.

Then there are the smokers anxiously sucking down their last load of nicotine before their three hour ride,  the tired souls grabbing a bite from the cafeteria before boarding, the mum chasing the active toddler and the young teenager travelling solo avoiding everyone’s eyes, eyes glued to their screen.

Thankfully I get a seat to myself for the entire trip and downloaded enough Vampire Diaries episodes to get me through the 3 hour trip. Thank god for the headphones as there was a guy on board sitting right at the back of the bus who spent the whole trip talking on his mobile at the top of his voice about his clients and their recording deals and contracts and what was included and how an advance works...full credit to the guy he was working his ass off, but let’s face it buddy, if you’re on a greyhound bus to Vegas instead of a flight, chances are you are not yet repping the most successful of performers.

The scenery on the way was beautiful, with the desert giving way to the mountains as we began the ascent to Flagstaff.  At an elevation of 2106m above sea level, it is only 102m behind Mt Kosciuszko in elevation.  While a busy city (Route 66 runs through Flagstaff), the air here is so fresh and so clean that my oxygen sats are better here than in Brisbane - even at the higher levels!

The 1.2 mile walk from the bus station to the hotel was ok, but there is a bit of a blustery wind here today.  Not the best day to have washed my hair as it was already fly away without the wind!

Orientation with Brandon from our tour company, and I’m feeling a little more settled about the next three days. I’ve packed the backpack, unpacked and repacked it twice, taking out things that are probably a bit frivolous, and am now happily settled in a booth at Chili’s waiting for Shrimp fajitas and sipping on Tito’s Punch - a delightful pineapple drink.  Have met the other two people on our hike - a couple from Minnesota - Chad and Tanya, who have hiked a lot. I’ve already apologised to them for my novice status, and hope I don’t drive them too crazy with my slow pace.

No reception in the Canyon, so it will be a longer blog with hopefully lots of pics to follow. See you on the other side!