Summer Holidays
One Family’s Tale
|
Pictures by Phoebe David [click to enlarge] |
 |
 |
W e started in Dubai, where we rented a car that took us around the city,
which is small. We visited the heritage village to have a glimpse of how
people used to live. The kids had a camel ride. Then we visited the bay
area and the gold souk. It was very hot and we seemed to have encountered
an early heat wave. It was fun to see Dubai, a flourishing city.
Then we proceeded to Paris to see friends and family, after which we flew
to Los Angeles, staying in California for a month. It was glorious to see
my sister and family whom I have not met for four years. We visited
Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, the beach in Huntington and Newport
Bay.
We spent a week in the Grand Canyon, Arizona. It was a seven-hour drive
from Corona, where my sister lives. The canyons are awesomely beautiful.
With the changing light from the sun, the beauty and colors change as
well.
Viewing it for the first time, the immense dimensions and visual
impact defy the understanding of how they were formed. But by just
observing, one can learn to appreciate the beauty. Perhaps no landscape on
Earth is as surprising as the vast yet intricate face of the Grand
Canyon. For me, it was a land to humble the soul.
The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It has
been shaped by the passage of time and the ravages of nature. I learnt
that the region was at times covered by sea, while rivers have cut deep
gorges through surface strata and earthquakes have bent, twisted, dropped
and folded the land. It is just amazing!
There are two rims in the Canyons, the south and the north. Although both
are only ten miles apart, they are separated by more than 215 miles of
road. We were on the south rim, the most visited area that has more
facilities. It has a 7,000-foot elevation with temperatures between 50 to
80° F in summer.
The south rim is open all year while north rim is open from mid May to mid
October. We trekked 10 miles from Hermit Rest to Mather Point, with stops
at Hopi Point and Yavapi Point. These are stations along the south rim
with spectacular views of the canyon.
We went down the canyon as well, passing through the Angel’s Window trail
for one and a half miles. The children loved it. I had expected them to
complain but they were as happy as could be. Later we went rafting in the
Colorado River. My son was so euphoric with excitement that he plunged
into the 10° C water. We also went horse riding in the Grand Canyon
National Park.
From the States, we flew to Paris and drove on to the Costa Brave, Spain,
two hours from Barcelona. Here, we were tanned on the beach, cooling down
in the water to beat the heat wave. In the afternoons, we settled near the
hotel pool, reading.
Then back to France, where we roamed on the Cote d’Azur and ended up in
St. Tropez, with its beautiful port with luxurious yachts. The village
is small yet crowded. We took a boat to see the villas and mansions of
celebrities. We spent time on the beach.
After a week in Paris, we returned to Dhaka full of happy memories of our
summer adventures.