For the first time in our vacations, we could afford to wake up like some lazy bags of sand. It was absolutely fine even if we could start by 6:45 to 7 in the morning. And that's what we did. I had been to Vegas once before and the same word came to me like it came the first time I had seen Las Vegas in daylight - dull. Seems like the entire town is in a hangover. Nevertheless, a breakfast at a McD and we were out for the hottest National Park in the United States (hottest as in temperature-wise).
With the Nevada desert all around us, I had not expected the Death Valley National Park to appear distinctly different. But it was. The rugged and primitive land forms seem to have remained unchanged since the dinosaur age. I have always been a patron of a sky full of clouds. But this time, I did not want that to happen. I wanted to see the place like it is meant to be seen - raw. On my huge-watery-dark-eyes-like-Puss-from-Shrek-movies request, Asish da agreed to drive from there on.
When we say desert, we first think of sand and sand. This was a little different. It was rocks. It may have been the actual beauty of the place or some seriously good packaging by the US department of tourism, it looked beautiful. So hostile, so merciless, yet so beautiful. All shades of brown, sometimes bordering in the range of orange and yellow and red, different layers of rocks looked like a living document of the age and events of the earth.
It had started to appear like a constant realization - "Its a planet where we live". Quite an obvious fact, but it has been hitting me more strongly than ever, away from the distraction called civilization. The same was in Yellowstone, in Alaska and now in Death Valley (I am yet to have this feeling in other continents). While inside the Artist's Drive, the elevations and the dips and the turns and stone covers and the sudden revelation of the open landscape, it was not very difficult to gauge that even the roughest of terrains have that power to make themselves so damn attractive.
The more you see the merciless vastness, the more you begin to wonder about the "save the planet" campaigns seen everywhere these days. Do we humans have it in us to save the planet? Was it not here before we were? Will it not be here long after we are wipped out? There are believer of the fact (including me) that the planet does not need our saving, the need for saving is for us humans. Like everything else on this planet, we are a mere part of the balance. We disturb its delicateness, we get disturbed ourselves. The planet can always come up with a substitute species for humans. It doesnt bother.
For reasons to keep resembling my picture in my passport, (minus the added chubbiness over the years) I used my hand kerchief to cover the part of my face left open after wearing a cap and sunglasses. It was indeed the hottest place we have even been. The frailness of our existence was even more clear to us when we were greeted by the Devil's Golf Course. It appeared like nature has perfected barrenness here. No sign of vegetation, only salt flats for miles. To be able to stand there and soak in the sight takes a little bit of extra time, so that you can start by believing that you are actually standing alive in the place which calls itself Death Valley. The only ray of hope is that you know there is a tar-paved road less than quarter of a mile away which you can take to get out this place.
The term "xyz meters above sea level" has always confused me a little. I am not sure, if by "above sea level" one means a distance radially outward the earth's lithosphere. If it is so, then my next theory might make sense. At a place called Badwater Basin, it was specifically marked 282 ft BELOW sea level (82 meters) - making it officially the lowest point in the entire continent. Now, when some one says "lowest", by that sea level theory in my mind, I automatically consider it closer to the core of the earth. No doubt, it was hot as hell (almost, literally).
It was a Panda Express for lunch in the town of Shoshone close to the CA-NV border. We were exhausted. Seriously exhausted. but we knew we were not yet done. Back in our hotel in Vegas, we could catch some rest before sundown. When we woke up, we were neck deep in the feeling that we deserve a memorable night out in the mad city out there. The flight delay, the sleeplessness, the early mornings, the trails, the drives, the hunt-for-food, the dehydration... but also the breath-taking-ness, the rain at the Grand Canyon, the perfect rainbow, the magnificent lights, the group fun on the road, and the silent remembrance that this might be our last time, we knew that Vegas was the perfect place to write the epilogue.
Since I had been there before, I was crowned the unofficial tour guide. For the people with similar upbringing and inhibitions as mine, I think I did not disappoint the group. There was the must see Bellagio Fountain, some gambling (only Asish da won, again!), walking inside casinos like Ceaser's Palace et cetra and experiencing the stunning "pretend sky" lighting of Venetian. I must admit that money does not startles me that much as much what people create using it does (or how people just throw it away does). Other than holding the Wonder Woman by her waist for a photograph (first time, I was not excited about Batman also being there!), there was no sin committed in that city.
We were back when it was only 1 am ("only" by Vegas standard) and were under the impression that the quota of trails is over. Well, we were wrong. When we landed in Dallas from Phoenix the next day, our connecting flight was not less than half the airport across with barely 10 mins to spare once we had alighted. We ran! Like crazy - on the moving side walks, on the escalators, on the subsequent escalators, on the floor (and I think Asish da ran inside that airport sky-link trains as well!). But when we were finally at the boarding gates, we were complimented by the attendants (announcing final calls and waiting for only the last 5 passengers) that we sure know how to fly! Once seated, all we could do was gasp fpr breath and laugh!
The drive from Louisville to Lexington too had something strange! The energy level. Somehow, it refused to die. Loud laughters, jokes, jokes about me, recalling incidents, jokes about me, narrating amazement, jokes about me, songs etc. were on full fire!
Yes, we were not wrong about that sense of achievement four days ago. For us, it always took more than what is generally called a relaxing vacation, but it has always been equally rewarding. Every little hardship is a little story, every milestone is an inspiration, every awestruck-ness is a reward and every photograph is a reflection of that madness which we five put as "Cholo,ticket ta kete phelte hobe toh" :)
Till next time,
Cheers!
