Grand Canyon - East

After the trauma of the frozen mule ride, I changed into dry clothes in a public toilet and gingerly drove off, still shivering, with the puff pouring out heat onto my socks. It was still grey and drizzling, but strangely quiet and beautiful. The puff felt like a submarine, like a private bubble filled with the swirling rush of hot air. Outside the armour of the puff the world stood cool and brooding.

One way to gain an appreciation of the enormity of the Grand Canyon is to drive from the North Rim, around to the east and back down to Flagstaff, south of the Grand Canyon. It's a very, very, very long drive. It's such a long drive that I drove into entirely new weather, dry, bright and hot. I slowly thawed out as I marvelled at the scenery by the side of the road.

In most places, this kind of scenery would be a destination in itself. Here it is just what you have to drive past to get to the good stuff.