Category: Travel

Travel tips, tricks and holiday stories

Horseshoe Bend & Antelope Canyon

While there’s much more to see and do in Page, Arizona, we took it slow and easy.

Sleep: Motel 6. Clean, new, pool and wifi. Recommended if you’re on a budget
Eat: Fiesta Mexicana, Canyon King
See: Horseshoe Bend at sunset, Lower Antelope Canyon (and Upper at certain times)

Huge margaritas, and strong (even for Bram’s measures)!

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Chilling at horseshoe bend (and sitting down because still tipsy 🙂

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Creepy David Lynch style tree on a lost highway towards the local riverpaddleboat-pizzeria (yup).

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Next day, Antelope Canyon! A huge crack in the wall with amazing rock formations inside.

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It’s a desert, so better clean that lens regularly, Ilse!
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Vegas to Zion

Landed in Vegas, urban sprawl in the middle of the desert.20130615-222623.jpg

Poolside! 20130615-222645.jpg

We tried our luck…20130615-222657.jpg

Just a little bit hot 20130615-222708.jpg

So more pooltime needed! 20130615-222755.jpg

Gorgeous clear sunsets20130615-222805.jpg< Our map of the day (including sister wives and canyons)20130615-222818.jpg
Hiking/canyoneering tomorrow!

We climbed* Mt Doom

*or crossed it at least

All is going swell in our trip around North Island. Bram and I got up early today to climb Mt Doom, “I will carry you Master Frodo”.
Our first attempt early in the morning was thwarted by a thick fog and no visibility. But the clouds magically cleared, chased away by the sun. Great news, we could hike 20 kms after all, yay. Sort of. But our hesitation soon turned into enthusiasm as we trekked further into volcano country. The Tongariro crossing is called one of the most beautiful day hikes in New Zealand and rightly so. Even the sulphur smell is worth it. Well, maybe that’s a bit exaggerated, but Bram’s farts are worse (he agrees).
The lack of oxygen made us giddy. That and snow! No Easter eggs for us, but snowballs galore! In 30 mins we went from 30 to 0 degrees, fact. See kids, that is why one wears layers.
We didn’t drop any ring in the crater, but we did fry a banana in a sulphur vent near Emerald lake. And sung Edelweiss of the top of our lungs – grunting is singing too right?
More photos to follow when we’re back home, here is some iPhone stuff.

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