The “Grand Canyon” written on the pages of my childhood geography book and heard on my father’s face always fascinated me. I never imagined seeing the Grand Canyon with my own eyes. My current address is Irving, Texas. My two-and-a-half-hour flight from Dallas International Airport to McCaren International Airport in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world. It seemed. After spending a few hours in that dream city, I left at midnight for the much awaited Grand Canyon.
The city of Las Vegas is located on the Mahavi Desert. Breaking through the thick darkness of the night, our car ran through the desert. Just sand hills on either side of the quiet path. As we enter the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park after a five-hour drive, the eastern horizon is illuminated by the crimson glow of the sun. After breakfast with raspberry muffins and scrambled eggs, we all made our tour plan. After waiting for a while, we boarded the shuttle bus. The bus service here is perfect. Many more points. The winding path is surrounded by greenery on one side and a wide canyon on the other. I did not understand when I went to another world to see the creation of nature.
The Grand Canyon is 26 miles long, 16 miles wide, and 8,093 feet deep. The Colorado River flows through the canyon. It is unbelievable that a river can form such a huge canyon without seeing it with one’s own eyes. The light of the sun and the shadow of the clouds multiplied the look of the canyon several times. At a glance I saw that enchanting look of the Grand Canyon in the book of geography. After a while, I looked at my watch and realized that it was time for lunch. So now wait for the bus. Buses ply on this route every fifteen minutes. After a while I reached the lodge. After lunch there, the car drove to the next destination.
In the late afternoon, we drove to the Desert View Watchtower. This watchtower is known as the “Indian Watchtower.” It was designed by the famous architect Marie Coulter in 1930 and completed in 1932. The 60-foot-tall structure is located on the east end of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Inside, small windows overlook the canyon. On the first floor of the Watchtower, Hopi artist Fred Cabb presents various images of Hopi mythology. I climbed the steep stairs to the roof of the Watchtower. From there as far as the eye can see just the canyon.
The sun was then in the western sky. It is very cold outside. We had nothing to say about winter clothes. Almost freezing in the cold. Ignoring everything, we are standing in the hope of sunset. The Desert View Watchtower offers a beautiful view of the sunset. At this point, the canyon becomes even more beautiful. How many forms of a canyon can be seen here. People from all over the world come here to watch the sunset. There was also a Bengali family among them. Everyone is busy capturing this beautiful scene on camera. Gradually the sun is setting on Mama’s lap and the cold is on the rise. But I could not take my eyes off him then.
After a while the evening fell. I ran inside the car. I warmed my body by running a quick heater. Now it’s time to return. The car drove towards the lodge. Our car is moving along the hilly road. I arrived at the lodge reminiscing about the day. I spent the night there and said goodbye to Grand Canyon the next morning. I did not want to go. I thought it would not be a day? But I had to go back. Aslam had a lot of sweet memories when he returned. That is why I want to say again and again, “Oh, what I saw, I will not forget even at birth.”
