The Journey Continues - The Road Goes Backwards

I'm still on the road heading south.  At least that's how it is on the blog.  I didn't finish writing about the trip even though I did arrive at my destination.  So, bear with me, I have to go backwards because my on the road diary snagged on that thing called "life."  I thought I'd catch up on all the sights of my journey when I got to my destination and instead I no sooner pulled my suitcase through the door before deadlines began.  Apparently, writing a series means that there's not just one book that needs a bit of love and attention, but three others.  I'm learning, I really am.  And the series - more on that later...  Or if you'd like a play by play on what's happening, where it's all at and yes, contests and giveaways, sign up for my newsletter, The Walkabout.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

There's some irony in travelling backwards with my blog post because part of this trip was revisiting the past.  Soon, you'll see, the route will take us to a place I haven't been since I was a teenager.  I'm rather looking forward to seeing the Grand Canyon as that trip was where I wrote my first travel journal  But that's another post - we're not there yet.  Now, the
road stretches ahead of us.  On this leg of the journey, Utah is behind us and we're headed to Page, Arizona.  There, the Grand Canyon isn't a thought as there's canyons galore and lots of height related, stomach churning sights to keep anyone with a fear of heights in a continual state of fright.  But it's beautiful too. And, along the route we stumble on a sign for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes.  Almost drove by, and I'm so glad we didn't.  



The days end, is Page, Arizona.  The next day it's on to the Antelope Canyon.  The Canyon is on land that belongs to the Navajo Nation.  So the tour is run by the Navajo and our guide is a young Navajo man who is anxious to head to England to study music and is also an avid traveller.  There's a young couple from Slovenia and another couple from Belgium, someone from China and another couple from Japan.  I might be a foreigner too but in this group, Canada is looking pretty ordinary.  Meantime, our guide continued on about travel and his love of it and fills in all that with bits about the canyon which is looking not at all inspiring.   At this point I'm not sure why we need a guide except to tell us about the fascinating Navajo aspect and maybe a bit about the fauna.  But then it gets interesting.  We're going down - way down!

Our guide looks back at us, reaches over to help one woman who just fell down a stretch of sloping, foot polished rock and leads the way to narrow metal stairs that disappear into the earth.  ""If you're scared of heights just go up."  Up?  I look down, way down.  It's a metal narrow ladder with a bevy of people in front and now behind as we begin the journey.  There's no way anyone is going back up.  Instead we're heading down and the irony is that this canyon stretches deep into the earth, deep enough that if any of us slip on this treacherous ladder someone or many someones could die.  Yes, such thoughts run through my head.

More height - we visited a dam

Did I mention I hate heights?

And I really didn't need the story of the tourist who didn't follow instructions not to take pictures while on the stairs and fell who knows how many feet to his, I assume death.  That part of the story gets glossed over.  Maybe our guide realized that the graphic story might have been a bit too much.

All of that aside, it was worth it.  The canyon is awe inspiring.  If you're ever in Page, it's a must see.

Tomorrow, yes tomorrow.  I'm not done yet.  There's more, much more!  I'm still going backwards on the road - the road that's coming forward, to here, the now.  So more travel stories.

In the heart Borneo death & passion collide

But speaking of more - My romantic suspense set in the heart of the Borneo jungle, Fatal Intent, is on sale for 99 cents!  Check it out here on Amazon or any of your fave online bookstores!

That's not all - Fatal Intent will be part of a sponsorship for an incredible $400 Amazon Shopping Spree prize on the Black Friday Giveaway.  The chance for $400 Amazon shopping spree is  happening tomorrow.  So check back here, the prizes, the trip, it all continues - or in the case of the Black Friday giveaway, it begins.




Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com