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| Lucky |
| Thursday, July 09, 2009 |
This past weekend me and DH and another couple, A and S set off to Yellowstone National Park. It is a pretty hectic time at work, and I almost felt guilty for leaving in the middle of the week.
Some highlights, I have no patience or time to write an elaborate account:
* Laughed a lot.
* S can say a 'situation' Vivek joke, made us all double up with laughter.
* DH was no less, with his self deprecating jokes.
* All TV serials - Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, According to Jim, Lost had to be brought up.
* All Tamil movies under the sun were discussed ripped apart. Tamil actors and actresses too.
* The 7 hour to and fro journey to Mt Rushmore seemed to rush by thanks to all the useless topics mentioned above. ;--)
* Mt Rushmore was awe inspiring for a day, we hoped to get closer to the sculpture but couldnt.
* DH bravely drove through a thunder storm, while we all sat a tad bit quiet eyeing the lightening that lit up the sky with less than a minute interval between two.
* Wyoming, South Dakota roads were as such deserted, thunderstorm left only us on the road.
* It was a beautiful tryst with nature all the way after. Beautiful, magnificent waterfalls, mountains, rivers, streams.
* Yellowstone greeted us with amazing weather.
* Old Faithful failed to impress me, probably because we were standing very far away and didnt really feel its enormity.
* I loved the Anemone Geyser, which spurted out water, and seeped it back in.
* The different colours around Hot Springs were beautiful, until two days of gaping at them got us to the verge of boredom.
* Old Faithful Inn was pretty, and lived to its name.
* Since A had done all the research about the Park, all questions were directed at her, until she got frustrated and answered every question with Sulphur.
"What makes it look yellow?" "Sulphur"
"What is that green color?" "Sulphur"
"Orange?" "Sulphur" "!!!"
"What makes the water color torquise blue?" "Sulphur" "!!!!!"
* Finally we decided anything in the park was due to sulphur or thermophiles or calcite or one other word I forget now.
* We also realized towards the end of the trip at Sulphur Caldron that we were just visiting one geo thermal area after another smelling sulphur, which was akin to smelling Gutters in India. Really, Koovam River could also get famous with such appropriate propaganda.
* Grand Prismatic Spring was magnificant, not from close by but from the top of a small hill on another trail.
* We saw the first Bison, and DH was ticked off by a Park Ranger for getting too close to it. This was before knowing that we would see atleast 200-300 bisons in the park the very next day.
* Lunch on all three days were packed. Puliogare, Vathal Kozhambu, yogurt, chips, mixture, pickle. Kadalai mittai for dessert. What more can one ask for?
* After being pretty disappointed in Alaska with Bear spotting, we were lucky enough to spot several bears.
* Bear 1 - right by the road. We even saw it stand on two legs!
* Bear 2 & 3 - watched through a scope as they were feeding on a dead bison carcass
It was an amazing experience, like watching something on Animal Planet. A wolf was eyeing the meal from far away, waiting for the bears to leave.
* Bear 4 - Also very close to the road. Was just running away from the road. And this was just when I was wishing if only all the Bisons which we were spotting all through the park happened to be Bears.
* Bear 5 - Another tiny view of this guy through a scope. Nothing interesting. In Alaska I would have been happy with the view. But Yellowstone was different.
* Bear 6 - Black Bear! Eating grass by the road. Rangers were staying close to it, to make sure tourists didnt get too close. I was first a little scared. Having seen The Edge. But I did go as close as the ranger would allow us.
* We saw a fox by a parking lot. These animals are sooo beautiful from far away!!
* Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel lived up to its name. It was set in amidst mountains, it was drizzling, it was beauitful. There were deers just outside, seen through the window of our rooms!
* First we made ample fun of the Bison, for living upto its name. Early morning we had a lazy bison herd takes its time to cross the road. We knew why often people scolded laziness with " Maadu madhiri irukkiye" However, we got to learn from a Ranger that a Bison saves its energy for winter. Weighing at about 2000lbs it can still run at 35mph! All of us found new respect for the animal.
* Just as we were leaving Yellowstone, happy that we had seen all that wildlife, but a litle sad at not having seen Elk and Moose, (Elk normally could have been seen, but they had moved further up the mountains to escape the bears and wolves), we spotted the Elk by the road. We stopped and chased after the Elk, a few more cars parked behind ours, we had spotted it first!
* Moose we spotted after we left Yellowstone. It was mission accomplished!
* A and S had an SLR with some good lens and were able to take amazing pictures of wildlife. S took some awesome portraits of me and DH, I wish I had enough sleep those days, I would have looked better in them. Still, I will forever cherish those pictures.
* It does pay to get up at 3:30 in the morning to see wildlife, we saw soo many!
* Five to six days of less than 6 hours of sleep, took a toll on us. We came back home and slept all afternoon, to make up.
Yet another memorable holiday.
PS:I am too lazy to upload pictures may be next post. |
posted by SK @ 7:10 PM  |
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| 5 Comments: |
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Jolly good trip! Bear spotting I did in Smoky Mountains!
A friend uploaded only roads and building pics of her trip coz she went with her boyfriend and told folks at home she went with roomies. And folks were on facebook. When she told me that, only SK came to my mind. Only mountains and buildings and lakes in her pics. :P
Yes, I'll keep pulling your leg on that one :P
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photos anuppi vainga......
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I'm jealous :P
Pics, Pics!
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I think missed out one more 'fun' thing you folks did. The 4 of you, I am sure, played dumb charades, pictionary during your trip.
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Adi, deiii :--)
Why spoil the beauty of the blog putting my pics :--P
Kutti,
Enna ellam paathu mudichacha?
Chutney,
:--D Will post over the weekend.
Ram,
U stereotype everyone dont you ;--) Wait wait, every dog has its day :--P
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Jolly good trip! Bear spotting I did in Smoky Mountains!
A friend uploaded only roads and building pics of her trip coz she went with her boyfriend and told folks at home she went with roomies. And folks were on facebook. When she told me that, only SK came to my mind. Only mountains and buildings and lakes in her pics. :P
Yes, I'll keep pulling your leg on that one :P