View over the Grand Canyon

• Drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park
• Hiking along the impressive demolition edge
• Admire the sunset at Yaki Point

At half past eight the sun heats the tent too much to think about sleep any longer. I have breakfast, Oli is not hungry yet. Then we leave Monument Valley via Kayenta and on to Toba City. The route again leads through very dry area. After the detour towards the eastern entrance of the Grand Canyon South Rum, the road first leads through the Kainab National Forest and then into the world-famous national park. To our astonishment, the park itself is more densely forested than expected. There are said to be numerous elk, but also peccaries, pumas, bobcats, condors and much more. We get our first view of the canyon of all cayons soon after entering the park at the Desert View Visitors Center. A truly impressive moment. Another dimension larger than in Canyonlands National Park. The Colorado River lies more than 1,600 kilometers below the edge of the precipice. The different rock layers not only have different colors and textures, but they also give a globally unique look into the history of the earth. We continue to the tourist crowds and pivotal point Canyon Village. There we are accommodated in the very last available space for one night. That means something, because the Mather Campground is huge.

We buy bread, cheese and salami as well as an M & Ms ice cream in the grocery store. Then we park the car and use one of the four free shuttle bus lines. We drive to the penultimate stop Pim Point and walk the almost two kilometers to the most easterly point Hermits Rest. Even if a bit cooler than yesterday, it's still hot. After a cool drink we drive back to Mohave Point and from there walk over the impressive Hopi to Powell Point. The hiking trail usually leads directly along the edge of the canyon and offers breathtaking views. Just a few meters from the path, it goes steeply up to several hundred meters down into the gorge. We drive to the Grand Canyon Visitors Center and again use the shuttle service to Yaki Point in a westerly direction. Here we spend the last hour before sunset. The air is relatively clear and so we can see far over the gigantic landscape furrowed by the river. Unfortunately no clouds are visible in the sky, so the sunset is relatively little spectacular, but still worth seeing. In the now totally overcrowded shuttle we drive back to the parked car and from there to the campground. Oli is again not hungry and goes to bed soon afterwards. I fry myself chicken, make salad and cut myself a slice of delicious wholemeal bread. Then I spend the evening doing the dishes, reading and writing a diary.