Here we rant about the Politics in our respective nations & how fucked we are

[woodworker]

Van,.. I'm probably the only person to ever get within 70 feet of the Grand Canyon, and never even seen it.

My wife planned it so that we would have a cabin on the most scenic side.  She also planned it so that we would arrive at night, and therefore view it when the sun came up.  Which would have been very nice.

However, it was pitch dark there, with only a billion stars twinkling above, and the winds were screeching and howling as we were about to go to bed.   

She was afraid, so I lit this candle that was in this terra cotta little pot we bought in Santa Fe just prior.

Well, in the middle of the night I heard the loudest smoke alarm I had ever heard in my life!  It came from the soot from the end of the candle in that stupid little pot.    And I was startled and sort of panic, as there were other people in other cabins not far from ours, and I didn't want to disturb them.

So I opened the door, and grabbed that fucking stupid little pot and threw it out, along with the first two layers of my skin from my hand.

This man there said it looked pretty serious and would probably get infected if I didn't have it tended to.

So we drove all the way to Utah (Nearest Hospital) in order to do just that.

How's that for fate being strange.  We were so close to the canyon I could have thrown a stone into it.  And yet I never saw the fucking thing. 

[Guest Squirrel]

Took the family to the Grand Canyon on a quick tour of the West. (Yosemite, GC, Bryce, Zion, etc.) Being young and supposedly healthy, we walked down the Canyon wall, from the snow to the hot valley floor. Camped in a tent. Walked back up the next day. Actually, I crawled.

Rich idiot mofo's were coming down on rented burros. I seriously wanted to donkey-jack their jack-asses and ride back up to the top by that time. I ached for days, having discovered muscles that I didn't know existed.

It's worth it. When you see that Canyon, you see God.

[Guest Squirrel]

I don't see God when I injure myself.

I start speaking fluent French in a very loud voice, instead.

[van the man]

The only time I visited the US I went to Scotsdale, Arizona. (It was a corporate event!).

I did a hot air balloon trip which was truly amazing. The air was so perfectly still that we actually came down in the same field as we went up!

I have never suffered from the fear of heights but suddenly during the flight I had the most overwhelming desire to jump out of the balloon and fly. My heart was pounding faster and harder than Paul's after 3 minutes on top of Leora!

I went canoeing and saw the most beautiful sight I have ever seen as a herd (is that the word!) of wild horses came down to the water to drink. I will never forget the sight. The world really is truly beautiful.

I totally love the US and definitely want to visit the Grand Canyon one day.

On the 3rd March I am flying to New York for a week of sightseeing. I guess it is the cliché visit (or maybe that's Disney!) but I love London and always consider it to be the centre of the universe yet for some reason Americans think New York is better! I thought I needed to find out for myself!

I would welcome any suggestions as to what to see to get under the skin of the place.

[Guest Squirrel]

I oddly felt SAFER in New York City when I visited there than I did in London.

However, Manhattan is worth some time; but I could live in London's museums for weeks on end.

Both can be walked. (Just look the right way before crossing the street!)