Saturday, July 24, 2004

Good Old Chauvanism

I'm tired. I was up at 6:00. Hiking by 8:00. Biking at 1:00. Driving from 2-8:45. and frankly I'm tired. There will be longer posts on the trip. It was quite something. First off I think I encountered 1 trillion Germans at the two national parks. Two fun games arose from this fact. The first was surly American or bashful European. This game is played by Aaron eagerly wishing everyone on the trail a good day, or a hello and hand wave. Just trying to be cheerful. So when someone fails to wave back or say hello is it: a) because they are surly Americans or b) Europeans (non-Brits). It was hard to tell. Usually the Americans would talk about me as I passed. That was a big clue. Also the Europeans wore clothing that made them look like they were cool kids from Des Moines. Strike that. It just made them look like they were from Des Moines. The other great game was German friends or American gays. This was a more rare game, but there were at least two sets of ripped, good looking guys, walking with their shirts off (and frosted blonde hair). I think in both cases they were German, but you can see the untold National Park games that could be invented. It was good fun. There were a few moments of patriotic, chauvanistic pride---there is something powerful about people flocking to see giant holes in American soil, giant, awe inspiring absences. I'm sure there are amazing sights in other countries, but these parks were pretty outstanding. And I've never even been to the Grand Canyon. Which I would have to imagine is mind boggling in a way that Canyonlands cannot approximate.

Other fun things: a radio commercial for storage sheds, a gas station called: Gay Johnsons, a plethora of rented RVs. It reminded me of driving McFun to see all these RVs. Made me sad, and yet deeply grateful that I didn't have to take McFun up a mountain.

More to come, and photos to be posted on extra vaganza

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