Ukusuka eLas Vegas

NgoMsombuluko, Okthoba 1st savalelisa eVegas. Indlela yethu yasidlulisa "eDeath Valley" sidlula eLone Pine saya kuBishop, emaphethelweni asempumalanga e-Yosemite National Park.

Siqale ngesibopho sokulibaziseka kwemizuzu engama-45. Akekho kithi owaziyo ukuthi kungani, kodwa kusebenza njalo. 8 a.m. iba 8.45 a.m., ihora lesishiyagalombili liba ikota ukuya kweleshumi. Lokho kumele kumiswe nakanjani. Ikakhulukazi njengoba usuku lungalubi uma ufuna ukuthola ikhofi ku-"Golden M" kafushane ngemva kokuqala futhi i-oda lenqwaba lenyanga libekwe phambi kwakho. Bekungowoku-1 kuphela, kodwa angicabangi ukuthi kukhona ophakamisa lokho...

"Emoyeni omuhle" saya emithambekeni. Sahamba ngemoto eningizimu-mpumalanga, nge-"Shoshone", singena epaki likazwelonke. Kulo mzila, nge-"Jubilee Pass", uzodlula izindawo ezimbili ezikhangayo ngesikhathi esisodwa. Iphasi liwukuheha ngokwalo. Ngempela umzila othakazelisa kakhulu futhi uyancomeka ngempela.

Izinga lokushisa emotweni lalilokhu likhuphuka futhi lafinyelela kuma-degree angu-41 esitobhini sethu sokuqala. "I-Badwater" yasibingelela ngaphambi nje kwehora leshumi nambili emini nomoya oshisayo oshisayo, owomile. Sasifike endaweni ephansi kunazo zonke eNyakatho Melika. Ugwadule lwesihlabathi noqweqwe lukasawoti olomisiwe lungamamitha angama-85.5 ngaphansi kwezinga lolwandle. Ichibi elincane lifakazela ichibi langaphambili kanye nezimvula ezimbalwa. Amanzi awaphuzwa ngenxa yosawoti omningi. Ngenhlanhla besinamanzi alinganiselwa ku-10 litres emotweni futhi siwasebenzise kakhulu. Okuhlale kusimangaza wukuthi asivamile ukuhlangana nabanye abahambi emgwaqeni. Kodwa-ke, uma ufika endaweni ekhangayo enjalo, khona-ke kunezixuku, ukuze izindawo zokupaka ezivulekile zibe yindlala. Izivakashi eziningi zafika maphakathi nale ndawo ewugwadule ukuze ziqwale izintaba (okulinganiselwa okungenani amakhilomitha amabili). Ngemva kwamamitha angu-100 sanquma ukuthi namuhla akusona isimo sezulu esingcono kakhulu sokuhamba ngezinyawo futhi saphendukela endaweni yokupaka kanye nombhangqwana wase-Aschaffenburg. Babengabangane abahle ngempela, bejabulisa futhi izindlela zethu kufanele ziwele kaningi ngalolo suku. Uhambo lwaqhubeka futhi sathatha indlela encane. Kungakabiphi ngemuva kokuthi "Badwater" sijike saqonda ezintabeni, kude nomgwaqo omkhulu, kodwa sisegandaywe kahle. Besifunde kuphela mayelana "Nedrayivu Yomculi" kuze kube manje futhi asikwazanga ukucabanga okuthile okukhethekile ngayo. Ukumangala kwethu kwaba kukhulu ngalokho esikubone endaweni engaba ngu-15 km ubude phakathi kwamadwala nezihosha. Ukwakheka okuhlukile kwedwala okunomklamo wombala obunombala ophelele wephalethi okunikezwayo. Kunconywe Kakhulu!

Ngemva kwalokhu kusebenza okuhle saqhubeka "ku-Zabriskie Point". Indawo enamatshe eyinqaba yayisilindile lapha, eyadalwa ukuguguleka komhlabathi. I-Borax phambilini yayimbiwe kule ndawo eseduze ne-"Furnace Creek" futhi lolu chungechunge lwezintaba noma ukwakheka kwamatshe kwaqanjwa ngoMnu. Zabriskie, omunye wabaqondisi abaphethe.

Ngemva kwezithombe eziningi saqhubeka sabheka ngasentshonalanga. Simise isikhashana "e-Mesquite Sand Dunes", lapho uzwa sengathi umaphakathi ne-Sahara ngempela noma osebhishi elikhulu. Ethafeni, phakathi kwezintaba, isihlabathi esisusiwe siyaqoqana senze izindunduma ezinkulu, ngaphandle kwesidingo sesandla somuntu ukuze sinikeze ukusekela. Ukuhlanya kwangempela, kusho nabakwa-Aschaffenburgers. Ngaphambi nje kokusuka eSigodini kwakukhona indawo yokwakha eyasibiza eminye imizuzu engu-30 yesikhathi esibalulekile. Ukwengeza futhi ngenxa yokusetshenziswa kwamanzi okuphezulu, kube nokuma ku-"Father Crowley Overlook". Lapha, nokho, ngombukiso omncane womoya we-US Air Force, eshaye izindiza zabo zempi ze-F-18 emihosheni emincane. Sihlangane nomnyango we-"Aschaffenburg" lapha okwesi-3 nokokugcina okwamanje. Saphinda saxoxa kwaze kwashaya u-5 ntambama. Empeleni, cishe sasifuna ukuba kuBishop ngaleso sikhathi.

Ngakho ngakwazi ukubeka eceleni isifiso sami esiyimfihlo sokuphambukela "e-Alabama Hills" eduze kwedolobhana elincane "i-Lone Pine". Esikhathini esedlule, amafilimu amaningi asentshonalanga aqoshwa ngaphakathi nasezindaweni ezizungezile "i-Lone Pine", ezansi kweMt. Whitney. Isibonelo, ezinye izigcawu ezivela ku-"Django" zenzeka "e-Alabama Hills". Ngakho-ke lokhu kuvakasha kuzomele kulinde kuze kube yisikhathi esilandelayo.

Sashayela ngokushesha saya kuBishop, ngaso sonke isikhathi sisethunzini lentaba ngasohlangothini olusempumalanga yeSierra Nevada. Ukukhanya kokushona kwelanga kwashaya ubuso bedwala futhi kwakunzima ukugxila emgwaqeni. Kuhle ngempela lokho imvelo engakwazi ukukuhlanganisa ekukhanyeni nasetsheni. Besekumnyama sifika eTownhouse Motel eBishop. Savunyelwa ukuba sihlale ekamelweni elihle ngempela ubusuku obubodwa. Ihlonyiswe ngakho konke okufiswa yinhliziyo yakho, ungahlala lapha iviki noma ngaphezulu. I-pool yayisagezwa, kodwa amanzi ayebanda kunomfudlana osentabeni eduze kwaseSedona, kangangokuthi amakhilomitha okubhukuda ayelinganiselwe. Lokho kwakulungile ukuze kuqiniswe, phela saya eYosemite National Park ngakusasa.