R WE MAD?: 9 June

Route: Bluff-Valley of the Gods-Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park-Page-Glen Canyon Dam.

Up before the sunrise, we drive out to Valley of the Gods. Described as a smaller, less known Monument valley with towering sandstone formations, just like in the old cowboy movies. Lit by the morning sun, with scrubby green growth in the valleys, made for some excellent photo opportunities.

You know how it is with some tourist attractions, they just do not live up to the hype, well Monument valley is one. This area belongs to Navajo Indians, who very much like Africans, all set up stalls selling the same cheap tourist items, along the roadside. The main feature of the park, is the iconic Mittens, a pair of Buttes, each with a single spire, making them appear like a pair of hands clad in mittens.

Unfortunately, a square, concrete hotel, has been ‘plonked’ insensitively on the plateau right in front of the famous landmark. The roads in the park are in an extremely poor state, so we decided to leave this sad. touristy place, after about half an hour.

As we traverse the last mount of the road to Page, in front of us lies the huge expanse of blue green water of Lake Powell, so out of place in this vast arid desert.

Construction of the 712 foot high arched Glen Canyon Dam wall, commenced in 1956, amidst much controversy.

425000 buckets of concrete, each larger than a normal concrete truck were poured, using uncrushed local stone. The mighty Colorado, backs up 185 miles and covers more than a million acres, and is known as Lake Powell. We took the 45 minute ranger lead tour of the dam wall.

The highly informative insight into the mammoth task of constructing, first the town of Page, the bridge over the canyon, the coffer dam, deviation tunnels, access facilities, the wall itself and the 1200 megawatt hydro-electric plant, was definitely the highlight of the day.