As one of the 'must see' highlights of the United States, we had grand hopes for this natural wonder of the world. The Grand Canyon lived above and beyond its hype. We've just spent nearly a week in this epicenter of wonder and America has once again shown us its raw, hospitable, proud and open personality.

Being in the middle of the desert, we expected the Grand Canyon to be dry, warm and relatively baron. So we were surprised as we drove in to the middle of a snow storm! With only brief glimpses of the canyon through the fog, most of what we could see was dense snow covered pine forest. We had to double check the road map to make sure we were in the right place! Sure enough we were, and we became giddy with excitement to see our surroundings in the mornings light!

Despite the blizzard and sub-zero temperatures, we decided to tough it out and keep to our budget by sleeping in the campground. Besides, how often do we get to camp out surrounded by snow covered forest, ravenous ravens (one tore a hole in our milk carton!) and other curious wildlife?! As a compromise, we decided not to cook dinner in the cold and dark and spent our evenings at a surprisingly inexpensive cafeteria attached to one of the lodges. It was warm, friendly and ended up being a great opportunity to catch up on our blogging.

The storm cleared after the first day, leaving a patchwork of white snow on the forested canyon rim, beautifully contrasted with the red rock canyon below and piercing blue sky above. The cold weather did not go away though, and each morning in the campground someone different approached us to help jump start their car, their battery having seized up!

We started exploring the southern canyon rim by filling our heads with information at the tourist centre and Geology museum. We learnt about the ancient Puebloan people who once inhabited the area, as well as more recent pioneering explorations to map the canyon and turn it into the outdoor playground it is today. We spent hours reading about the two billion year old (half the age of planet earth!) geological history of the canyons formation.

The 'Trail of Time' exhibit was especially fascinating. Every metre of this trail along the very edge of the canyon rim represented one million years of geological history! There were rock samples along the way representing the different sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous layers. Each rock was paralleled to a particular time period, dating right back to the volcanic Vishnu Basement Rock formed nearly two billion years ago. Meanwhile, diagrams of the canyon illustrated the physical location of these layers on the canyon walls directly in front of us! We never though we'd get so excited over rocks, but we did!

The Trail of Time ended at the historic Grand Canyon Village. Some of the houses and lodges here dated back to the 1900's when, drawn by its natural wonder and artistic appeal, people started to resettle here. We hadn't realised that for some lucky people, the Grand Canyon serves not only as a sanctuary for tranquility and peace, but also as home. There is still an active community here with schools, stables, churches and permanent homes. And we can see why!

Experiencing the sun setting over the canyon is hard to explain in words. We stood in awe as we watched the diminishing sunlight dance and jump around the vast expanse of cracks and crevices, illuminating different formations and canyons as it did. It was almost like the canyon was alive and celebrating the end of another day. The lingering snow clouds only added to this effect, miraculously forming a rainbow over one of the side canyons.

Somehow, standing above this indescribable beauty, we felt like we had cheated. We didn't have to drop one bead of sweat for these world class views! So to fully appreciate it we took off to the Backcountry Office for a permit to hike into the canyon, down to the Colorado River and back! With luck on our side, we managed to secure a permit for the following day, a permit which in peak season can take up to three months to obtain!

So, permit in hand, we dug out our tent, WhisperLite cooker and sleeping bags and descended on the South Kaibab trail. This trail was absolutely breathtaking, leading us around the cliff walls and into the canyon. Not only were the panoramic views incredible, but it was like walking through a living time warp, a montage of geologic history. Having already learnt about the different rock layers, we entertained ourselves by trying to work out roughly which time period we were walking down through, and stopping in search of exposed fossils along the way.

As we got nearer to the Colorado River, we realised that it is much more powerful than the seemingly tiny 'stream' visible from high up on the rim. The bridges crossing the river were almost as impressive as the river itself, appearing to materialise like spider webs out of the cliff walls. Nearing Bright Angel campground we passed some unexpected preserved history. Ancient Puebloan houses, dating back to 1050 AD and built right next to this life giving river, provided proof that people have attempted to live in and cultivate this fascinatingly rich landscape for thousands of years.

Compared to other backcountry hikes we've done this proved almost comically luxurious. Our 'backcountry' campground had flush toilets, hand soap and even power outlets! At the neighbouring Phantom Ranch, life in the canyon became even more luxurious. These cabins have been housing guests since 1922. Not only did the attached cafeteria offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, but it also served as a beer and wine hall! No wonder we saw so many goods-carrying mules on the way down!

In the evening we enjoyed a captivating evening Ranger talk. The topic was 'Ghosts, Murders and Missing Persons,' and the ranger gave us a run down on some of the historic mysteries surrounding the canyon. Our favourite tale was of Glen and Bessie Hyde, a newly wed couple who were never found after their attempted raft down the river. One set of footsteps were found leading from their anchored and seemingly untainted raft and rumour has it that Bessie, fed up with her rude, obnoxious husband, murdered him and climbed out of the canyon to start life anew...

The hike back out was just as exhilarating as we watched the river grow smaller, the tree covered canyon rim grow larger and the merciless walls transcend time in front of us. Still, 1.6 kilometers straight up takes its toll and by the time we reached the top we were well and truly knackered. We couldn't resist pausing, however, to watch the glowing red sun set again over this spectacular canyon.

After an exceptionally long and blissful sleep we packed up, ready to say goodbye to this haven and begin our next adventure. Being Thanksgiving we decided to head to Flagstaff, a nearby university town, to celebrate with locals. Only when we went to start the car, it wouldn't start! We assumed that, having jump-started others' batteries all week, ours must have run flat. After an attempted jump-start from a Texan with a car twice as big as our van and equipped with two massive batteries, our car remained silent so we called roadside assistance. Thankfully, before too long we were back on the road with a necessary detour passed a mechanic for a new battery. If an aged battery dying is the worst of our car troubles, we'll be extremely thankful!

We didn't plan Flagstaff too well as all the pubs we had picked for a Thanksgiving dinner were closed. In the end we booked into the local hostel, which ended up being the perfect way to celebrate! They were putting on a pot luck roast dinner so we donated some craft beers and enjoyed an impressively jolly feast with the staff and guests of the hostel. The whole atmosphere was bursting with positive, generous energy and it has been one of the happiest nights of our trip. With our car, stomachs and energy levels rebooted, we are now off to Texas, via New Mexico, the home and resting place of Billy the Kid!