4 a.m. in the morning, and my phone alarm is blaring. Sleepy-eyed I drag myself out of bed, wondering if the big and exiting plan we had is as exiting in the early morning as it seemed the night before. But, we manage, and after a short drive and walk in the dark, we reach our destination: Mather Point overlook at the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon, going to see the sunrise.
The sky starts to get some color, from grey to light beige to a deeper red and bright yellow. It’s a beautiful sight, the way the sun comes up over the Rim of the Grand Canyon. We stand there for over an hour, not bored in the least with what nature is showing us. At first there’s a grey hue over the canyon, but soon the brighter light show us colors, ridges and contrasts that you just can’t capture during the day. My husband is clicking furiously away with his camera, but it’s so difficult to capture the wonders that the human eye sees. 
I think that’s often how people are affected by their first view of the Grand Canyon. You just cannot believe the sights you are seeing, and the enormity of it all is baffling. it’s difficult to take in all the wonders nature has in store for us, and hard to comprehend the scale of the Canyon. Millions of years, all the work water, ice, wind and the movement of the earth have done, and what a privilege to be able to see it all. 
We spent two days in the park, trying to make the most of our time. The free shuttle service that runs all around the park is great, and let’s you hop-on and hop-off everywhere you want. We visited the Desert View Watch Tower and Hopi House. I liked reading how Mary Jane Colter as one of the first female architects designed these structures in the beginning of 1900, clearly inspired by what the Indian culture had to offer. At Hopi House we had the good fortune to come upon a performance by Indian Dancers, really impressive. 
One thing amazed me: some people really risk their lives to take that one perfect picture. Climbing behind the fence to stand on the utmost tip of the rocks, in a way that made my knees weak even looking at it! How crazy can people be?
