The Road to Death Valley

It is like the movies.
Ivan.
I can see he wants me. I like his blue eyes, his brawny body, his mischievious smiles and the completely shameless way he flirts with me. We are now 100 miles away from Las Vegas heading towards Death Valley National Park. Oleg is driving the car and Soumyo is next to him. Me, Zoya and Ivan are in the backseat ...me between the two of them. Ivan would reason, that he is too "big" to fit in the middle of two girls. Okay, whatever, as long as he is allowing me to have a good view of the window. Death Valley is in the Eastern California, around hundred something miles from Las Vegas where we landed couple hours back. We have not checked into the hotel, only picked up the car from the rental shop and have set out. We screwed things a bit as well. Oleg is a hyperly tensed guy. He takes everything in life way too seriously. And even vacations. I thought that is at least one of the times when people do relax.

Oleg had many worries.Since the past two weeks. Starting from how the road will be (winding, up-downs, snow? dangerous?), to weather, to food to hotel (if they would be nice five star ones...aww!) it was crazy!In other words he is too worried to enjoy, appreciate anything until I poke him and ask, "Oleg, what do you think of the place?" Zoya on the other hand, is full of life, friendly..though she hardly speaks english, but now I am getting used to what she wants to convey in her English-Russian dialect :)

The road is probably the most amazing part of the journey. It was in fact my first real vacation in US. I don't count my trip to Michigan and Wisconsin. They were like weekend trips. Had lot of fun though.

The Fuji Film 12X Zoom was especially for this journey. Jesse and I have talked and planned about my trip since summer. Damned, but I never read the manual. I think I will just take the pictures like a lame photographer.

So far, I have only seen such roads in movies. Where you drive for hundred miles, and meet nobody. Not even another car.Back in India every tourist place, every popular hill side would have rows of cars heading towards them. Every ten miles you would find a small tea stall, a small temple under some tree. It's unique to India, that way.

We are almost here. The mountains are so weird here. Golden and brown rock, striated layers. Kind of funny! I am really eager to get out of the car now and explore.