Heavenly Paradise@AdelineAng.com

Our next stop was the Guano Point, which is also known as the home of the Hualapai tribe. Here, we were treated with a hearty meal prepared by the Hualapai. Dinning in the midst of the majestic Grand Canyon was a wonderful experience.

The entrance of Guano Point.

Lunch served by the natives; corn on the cob, chicken stew, beef, baked beans, and salad on the side.

Tabasco and Mexican hot chili sauce. Yumm..

Overlooking at the Colorado River.

Red rocks of the Grand Canyon.

Climbing to the top of the rocks.

Las Vegas was the last stop of my two-week trip. One of the highlights during my stay there, was of course, a visit to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, a neighbouring state of Nevada. Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time, but follows Mountain Standard Time instead. Therefore, Arizona is an hour ahead of Nevada during the fall and winter months; and they share the same hour for the rest of the year.

How grand is the Grand Canyon? Spanning 446 km in length, stretching between 6.4 and 29 km in range, and extending a depth greater than 1.83 km; the canyon is a creation of the Colorado River over a period of 6 million years. Even though it’s not the deepest canyon in the world, Grand Canyon is well-known for its majestic and colourful landscape.

There are three main visitation points at the Grand Canyon; North Rim, West Rim, and South Rim. Due to time constraint, we only had time for a day-tour to visit one of these points. I’ve always looked forward to exploring the Skywalk on the West Rim. Thus, West Rim it is!

We came across with the highway construction site near the Hoover Dam, on our way to our destination. Upon completion, this highway will ease the traffic flow of larger vehicles in this area. Looking for some big bucks? Apparently, rookies who work here get paid as high as USD 100 an hour. Of course, this comes with great risks for working at high elevations.

The highway construction site.

The Hoover Dam.

A scenic view of the Grand Canyon.

On our way to the West Rim of Grand Canyon, we passed by the 900-year-old Joshua Tree forest.

Joshua Trees (taller) and yucca plants (shorter).

A closer view of the Joshua Trees.

How would you like to visit the Grand Canyon? By land, water, or air?

Upon arrival at our destination, we took a shuttle to the Eagle Point. It’s the home of the famous Skywalk and Native American dwellings.

The breathtaking view of the canyon from the West Rim.

The Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge constructed with five thick layers of heavy-duty glass imported from Germany. The cost of construction was more than USD 40 million.  Suspending 4,000 feet above the Colorado River, visitors have the privilege to step beyond the edge of the Grand Canyon for a closer view of the canyon. How sturdy is the Skywalk? It can withstand the weight of 71 units of fully loaded 747 Boeing aircraft (more than 71 million pounds)!!

Opened on March 28th of year 2007 to the public, the Skywalk has recently celebrated its two-year anniversary.

Looking down the canyon from the Skywalk was an unforgettable experience.

“Eagle Point” was named after the shape of canyon which resembles an eagle with its wings widely spread.

Looking out the majestic Grand Canyon landscape at the edge of the Rim.

The house of the North American tribe, Hualapai (meaning “people of the tall pine”) who live here.

Retirement for me? Not even close! There was a retirement party held at my workplace today. The highlight of the party was the retirement cake!

The cake was nicely shaped, coated with a layer white icing, and printed with words. It was absolutely gorgeous! Not only did the appearance of the cake amazed me; more importantly, the effort, patience, and love that were put into making the cake. It was indeed, a stunning piece of artwork. How long did it take to make this happen? Seven hours, if not more, on the icing and decoration alone.

Maybe it’ll be my retirement plan to learn how to make pretty cakes :P

Spring is my favourite time of the year for traveling. Nice and cool weather without having to put on thick winter clothing is wonderful. Furthermore, it’s the perfect time to beat the crowd before summer kicks in. The lower cost of flight ticket and accommodation during the off-peak season is another added bonus!

I’ve travelled to the major cities in Canada in the past; Vancouver and Victoria (British Columbia), Calgary and Edmonton (Alberta), Toronto and Ottawa (Ontario), Quebec city and Montreal (Quebec), Halifax (Nova Scotia) etc. How about the United States? Piscataquis County (Maine),  St. Louis (Missouri), New York City (New York), and Boston (Massachusetts), are among the places I’ve been to before my recent trip.

The West Coast of United States is somewhere I’ve been longing to visit. The majestic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, famous Hollywood in Los Angeles, beautiful beaches in San Diego, the gamblers’ paradise of Las Vegas, mighty Grand Canyon & Colorado River in Arizona…..

My dreams came true, at the end of my two-week backpacking trip to the West Coast of United States. Together with my brother, we got the most out of our trip by traveling to various cities in a short period of time. We walked from one street to the other, hopped on and off buses, took the subway train one after another, travelled from one city to the other… It was certainly an enjoyable and fulfilling one. By overcoming the ups and downs throughout the trip as a team, we savoured the excitement of traveling. Things are made possible, when two are together. Thank you for the laughter and help, my little bro. The trip would not be as fun without you.

So much to do
So much to see
In this little world we live

People to meet
Places to visit
Go on an amazing trip

In a foreign land I stay
Challenges to face everyday
Listen to what others have to say
Learn new cultures on each day

Enjoy sceneries I’ve never seen
Listen to voices I’ve never heard
Savour flavours I’ve never tasted
Walk the path I’ve never travelled

Appreciate the goodness of life
Live out the dreams I have
Gorgeous dawn brings a brand new hope
Majestic dusk welcomes the serenity and peace

Unveil the unknowns
Explore nooks and corners of this globe
Hold onto the faith that lives
With this I cling to my believes

A journey full of adventures
Open my eyes in every single way
A world filled with treasures
In front of our eyes they lay

Dream of a dream
Live out a dream
A dream that persists
And forever lives

Occasionally, we’ll come across with eggs which contain two egg yolks. How about the idea of having a dozen of eggs with double egg yolks?

Surprisingly, these eggs are less expensive ( by $0.50) than the regular eggs with single yolks. They can be found at the local Farmer’s Market. It is probably due to health concerns that not many people would go for double-yolked eggs. Higher cholesterol with more egg yolks in it.

How does it happen? If observed closely at the egg, its shape is longer and thinner than a regular single-yolked egg. This could be a result of a rapid ovulation in hen,  or reproductive cycle of a young hen that is not synchronized. Sometimes, this could be due to hereditary cause. Some hens have the tendency to lay double-yolked eggs.

A cracked double-yolked egg.

Double-yolked sunny-side up egg for a change.

A gigantic pizza!

How large of a pizza that you’ve ever had? This is thus far the largest pizza I’ve ever tasted, a 24 x 24 inch humongous pizza! It’s a yummy thin crust pizza from the Luna Pizza in downtown Fredericton. It was specially ordered for a birthday party.

Just in case you’re wondering what’s in the middle of the pizza, it’s actually a hard bun that helps to hold on to the enormous pizza and keep it in shape.

Can’t decide what you want to have for toppings? Go for works! You’ll get to taste a bit of everything; from ground beef, pepperoni, cheese, green pepper, tomatoes, to pineapple, and much more…

The big slices of pizza could barely fit into a regular dinner plate!

I look forward to blood donation. This might sound weird to most people, but I really do. I shared my blood donation experience and the motivation behind it, in my previous post, which can be found here. It was my 10th blood donation during my recent visit to the blood donor clinic. As usual, I made my next donation appointment which scheduled for two months later. Donors need about 56 days break between donations.

From testing iron level, answering questionnaire, checking body temperature, pulse, and blood pressure, talking to the nurse, and finally, lying down for blood donation. This seems to be a lengthy process; but also, a fun one, especially the last step. This time around, my donation went very well. Usually, the nurse will be struggling to get a decent vein from my arm for smooth blood flow. It could be one of the best ones I have that she picked this time. The donation took less than 10 minutes. My best record ever!

Ever thought of giving blood? Benefit others and help generating new blood cells in our bodies at the same time. It certainly is a win-win situation. I’ve the privilege to do so, and I’m really grateful for it. Hope what I’ve given out will be a benefit to someone in need.

My 10th blood donation, and still counting…

A token of appreciation from the Canadian Blood services; for my first, third, and tenth blood donation.

Have you noticed something different about the flame here? Did you see the extraordinary bright blue flame and lime green flame in the middle?

I came to learn about the “Funky Colored Flames” that does the trick. It’s composed of mainly copper and sulphate chemicals, in the form of crystals. This sachet of magical powder is to be thrown into the flame (the sachet is not to be opened) to create the stunning effect. However, keep in mind that this is only used for indoor or outdoor wood fireplaces. Do not use it on a cooking fire.

Bored of the same old flame? Try this! Thanks to Miles for introducing to me this amazing effect of “Funky Colored Flames.”

Peaceful evening with clear moonlight
Sitting with you side by side
Burning fire makes a cozy night
Till the flame is lost in sight

Passionate spirits keep the fire going
Never grow cold with flame flickering
Enjoy the warmth of fire radiating
Treasure the light of everlasting

Hot pot, also known as Chinese fondue. It’s a hearty meal that can be easily prepared. How? First of all, prepare a metal pot of steaming stock and place it at the centre of the dining table. Conventionally, it’s heated on a gas stove, to keep the stock hot. Subsequently, insert uncooked food into the boiling stock to cook. There’s a wide variety of food that can be cooked, namely thin-sliced meat, meat balls, fish balls, fish cakes, shrimps, tofu, mushrooms, rice vermicelli etc. Basically, anything you’d like to be cooked!  

Personally, I prefer a pot of clear stock (chicken or pork) and a pot of hot & spicy stock. Once the stock is boiling, uncooked food is ready to go. It takes about 15 minutes to cook. Everyone sitting around the table is welcome to help themselves with the food and stock. As soon as all the food is served, more stock is added into the pot. Another round of cooking begins, as the stock boils.

The origin of Asian hot pot tradition is claimed to be in the Mongolia region. Although, some argue that it’s from the Szechuan province of China. Hot pot is best to have in the cold weather! The hot soups soothe the stomach, and spices tantalize taste buds!

 A table that was full of food….

 From left (clockwise): Thin-sliced beef, smoked cow tongue, and tofu.

 Meat balls, fish balls, fish cakes… Yumm….

Desserts (from left to right): Triple chocolate cake, tiramisu, chocolate mousse, and strawberry cheesecake. The triple chocolate cake was the best!

There is always something new at Tim Hortons, almost to a point where I can’t keep up with it. On top of my first and second post entries about Tim Hortons, here is some new updates about the Canadian all-time favourite coffee and doughnut chain.

What’s new on the doughnut shelf?

Key Lime Doughnut!

The “Roll Up The Rim To Win” contest is coming to an end. In the city of Fredericton, there is no more Tim Hortons’ rims to be rolled up! *Sigh*Each chain restaurant is given a limited number of “Roll Up” cups. The contest goes on until all the cups are gone.

What have I gotten so far? One free coffee, three free doughnuts, and lots of “Please Play Again” messages.

Three winners’ cups and one loser’s cup.

Some fun facts about the contest? Customers of Tim Hortons have been RRRolling up the Rim for 23 years. Over 88% of the major prizes were redeemed in 2008. On average, each Canadian adult would have rolled up 10 cups at the end of the contest each year. It’s a contest that everyone would enjoy! It’s more than just sipping on a cup of hot beverage; rolling up the cup as you take the very last sip of drink is a lot of fun!