The First National Park

Disclaimer

1. This is a very long post. We tried our best to shorten it, but this is what we came up with finally. Those who are allergic to long reviews are advised to go to Yelp or Tripadvisor.
2. All the humor about wildlife should not be taken literally. We hate disturbing wildlife and hate those doing it.
3. All the photographs were taken by us and copyrighted. Reproduction in any media is prohibited without permission.

------------------------------------------------------------

The explorers of this universe can be categorized into two types: those who have already visited Yellowstone, and those who WILL visit there.

If you live in the States and have the option of making one last trip in the rest of your life, what would be your choice? The only place that should come up in your mind is Yellowstone National Park. Not Grand Canyon, not Niagara Falls, not Rockies, only Yellowstone. The “first national park” in the world is truly an incredible place to perceive and should be in everyone’s bucket list.

Approximately 96% of the park area is located in the state of Wyoming; the remaining 4% lies in Montana and Idaho. The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of the park. The park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, surrounded by mountain ranges of the Middle Rocky Mountains, at an average elevation of 8000 ft above sea level. The Yellowstone Caldera is the largest volcanic system in North America. Its formation was brought about by extremely large eruptions, the last of which occurred six hundred thousand years ago. The park was named after one of its major attractions, the Yellowstone River. The “Yellowstone” term was coined from the local Minnetaree language meaning “Rock Yellow River”. The source of the Native American name is not clear.

The greater Yellowstone ecosystem supports a wide variety of wildlife, such as grizzly bear, American black bear, bison, wolf, mountain lion, elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, whitetail deer, mountain goat and pronghorn antelope. They are so abundant in number that you need not go looking for them. They will find you and show tremendous enthusiasm for photo sessions. Their attitude towards human beings ranges from very friendly to very egotistic. This rich combination of geological features, quaint landscape and profuse wildlife is what makes Yellowstone a unique destination for people of all ages.

Since Grand Teton National Park is only 8 miles south of Yellowstone, a wise decision is to encompass both the parks in a single trip. Jackson Hole is the nearest airport to GTNP, but it’s difficult to find cheap flight deals to there. The most optimum way to reach Yellowstone is to drive 250 miles from Salt Lake City international airport. We saw ample flight deals to SLC when we lived in a small college town in Texas. But our dear bosses were so concerned about our careers that, not only they engaged us in a busy research schedule, but also did not grant few days leave. Tired with the bosses and frustrated of the Texas heat, we moved to the northeast for better career and climate. Then we realized how difficult it was to find cheap flight deals from Boston to SLC. So the idea gradually drifted to the backseat.

While the return to Swades was looming over the horizon, we made a desperate attempt to visit Yellowstone in the summer of 2010. Managing a week’s holiday around the 4th of July weekend was not that difficult, thanks to our new advisors. This particular time we didn’t care about flight expenses.

Day 1

Though the flight ticket was not that cheap, still we had to fly from Providence, which is about 70 miles south of Boston. All the northeast airports have unreasonably high parking fees; so we had to opt for public transport to reach PVD. The flight to SLC via Chicago was long and boring, and arrived pretty late in the night. A good old friend generously offered to accommodate us for the night along with refreshments, so that we could get a shut eye.

Day 2

Next morning, the drive to Yellowstone was eventful. It was pretty smooth until Pocatello through I-15. The real pain started after switching to SH-20 at Idaho Falls. Due to “n” number of roadwork around the Targhee National Forest and inside the park boundaries, the total travel to Canyon Village took 8 hours instead of 5. Some of the roadblocks near Madison Junction were unexpectedly made by the grazing bisons, oblivious about the suffering of their fellow mammalian species, namely the Homo sapiens. One of them, in his natural course, almost hit our rental car but missed by a whisker. We vented our anger on the stubborn guy by not taking his photo, which we started regretting moments after we left the spot. However, this did not last very long.

Bison bison - The self proclaimed traffic police of Yellowstone

We have tried out camping in all the national parks in the States, and this was no exception. Fortunately we could reserve a campsite in Canyon Village just one month before our trip. Those who have visited Yellowstone in summer would know how difficult it is to find an accommodation inside the park. Though the town of West Yellowstone offers some reasonable roofs over your head, staying inside the park was our first priority. Our expectation was to meet a grizzly bear or two near the campsite, but luck is not what we had. Our fellow travelers were smart enough to use closed containers to lock their food, the smell of which attracts the Ursus species.

After checking in at the campground, we went to explore the surrounding Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We bumped into a couple of bisons just outside the Canyon Village, who were taking afternoon nap in a royal fashion. By this time we got so frustrated by their gigantic egos that we stopped requesting them for shooting (with camera, off course).

The Inspiration Point is located at the far end of the road where the canyon wall juts out into the canyon allowing spectacular views of Yellowstone River both upstream and down. Along the road, the Lookout Point and Grandview Point are two other popular vista points which offer further breathtaking views of the river. The Red Rock Point is near a tall reddish pinnacle of rock below the Lower Falls, which got its red pigmentation from iron oxide.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Among the two famous waterfalls on the Yellowstone River, the Upper Falls stands at a higher elevation, but is significantly shorter (109 ft) than its downstream neighbor. The Lower Falls is the tallest waterfall in the park at 308 ft. Though there are designated vista points for both the falls, Uncle Tom’s Trail offers an up close and personal interaction with the Lower Falls. Since this trail is very strenuous and it was almost getting dark, we postponed our plans for hiking and continued driving towards the Artist Point. The most picturesque views of the canyon can be best witnessed from this point. On the way we met a smart and friendly elk, who happily agreed to pose with us for a snap. We really liked the chap’s sportsman spirit, and encourage everyone to be like him. Because of him, the day ended on a very high note.

Our ever-smiling friend Cervus canadensis

Day 3

The next day started with driving along the Dunraven Pass. Bear sightings are very common in this area, and our Ursus friends were benevolent enough to ensure that we were not disheartened. The first one was a grizzly wandering with her two cubs far along the slopes of Mount Washburn. We had to use a 70–300 mm zoom lens to watch them, but the photos were still unclear. The second one was a black bear roaming pretty close to the road, but the jamboree of too many curious human beings trying to close in pushed our beloved friend further into the woods. Frustrated with the insensible tourists, we continued driving through the Tower-Roosevelt junction.



The rapids of Yellowstone River near Tower-Roosevelt Junction



Tower Falls, created by 132 ft drop of the Tower Creek, is the most discernable natural feature in this district. Ignoring the protests of our aging bones, we walked down the trail to the bed of Yellowstone River. Along this region of the river, a group of thermal springs signals the downstream end of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The steep, columnar basalt cliffs on the opposite side of the river are remnants of an ancient lava flow, opening a window into the past volcanic forces that shaped much of the Yellowstone landscape.

Yellowstone being a massive caldera of a volcano, has one of the world's largest petrified forests, trees which were buried by ash and soil and transformed from wood to minerals. The Petrified Tree, located near the Lost Lake trailhead, is an excellent example of an ancient redwood, similar to the many found on Specimen Ridge. Except for some isolated sightings of quite a few bison families at Blacktail Deer Plateau, our drive towards Mammoth Hot Springs was uneventful.



Petrified Tree



The key ingredients essential for the formation of the terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs are heat, water, limestone, and a rock fracture system through which hot water can percolate to the earth's surface. Throughout the year, the terrace features change rapidly in appearance. The important springs at the Lower Terraces include Opal Spring, Palette Spring, Minerva Spring, Cleopatra Spring, Canary Spring, to name a few. The springs are famous not only for a wide range of dazzling colors but also for ornate travertine formations. The Canary Spring, highly recommended by my friend at SLC, is famous for its brilliant orange yellow color due to sulfur dependent filamentous bacteria. A 37 ft hot spring cone known as the Liberty Cap marks the northern portion of the Mammoth Hot Springs. From the Overlook, one can have a great view of the Main Terrace and the surrounding mountains.



Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs 

The Upper Terraces can be portrayed by Prospect Terrace, New Highland Terrace, Orange Spring Mound, Bath Lake, White Elephant Back Terrace and Angel Terrace. The Orange Spring Mound is distinctly different from the nearby terrace formations in terms of the bright orange streaks of color contrived by bacteria and algae. Whilst roaming around the Upper Terraces, we caught glimpses of a bunny and as well as a mountain snake, who despite being venomous, concealed him/herself hurriedly from the human eyes. Dejected by his/her unfriendly behavior we quietly had our lunch along with an elk family near Fort Yellowstone. So different were our food habits that we could not share anything with them.

During the drive towards Norris Geyser Basin, we had reasons to cheer up again. A couple of grizzlies were basking in the afternoon sun exceptionally close to the road. Known amongst friends to be shutterbugs, we could not help but capture these intimate moments. Since we did not wish to perturb their romantic mood, we silently left them alone. Unbelievable but it was third bear sighting of the day, and not the last.

Our beloved friend Ursus arctos

Norris Geyser Basin is not only the hottest but also an everchanging thermal area in Yellowstone. This is the location of the tallest active geyser, colorful hot springs, fumaroles and microscopic life in one of the most extreme environments on earth. Two loop trails, which begin from the Norris Museum, provide a safe route to wander around the area. Porcelain Basin has an open terrain with hundreds of densely packed geothermal features, namely Black Growler Steam Vent, Ledge Geyser (2nd  largest geyser in Norris), Congress Pool, Blue Geyser, Whirligig Geyser, Whale's Mouth, Crackling Lake, to mention just a few. Although most of these thermal features contain highly acidic water, several living organisms like lime-green Cyanidium thrive even in these extreme environments. From a distance these bacteria look like rusty, iron-rich mineral deposits. These and other microscopic life forms are direct links to the emergence of life on earth billions of years ago.

Porcelain Basin at Norris Geyser Basin

In contrast to Porcelain Basin, the Back Basin is forested and its features are more scattered and isolated. It is famous for the world's tallest active geyser, the Steamboat Geyser. At its best, Steamboat can erupt to a whopping 300 ft, showering viewers with its mineral-rich waters. Being unlucky as usual we had to be content with a less than 50 ft show. Other crucial features in the vicinity include Emerald Spring, Cistern Spring, Echinus Geyser, Green Dragon Spring, Porkchop Geyser and Minute Geyser.

The great diversity of thermal features at Norris Geyser Basin is fundamentally due to its location at the intersection of several commotions in the earth's crust. A major rock fracture runs south from the Mammoth Hot Springs area toward Norris, which crosses another eastbound fault from Hebgen Lake to Norris. Both of these cracks in the earth's surface intersect with fractures radiating from the central Yellowstone caldera, which creates a unique landscape on this continent.

The whole experience at Norris left us exhausted. The attraction of Hayden Valley was pricking us from inside, so we spent little time at Mud Volcano and Sulphur Cauldron areas. Hayden Valley is probably the best place in the park to view diverse wildlife. When we parked our car on the roadside amidst a huge number of tourists, a live drama between a mighty grizzly, her two cubs, a lone wolf and two opportunist coyotes was already going on. Apparently the lone wolf hunted down a poor elk the day before injuring himself in the process, and the mighty grizzly had managed to overpower him to take possession of the carcass. When the wolf rightfully wanted to retrieve his prey, he was badly slapped by the mother bear who was already feeding her two cubs. Hurt both mentally and physically, the lone wolf limped towards the bank of the creek, where the two opportunist coyotes were patiently waiting for the mother bear to leave the place. Just a few yards away, some bisons with majestic personality were leisurely enjoying the last rays of day’s sunlight; little did they care about the excitement going on beside them. The unfolding of this drama left us so spellbound that we were looking for analogies to the great Indian politics. Though we felt sorry for the lone wolf and the dead elk, we did not forget to record the whole act, hoping to enlighten my politically aware friends. As dusk was setting in, the wise guys of the park advised us to return to our respective shelters.

Old jungle proverb, "Don't mess with the Grizzly"

Day 4

We intended to start our day at the Upper Geyser Basin, which has the largest concentration of geysers in this part of the world. The visitor center made a comprehensive list of the prominent geysers with their eruption timings, which facilitate visitors to plan accordingly. At the south section, Old Faithful Geyser is the most popular one due to its consistency of eruption at regular intervals. The average interval between two eruptions is about 90 minutes; a single eruption lasts between 2 and 5 minutes, and reaches a height of more than 100 ft. We reached there just in time to grab a convenient seat at the observation deck.

The grand show of Old Faithful Geyser

After the grand show of Old Faithful was over, a short climb to the Observation Point allowed us to experience spectacular views of the Upper Geyser Basin. The other geysers in this area known for violent and tall eruptions include Giantess Geyser, Plume Geyser, Beehive Geyser, Grand Geyser, and Castle Geyser at the south section; and Giant Geyser, Splendid Geyser, Daisy Geyser, and Riverside Geyser at the north section. The timing of Daisy Geyser was comfortable for us, so we could manage to watch its eruption to a height of about 70 ft. The one geyser which surprised us most is Beehive. Its untimely eruption of about 130 ft height was a viewer’s delight. Situated on the bank of the Firehole River, Riverside Geyser is probably the most picturesque geyser in the park.

Desert flower at Upper Geyser Basin

There are a number of geysers whose eruptions are short in height, but are more frequent and equally magnificent like their taller siblings. These comprise of Solitary Geyser, Lion Group of Geysers (connected underground), Sawmill Geyser, Comet Geyser, Grotto Geyser, and the twin Fan & Mortar Geysers. Along with the geysers, the region is complemented with numerous pools and hot springs having remarkably beautiful colors. The most prominent of these are Doublet Pool, Heart Spring, Crested Pool, Beauty Pool, Chromatic Spring and Punch Bowl Spring. The names are self-explanatory, so we would not waste time describing them. The Morning Glory Pool at the extreme end of the north section is a favorite destination for the park visitors owing to striking resemblance with its namesake flower. All the pools and springs are characterized by orange and yellow bacteria at the periphery and crystal blue water at the center.

Morning Glory Pool

Three miles north of Old Faithful lays the Biscuit Basin, named so for unusual biscuit-like deposits surrounding the Sapphire Pool. Other notable colorful features in this basin are Jewel Geyser, Shell Geyser, Avoca Spring and Mustard Spring. The Firehole River running through the Upper, Midway and Lower Geyser Basins derived its name from the steam witnessed by early explorers in this region.

Firehole River near Black Sand Basin

The hydrothermal activity at the Lower Geyser Basin can be viewed along the boardwalk trail at Fountain Paint Pots and along the three mile scenic Firehole Lake Drive. At the middle of this one-way drive we were fortunate enough to witness the rare eruption of Great Fountain Geyser to about 100 ft height. The Firehole Canyon Drive is another one-way scenic drive following the Firehole River upstream from Madison Junction to Firehole Falls, which stands at around 40 ft.

The Midway Geyser Basin is relatively small compared to its Upper counterpart, but holds enormous wonders for the guests. The Excelsior Geyser has a gaping crater of dimensions 200 ft x 300 ft with a steady release of water into the Firehole River. The Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the park, with a diameter of 370 ft and depth of 121 ft. Both the features should be viewed from the sky - which is next to impossible - to enjoy their bursting beauty. The Grand Prismatic Spring deserves a dedicated travel review, and we would not dare to describe its beauty here in few words.

Grand Prismatic Spring

By this time, the temperature, humidity and interaction with the innumerable geysers and hot springs drained us out. We gathered the last bit of our strength to explore the area surrounding Yellowstone Lake. At an elevation of about 7700 ft, it is the largest high altitude lake in the continent. The Fishing Bridge at the Lake Village is a historically popular place to observe fish, but has been closed for fishing since 1973. From the Lake Village, a 9 mile drive towards the East Entrance took us to Lake Butte. Standing at about 8300 ft above the sea level, this vista point offers stunning panoramic views of the lake with Teton Range at the backdrop. During the return to Canyon Campground via Hayden Valley we had expected some more live drama, but destiny had written something else. The remains of the poor elk had vanished, and gone with it were the predators. Except for a few herbivorous bisons and a large number of omnivorous human beings, there was nothing interesting to watch in this area.

Yellowstone Lake from Lake Butte

Day 5

This was supposed to be our last day at Yellowstone. So the plan was to cover the few remaining areas starting with Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. As mentioned before, Uncle Tom’s Trail presents an intimate interactive session with the falls. The trail is very strenuous and drops 500 ft in a series of more than 300 stairs and paved inclines inside the canyon. Our timing to reach the bottom of the trail was so designed that the rainbow created by dispersion of sunlight through the water droplets could be envisaged. Climbing up the trail was backbreaking, but we considered that as a preparation for the upcoming Grand Canyon experience.

The rainbow at the bottom of Uncle Tom's Trail

The next destination was the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake, which contains the West Thumb Geyser Basin. The basin has several hot springs and pools; the famous amongst them are Abyss Pool, Black Pool, Thumb Paintpots, Lakeside Spring, Big Cone and Fishing Cone. Fishing Cone is a hot spring located inside the waters of the lake, and erupts frequently to a height of 10 ft. Without this experience, the visit to Yellowstone would be incomplete.

A friendly encounter with an elk family at the entrance of West Thumb concluded our stay at Yellowstone National Park. Being exceedingly cordial they were unwilling to leave us, but finally bid us farewell with moist eyes. With heavy heart and contented mind, we continued our exploration through John D Rockefeller Memorial Pkwy towards Grand Teton National Park.

…..to be contd…..

The Majesty of Grand Canyon

This review is dedicated to all the fellow travelers who saved our life at South Kaibab Trail.



The Grand Canyon from Yaki Point

What is considered as one of the seven natural wonders of the world can hardly be described in a single review. I could write all day about what an amazing sight is ahead of you and what a spectacle it is. Yet, at the end of the day words do no justice to it. But I’ll try nonetheless.

Isis Temple

There might be other “Grand Canyons” in other states of the US, and in other countries. But this is THE Grand Canyon. Universally famous for the combination of large size and depth, the exposed layering of colorful rocks dates back to the prehistoric times. The easiest way to remember the formation of Grand Canyon is the word DUDE, which stands for Deposition – Uplift – Down Cutting – Erosion.

Vishnu Temple

Perhaps it's no surprise, but the lure of the canyon induces a lot of visitors to leave the rim and head downward towards the Colorado River. My personal recommendation is that one should always find a way to make that a part of the canyon experience, whether he/she is at the South Rim or the less-visited North Rim.

Sunrise from Yaki Point

Day 1

In October 2010, we made it to the South Rim, where the off-season timing reduced the large numbers of people. We arrived there at late afternoon after a 240 miles drive from Phoenix Airport. We barely managed to catch the stunning views of sunset from the Yavapai Point. The camping experience at Mather Campground, as it must be in a national park, was fun. People might find hotels outside the park boundary or can also avail the log cabins available but spending the nights so close to nature cannot be enjoyed in any better way than to camp in the park.

The end of "Trail of Time" near the Grand Canyon Village

Day 2

The next day started with sunrise at Yaki Point and ended with sunset at Lipan Point. We spent the whole day going from one vista point to the other along the Rim Trail and Desert View Road. I was somewhat in awe of the “Trail of Time” that extends along the rim for what feels like miles. This starts from the Yavapai Point and continues through the Grand Canyon Village. About 2 billion years of earth's geological history, supplemented by spectacular specimens of rocks from the bottom of the canyon, have been exhibited throughout the trail.

Vishnu Schist – the oldest exposed rock layer in the canyon

One important thing I learnt from visiting the vista points is that a lot of the views look identical. The canyon is so vast that one can only get a slightly different perspective from adjacent viewing points. So it is worthwhile taking this into account when one plans to visit there. More so it also gives us a idea of its vastness and what seemed a long distance for us to get us enough tired, was actually small enough for the canyon to barely show any change in its view.

Colorado river from Navajo Point

Inside the park, the important vista points include Hermit's Rest (and all the points on the Hermit Road which leads to Hermit's Rest), Yavapai Point, Mather Point, Yaki Point (ideal for sunrise), Grandview Point, Navajo Point, Lipan Point (ideal for sunset) and Desert View. The most popular point for sunset is Hopi Point in the Hermit's Rest Road. But for a quieter and serene atmosphere, I would recommend Lipan Point near the Desert View, where the experience was overwhelming. The changing color of sunset was better than anything I have ever seen. The sharp turns and rapids of the Colorado River can be best seen from the Navajo Point on the Desert View Road.

The Abyss at twilight, from Lipan Point

Day 3

As it was said from time to time, one hasn’t really seen the Grand Canyon until it is observed from inside of the canyon. Leaving the crowds of Grand Canyon Village behind was always a part of our plan. And I found that heading down the canyon's steep slopes gives a much better feeling for the grandeur and scale of the place.

Sunrise at O'Neill Butte

From the South Rim, the most popular trail is Bright Angel, which is one of the two well-maintained routes to the river. It is also heavily travelled, but this is the place for first-time hikers or those who are concerned about safety. The route is broad, and rangers patrol it frequently all throughout the day. However, according to our fellow travelers, the South Kaibab Trail is much better in terms of panoramic views all the way to the bottom, whereas the Bright Angel Trail is mostly in a canyon and therefore hides all the views.

The trail from Tip Off

The biggest issue in the South Kaibab Trail is the safety of the adventurers. This is steeper than the Bright Angel, there is no supply of drinking water and the restrooms are not maintained during the off-season. The late summer squeezes every last drop of moisture out of the hiker whenever he/she goes deeper. It's easier going downhill, although our aging knees beg to differ. But normally people get themselves in trouble when they don't have enough resources for a trip down and back. It seems obvious to point out, but flip-flops are not recommended for canyon hiking. Along the major trails one can probably get away with tennis shoes, but anything else should be tackled with a good supportive pair of hiking boots. Most importantly, no one can come and get you out of there easily if you turn an ankle or stiffen a knee.

Colorado river from the trail

The Descent

The South Kaibab Trail is a 14 mile hike round trip, and attains a depth of about 1 mile from rim to river bed. The Park Service discourages to hike down to the river and then climb up to the rim in a SINGLE day. However, we tried our luck and extracted the last bit of our strength to prove them wrong. And glad we are that we did so.

We left our car at the visitor center, took the shuttle bus to the trailhead, and started before sunrise. Just below Yaki Point, the trail begins with a series of switchbacks. From Ooh Aah Point, the trail follows the top of a ridgeline through Cedar Ridge (1.5 miles from rim). After that, the trail traverses below O'Neill Butte to Skeleton Point (3 miles from rim) without a single switchback. Thereafter, the trail descends rapidly towards Tip Off (4.4 miles from rim) via another series of switchbacks.

Kaibab Suspension Bridge

The rangers recommend using this trail to descend, because it is very steep and shadeless, but offers stunningly dramatic views. By the time we reached the Kaibab Suspension Bridge, one of us managed to get a stiffened knee and another got back pain. Though we were overwhelmed by the breathtaking views, carrying DSLR cameras and big lenses felt like a big burden, forget about using them. After reaching the Bright Angel Campground (7 miles from rim) at the bottom end of the canyon, we became little tensed thinking about the upcoming ascent. The whole descent took nearly four hours, which was pretty awesome considering our rusted joints.

Bright Angel Creek at the bottom of the canyon

The Ascent

Though the slightly longer Bright Angel Trail (9.5 miles) is much shadier and less steep, we again chose the South Kaibab Trail (7 miles) for the ascent; just to save the two and a half extra miles. When we started the epic ascent, we felt like lying down on the stones and prayed for some miracle to happen which will teleport us to the rim. We desperately wanted that in the whole ascent of eight hours with the increasing pain that one of us was suffering from the stiffened knee. Asking for help from park rangers went in vain. We would not have survived severe dehydration if not for some of our fellow travelers who helped us with ample water and some herbal treatment for the knee. 



Giving way to the mules at a switchback

Near the Ooh Aah Point a heavy storm started along with a drizzle. As the strong gusts of winds came, with it went flying was one of our sunglasses. Thanks to a piece of rock where it got stuck and we could recover it.

The last part of this hike was the most frustrating one. It looked as if we had almost made it to the top for the last two hours or so, but the tight switchbacks disheartened us every passing minute. But when we finally reached the top, it was a great feeling; that we finally made it.

The Tip Off

The whole hike took nearly twelve and a half hours. We started just before sunrise and finished just after sunset. We barely managed to catch the last shuttle bus which dropped us at the visitor center. The driver who had a good sense of humor managed to make us laugh by cracking jokes about our hurting feet. As we entered the Yavapai Cafeteria at Market Plaza, most people were staring at us like they have seen two Orcs from the Middle Earth. The restroom mirror gave us the answer to all those looks. Both of us have absolutely black hair which had turned reddish brown from the canyon dust and our head looked somewhat like thorny bushes in the deserts.

Day 4

Since that was our last camping trip in US, we decided to donate our tent and other camping gears to the Grand Canyon. Then, amidst a persistent drizzle, started the 240 miles drive back to Phoenix Airport.

Disclaimer: Photos subject to copyright

I am back

After a long hiatus, I have finally decided to return to the blogging world.

There are a couple of reasons for the long silence; (i) the epic intercontinental move from the States to the Swades, and most importantly (ii) the cultural shock after returning to the Swades. When I left the Swades in 2005, it had a +ve dy/dx on the growth curve. After seven years, the dy/dx has moved beyond the freezing point. The gasoline prices have literally frozen my heart irreversibly, compelling me to forget the second law of thermodynamics.

I could write endless rants about the current state of the nation. But I chose to recollect the happy memories of living in a civilized world. The next few posts will deal with our out-of-the-box travel experiences; little different than those of the normal desis. From the depths of the Grand Canyon to the hot springs of the Yellowstone Caldera, I hope to brush up my literary skills in something creative rather than writing boring research papers.

A decade of research

Ten years ago, on this day, I started my career as a scientific researcher in one of the premier research institutes in India. 3653 days later, still walking on the same path in another premier research institute of the world. Following is a summary of what I understood in my entire research career.


Classification of Grad Students



Classification of Postdocs

Classification of PIs

Practising what one preaches

When an ex-captain of the English cricket team says like this, we have to applaud the man's intelligence. After all, it was the English who introduced us to the game of cricket. So whatever they say must be considered as coming directly from God's mouth.

"Tendulkar’s method suggests that he would be little inconvenienced by not wearing a helmet. He does not hook, nor does he plunge on to the front foot. And he watches the ball like a hawk. Nevertheless, would he have lasted as long, would he have scored as many runs, would that blow to his face by Anderson not have affected his confidence in any way? We cannot know for sure."

However, after reading this gem of an article, I was reminded of the same prophet with a Godly facial expression in this page. As they say, a picture says a thousand words.

The greatness of Cricket

With due respect to all other sports and games, the reason why cricket is the greatest is the fact that it is possibly the most complete and testing sport that is ever played.

It's a Mental Game.
You can lose a cricket game days before the toss. The mental game is as challenging as the physical one. A knock to the ribs at training and your batting can be off for weeks. So much of the game is about taking the conscious into the subconscious, and not letting it back.

The night before a game you have to be as confident as possible. At the moment, I'm getting ready for a must win match tomorrow for my team. I know that I didn't train well a few days ago, but I've got to rid those thoughts out of my mind and focus on the confidence boosting things, like the fact that I've been getting lots of edges when bowling to left handers recently.

Meanwhile, you should feel for the captain. He has to place his fielders in exactly the right places so as to stop runs and get a wicket. And to do that, he has got to take into account the way that the bowler bowls and how the batsman is doing. No wonder most captains struggle to keep their personal game intact while they lead the team.

It's a Physical Game.
Cricket is no longer about rocking up to games on Saturdays and drinking too many cans of beer on a flight to England. It's an elite sport where elite athletes of all body shapes and sizes are pushed to the limit. There are many great athletes who play cricket, yet even they can't stand up to the rigors of a 5 day test match.

Fast bowlers also have it tough. They put 9 times their own body weight through their own foot every ball they bowl. Some of them will bowl tens of thousands of balls in their career, not counting their junior cricket and training. 18 year olds frequently have back injuries because they struggle to keep their bodies at the level of fitness required.

Batsman are no longer potbellied egotistical blokes. They can run 20 meters, in full padding, at speeds even Usain Bolt would be proud of. Actually, even Usain Bolt isn't that fast, as he has shown many times by being rather ironically run out in charity matches. They've also got such strong arms that many batsman can swing a 2 kg plank of wood with one arm and still hit a ball of leather 80 odd meters away.

It's a Skilful Game.
One of the hardest things about cricket is that you can't be a hack. You've got to have skill and finesse. No one can simply act like a baseball player and hit the ball as far as they can in cricket. You've got to be able to control a fast moving ball, something that Sunil Gavaskar was always being proud of. Many cricketers are also very good golfers, tennis players and squash players, simply because they know how to control a ball with an artificially appendage.

You've also got to be skilfully fast when playing cricket. A batsman in international cricket has 600 milliseconds to hit a ball. They have around 200 milliseconds of that to actually make up their mind. You can't swing and hope for the best. Well, you can. Just do it with an incredible amount of skill and hand-eye coordination.

It's a Testing Game.
You can play cricket in so many different conditions that it's not funny. 10 °C in Hobart one week, 35 °C in Chennai the next. It's crazy. Then add in the fact that test matches go for days. And can end with no result. It's demoralizing at the best of times. Many players never get to the highest level simply because their brains can't last 4 or 5 days, let alone 1.

Then there's the intense attention and pressure any cricketer feels. Even if you're batting with someone else, there is so much pressure on you. You have 11 people trying to effectively get rid of you. They have a leather-bound grenade, and you have a plank. I wish you luck.

It's an Individual Game.
Although you play as a team, so are very much alone when you're actually in the action. Batsmen act alone, so do bowlers. Your team mates can't help you, it's all up to you.

As the bowler runs into bowl, as a batsman, you know that you're all alone. Your partner down the other end can't help you. You've got eleven guys trying to get your throat and you've got 600 milliseconds to dodge their bullet, all by yourself.

The bowler must be able to rely upon himself to deliver the perfect ball every time. His captain can set a field, but it's all up to him to actually bowl the ball and get it in the right spots.

It's a Partnership Game.
As important as the individual game is, the partnership game is surely even tougher mentally. At various stages of the game, you find your fate decided by your team mate's ability at the other end.

When batting, you have to be ready to hand your life over to the guy at the other end. You have to trust each other so that you follow each other's instructions. You need to make each of you equal - you each have equal roles in the partnership. If you can't work with the other guy, your game is over.

Bowling also happens in partnerships. A good bowler uses their partner's bowling to complement theirs, and they slowly chip away at the batsman. You aren't facing two bowlers, you've facing one partnership.

It's a Team Game.
No matter how much of a partnership sort of game or an individual game cricket is, it all comes down to being a team game. Your team provides the emotional energy to keep you going. The team must work together, with everyone pulling their own weight. Individual performances blend into the fate of the team.

One individual mistake or the failure of a partnership, and the whole team suffers.

It's an Adaptable Game.
Most importantly, cricket is adaptable. It has thrived in Afghanistan despite a war. Many diplomats assume that cricket is safe as it is so popular amongst the people, and is therefore not a terrorist risk (they have been wrong once). Almost any country that decides to take up cricket can play. The game is incredibly adaptable.

Also, the game has been able to twist and turn it's self into a variety of forms, targeted for all sorts of players and fans. From the 3 hour Twenty20 games to the 5 day test matches, cricket can satisfy any fan and can test any athlete.

Being a Bong

This piece is for all the proud Bongs and those who can have a hearty laugh at themselves.

Overview

There are two kinds of Bengalis that I know. Probashi or Expatriate Bangalees, a fairly large and diverse group about which I can’t write as I am one of them. And Bengalees who are from Kolkata. This group is incorrectly known as Bongs, as they are merely a subset. However, this is the only group which matters. Gokhale told of them, long years back, “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.” To which Rene Descartes responded, “I think (today), therefore I am (Bengali).” Like all other Nobel Prize Winners, Oscar Awardees and most successful Indian cricket captains, Rene Descartes was also a Bong (this fact is not known outside of Kolkata).

Physical Description

The Bong has a large head, glasses, glistening hair and dark skin. Older Bongs develop an ample stomach to balance their large heads. This happens by the age of 25. They smell of Keo Karpin or shorsher tel (mustard oil). The average life expectancy is 65 years. What is even more impressive is what they do in those years. Outside Kolkata, regardless of weather, sex or age, Bongs can be seen in Monkey Caps. This is a must-have accessory as well as a sign to recognize other Bongs. The Bongling can often be recognized in either over-sized or under-sized school uniforms. The Bong mother’s second biggest fear (See diet for the biggest one) is that the “porer bochor o lomba hoye gele abar notun skirt kinte hobe!!” or “Next year, if you grow taller, we’ll again have to buy a new skirt!!” Thus, the school uniform is selected to last at least three years. Thus the uniform sits as conspicuously on the Bongling as the plumage of a macaw.

Early Years

While most Bongs are born with innate talents in singing, dancing, painting, film-making, cooking or embroidery, their creative talents are honed even before they can start speaking. Frequent meets are organized between infants and their successful ancestors and other relatives. MA degrees (preferably from Cambridge, at least from Presidency or Jadobpoor - Jadavpur University) are displayed over the cots. The infant is exposed to the best of Bengali thought - Marx, Bentham, Kalidas, Tolstoy, Chekhov. This increases the sizes of their heads and the height of their ambitions. Similar examples, though rare, can be found in European tradition as well, like in the case of Mozart. In India, however, Bongs have the sole preserve on such activity during infancy. Soon, when they grow up a little, their characters are honed in the best of schools. Here, I am not referring to the South Points, La Marts, Don Boscos and all. They are important in the nurture a Bong child goes through. What is even more important are the schools the Bong child passes through before school and after school. Many a Bong child wakes up at five o’clock in the morning to attend swimming classes. After one hour of swimming, he attends tennis coaching before rushing off to one of the South Points, La Marts, etc. mentioned above. School finishes by two or so, from where he scoots along to Singing / Instrumental Music / Dance Classes, then tuition (for at least three of all five subjects). He rounds off the day with coaching on either Debating or Quiz. Many a Bong mother will carry the child along through this day, feeling equally energized. This behavior is again not restricted to Bongs. It is also seen within kangaroos in Australia who rush along from one clump to another bush.

Growing up

Soon the Bong attains adolescence, doesn’t find friends of his age (since everyone is competing for the Nobel Prize or the Indian captaincy) and finds intimacy in conversation in his/her parents and poems of T. S. Eliot and Pablo Neruda. When school ends, they move on to the good colleges - Presidency, Xavier’s or IIT Kharagpur. The best of them, though, move straight to Joo (Jadobpoor). However, in recent years, Dilli (Stephen’s obviously) is becoming the preferred destination for some escapists. In colleges, they decorate their rooms with books or portraits of Kobi Guru (Tagore). On the opposite wall, men would have posters of Che/Maradona and women would have Enrique Iglesias, thus expressing solidarity with Latin American culture. All of them share equal interest in the Bong-Rock (Bhumi, Chondrobindu, Cactus, Usha Uththup, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple).

Later Years

Bongs mature early. Critics have said that they grow old early, but that is nothing but old hat. Years of toil and Eliot would obviously bestow wisdom. The reason they look older is because the sole purpose of a Bong’s life is to win the Nobel Prize or the Oscars (and in recent years, captain the Indian team). With great responsibility comes great age. Add to it the chlorine in the swimming pools and you know why Bongs grey prematurely. As far as their mission in life is concerned, they have been very successful at it. Every Indian Nobel Prize winner has been Bong. So have the Oscar Awardees. And most successful Cricket Captains. And Bipasha Basu. Once Bongs have kids though, their mission on life changes. The only raison d’etre for them is making sure that their progeny achieves the heights that they could (or couldn’t). Hence, they are mostly found outside of schools, colleges and tuition classes, with mats (madoors), mugs (of chaaa) and mouthfuls of goppo (gossip).

Diet

Diet is as important as Robindro Shongeet. There’s nothing that a Bong can’t eat. However, they prefer protein over other food groups. The largest source of protein for them is fish, then meat, and then mishti (sweets) made from milk. More than fish itself, it is the knowledge of fish which is coveted and enjoyed. Carbohydrates are tolerated if they are fried in oil or if it is accompaniment to fish. Luchis (somewhat like a Puri), Telebhajas (pakoras) and Phuchkas (Paani Puri) are the favored source of carbohydrates. The young Bengali though invariably always has Farex, Lactogen and Waterbury ’s Compound. As far as they most important meal of the day is concerned, please do note that what dieticians have been saying in the last few years, Bongs have known for centuries. Breakphast/tiphin is an occasion where the entire family comes together, to watch the office-going Bong male and school-bound Bonglings eat. The Bong woman’s biggest fear is that “Shokale bhaat dal mach bhaaja na kheye beriye galo” or “In the morning, He went out without eating rice, dal and fish fry.” To round off the calories, Dal is often accompanied by aaloo bhaate, aaloo bhaja, potol bhaaja and various other heartily fried stuff. Not for the faint-hearted.

Mating and procreation

A few Bong end up being in relationships, which lead to love marriage.This is sometimes shown in movies and song. However, most do not have any such social malignancy and end up marrying the woman of their mother’s dreams or men of their father’s choosing. This results in mixing the right genes for the next cycle of Bongs. Love marriage, by its very nature, is random. It sometimes results is tragedy, like marrying into another country (like India). Hence, it is avoided, wherever possible.

Social Life

Adda, robindro shongeet and cha. Repeat. Do note that the young Bong doesn’t have a social life (at least not till he wins the Nobel or gets a Government job). And phootball. the Bongs have had an illustrious history of achievement in football. Every para (neighbourhood) has stories of when they won the World Cup at the expense of the next one. The last time it happened in my parent’s para was in 1986, when Argentina won in Mexico. Diego Maradona, who looks Bhodrolok enough, give or take a few lines of coke, or a few springs of grass, scored famously using his hand, a skill which he learnt in Kolkata. Over the last few years, Brazil has been gladdening the hearts of the many Zicos being born in Kolkata after 1982. The only team which is not Bong is Germany as they play with more efficiency and no creativity, which thus not support adda. Do not ask of a Bong ever doing anything of substance on the phootball field, as then the Bong will keep you occupied about Jakarta, 1962. “Chuni Goswami je Ball tule dilo PK ke. Match-er aagei bolechilo, “Ekta Ball debo. Daam kore maarish. Gol hobe”.” Chuni Goswami put a football up for PK (Banerjee). He told him before the match itself, “I will give you one ball. Hit it with a bang. Goal will happen.” Obviously, it is also the crowning moment of Indian phootball.

Habitat

While you may find a Bong in other places (like occasionally in offices), the best time to observe a Bong is in his natural habitat - the best of colleges, the best of schools, the best of coffee houses. It is here that he will tell you about Balzac while she will recite poetry with gay abandon. To mix in with the Bong, apply Keo Karpin to your hair and carry a jhola……and dont forget the thick glasses. Hopefully, they won’t notice your small head. Do not worry about not knowing the language, as the Bong likes being heard more than hearing.

Famous Bongs

Many famous Bongs have been referred to in this extract. Hence, this section is used to debunk that big myth about Big Bongs. People believe that Bong men can’t be hunky, or carelessly famous. If so, then what about Abhishek Bachchan (via mother), Saif Ali Khan (via mother), John Abraham (via girlfriend), Hrithik Roshan (via grandmother), or Sonia Gandhi (via cat…. seriously, she’s from Kolkata).

Bongs in Literature, Film, Art

Everywhere you care to look.

Closing Word

Being Bong, at the end of the day, is a state of mind. Or, a case of being discovered by them.