My America Tour -17

My America Tour -17

Telugu Original : Avula Gopala Krishna Murty (AGK)

English Translation: Komala Venigalla

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon in Arizona State is famous  for Colorado river valleys and geological pockets. Once upon a time it was the house of Red Indians who are scarcely seen  now. It is the land where we can see their paintings , sculpture and beautifully woven clothes which tell us how great skilled artisans they are.

          Here the nature looks like a mother who just gave birth to her baby. To reach Grand Canyon we have to reach the city  from Flangstop  airport and take a bus from there. It was my longest bus journey in America.

          At the time  when Roosevelt was the President some forest areas were designed as ` National parks for the collective use  of the people. No individual can use them as his own. One such area is Grand Canyon.

          Grand Canyon appeared  in a large number of movies. If you want to see the rich colors of nature you can really see them in Grand Canyon. Disney reflects the man made beauty but Grand Canyon valley represents the beauty of nature. There we can see the difference or comparison between  beautiful buildings constructed  by people and beautiful spots .Nature itself provides us with naturally formed beautiful sites.

          It rains very little in Grand Canyon area.   It is 277 mile long , 4 to 14 mile wide and one mile deep.  Both sides we see one mile high mountains like two banks. The Colorado river flows in full speed, between them. On both sides  of mile deep mountains we see multicolored stones shining like diamonds. It is the place where even the atheists attribute knowledge to nature.

          We got into the mile long valleys riding the mules. One mile is no distance on the land but in an uneven valley it is a long distance. Here even the nearest place looks a distant place. Just to get down one yard of land we have to cross many bends . When looked up from below the valley we were  awe struck. Persons looked like Liliputs. But immediately I felt brave and proud thinking of how such small human beings are capable of great knowledge, intellect and  innovative skills that enabled him to reach planets.

          I wondered how long it took to cut  the valleys in the mountain areas. Geologists  come to a conclusion that it  might have taken  70 or 90  lak years. It is said that out of seven atmospheric areas in the world six are in Grand Canyon. Hupy, Navoja, Havasupaic, Hayal pai red Indians belong to Grand Canyon areas. Three out of five geological science  areas are here in the valley. Geologists saw the valley for the first time in the year 1540.  Since then research  has been going on about its history which has become the basic knowledge in geology.  According  to geological sciences as early as in the 1st century mountain pieces – stones were exhibited in Grand Canyon. They estimated that  5 lakh tons of melted  soil flows down to the river every 24 hours. The scientists allotted 500 pre-historic areas to the  Grand Canyon. There are various  living species -sixty mammals -180 varieties of birds, 25 types of crocodiles, 25 types of jumping animals. The park is worth seeing.

          We saw the area up to 30 or 40  miles, walked in the valley,  climbed the mountains.In that area one mile deep valley has 100 to 125 colored stones with many layers.We enjoyed those beautiful sights wondering how  they formed into such colorful layers.

          Everywhere we found restaurants and guest houses with peculiar names. Can stay there for some days if you like . Food is no problem. You can write poetry and stories sitting there.  The movement  the visitors enter the Canyon hall one geological researcher will explain the history of Grand Canyon and also show a movie. The sight and sound of it leaves the visitors simply thrilled,.

          A lot of literature  is sold there. Though Red Indians are not  there now, the beautiful things carved by them can  be bought there. When I remarked that it would have been better if the Red Indians themselves sell their produce , they kept quiet.

          The beautiful things made by the Red Indians resembled the artistic things  made by the aboriginals and mountain dwellers of India.  They are not related to each other  in any way but the skill and artistic ability both these people exhibited proves that people are alike-human beings are the same everywhere. We see the truth that they are all one .

AROUND MANHATTAN

New York is a city of islands Manhattan being one  of the islands. It is a big island surrounded by Hudson river and Atlantic Ocean beach. We  started om a small steam boat , went round 30 mile area. The tour guide explained to us the importance of many places in our way.

          This boat trip was real good. Food arrangements were there in the boat itself. People were busy taking pictures of prominent  buildings, talking, joking. We had good time.

          After America got independence they erected a big statue of a woman on a hill in a small island. They call it the statue of Liberty. The statue holds a torch in her raised hand. Our boat went around the statue before taking us to see Manhattan.

          Going round  the statue had an emotional input  on me. Just like the Americans we  too got freedom from the Britishers. I felt the closeness between us and the Americans while going round the statue.

          While sailing in  the boat I observed the big buildings passing by their foundations. I felt like counting the multi -stories  of those high buildings. My thoughts too flew to the  height of those buildings.

          We passed the huge U.N.O building suitable to the organization. We went into it and it looked much bigger than it looked from outside.

          We went round the huge buildings of various  enterprises. Their architecture and  variations in construction attracted us very much. Many boats, ships were on sail around those buildings. Skating boats move with stunning speed making loud noise cutting the waters in their way.

          We need great imaginary skills to  see the difference between our walking in the New York streets and sailing in boats around it.

The highest building in the world

We have Himalayas in India, the highest mountain range  in the world. It is a gift of nature to us.

          Empire State Building in New York with its 108 stories is the highest building in the world. They are now constructing two buildings  with same number of stories  but higher than it. When they are completed Empire state building cannot compete with them in height.( This is referring to twin towers which were destroyed by terrorists later. In its place single tower is erected)

          This building is like a city worth of number of crores. We went up in the lift at night time. We  could not but think what would happen if the lift got struck in the midway.In the day time  if you go up you can see whole New York city  from there. But it is real beautiful in the night. You can feel the difference if you see it in the day as well as in the night.

          I saw it in the night. I could see crores of electric lights emiting pleasant colors. I felt like  describing them in a poetic mood.

          I felt as though I was standing much higher beyond the stars. If people who have high imagination and poetic  sensibility  can describe the scenes beautifully in their poems.

          I felt how a person could conquer the starry sky through his  creative skills. I enjoyed both visiting Grand Canyon a mile below in the valley and walking high up on the highest building in New York. It fills a person with pride and self-importance. It is the place where people who think-AHAM BRHMAASMI-should live.

          Though we were much below the flying airplanes we felt that we were there much higher up. I was under the illusion that the electric lights below are the real stars and I was making fun of them that I could be above them.

          I went round watching the lights below as though the stars jumped down in countless numbers enjoying their  status. I felt pity for those stars for their descent.

          Meanwhile the moon felt sad that it could not do anything without the stars around and went hiding behind the clouds. The nature met its defeat. Such were my proud feelings for human being`s creativity.

CHICAGO LAKES

I READ ABOUT  about those  lakes in my childhood. Now I saw them personally. Those three lakes looked like three mangoes hanging from a stalk in Nature descending from the skies and settling in Chicago.

          Calling them lakes is  meaningless. I saw Chilka lake in Orissa (India).It looks like sea.

          Chicago lakes are off shoots  of ocean.  A sage like Agastya muni might have got angry with the oceans and cursed them to lose their freedom and be imprisoned on the earth  like lakes.

          Wow! What big lakes they are! They are not lakes. They are oceans with  huge waves. They can be homes for whales. Whales cannot survive  in rivers and lakes. They need oceans. Those lakes could be  their oceans.

          I sailed certain distance  in  boats on those lakes. I was reminded of my  sailing in Atlantic ocean near New York and in Pacific Ocean near San Francisco . Same thrill I felt here too. They are not lakes but oceans. Those are three crowns of Chicago

*****

(to be continued…)