Yosemite National Park

Trip Start Apr 12, 2005

Trip End Jun 18, 2005

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Flag of United States Yosemite National Park, California
Friday, April 8, 2005

My original plans for my two weeks in the US was for me to spend my last weekend in San Francisco exploring the city as a backpacker. However knowing my passion for mountains, my Aunt/Uncle generously offered to take me to Yosemite National Park for a few days to experience the wonders of the Sierra/Nevada ranges. It is with delight that I inform you that Yosemite is absolutely breathtaking and worth visiting if you ever find yourself in Northern California. As a consequence I am completely exhausted and have decided to recharge my batteries and stay a little longer in Sunnyvale.

But more on Yosemite...According to locals, the weather is cold in winter, hot in summer, and can be a little unpredictable during Spring. No kidding. My family and I arrived in Yosemite Valley mid afternoon on Thursday and though the weather was crisp, it was refreshing to be outside and I must admit that I was awestruck by the sheer size of the geological features all around Yosemite

Entering Yosemite Valley

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As we had planned to spend all day Friday in Yosemite and it was getting dark, naturally I didn't bother to take a good deal of photographs. But as mother nature would have it, Friday morning was bloody freezing and just after breakfast it began to snow. And it snowed so heavily that we had to leave the park by noon as we had no chains for our tyres. It was leave immediately or be snowed-in for for a few days, which though nice, would have been an additional $170USD per night. Not exactly the cheapest place on the planet to stop off and visit!

My Aunt feared that the snow had dampened my experience, but she couldn't have been more wrong. I can not remember the last time I saw snow fall and literally blanket the ground around me. Although we didn't have much time to play in the snow, I did manage to get a few photographs, and I hope to attach them with this entry.

And so here I am, back in the suberbs of the Bay Area, and I will be taking a day trip to Monteray tomorrow. Apparently there is a fairly impressive Aquarium there, and it will hopefully be a nice way for me to spend my last day with my family in the US before I head off to Peru on Monday morning.

I look forward to the days when the news will consist of more than the Pope! Cherio from the States. Will write to you next from Lima.

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