The Big Country I

When planning a trip like the West Coast of the US, unless you can afford to travel for more than a month, something not everyone can afford, you have no choice but to rule out some places to make way for others. In my case, one of the places I was sure I was going to see was Monument Valley, that iconic location where many of the movies I grew up watching were filmed. I was so eager to see this place that we spent two nights there. This way, we would be sightseeing, and I would have two opportunities to take the now-classic photo that many of the photographers who have been there have tried to capture.

And thank goodness we had those two sunrises. I'll tell you why. The first morning I had to get up early. I didn't want to miss the first light of dawn. A dull dawn, not much joy in the sky, but it didn't matter. I was in Monument Valley. I didn't sleep much, I was there very early, but I wasn't the earliest riser. Besides, at the spot where I wanted to set up my tripod, there was an Italian who had gotten up earlier than me. Well, on the one hand I breathed a sigh of relief thinking I'd have another sunrise to try again, on the other hand, a thought popped into my head: you have to get up early... more

Yes, I did. The next day, while it was still dark, I approached the spot where these two rocks meet. And I smiled. It was night, yes. But I was alone. At least for five minutes, because shortly after, three or four photographers appeared, who I'm sure thought the same thing about me as I had thought about the Italian the morning before.

Luckily, dawn was going to be very different from the day before. High and medium clouds adorned the sky. Clouds that moved toward the horizon, gradually gaining color thanks to the rays of light they stole from a sun that in a few minutes was about to bid us good morning.