Detroit

Last weekend I was in Ann Arbor, state of Michigan, for Thanksgiving purposes. In between, I took one day off to go to Detroit (in English: strait). I was excited to see with my own eyes the United States' traditional automobile center. Although Detroit is famous due to automobile industry, "Motor Town", it still is a source of popular music celebrated by its nicknames, such as "Motown" and "Rock city".

Although the city has built up new buildings to revitalize the downtown area, the city stills needs social promotions to rise the economy and be an attraction for tourists.

It is painful to see tall buildings and closed stores that have been abandoned and in a state of decay for years. When we walk on the streets there are no places to buy souvenirs and no tourists at all. As I have figured out, there are three main reasons for this decay. Firstly, the whites moving to the suburbs due to social conflicts during the 1960s and 1970s. Secondly, retailers and small business have departed the city in the wake of the increased crime rate. Finally, the crisis in the automobile industry that has lasted for decades.

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

The Grand Canyon is huge! There are no pictures to describe the overwhelming size and its colourful landscape. The various overlooks along the canyon edge and the trails for hiking allow the visitors to get a real idea of its dimension and see the thick sequence of layer rocks exposed in the walls of the canyon.

Climbing down to the Colorado River via the Bright Angel Trail we can stop at the Plateau Point, located closed to the river, look down and listen to the river gently flowing by. In the distance, we see the different layers and colours of the canyon! It is calm and peaceful… we can take a deep breath and think about the life!