We rolled into Moab around 8:30pm, and that's glorious Daylight Savings Time. We found a little corner of free dirt to camp on, tucked behind a metal building on the south side of town. Having been in the car all day, we took a walk along the main street, gazing into the windows of the quaint shops that were mostly closed. We got ice cream from a small shop with posters for Free the Colorado plastered over every space of wall. There were petitions to blow up the dam and let the Colorado River flow freely once again. Wow.
Across the street we wandered into one of the only open shops on the block, Soul Food. It was a mystical, new-age type bookstore/incensery/candle shop. In the center of the room was a huge white bowl resting on a low square table. The lady behind the counter informed us that it was a Singing Quartz Bowl, and her younger helper promptly came over to show us how to make its smaller cousin sing. He took a small mallet, about 8 inches long and tipped with white rubber, and struck the side of the bowl loudly before drawing the mallet around the outside in an even pattern. Sure enough, the bowl began to emit a low tone which grew louder and louder as he continued to circle it. The vibration was intense...it could be felt near the bowl without touching it.
We tried the larger bowl, an incredible specimen perfectly balanced and carved from a single piece of pure quartz, over two feet in diameter. We had to walk around the thing in order to draw the mallet to bring out the vibration. We got it singing eventually, and the tone was rich and deep. And loud. And quite amazing to be honest. And cost $295.
On the walk home, we noticed large groups of high school kids hanging out on or near various benches along main street. Not outside coffee shops (for none were open) or in someone's front yard, but grouped along the main drag wherever there was a bench. It's still a mystery.
We skipped the benches and headed back to our little corner we called home for the night, and readied ourselves to take on one of the most famous mountain bike spots in the nation the next day. Slickrock, Moab.
