THE night before I left for Tucson, I had my first experience of an NBA match between the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns. Of course, before this, I knew next to nothing about the teams, players and not much about the game.

I mean, I had tried to play basketball in school but was relegated to netball instead because I was too short. Full comprehension of that statement dawned upon me that night – because the country’s top basketball player, Steph Curry, at 6 feet 2 inches, looked like a dwarf next to the other players.

The match was as much entertainment and spectacle as it was about the sport. Every now and then, flames would burst out to loud music as players were introduced. Then there’d be the recorded chants – De-Fence, De-Fence – whose volume goes straight to your heart. And every now and then, the crowds would go wild when T-shirts were shot into the stands with everyone leaping to get their hands on one. Who knew T-shirts were so coveted?

It also offered a glimpse into Native American culture which, as visitors, we rarely see or experience when traveling in the US. The match opened with a ceremony of Native American elders blessing the game, as well as the national anthem sung in Native American.

That night, I learned that five percent of Arizona’s population is Native American and it is ranked among the top states in the country with the highest Native American population.

It was a privilege to be witness to this, as well as one of the fastest and most graceful sports – the way those tall men run, jump and leap like gazelles. Given Phoenix Suns was playing on home ground, it was clear where the crowd’s affections were and you can imagine the delirium when they won the night.

I left with a new-found understanding of the game as well as what it’s like to be with 20,000 people in an American sports stadium.

On the road from Phoenix to Tucson, distance 187 km, I gained a new-found understanding of the desert scape. Big blue sky, wide and open stretches of land as far as the horizon, no tall buildings or trees to break the skyline, Everything is flat and dry, broken only by the cacti and the flora that manages to survive this harsh environment.

The saguaro cactus, some of which can grow up to over 20m tall, with their extended “arms”, reminded me of the NBA players from the night before. I imagined them leaping to the sky to touch the sun.

Quiet Florence

We had been told to take the backroad and drive through the “historic business district” of Florence which was described by my friend living in Tucson as a “funky little town with Mexican restaurants and burger joints and fun for a quick out stop”. Arriving Just past 2pm, it was quiet as a church mouse and most places were closed, but we managed to find a restaurant that served the best chilli and pork sliders in town.

Just outside the town is the Arizona State Prison Florence complex, one of 13 prison facilities operated by the Arizona Department of Corrections. The Central Unit houses Arizona’s death row and, according to Wikipedia, has an inmate capacity of 3,946 in six housing units.

We didn’t linger.

The approach to Tucson, with the 3,000-metre high Catalina Mountain dominating the landscape, lifts the mood. I am excited to visit this town that has been recognized by UNESCO as a City of Gastronomy. Apparently, the food here tells a story that dates back 4,000 years and its culinary heritage is a tapestry of Mexican and Native American traditions.

Tumerico, one of the Latin American cafes making a reputation for itself with its fresh ingredients – Tucson is recognized by UNESCO as a City of Gastronomy

There’s a growing number of chef-driven eateries and farmers’ markets where you can find cactus, sunflowers, corn, chiltepins, prickly pear and squash – local vegetables and ingredients making their way into menus – and “zero kilometre” food is a big trend here. Of late, there’s been a “migration” of Californians to Tucson, seeking the warmer weather, lower cost of living and those escaping the devastating wildfires of recent years.

Frida Kahlo Tostado at Tumerico

Of the places I ate at, one stood out – Tumerico – a casual café serving Latin-inspired vegan and vegetarian restaurant. I ordered the Frida Kahlo Tostado, which was piled high with an assortment of vegetables, herbs and spices that oozed with freshness and goodness. Owner and chef Wendy Garcia, who grew up on a farm in Hermosillo, Mexico, is making a name for herself among the country’s top chefs.

The Contigo Latin Kitchen at Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa (where I was staying) was a bit of a disappointment – ​​the food didn’t sparkle with the same zest or creativity as at Tumerico or The Mission in Phoenix.

Tucson of course is also all about the desert – and the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum is definitely worth a visit. It’s more experience than a museum, a well-designed attraction that takes you into the natural world of the desert where you learn about the special animals that make their home here – bobcats, mountain lions, foxes and coyotes – and the plants that look as hardy as they are beautiful.

Bobcat at the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, which offers a true, immersive experience of the desert

The area is also a good spot to catch the sunsets, which are breath-taking in their intensity and drama, regardless of where you watch them.

Tucson is also a good place from which to visit Tombstone, the town made famous by the fact that “Gunfight at the OK Corral” was filmed there and a large cutout figure of John Wayne bids you welcome to this tourist town. Walking the streets, with its horses and cowboys, does take you back into the time when outlaws like the Earp brothers – Wyatt, Virgin and Morgan – and Doc Holliday terrorized the area in the mid-1880s. One of the most popular attractions is the graveyard. I was intrigued by one which said, “Rook shot by a Chinaman” and another that said “Two Chinese”. If only these tombsticks could talk …

No mistake who still rules at Tombstone. John Wayne at his eternal post.

Away from the food and desert, Tucson is also known as the place where planes come to rest either after a lifetime of work or are merely taking a break from their flying duties. At the Pinal County Airpark, also known as the boneyard, you see rows upon rows of airliners – quite a sight to behold for airline geeks. The park was especially full during the pandemic. I spotted a Jeju Air plane among the thousands of aircraft, and waved to it.

Military helicopter on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum.

At the Pima Air & Space Museum, another must-stop for airline geeks, you learn all about the history of aviation, both military and civil. A World War Two veteran greets us at the military museum, telling you what to expect and “to remember those who died so we can enjoy the freedom we have today”.

The tour is a reminder that war is, unfortunately, so much a part of human history and present – ​​from World War Two, to Cuba, Vietnam, Korean, Gulf and now, Ukraine … you see military planes that have served their duty through the different wars and imagine what stories they would tell, if they could.

On the civil aviation front, you learn about the story of women in flight, and the different flying machines that take us into the skies and over water and mountains, and you see airline brands that belong to the past like TWA. There’s a Japan Airlines Dreamliner – donated to the museum by Boeing.

Tribute to the women in flight

It makes you appreciate anew “the beauty of flight”. Airplanes are the modern workhorses of the world. They carry goods all over the world, animals included – on the flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles, I sat two rows behind the most well- behaved golden retriever service dog. They take humanity places – it brought me to Phoenix and Tucson to appreciate an NBA match, gain new understanding of Native American traditions and discover a new cuisine, and catch up with friends living far away.

On the flight home from Los Angeles to Singapore, the words of Amelia Earhart, one of the women pilots honored in the Pima museum, rang in my head. “After midnight, the moon set and I was alone with the stars. I have often said the lure of flying is the lure of beauty, and I need no other flight to convince me that the reason flyers fly, whether they know it or not, is the aesthetic appeal of flying.