Surprisingly I did wake up at 7.00 and enjoyed the free waffle breakfast that the hostel offers. Today I'm off to the Grand Canyon on a tour that the hostel arranges for $99.00. There are 13 of us back packers crammed into a minivan being driven by a mad smelly Kiwi.
The first stop was Lake Mead which was created when the Hoover Dam was built in 1931. It's the largest drinking water reservoir in the world.
Next stop was the Hoover Dam which is the largest dam in the western hemisphere. It's impressive especially when you consider when it was built. The power that it generates supplies the whole south west of America. It's vital and without it there would be no LA or Vegas. Thinking about it, maybe vital is a bit strong!
We continued on our way listening to Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Culture Club, T Pau and Wham. It didn't half remind me of my forum buddies, but why do people on buses feel the need to use my shoulder as a pillow?
We had a quick stop off in a little place called Dolan Springs, just to have a laugh at the locals. It's a real out in the sticks place. You wonder why anyone would want to live in a place like this, in a trailer.
Continuing on our way we turned off the main highway and onto a dirt track for 14 miles travelling at warp speed Kiwi. I swear he's got a death wish. We were travelling at 60 down an unmade road with 10mph speed limit. His thinking being that the less the wheels touch the ground the less the vehicle bounces. The joshua trees in the desert are impressive none the less. I just hope we don't hit one or a boulder for that matter.
We arrived at a small airport from where you can take an 8 minute helicopter ride for $115. It is also here where the mad Kiwi had to pay our entry to the native american tribe whose land the Grand Canyon is on.
It was a short drive to our viewing point. The eastern and northern sides of the canyon are about a 1000 feet higher than the western and you can see for miles. You have to watch your step as all of a sudden the land just opens up in front of you, no fences, no health and safety. At this point it's 9 miles across and a 4,000 foot drop. It was a view of the canyon that very few people get. Most people either view it from the eastern side or take plane or helicopter trip. It was time for a moments reflection to think about what a lucky I am.
It was truly awesome sat on a rock with nothing but 4,000 foot of air beneath you. The photos just cannot do justice to the breathtaking beauty of this place.
After lunching on the rim we moved further down to get a more stomach churning view up the canyon. There are no barriers, just alot of open space. I'm surprised more people haven't died, but it is truly stunning.
The mad Kiwi played Metallica the whole way back as they cross all musical boundaries. I mean everyone likes heavy metal. We got stuck in traffic for about an hour over the Hoover Dam, this is the main route between Phoenix and Las Vegas and the only way to cross the Colorado River for 500 miles.
We got back to the hostel at 19.00. The hostel was running a limo tour down the strip tonight for $20.00, including entry into a couple of the night clubs. Mark and I opted out and decided to get in a couple of beers and hit the strip ourselves. I bought 2 40oz bottles of beer, downed them in no time and then headed out.
I've no idea what happened, but the next thing I remember was falling down on the strip, Mark throwing me in a cab and somehow getting back to the hostel, where I was sick as a dog. Must have been the excitement!
