Travelogue - Las Vegas and Grand Canyon (May 2003)
A combined visit to Las Vegas and Grand Canyon is perfect combination of ying and yang. Hiking down or just soaking the natural visual splendor of Grand Canyon is awe-inspiring. One can build a lot of character doing this and loose all of it at Las Vegas. The man made oasis at the Sin City reminded me of Roman excesses. The place is mesmerizing by its absolute artificialness and glamour. Huge replicas of ancient and modern structures, caged lions and elephants, flashy and leggy showgirls, and of course gambling opportunities of all sizes and shapes - Las Vegas is a Mecca for those seeking materialistic
indulgence.
Sin City
Sher-e-Vegas
NewYork NewYork
Luxor
About 300 miles due east is another wonder - this one created by the forces of nature - a huge canyon that is beautifully symmetric. Its best observed under full sun light - rocks and stones appear magically red and blue when rays of sun fall upon them at various angles. I also recommend that if you plan to give yourself a physical exam by climbing down, never overestimate your food and drink reserves. Pack up as many fruits, power bars and water bottles as your backpack allows. We took the easiest day
trail, ‘Bright Angel’, and that too only half way (till the Plateau Point). Even then we ran out of all food items and almost all water on our way back up.
GRAND Canyon
All the efforts involved were definitely worth it. We went till Plateau Point that was about 5 miles walk from the South Rim. I think we covered about 4000 feet (about a mile) of altitude in the process.
We could see the Colorado river from there - and I suggest that you should not miss any opportunity to see any water body in the otherwise dry and brown areas of Arizona and Nevada. The river appeared more than a thin line but less than a forceful element. The Plateau Point offers good photo opportunities, a false sense of satisfaction that one can still undergo some physical work and the possibility of meeting condor counters.
Plateau Point
Jason The Condor Counter
We got mentally prepared for our climb up on our way down itself. We started the climb down at about 11:30 in the morning, by which time many hikers were on their way up. One part of customary greeting
between us and them was their question ‘how far are we from the top’. The emotional intensity behind this question gave us some idea about the challenges that lay ahead. These challenges got amplified by our miscalculations about food and drink requirements. Fortunately, it was much cooler by the time we
started back and we made sure to take a number of breaks.
Trek Trail
Nearing Plateau Point
Nature's Amphitheater
On our way back to Las Vegas, we also stopped at the Hoover Dam. There were dam visitors everywhere - near dam wall, overlooking dam water, going through dam exhibits, eating and buying at dam shops. Nonetheless, I found the dam to be another damn powerful proof of amazing feats human race can accomplish with perseverance.
Hoover Dam - View from the Top
Below are a few thoughts of profound nature that typically strike me when I am visiting a new place and, therefore, am at my observant best:
End of a hike is usually farther than it appears
Condor to researcher ratio in Arizona (at most 20:1) and slot-machine to visitor ratio at Las Vegas (almost 2:1) are much better than the toilet to hiker ratio at Grand Canyon (about 1:100)
Spiderman will be hapless in Arizona and Nevada - for the most part, there are no structures whatsoever to cling his web to
The only money machines at Vegas that spit out money without fail are ATMs
