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Vegas's PicturesAs you might be able to guess that has been nothing much doing as far as pictures around Zamyatin, and even this weekend was a little flat but busy nonetheless. Birthdays and presents and all sorts have been the order of the day so nothing really of interest at all really. Highs and lows have been had but nothing specific. This picture is from Las Vegas and is a picture of The Mirage hotel from the Venetian using the video camera purely because of the fact that it has a really good zoom lens on it so because of that it's a little abstract as it's quite high up on the building and it's reflecting the other wing of itself so you can't really work out which way up it is. Anyway I like it because of the reflections and it's abstract nature.
On from the Grand Canyon we have Red Rock. Different in that it costs only five dollars or ten if you go about it the wrong way like we did. It includes a 13 mile scenic drive which seems to take ages (I'm not complaining it was quite spectacular and would have been even better if I weren't driving). I have come to the conclusion that an American mile is longer than a British mile owing to the amount of time they take to drive, however I suspect in the UK I would actually be driving faster. Anyway back to Red Rock. Aiming at the rock climber, cyclist or car driver who likes looking at big things you drive around the base of the canyon and it's impressive in a different way. With the Grand Canyon you see a huge canyon from the top and get herded around, with this one you get to drive around or even climb over the canyon at your own pace. The picture is from the visitor centre that you need to get done before the drive as the drive exits you from the park meaning you have to pay your entrance fee again to see the visitors centre. No guesses which way we did it... But it's only five dollars.
Just for those that doubt that I am here, here is the classic Las Vegas sign, not that this really proves it to be honest and not that anyone cares but it was the best photo of the day. We went to the Stratosphere but the pictures were poor. The Stratosphere is pretty impressive though with rides at the top that are truely frightening. Personally I didn't think I would like just being at the top but once I was used to it and was certain that the building wasn't swaying and that the clunks were a result of the ride catapulting thrillseakers (or idiots as I prefer to call then) off the edge of the tower I was fine. There was also a ride that suspended people over the edge and spun them horizontally but that wasn't working. So from here it was to downtown and the old Las Vegas which was pretty good and a little like Blackpool even down to the Kiss Me Quick hats... Nah I'm kidding. We did wait for the light show that never happened so that was a bit of a let down but hopefully the Grand Canyon will make up for it tomorrow... I hope.
The short drive to the Hoover Dam or the Boulder Dam as it was initially called isn't that interesting and to be honest the story of the Hoover Dam is more interesting than the place itself. Mind you a paddle on the shores or Lake Mead might have soothed our aching feet from yesterday but we passed on that. It's a huge structure and impressive but the tour that we went on wasn't up to much despite going from the top to the bottom via lift it almost felt rushed. 650ft+ of concrete at the base and complede in 4 years it powers millions of houses and gives drinking water to about 4 states. It appears impressive in figure form at the very least. Mind you the water line is dropping and if this continues it does make you wonder what they will do if Lake Mead runs dry. So back we go heading for Ethel M's Chocolate factory. Built by Mr. Mars to provide handmade chocolates, it makes you wonder how exactly it fit into the whole history of Mars as nothing really explains. Short and sweet (no pun intended) it appears to serve more as a shop than anything else. So it was off to drive back down the Strip which as this time of day is a little like a slow moving car park, but we did see Stratosphere which we will have to go to so that we can see a bird's eye view of Las Vegas though I suspect no-one will be up for the fair ride at the top.
For those observant of you, well you don't have to be that observant, this isn't New York it's New York New York in Vegas where you can visit many mock countries in just one day so long as your feet hold out. Lots of walking and lot of heat make Zamyatin a tired boy and it's only 5pm a time when Las Vegas is just getting into the swing of things. As someone who likes to buck the trend we've gone for a rest in the hotel as it has been a long day. We might pop out later to see the lion enclosure at MGM or see the lifts that apparently go sideways at Luxor (I think someone was pulling my wife's leg or at least mixing Las Vegas up with Charlie and the Chocolate factory) but who knows.
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