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Published: June 10th 2010
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After two planes from Memphis, via Dallas we arrived in Las Vegas in the early afternoon. I quick taxi to the Mirage Hotel and we were ready to explore and shop. The hotel entrance was an eye opener. The enormous fish tank behind the check in counter must have been 10 meters long, and full size palm trees surrounding a water fall. Then there was the people watching, every walk of life from bikini clad blonde bomb shells to pasty white Poms that shouldn’t have been walking around the hotel in bathers. “Bathers, bathers, undies!”
There was hundreds of gaming machines and tables, and people from all walks of life playing them. Our room was nice and spacious and nicely decorated. We freshened up and then made our way to the taxi rank to go to one of the outlet shopping areas. It was similar to Harbour Town in Perth, but better. Bigger, nicer and cheaper. I bought a new suitcase and then Marika and I proceeded to fill it up with shopping. It was getting dark and nearly 9pm before we headed back to our hotel for dinner at the Chinese restaurant with a very nice bottle of wine.
We spent Friday morning pampering at the Beauty Salon & Spa in the hotel after a bit of a sleep in and some breakfast and good coffee. Yes finally we found decent espresso coffee. Still not hot enough for Marika and always with way too much foam, but good tasting caffeine J So after some de-furring, a full body massage, spa and shower, using all there free divine products, I was good to go bake myself in the sun. Magazine, check. IPod, check. Water, check. Sunscreen, well I put some on my face, and off I went to find the perfect lounge to shade my face and sun my body. 45 minutes later I was a pile of sweat and ready for a swim. Ah the beautiful cool water. Marika joined me and we found a couple of lounges in the shade and wasted away the afternoon. Then back to the room to get ready for the evening. Toes nails needed painting and hair washing. Then on with our frocks and off to see Cirque de solei O at the Bellagio Hotel. We walked through the Bellagio with our mouths hanging open. The ceiling decorations, the shops (another Tiffanys
to explore), and the people all dressed up and ready for a Friday night in Vegas. We got our tickets for the show and discovered that our front row seats came with a “you might get wet” warning. How very cool I thought. Excited and hungry we went to dinner. A beautiful fine dining restaurant and had a delicious meal and wine. Then off to our water seats!
The show was spectacular to say the least, and yes we got splashed a few times. We walked back to our hotel and were lucky enough to see the midnight water show outside the Bellagio, which we had been lucky enough to see while we were at dinner through the windows, but standing right in front was the best view possible. A nice stroll home to our hotel and to bed for an early start tomorrow.
7:45am pick by Pink Jeeps to explore the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. There were ten in the Pink Jeep and our tour guide, Gabriel was a lot of fun. Being the only girl on my own for the day she looked after me. We picked up every one and headed for the desert stopping
at a hotel of the way for a toilet break then our first stop was a very small community with very limited facilities, but they make the best of what they do have and every one there seemed very happy living there. Another hour or so and we reached the Hoover Dam which was a very impressive sight. Off the bus for a few photos and then back on the road to the canyon. We arrived at the helicopter pad late morning and the heart rate was quickening and the smile widening once I saw a helicopter take off and disappear over the edge into the canyon. After a short wait it was Group 15’s turn to board the red helicopter. The five of us got on board and I was lucky enough to get a window seat with the most breath taking view of the canyon, and grand it is. Don’t quote me, but it think at it’s deepest point it is 1.3kms down to the Colorado River. A short flight and we arrived deep in the canyon, after a steep walk down some very uneven rock steps we got on to the boat for a half our cruise
along the river. The coolness from the water was a very welcome relief, and the views were once again breath taking. The colours in the rocks and earth, and the sheer enormity of it all was, well, WOW! Once the boat return we had to climb back up the uneven steep steps and arrived at the top very hot, sweaty and, shall we say, natural!. But the ten of us were all in the same predicament and bonded over bottles of water and shared pamphlet to fan our selves with. The helicopter took us back to the top on the canyon and once again I got a window seat. It was like the ultimate roller coaster ride. A bit of shopping in the gift shop and we climbed onto the shuttle to a look out for the canyon. A short 10 minute drive down the road and we arrived at a look out area. Here we got to see native Indians performing a dance to the beat of drums and some great photo opportunities. I lay down full length on the ground, hanging the top of my body of the edge. It was exhilarating looking down 4000 feet. A very
very long way and unfortunately the photos don’t paint the scary picture. My heart was racing, but I could have laid there for ages, just gazing over the edge at the very grand canyon. After that Gabriel also showed me were I could take a couple of steps into a crack in the ground and sit down, once again very close to the 4000 foot sheer drop. We spent about an hour at the look out then went to a ‘Dude Ranch’ for lunch of ribs, peas and potato, complete with corn bread and a cookie and of course unlimited cool drink. A few more pit stops on the way back to Vegas by 7pm.
While I was sweltering in the desert, Marika shopped her heart out in Vegas then rocked on down to the tunes of Donny & Marie Osmond. Yes I give you all permission to tease her about going to that show. LOL.
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