Visiting Uncle Sam - 12 - Mystery + Water World + Mile Drive + Sunset

The next weekend of my LV + Canyon trip, a big gang formed and gave me the task of planning a whole day drive to places like Mystery spot, Monterey etc and anything else that I can include in the schedule. Somehow they decided that I was good in planning and coming up with a good trip ;)
So I suggested that we drive to Mystery Spot first and then go down all the way south to Monterey Bay Aquarium and then drive to 17 mile drive and then by evening drive back , if possible and time permits, stop @ Pigeon Point light house before heading to the hotel back. And surprisingly, everyone was OK with the idea and so I sent them the route maps and we started exactly @ 8 am on 31st Sunday October, in 2 cars and without mentioning its understood that I was driving one (This time I took the car from Hertz and it was a Chrysler Sebring Limited Edition model.. eppadi!!!)

While driving to the Mystery place, I was explaining them how the house there was built by a widow and for how long blah blah blah.. Also I had some coupons to get some reduction etc.. And when we really reached the place we found it very spooky.... coz the road was nothing like the one where we thought it can have a house of 108 rooms or so and it was like going inside woods. Then after reaching there we realized our mistake. Mystery Spot and Mystery House were two different places and we thought that Mystery House was in Mystery Spot. Mystery House is also called the Winchester House. So there goes a deal breaker coz I had coupons to the Mystery House and both of them are in Santa Cruz.. Enna oru confusion.

But it turned out to be a very good one. For one, we reached by 9.30 am but the place opens by 10 am :) and we had 1/2 an hour with us and so started trekking in the woods till the way we could go..It was like climbing a hill. And after trekking up in that chill & winding path (not a road, just a path) for 20 mins we rushed back to the spot to make sure that we were the ones to get in first. Exactly by 10 am they opened and we got the tickets (5$ each) and were there in the first batch.

I am not sure how to explain this place actually. This is in between the woods, and there is just this one spot..say a diameter of 10 feet or so where they say that the gravitation forces are a little different and hence you see or feel differently. Obviously unless someone tells you about it you might not even think about it. They explain that even though the place looks like its slanted, how leveled its actually. Also when you enter the cabin that they have how dizzy you really feel. May be its because of the way its built and how your body responds to the gravitational pull to keep you straight. That means there you will standing slanted. Ok, I am not doing a good job explaining it.

You will feel it when you experience it. They say that this place falls geographically in a circle around the globe and that there are almost 27 places in the same circle which has almost the same characteristics as this place. And researchers are still puzzled on some of the events in this place. Whatever it is, its worth the money, it keeps you engaged for almost an hour and you really feel very 'mysterious' :) Definitely a must watch.
Lot of them were happy that they did this and not the mystery house :) and so we started our drive to Monterey Bay by around 11.15 or so and reached there by 12.30 I think. I drove all the way to the Monterey bay. The drive in Highway was very nice. We had some trouble getting the parking as it was a Sunday and then finally got a parking lot space for 10$ (very costly  :( but better than SFO) and then we started our trip to the Bay Aquarium. The entry ticket was around 29$. And we ended up spending almost around 2 hrs inside. Its almost like the Singapore water world that I had gone, but not that big. But some of the displays were very very nice. They were splendid. And obviously my camera started working on. But I also got to enjoy so many varieties of the fishes ( I didnt like the Octopus.. it looked like yuck!!!) and the sharks, the penguins, etc etc.. and they have the open place where the bay water comes in and the ducks and other birds are there in their natural environment (not too big though)..but it was nice. you can also do the feeding. They had a seal feeding show (It reminded me of the Seal show in S'pore)

At around 3 we decided that we should be heading for lunch and if time permits come back skipping the 17 mile drive or just go ahead with 17 mile drive. Reason was that we didn't see the flamingo's and one or two more exhibits. So we headed for the lunch and by the time we completed it was 4.15 or so. So we decided to go to 17 mile drive. We started and we reached the 17 mile drive in about 15-30 mins (it was very near) and there is a toll to enter the drive. Its a very exclusive drive which takes you from Highway 1 to Carmel Gate it seems in 17 miles. Its worth the drive. There are almost 20+ view spots and you can definitely not do all of them. You have to choose what you wanted to see and accordingly stop in those view spots. Since it goes up the hill a little and then comes down with winding drives, I gave the car drive to the other person because I was getting tired and it was getting dark so I wanted to rest my eyes a little.

The 17 mile drive was suggested by one and all to visit atleast once. And I know why its done so :) I would recommend it to everyone. Some view points are so amazing and the Ocean is as usual very cold. Again we happened to see a dog playing in the beach :) and we played with the dog for some time. There were some view points where we climbed some rocks and walked barefoot in that cutting rocks.... oh it was so so nice. The chill wind, the hard rocks, the pleasure of walking, and then relaxing your feet in that cold water.

We stopped @ Shepherd’s Knoll ,  Spanish Bay , The Restless Sea, The Lone Cypress, The Ghost Tree , Cypress Point lookout, Point Joe, Bird Rock. By the time we came to The Lone Cypress, the sun started to set and we had the pleasure of witnessing the sunset. Wow.. first time I am witnessing this in my life and it was amazing.. It goes down in a few mins..that you wont even be able to realize it. Please visit this place if you are in CA. Worth every penny of the visit.

After watching the sunset and being amazed at the kind of views that we got in that place, we started back to hotel (skipped the Pigeon point light house) by 7 pm and reached by 10 pm for a good night sleep :)

The whole day trip went on very well and the group we had also was very good that it made the trip pleasurable. 

The Sunset was the highlight of the day!!! I love Nature :)

Visiting Uncle Sam - 11 - Grand Canyon South Rim

I am back!!! (with all the demo days going on and working over the weekends for past week and this week, with less than 6 hrs of sleep for almost a week, and a severe cold to help me out, its crazy... really!!! but now I have some free time because of the builds going on and I dont have anything else to do till its done) 


With Justin Bieber's songs go on in the background, here I go again, recounting my lovely days in the Grand Canyon's South Rim tour and the other set of places I got to visit over the past weekends.


You already know how I loved the trip to the West Rim and you might think,  what else is there to see now , its just the same kind of ravines.. Why do you really want to go to South Rim. If you want to see the real Canyon , the real depth, you should always take the South Rim or the North Rim tour. North Rim is closed since October due to the on set of winter / fall, whatever they call here.. the altitude is higher in North Rim and this is a place where you can see the snow over the Canyon (what a contradiction!!! Desert with a snow!! Nature is a mystery always) 


So I had the South Rim tour booked and as usual started @ 6.30 am to the Office through the connecting bus and started the drive to South Rim exactly by 7.20 am (after a short stop in the tour office for a snack and coffee). It is a 4-5 hr drive so they put on the DVD with the history of the Canyon and how the North Rim looks like and the Grand Canyon Railways and their history etc etc. I fell asleep on the way for a while... But got up again when we started on a new road, which we hadnt seen the previous day. The weather was not sunny but not raining either. It was just chill and bright. And around 11.30 we reach the "Grand Depot Cafe" in the Grand Canyon Railway area in Arizona. 

Here we had our lunch. It was very good. They had all options that you can think of and lot of vegetarian options too. Thank fully we were the first ones to the South rim tour when compared to the other tour operators so we had our time there. By the time we finished 2 more operators came in. 

After that again it was again an hour and half journey , crossed Route 66 and then via Valle and then Williams and reach around by 2 pm in the Grand Canyon National Park

It was so cold outside that it was freezing and we were higher in altitude too. And there was no Sun in sight. Aint this the right way to see the Canyon ;)

We were asked to go around till 4.30 pm and were instructed for two view points nearby. Mather View point and the Bright Angels lodge and if time permits the Kolb's studio. But we had to get back by 4.30 because if we start by 5 then we could reach Las Vegas by 10 or 11 pm (with the Sunday traffic). So we got down and first went to the Mather view point..... Was it the weather or the sight of that place, it gave me the chills. It still is before my eyes. Whenever I close my eyes and wish to see , I know exactly how it looks, how it smells, the fresh cold air on my face frizzing up my hair. I didnt want to do anything but just 'be there'. 

 When you see it , thats when you realize why this is called "The Grand" Canyon... Its Grand alright.. and  it just takes your breath away !!! Its beautiful!!!!! They say that every second is important here because the way the clouds & the sunlight play the kind of games on the canyon is very beautiful and every picture is different. Its true..trust me. My Camera was working overtime with all set of modes once I drank in the grandeur with my eyes. I roamed through the viewpoints, tried to get the edge and was so so so Happy.. or even better, I was at peace !!! that would be appropriate. Nothing beats the feeling to be in a place where you ever wanted to be and to be there to enjoy it on your own without having to worry about anything.. You and the place.. thats it.. I am really very lucky. After whiling around, I went to the office around there, and got the stamp of Grand Canyon national park on my passport (yup, you can do that... if you want to register the seal of canyon as a memorabilia) and then started to the Bright Angel's Lodge. By then Lord Sun was feeling better and was coming up, trying to keep us a little warm and cozy in that cold weather. 

If you wanted to go for a trek on a mule you can go ahead and they will take you down there. See the picture above, in that deep ravine, if you see closely you can see a few mules walking down. Thats where you will go from where I was. Imagine!!! They also say that they train the mule in such a way that it will try to walk over the edge , to give you the feel of the canyon !!!! For me, they dont even have to try that hard!!! But it seemed like a particularly adventurous one. But I dont have time or the guts to do that this time. They have a studio which was built a very long long long time ago. 
The place was very very well maintained. And they have places for rest everywhere. You also get to go through a ropeway if you took the mule ride. 
And around 4.45 pm we started back to the bus and then started our ride back to Vegas. Even though the time spent in the Canyon was less than 3 hrs or so, it was worth it. It is little far away from Vegas and that is the reason that most people skip it. But please do not, if you plan to visit it. This is "The Canyon". West Rim is just the tip of the iceberg. If you were in September, when the temperature is a little humid (and when the rattle snakes roam around the deserts) you can even see the North Rim. 


I was really very happy that I did this trip even though most of the time went in the bus journey. Time is no measure of how good a thing is. Its your happiness with it. And I was oh so happy to have done that and given a chance I dont mind coming back here :D
I dont have a clue about the geological significance of this place except that if there was no Colorado River, the Canyon wouldn't have been there. But sadly the river is diminishing (is that the term ?)


On the way back, they put a movie called "The Bucket List" starring two of very fav artists, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. It was a great movie. I loved it. Perfect one on the journey of life. 


I reached hotel by 10.30 pm and went to bed with so much of satisfaction on achieving something in life. Canyon was one of the places I ever wanted to visit. I did on my own. I know I am saying this again and again, but its not because of ego, its just that I never thought I had it in me to do such a thing. My confidence levels are always low. I wasn't afraid but was hesitant. Why? - long story. But I am really glad about this trip overall. Like a quote : “Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.”


If you had any doubts of going to this place, like how it would be , will you like it etc.. dont think twice. This is a place, you have to see atleast once in your life time, given a chance. 

The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The resources of the graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to portray its features. Language and illustration combined must fail. 
John Wesley Powell 

"In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I want to ask you to keep this great wonder of nature as it now is. I hope you will not have a building of any kind, not a summer cottage, a hotel or anything else, to mar the wonderful grandeur, the sublimity, the great loneliness and beauty of the canyon. Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it." Theodore Roosevelt

They have listened to Roosevelt I guess :)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Back to the Wizarding World

Oh!! I much I miss'd the Wizarding world. It felt really good to be back there, seeing them. Let me tell you upfront that this post might contain some spoiler alerts. So watch out :)

In spite of my severe sinus problems, less than required sleep hours, tight work schedule and travelling weekends (I know I haven't updated it yet in the blog, but trust me, I didn't stop travelling :) ) I managed to go to this movie with some of  my other team mates (I should rather call them kids..they are recent pass outs). It was heavily raining but did that deter us.. oh boy, No.. It added more effect to the grey shade.. It was as if the Dementors were trying their part hard on us, in the Muggle world.. But it doesn't affect the witches and wizards like us ..do they ;) We know our spells well enough to protect ourselves.

So eventually we made it to the theater to see the Huge queue out there for the 7.25 pm show. I didnt go there with much expectations. I always didnt appreciate the movies (except the first three) as they somehow didnt capture the essence of the book..But this movie was good..better than the fourth and even fifth one, I would say. There were places where the screenplay was a little draggy. But you have your moments of laughter and humor and screaming too..

All kids have grown so much !!! Some how Luna Lovegood seems to be the same.. Hermione and Ron were awesome I would say. The scenes in the Godric's Hollow were too good... One girl near to us screamed so loud that we were more shocked by her than the Snake :) To watch Dear Dobby die was very sad...Harry was good as usual. But I missed Malfoy.... I always felt he was one actor who had enough potential. Because to play a person with a grey shade and more confused intentions at his age was more tougher and Malfoy did an amazing job.... He has good future in movies...

Visually also, the movie is good...and much better than its predecessor. The story of Deathly Hallows were done very neatly... through Animation rather than wasting more screen time with Actors. I am not sure how much the non-Harry Potter readers will understand what is happening. But they have managed to capture all the details and you have to be very attentive to understand it.

All said and done, Go Watch it... worth the watch.. You wouldn't even need this statement from me if you are a Harry Potter fan...

Happy Deepavali

இனிய தீபாவளி நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள் 

By the time I am posting this, Deepavali day would have been done in India..but its ok :)

Visiting Uncle Sam - 10 - "The Canyon - Grand Canyon" - West Rim

I had already told you that Vegas was just a stopover for me to visit "The Grand Canyon". Why ,  when or how I became fascinated by the Grand Canyon and what made me want to visit this place, I dont have any information to it. When I knew that this was near by than the Niagara falls, I decided to go. I dont know the history of this place except for reading about it somewhere sometime and it stuck with me that I should visit this place atleast once in my life time (just like I feel about Angkor Wat). So naturally I was very excited to get on to the trip. Since I was alone on this trip, I cannot risk going there alone by car because they said that the phone signals wont be available and also not to rely on GPS too much. So I didnt want to have any more adventures in my lone trip atleast and hence booked the West rim and South rim tours through Grand Canyon Tour Company. I had opted for the Helicopter+skywalk+River ride for the West rim and the bus tour for the South rim. So you would know that my excitement would be on a high when I was about to start my West rim tour on Saturday 23 Oct 2010. 

The pickup was on dot 6.20 am from my hotel and they had a few more pickups and then we reached the Planet Hollywood Miles hotel where the company operates from at around 6.50 am. They verified the tickets, gave us snacks (complimentary , just a cake and a water bottle) and assigned us to buses based on where we were headed. Mine was bus #3 which was heading to the West Rim. We started @ around 7.25 am or so. There were around 30 of us and 4 ladies (including me) had opted for the Helicopter+skywalk+River ride. There was no separate tour guide as such and the driver was the guide. Generally people would feel that this is a disadvantage, but I guess that depends on the guide. I dont remember this fellow's name now, but he was very good. He kept us entertained with so much information and jokes :). The bus was equally comfortable with small TVs placed in regular intervals (they put informational DVDs on the way at times) and it has a wash room @ the rear end !!! And thankfully, I didnt have anyone near me so I had both the seats available for myself :)

On the way to the West Rim, the guide was informing us of the history of Las Vegas and its popularity as a Casino city and how its just like any other place and there are still the same kind of museums, zoos etc available there too and how they have good schools and Universities out there. When we reached Boulder city, he told us about how and why Boulder city was built (It was built for the construction workers of Hoover Dam) and how drinking and gambling is still a big no-no there etc... and then about the Grand Canyon itself.

It was almost a 2 hr drive to the West Rim and only on Tuesday or Wednesday they had opened the new bridge over Hoover Dam. Earlier the entry to the Canyon was only via the Hoover Dam and there is a security point for all vehicles there after the 9/11. So it was a huge blockade and people had to spend hours to get clearance as there were too many vehicles lined up. So they decided to build a bridge for the traffic to pass

The new Hoover Dam Bridge for traffic

and it was opened much before time it seems. I got to go in this bridge too :) Then we hit the Black Canyon and the Lake Mead which is the source of water for the Vegas people. The source of water has reduced to a level of almost 150-200 feet. You can see the white patches on these small mounds in this picture The water level used to be till the white patch on the mound. See how much it has reduced ? And guess what, it seems like three states (California, Nevada and Mexico) fight for this water and they, Nevada, blame that California is taking a major share!! eppadi.. namma oorla Cauverynaa inga Colorado.. avlodhaan..And the Grand Canyon was formed due to the shifting of the earth plates and also the flow of the Colorado river in between. I guess I am getting into more history and geography here. Ok.. you can look up on the net on why Hoover Dam was built and the Sharing of water between these state etc.. Lake Mead offers you more water activities and fishing activities. We crossed it on the way and went ahead to the West Rim. On the way we have the Black Canyon (why Black, because that is the color of the mountains). If I remember correctly, the reason for it to be black is due to the excessive Magnesium in it. This gives you a real feel of driving over the arid and dry lands, in other words, Desert :) Since it had rained the previous day (I prayed to all Gods on Friday that my trip shouldnt be spoilt because of rains and Gods answered my prayers) it wasnt hot , but it wasnt raining either. It was a beautiful weather that day. Then we even spotted some wildlife out there and since the hot season is over, we were lucky to not see some rattle snakes on the way.
On entering the West Rim, they stop in a pickup point where all the tour buses stop and after that the Grand Canyon National Park shuttles will take you to the view points you want to go. According to our itinerary we were scheduled to have the helicopter ride but since Mr Obama was in Las Vegas on friday and since he was flying back on Saturday they said that it might be delayed or cancelled (All the other girls , 2 from Australia and 1 from England cursed him :). I didnt curse him though I felt bad about missing the helicopter ride, if it gets cancelled. But I knew that it will work out well , after giving a beautiful day, God wont let me down due to Obama!! will He :) I had faith..) They asked us to check back @ 11.30 am so we had enough time , almost an hour and half to see the 2 view points) So four of us went to Eagle point.
See the pic below. Do you see why its called so ? This is the place where we have the skywalk too.

On the left of the this picture above is the sky walk. Why is it called a Sky walk, because it extends from the end of the mountain and lets you see the deep gorge or ravine, whatever you call it (as its made of glass floors) and gives you the impression that you are walking on the sky. The Hualapai (Wall-a-pai) tribe here believe that the eagle symbol is very sacred. I just saw a few tribal people there. They are supposed to be tall like pine trees. But people I saw were shorter :). Out of the four one girl dropped out from walking the sky walk, because she didnt want to risk it. The other three (adhula naanum dhaan) were dead scared but since we had the tickets we decided to go ahead. They give you a tag (just like the ones in Tirupathi) and then ask you to place all of your belonging in a locker (which has a key to it and you can lock it and take the key with you, nothing is allowed there except you, they have their own photographers there - business tactics and a photo is 30$s) and you have to cover your shoes/slippers with a cover they give you and then you can go ahead on the sky walk. Till the time I was brave.. I was comforting the other girl. But as soon as we entered, I panicked.
If you have acrophobia, you are dead there..My heart beat started increasing a lot and the other girl from Australia, she went ahead holding the railing slowly and half way ...she was scared that she will puke.. I was going very slowly, trying to take in everything, the deep ravine below, the beautiful mountains standing equal to you, it was a beautiful view, as long as you are not scared.. I couldnt enjoy it well because my legs were shaking all the time. idhula one fellow was running on it. He was a photographer, I got so tensed, that I asked him to slow down and not run. There was a big roar of laughter.. but did I care? I value my life more than their laughter.. siripavargal sirikattum adhu aanava siripu.. then the photographers came around. One girl asked me if I wanted a photo..I thought, since I have come this far, let me get a photo. I said yes and she wanted me to sit on the glass floor .. Boy, was I scared.. You should see the photo. I didnt even give her a good shot.. I was like "ok girl, just take it.. lets get it over with fast!!!" There was an Indian couple there who were giving all kinds of poses.. as if falling off the cliff, lying down on the glass floor.... hmmm.. rombha thevaiyaa idhellam.. I was glad to take one picture and slowly catching hold of the rail literally did adi pradakshinam there till I came to the other end. And then I was again very very brave (enna prayojanam!!)

Once we were done, we got our complimentary meal and had it too and the since it was 10.50 or so decided to go back to check on the helicopter ride. When we asked for the shuttle they said yes yes and they went the other way round to Guano point. This is again a very very beautiful view point where you can see the River winding through the canyon. Since we had enough time back, we spent around 10mins there
and then headed back to the starting point.

When we reached there, they said that we have to wait for another 15 mins or so coz the Sundance Helicopter staff hasnt arrived yet and that we can have the rides as Obama had left. (Thanks Obama & Thank you God.. you never let me down !) There were three-four companies operating the helicopter from there. Papillion, Sundance and two more ( I didnt register their names) There were almost 14 people from different tour companies for Sundance Helicopter ride.Finally they arrived. There will be 4-5 people per helicopter and since we were already 4 of us, we were together in the drive. Before issuing the tickets, they take your weight to see where you will be seated (front row or the back one). One of the Australian girl who was of the least weight was assigned the front seat (she was tagged with red ink in the palm :) ) We were all excited about the helicopter ride :) and ours was the third group. What they do is , they pick u up , drop you in their own assigned place for the colorado river ride and then come back for more people and once you are done on their way back, pick u up again. So we had to wait again for a few more mins and then our turn came through. Watching helicopter is one thing, being near to it is another :) its not like the planes. Its small and the noise of the blades rotating actually deafens your ear and the wind it generates literally lifts you off.We three of us seated in the back seat and fastened our seat belts and once the girl was seated in the front row, the copter took off.. This is much much scarier than the sky walk.. It flew directly into the ravine and the Canyon, even though it was scarier, it makes you wonder the natural beauty with AWE.

In this picture you would see the Sky walk from the helicopter. See how small it looks.. So imagine the magnanimity of the canyon. To add more effect to the journey, the pilot dropped the copter a little low and then pulled it up.. God.. already I was having a slight headache with all the tensions , and this guy is playing his stunts..Whatever it  might be , you should look around you then and there. It was so so MIGHTY. That is the appropriate word. It looks barren but beautiful. Nature is really a very mystical thing. It keeps you amazed always as long as you keep your intrusions in control. And I guess these people know it better than any of us.

This is how the place looks where you will be landed in a few minutes. And once you land you feel the quietness in the surroundings , just like the parasailing event. Its just nature and you. All is calm and all is quiet.You, the river and the moutains.. What a wonderful combination. Trust me you have to try it once. Its just amazing. There they have a small , very small camp, just for people to come and then take the boat ride and then get back.

We have to go down the trail a little that is all. The boat had already gone for a ride so we waited for it to return. By then another group of 3 also joined us. This place was specific to this helicopter company. I guess each one has its own place near by. Then after 10 mins we started on our boat ride on the Colorado river.

This is how the river looks from the boat. You tread in that path for half an hour (almost) and then come back to the same place. In between they stop the boat and allow you to enjoy the peaceful and serene nature for a while. Its just amazing man!! Gushing water, mighty mountains, clear sky, cool and refreshing air.. what do you want!! There was a small bird that was there , I dont know from where it came, but it was there through our journey. I considered it our guardian angel, because once we were almost done with the ride, it left us and flew away. But it was there from the time we landed on that place and went back :).

And after almost after 45 mins or so, we left back in the copter to the starting point :) It was almost 3 pm by that time. We were leaving the place from Hualapai reservation back to Vegas by 4 pm as per the schedule.
Once we were through with the ride, we started off to the Hualapai Camp through the shuttle and reached that place in exactly 10 mins or so. We saw the tour bus and all other having a walk around there. This place is modeled on a old cowboy town way to bring back the Wild Wild West effect :)

You can try to do the axe throwing and other old wild ways out here. We roamed around a little and then started back to Vegas at around 4 pm . 

On the way back the guide put on some DVDs depicting the history of Hoover Dam and then about Vegas and its Casinos. It was nice and informational. And since we had time, he made a stop over in Hoover Dam first, not exactly near to the Dam , but a little further and gave us a few minutes for our photos.

If I have to start my history on Hoover dam, its going to take time, so I am skipping that part..But just one info, when we were fighting the English, Americans were building this dam to save water from the river for Vegas, Boulder City etc. and to avoid flooding in this area whenever Colorado overflowed. And this dam stands tall even after 75 years and it was built with the highly sophisticated techniques when Computers werent known and the architecture was drawn using pen, pencil, paper and eraser and yet its one of the biggest dams. They even have spillways in case of of overflows and how to handle them. They have mechanisms to generate electricity from it too. hmm..

After this the guide took us on a route (actually buses arent allowed here it seems, it was a small road and luckily we didnt have any vehicle coming from the other end, otherwise we would have to go way back and then come again) to see the Lake Mead
The areas on the left are supposed to be full of water earlier. Now they are dry lands. Water level is receding everywhere. We spent 15 mins here and then around 5.30 or so started back to Vegas. They dropped me in my hotel exactly @ around 7.15 or so and I had energy only for calling up home and letting them know that I had a good day and drop off  to sleep so that I can wake up fresh for my South Rim tour the next day (Sunday)

After thanking God for having me see Grand Canyon (one part of it) , that too on a beautiful weather day and fulfilling one of my life wishes, I went off to early and relaxed sleep.

Visiting Uncle Sam - 9 - Viva Vegas

After coming so far it isnt fair to miss out on one of the places that I ever wanted to visit in my whole life time, "The Grand Canyon". So I decided a month ahead that I would go there all alone even if I want to spend my money for flying out there. I would need a place to stay and then go via the bus tours to Grand Canyon, because it always helps to go to these places with good tour company who can give more insights on the historical backgrounds. And what other place can it be other than Vegas ;)

That is how Vegas came to my to-visit list. I booked my tickets via American Express vacations for the United Airlines and Circus Circus hotel (a budget family hotel) for 403$ (not a bad deal at all...) On Friday 22nd October, early morning I went to the SFO Airport to get my UA airlines to Las Vegas. First shock, the SFO airport is so HUGE. When I landed, if you had read my blog you would know that I mentioned that it looked so kutty. But guess what, its just the International area and immigrations and hence they dont feel it necessary to expose people to any other area at all. But the real airport is really very Big..2nd shock, they dont have people to do the check in for you. You have to check in (i.e. get the boarding pass, mention the checkin baggage etc, pay for the checkin baggage if any etc) all by yourself. I was confused for a second and then got into the swing. Then you go in the queue for security check and just like what we have, remove the shoes, the belt, remove the phone, etc etc etc.. They take the security so seriously !!! (or, are they so scared ??? ..what ever) After that it was just roaming around in that huge airport and then going through those gates and finding out your particular gate. Well this is my first inter state travel within US in an airline. Another experience :)

It was almost an hour and a half journey to Las Vegas, Nevada. I landed @ around 8 am in McCarran International Airport. This is another huge and funky airport. They have slot machines near the gates !!! Whew!! It was like telling everyone "Welcome to the gambler's paradise !!! " What a statement to make with those machines... But it was cool. Got into the Belltrans Airport Shuttle , waited for the other passengers (its a group ride like the Easycab in Bangalore) and then got into Vegas !!! The first thing that I noticed was the Las Vegas University which is right outside the Airport. Such a big one!! Why doesnt anyone speak of this University, why doesnt this get recognised ??? The airport is much near to "The Strip" and Circus Circus hotel was on the North end of the Strip. The shuttle went to the main hotels to drop off people (MGM Grand, Hyatt, etc) and then went to my hotel by around 9.30 am. The check in time was 2 pm but since it was already paid for the early checkin, I got the checkin done and they handed me a map of the hotel and told me a way to follow and continued with the next person in the queue.

I was so dumbstuck with the magnanimity of the hotel and the various levels and sides of it, they had casino tower, West side towers, sky rise manor towers, etc etc.. I went to the wrong side and in the 9th floor didnt find my room so had to walk all the way back and with the help of someone got into the right wing and then found my room at last. But guess what, by that time I have crossed the Casino, the circus floor, the various gift shops, a couple of restaurants all inside the hotel!!! Oh my god, moochu vaanghudu solradhuku.. imagine my condition. I got into my room only @ 11 am. Can you imagine that. Freshened up a little and first came down to have my brunch. After a hearty meal (salad and coffee) decided to go out on my own to explore the city. What a surprise, it was drizzling... Very good!!! and it was awfully cold..Thank God I had my jacket. And here I come , Vegas :)

I had the map of the Deuce transport which takes you up and down the Strip and stops @ all of the hotels. Before leaving the hotel , I played the slot machines for 2 $ and gained around 9 $ and then I decided I didnt want the money ;) and played it all in a single slot machine and lost them too :) And I booked the ticket to "The Phantom of the Opera" musical show which is held in "The Venetian" hotel @ 7 pm. This was the only day where I can really see the night life of Vegas till 10 pm coz the next two days I will be busy with the Grand Canyon trips that I might come in late and would want to rest. I had a tie between the "Blue man show" and "The Phantom". But phantom looked more appealing because I always wanted to see a opera :) and what other better place other than "The Venetian" and in Vegas too...

I got the Deuce day pass and then started my journey in the strip. I decided to get down at the farthest end and then walk back ;)


I got down near the Harley Davidson's cafe and went to Aria, saw the small musical fountain there, then started walking back enjoying each and every hotel, their magnanimity, the unique features that each of them have got (like Caesar's palace is really like a palace, Harley Davidson's cafe has a real motorbike in the front for people to sit and take pictures, Serendipity 3 has this romantic environment with pink all over, Casino Royale has slot machines even in the road side of their hotel, The Venetian has a environment inside where it resembles Venice , you can even take a boat ride inside the hotel, etc etc etc.) I would have to list each hotel and their specialty now. When I came to The Venetian, I went down and got my tickets and chose my seat in the Front Mezzanine 2nd row, which is exactly the center of the stage and at the balcony seat. It would give a good view of the opera (I hoped) and then went around and almost at around 4 pm I came back to my hotel to give my feet some rest (Imagine walking since 12 to 4 continuously except for stopping @ places to take pictures) I rested for a while and then started by 5.30 pm again to be a little ahead for "The Phantom" show. Went to "The Venetian" played for a dollar and got 50cents :( and then went and had a coffee and watched the Venice style boating in the entrance. It was so peaceful just to sit there and enjoy the view. If you like observing people and places, this is a wonderful place to be. I was there till 6.30 pm and then went in again to the theater. They opened the gates @ 6.30 pm and I was getting little excited  I was happy with the seating. It was perfect. I can see the whole stage and the orchestra vividly. Wow....it was an amazing stage. The chandelier was already broken (it gave that effect) and was hanging (for the perfect intro to the story) and the seats started filling up slowly.




When the lights went out @ 7.10 pm and the stage opened along with the Orchestra.. I knew I would like it :) I knew the story, I know the songs a little so I have no issues following it. I wanted to try out if I would like a musical stuff on stage (I have never seen an onstage performance live) and when they started it , I loved it. I would like to see it again if possible. It was AMAZING. It was even better than the movie. God!! The kind of effects they made on stage (real fire, real crackers, real water!!!) You have to see it once if you like music. Toooo Good... I was so glad I chose this over Blue man show. The Blue man show is also equally good, but again that depends on your mood and tastes. I would like that too, but this I loved.. I didnt miss any of the phantom's locations, be it in the Chandelier, entrance / exit of Raoul from the stage etc etc.. As they say, "You have to see it to believe it". I was so so so happy and content after that show. It was around 8.30 pm. Next should be the Bellagio fountains. I can see it only today. So I started to rush out. Opposite to The Venetian is The Mirage. I wondered why people gathered there in huge numbers.. and after I started crossing the road I heard the music and then I realized it was the Volcano show in Mirage. So stood for it to complete. It was ok.. not to my taste though :) and then I rushed to Bellagio. By the time I reached there, a song was half way through. It was a classical jazz number. Oh my God.. seeing it in Oceans Eleven is a thing and to see it live is just another thing.. It was like the fountains doing the salsa and what a salsa it was.. just perfect :) Since I missed the whole song, I stood for the next one which would be in another 15 mins. Got my camera ready and there it came. This time it was a soft rock. The patterns differed for each song and it still mesmerized me. So I stood for another song :) It was almost 9.50 pm by the time it got over. I have to get back to hotel and try to get a good nap because my Canyon trip starts @ 6.15 am.

At nights, the traffic is so much there that you better walk than waiting for the buses. I guess Vegas comes alive only @ nights. Jaga jyothi yaa minichu andha whole strip. It was like a whole different world. But my main attraction in Vegas was done... "The Phantom" and "The Bellagio Fountains" I remembered the Oceans Eleven scene when I was standing there and watching it :)... Idhuku mela enna venum... While I was waiting for the bus for almost 15 mins or so, I started noticing the people out there.. Boy they are crazy.. After a few pints I guess the light and music of the city gets to them and they become crazy... The old ladies near me in the bus stand were scolding a set of guys in a car who literally got down and were shouting at the top of their voices... Good Lord!! but they have cops all around to have a check on these guys. This place is an open invitation for all kind of prohibited activities :) and the invitation is so loud that I almost laughed.. But guess what, it has place for everyone. You have separate activities for kids, for bachelor parties  (I saw 2 weddings that day ) , girl gangs, old people, every one. Actually I saw equal number of older couples too. They were just there to have some fun and throw away some of their hard earned but excess money :). People from all over the world were there. In that one strip.... hmm..

The next day and the day after was the Canyon trip, which will be in another post. On Monday I got up @ around 9 am and had to check out by 11 am even though my flight was only @ 8 pm. So packed up and since I didnt buy anything there except for a handbag it was ok. Checked out and kept the bag in the bellroom and then walked off to the Strip again to see some left overs. I went straight to MGM to see the Lion Habitat. I didnt find it attractive. Rather I felt pity for those lions. In one of the interviews or movies ( I dont remember which one) Sathyaraj used to say.. "yean yaa ellathukum singam poala singam poala nu singatha poyi utharanamaa kaamiakareenga... singam sariyaana oru waste praani. thinitu thinnitu thoongaradhudhaan adhoda velaiye.. " Seriously, it seems like Lions need 18 hrs of sleep.. And mostly its the female ones that hunt for food.. They look very majestic when compared to its counterparts.. agreed..otherwise!!! ennavo.. these lions in MGM were so tired and they were playing. Its like watching them in a zoo.. no big deal there. Walked a little to see the Paris and Newyork Newyork hotel. And came to the Fashion show mall. Seems like they have live fashion shows (free) on Fridays & Saturdays. I noticed that even though this place is a tourist destination, the clothes were cheaper and you could get good souvenirs within 5$. hmm.. But what they loose out there they gain in the Slot machines :). Nice way to attract people. These hotels have slot machines everywhere and they have this clincking sound that it always attracts people.

I have seen old people sit there for so many hours ( I would have gone out, roamed around and come back to see the same people sitting there in the same slot machine for hours together) and keep pressing the button and some did earn good money. Then I saw the free Circus acts in my hotel and then by around 5 pm got ready to go to the Airport. The Belltrans pick up was scheduled for 5.20 pm. It came around 5.40pm after a few more pickups and then landed in the airport by 6.30pm. Checked in and then went to the gates and waited for the boarding back to SFO.

I could have chosen an earlier flight to SFO, but I chose this one because I wanted to see how the city looks from above @ night :). It was so so so amazing. I was waiting for the flight to fly over the bay area... God..it was so beautiful.. It was a full moon night and I could see the bay bridge and there was nothing in the bay water except for the reflection of the moon light. I missed my camera (it was in the over head cabin) You must have seen the images or pencil drawings of the moon light over the water.. I saw it live.. it will stay with me forever. It was such a beautiful sight.. I came back to the hotel @ around 10.10 pm and had a peaceful sleep after a peaceful and fulfilling journey.


Notes:
Viva Vegas means "Long Live Las Vegas". Las Vegas is a Spanish word for "The Meadows". Because it a huge  valley surrounded on all side by huge Canyons and Mountains and when Spanish explorers visited this place they found enough water to quench their thirst that they named it Vegas. Ironically, this place was chosen for quenching all kinds of thirst now other than the thirst for water (which is fast reducing here due to the reduction or depreciation in its sources)

Some of the hotels have more than 3000 rooms available and they make use of well known singers and stars to perform to attract more people. Each hotel has its own attraction. If you want to see all of those you would need more than 2 weeks. I missed on the downtown area, because I wasnt really excited about it. But would have loved to see the historical places of Las Vegas as such. Its just another city just like any other places in the world, but due to this single 3-4 mile strip, its very famous and its worth that attention too. They maintain it so well. Each one has its own identity, its own attraction etc.

People come here to get married. I saw almost 2 weddings each day. Seems like getting married and getting divorced is very easy in Vegas.

There is a city next to Vegas on the way to the Canyons, Boulder city, where even today gambling is prohibited and you dont see a casino as soon as you enter the city. Even drinking was prohibited there until recently it seems. They dont have any high rise buildings, the max limit is almost 2-3 floors only. Even the MacDonald's logo sign was small here :) Its a very calm and peaceful neighborhood.

The money you spend on the casinos, a part of it goes to the city's development and its schools. Poker is supposed to be "The Game" for people here. Marketing strategies are very good. They lure people easily to spend money out here and they make them spend in such a way that they dont feel bad about it....thats something :)

Next time you get an opportunity to visit Vegas, make sure to keep your wallets in a safe place so as to not use it in the machines, but rather enjoy the city, trust me , it has lot of other stuff other than the nightclubs and casinos and dont forget to get your discount coupons and use them too. I couldnt use them coz most of them are for nonveg food and for drinks.