Las Vegas is a city on the go. The best part of Las Vegas are its row after row of spectacular buildings, with the majority on Las Vegas Blvd or The Strip. The especially striking ones were the Luxor with the Spinx, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty in front of New York New York and the Stratosphere. At night, the casinos dazzle the eye with brilliant neon lights. Satellite images show Las Vegas to be one of the brightest places on the US map by night.
But the downside is that all the lights were really an assault on the sensory system and quite hard to handle. One wonders if it is worth wasting so much electricity and resources especially since there is 50% unemployment in Las Vegas. The Colorado River is showing the effects of the explosive expansion and resource usage by the Las Vegas and surrounding suburbs - the water levels are down as are the number of fish species. And really, the main casino area of Las Vegas, was a little too risque and adult-themed for my liking.
The road led us over the Hoover Dam, on the Nevada-Arizona border. It was an engineering marvel when built in 1936, and the largest power generator of its time (currently the 35th). The water from the Hoover Dam forms the lovely Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US. Nonwithstanding the dam's use in much needed power generation, massive constructions such as these, severely impact the environment. Hoover Dam's construction has played havoc with the estuarine ecosytem of the Colorado River Delta. This has resulted in the decline of many native fish species.
The bus ride to the Grand Canyon through Arizona was a sea of the anhydrous landspace of the Mojave Desert. Soon the inimitable Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) started to dominate the landscape. The Joshua Tree grows only at elevations of 2000-6000ft and endemic to the southwestern United States.
The Joshua Tree
Amidst the arid landscape
the Joshua tree grows
In the Mohave Desert,
Roots spread deep and wide
Arms spread wide
The Yucca brevifolia grows
Jubilent Prophet Joshua
Pointing to the City of Ai
The Grand Canyon towers in its sheer magnificence. The gorge seems to extend to the very edge of the horizon. The colors on the walls of the canyon change and glow as the light changes and reflects upon them. The Colorado river is but a narrow brown ribbon way down below.
The ride on the helicopter down to the Colorado River provided some truly spectacular views of this regal royalty. A leisurely boat ride on the Colorado River followed. It was however dispriting to see and hear that the river levels have dropped. The local Hualapai Native Indians have now restricted fishing as there has been a such a drastic decline in the fish species, some of which are on the endangered list.
The Grand Canyon
Limestone walls glint
A sun ray lights the sheen
Layers of colors line the walls
Grand Canyon, a Regal Royalty
Shadows dance
Brown, Red and green
Lone eagle soars above
Chikadees perch on the trees
Forces of nature
Water, ice and wind
Erosion and flash flood
Sheer limestone walls form
Rush of a concrete water wall
Continental drifts
Tectonic plates slide
Sandstone and shale in the mix
Colorado River, a curving ribbon
Serpentine, a mile below
Canyon, a tantalizing backdrop
Grand Canyon, a moving majesty
It is easy to understand why the Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.