11 March

Well, today started out brisk and early, as I turned up at the correct time (6:30) for breakfast. Then it was a quick pack and check, check out and leave before 7:20. Then on the road I went, headed to Grand Canyon West.
Normally the SatNav tells me if the road is unpaved, but this time, for some reason, it didn’t. I arrived at the parking area within four hours of leaving (it had estimated the travel time as nearly six hours) and parked. Now the cost is something I baulked at, but knowing that the local people were running and making the profits from the enterprise made me less inclined to be upset.
To itemise the prices: $20 for parking; $29.95 for an entry permit and shuttle bus ticket; $29.95 for the SkyWalk; $49.95 for two pictures of myself on the SkyWalk. However, the shuttle bus takes you around to the two different spots and the view and sensation on the SkyWalk are unique and the view from Guano Point is really breathtaking.
After arriving I got my tickets and boarded the bus. At first, the views looked disappointing and the driver pointed out one place. Once out of the bus, with an Indian display, it looked more promising. No cameras of any sort allowed on the SkyWalk, but there were three set up to take photos (as noted above). I elected only for the one with the river in the background, but will have to wait until after I get home to scan them and put them in the collection. After putting my stuff into a locker, I put on my protective booties (like surgeons’ booties) to protect the glass from getting scratched. There were five separate layers, sandwiched to make a very strong laminate. The view through to the floor below (over three hundred metres) was exhilarating but not scary. Some stuck to the oblique edge as they walked around.
One of the locals, there in headdress, had been a criminal prosecutor and chucked it in to return home and perform. He was chatting with a girl about to become a nurse (she said about eight years training!) and then me. I got my photo and then went on the next ride to Guano Point. Someone with less knowledge than a sense of humour called the café there Guano Café, which makes one wonder at the quality of the food (no, I didn’t have any). The view of the river from spots around Guano Point was fantastic – far clearer than at the National Park, but also closer.
I had a chat with Oscar and Friole. Oscar may be out in Australia working on a plant to make gas from brown coal to burn in the generators in the LaTrobe Valley.
Then it was back into the car (after the shuttle ride back) and down to Meadview. This recreational resort is part of the area of Lake Mead, formed by Hoover Dam. When I filled up with petrol, the attendant knew of Holdens (I use a Holden MasterCard) and the Monaro and the Corvette. A group of Japanese had followed me in to get petrol and asked whether the SkyWalk was worth it – my answer: “It’s expensive, but you can’t do anything else like it.”
Then I drove over towards Hoover Dam. We were stopped at a roadblock, but I have no idea of why. Then I decided to call it an early night and booked into a casino just past there. It was a little more than advertised, but convenient as I want to go back and see over Hoover Dam tomorrow morning.
After lugging my stuff up to the Tower (Room 753), I tried to get a phot from the window, but it wouldn’t open (perhaps a good thing in a casino) and was too dirty to focus through. I did my computer work, now waiting for the photos to upload and will go down to see around before I go to bed and to sleep.