Escape from Nevada
I know now what to answer that guy who yesterday asked where to propose to a girlfriend. Over the communication system of a helicopter descending into the Grand Canyon would be a highly adequate option. The vehicle takes off from Vegas airport and flies towards Arizona at 210 km/h (110 knots). On the way, the six passengers see the majestic casinos from the sky, the packed highways, the expansive desert and its communities, the phenomenal man-made Lake Mead and its Hoover Dam (or the other way around) and the suspense as the helicopter flies over a mountain-top to find a gaping canyon before it. Some bison and buffalo too. The flight from Vegas to a picnic spot at the canyon took around 35 minutes, and upon landing we were served with a late lunch (which I didn’t eat) and champagne. I think if we hadn’t been so stomach-focused, we could have spent more of the tiny 20 minutes on the ground enjoying the canyon. The pilots, of course, had to get back for the next tour.
I wish I could say I took enough photos. But I discovered that the camera doesn’t take photos without its battery, which—it turns out—I had left in the charger. A mistake not to be repeated. So I gave my email address to a couple of people on another chopper who had digital cameras, and hopefully when they get back to Ireland and Sydney I’ll be able to show you pics of my experience there.
Anyway, it is a phenomenal thing to do, going up and seeing the world from above, before landing in one of the world’s greatest (or grandest) natural wonders.
I didn’t end up going clubbing. In fact, I spent most of the night trying to book today’s ticket to San Francisco (which I decided would be better than bussing there over 14 hours). I tried one of the web sites that collects together cheap flights (Orbitz), but it would only accept a US credit card billing address. So I tried the United site directly (which also turned out to be US$6 cheaper), but it did the same. So maybe United would let me do it by phone, so I spoke to a computer, which got all my details figured out over many minutes (much slower than typing) and then got to billing, at which point I encountered the same problem, and ended up having to speak to someone who suggested I just have to look for booking international on the web site (although it is a domestic flight). Now, it turns out, no such thing exists. So I landed back on the phone, and despite calling the international number, landed up speaking with someone from domestic (after again speaking to a computer), who promised to transfer me to international, but the phone said “this service could not be connected”. I tried again, in enormous frustration, and same ordeal, but this time the connection to international worked. At internation I got to speak to an American rather than an Indian, and was told that bookings with a non-US card could only be paid in person—so she would hold me a ticket, meaning I have to arrive at the airport earlier, and pay $15 for phone service, and $5 for desk service! So 1.5 hours later, with my UA ticket held, I booked a ticket with another online provider, that gets me to an airport not as central, but the bus-ride is at least only $2!
Downstairs where I am staying there was a dinner party, so I came down and cooled my nerves with some good West-Australian kosher wine, while talking to my host’s nephew, Matt, as he and his father smoked as cigar. I also experienced a heated political debate on election for Democratic primaries for Governor of Nevada. And in Australia, with compulsory voting, no one discusses politics…
So I leave soon for SF and should probably pack my bags…