Day 83 (Sat) *LV Day 4*

Hoover Dam! Grand Canyon!! Woke up as early as the sun rises...feeling all excited about the day ahead...we really can't wait to take in the all the beauty that the Grand Canyon - dubbed one of the world's seven natural wonder has to offer...and of course the historic Hoover Dam...all the more symbolic visit as a civil engineering student...it's as though paying pilgrimage to this modern civil engineering of the world...2 wonders in day...how wondeeeeerful...haha

with our adrenaline all pumped up...we booked a cab that will fetch us to Treasure Island the Dollar Branch where we will pick up our car...this time we are all well prepared to make our way to the Canyon as Naf had ordered a GPS system along...but juz in case the GPS fail us or as the army always teaches us to be prepared for worst case scenarios...we brought along our laptops with the mapquest maps downloaded last nite...the route to Grand Canyon from LV seems so much straightforward den the route from wildwood to washington...though the former is comparatively longer...there are only 2 main freeways to get to Grand Canyon...and all the more shudden be much of a trouble to get there with a GPS system...

the cab arrived 15 minutes late and it really got us all agitated ...waste of time seriously...finally at 8.30am...gotto Dollar and asked for the Dodge magnum we had booked online...but apparently they do not have that model...and the lady suggested we take a Jeep Liberty since we gotta tackle those rocky roads on our way to the Canyon...and betta we will thank her for suggesting the car when we come back...first time sit car since the accident...i gotta be honest...of coz i still feel the jitters as it was barely 3 weeks ago when i was still on a helicopter to a hospital with stick pads all ard my body...requested not to sit at the front passenger seat and the lads sure understand...though i did volunteer to be the treasurer for this trip...haha...i am juz crossing my fingers that the trip will be smooth to the Canyon and back...and of coz didn't tell Pa that i will be driving there of coz lah

one small prob though...we could not pick up the GPS system from her and gotta go to the main Dollar branch near the airport to pick it up...no choice we sure need the GPS man...the time saved would be unimaginable compared to the time getting to the airport to pick it up...and man the GPS is insane man!! i really can't imagine who da hell invented this piece of s***...you have this you seriously have zero chance of holland and will defitnitely ensure u reach ur destination without fail...the voice prompt, the touch screen, the clear directions on the map, the time estimated to reach ur destination...wah lau even an idoit can reach miami from hawaii lah with GPS...wah lau this technological junk really got us all hooked up...it even has a menu to suggest where to pump petrol...what sort of food be it chinese, italian or mexican food u like...where is the nearest pubs or bars...wah lau we r totally amazed by it...every car needs a GPS man!!!

and after fiddling ard with Tommy (we decided to give it a name)...and settling our finances from BOA and stocking up our journey supplies of mineral water and chips...we r finally on our way to Hoover Dam enroute to Grand Canyon...abt one-and-half hour drive according to dear Tommy...

with laptop in arm while waiting for the cab...still looking somewhat listless due to the lack of sleep...

Dollar rent a car -where we got our Jeep Liberty...the price still quite reasonable...quite recommended if u coming to US to rent car...but remem ur GPS!!

ahhh our dear Alan (lan = blue in chinese) sitting pretty waiting for us at the multi-storey carpark

fiddling with the steering wheel juz before set-off

not forgetting a self-timed group shot before the big set-off

enroute to picking up Tommy...snapped some of the hotels down the Strip we didn't visit and prob not will considering we r leaving for LA tml morning - Mandalay Bay

the Luxor - the pyramid-shaped structure is another significant landmark of the LV skyline

the excalibur...kids will love its castle-themed architecture...parents' trap indeed...haha

MGM Grand - the higher class version of MGM Mirage

and of coz New York New York

Introducing...*drum rolls*...the one and only Tommy...with him ard driving is never a chore...the Tommy man can!! to the tune of "carrier man can"

snack parade in the car boot...gums, pepsi, mineral water, bananas and chips

with Tommy...reached Hoover Dam at quarter past 1...exactly a one-half hour drive from LV...Hoover Dam is like some sort of dress rehearsal for Grand Canyon...and most bus tour packages to Grand Canyon from Las Vegas will provide a pit stop to Hoover Dam...the size of the Dam is really so much bigger than the one i have seen on pictures...and it is located along the famous Colorado River right smack between the states of Nevada and Arizona...the whole dam is built with concrete and it is the second highest dam in US standing at over 220m...and i am really surprised they actually have such a level of technology to carry out such deep drilling in the 1930s and it only took them 5 years to build this structure of such a magnitude!! truly amazing...an engineering marvel indeed!

the view from the top of the dam is really a sight to behold...with the steepness and height of the dam walls spectacular yet a bit scary at times...and the bluish-clear waters of Colorado River...with ripples that reflect like crystals in the aftnoon sun...and Lake Mead, a by-product during the construction of the dam...with people sailing and fishing in this seemingly vast lake...we stopped by Hoover for total abt an hour before we carried on to Grand Canyon...on the way we drove up further uphill to stop at a scenic viewpoint of Colorado River and the famous rocks of Arizona...aftwhich grabbed some cheeseburgers at a Macs nearby which Tommy effortlessly directed us and finally we set off for Grand Canyon National Park South Rim at 3plus...with Tommy estimating we will reach at ard 6plus...hopefully we juz made it in time for sunset at Grand Canyon...with our cheeseburgers and bananas...

sneek peek of Colorado River...a few more miles to reach Hoover Dam

On the road up to Hoover Dam

announcing our arrival at the Hoover Dam entrance

the towers were the first sight to greet us as we parked Alan and got out to explore

the gigantic conduits of the Hoover Dam

posing by Lake Mead...the by-product created during the construction of the Hoover Dam

the quartet at the Hoover Dam...mugant decided to opt out of this trip due to financial constraints =p and he gotta go airport to look for his lost luggage

the recreational activities at Lake Mead seem to be at full swing on this humid Sat aftnoon

this boh kia si bugger ignore the no sitting sign and keh seh to pose for this shot

this is how steep the dam walls actually are...the walls are converged to handle the pressure from Lake Mead and Colorado River below

playing by the regulations this time...it's actually quite scary when looking downwards

the hydroelectric power stations

the Colorado River that runs thru the Hoover Dam towards the Gulf of California

scaling the rocks at Hoover Dam

the winged statues that guard the American flag at Hoover Dam...locals believe that rubbing their toes will bring good luck...upon hearing that i made a mad rush for the toes...aiyah singKaPorelang...tsk tsk

calling a day at Hoover Dam...moving off to Grand Canyon next

stopping briefly at a scenic viewpoint for some photoshots before we r on our way again

catching some 40 winks on our way to the Canyon

hey hey...we are awake!! the back seat khakis - JK & me

the girl gave me a weird stare after i ordered 12 double cheeseburgers and 4MacChicken sandwiches

finally after a smooth 3 hour journey from Hoover Dam...we finally reached Grand Canyon National Park South Rim close to 6 in the evening...paid our 25bucks vehicle entrance fee and made our way up to the viewing point...boy oh mine...oh mine goodness...no quantity of words can described the sight i witnessed at Grand Canyon...it's as though a damn bloody huge postcard juz appeared in front of me...the whole place is juz completely silent and still within the valleys below...and the setting sun simply juz adds a mysterious purplish mist ard the place...the horizon juz seems so beyond and beyond and beyond...and boy i have never seen such a sight in my entire life i'm telling u...4 of us simply stood there totally silent when we got our 1st peeks of the Canyon...juz simply standing there speechless and captivated by what is in front of us...it is really worth every ounce of our effort to come here and we almost didn't wanna come because of the exp bus tour packages and the jittery of having to drive again...we are all glad we took that risk to drive up here...because nothing...absoulutely nothing is well worth what we see at the Canyon...majestic is the word...beautiful is another...and some may say errily beautiful because the whole scene is juz so endless and beyond...

we moved along the rim trail from point to point...hiked down to a steep cliff where only the 4 of us were...took some funky shots near the cliff...and looking down the Canyon from the edge is juz one of the scariest thing i have ever done...one slip and u know that's the end of u...and the stupidly crazy 4 of us...prob pumped up by what we saw...decided to take shots at the edge...attempting all sorts of posture u can tink of...later when we went to the cnayon visiotr center and read about the deaths over the years...we realised our names could have been in there had a loose rock juz broke away or any of us lost our balance...but it was really an experience...eating cheeseburgers with one of the world's most beautiful natural sight in front of u...watched the sunset...and what a moment to relish...juz wrong company lah with 4 guys...haha...but defitnitely one of the defining moments of my whole work & travel experience...

1st shot of the Grand Canyon upon arrival

it's as though a gigantic postcard is floating in front of u

soothe whatever pre-departure jitters i still have abt driving up here

the quartet at Grand Canyon

we followed this rim trail at Grand Canyon

on my way down to the viewing gallery

ahhhh...wish u were here

all my 5 senses satisfied...havin a little banana by the Canyon

cheers to Grand Canyon...with mineral water, cheeseburgers and pepsi!

lazing by the cliff with the Canyon behind me...one of my fav shots

wah piangz...no joke...quite scary looking down from here

venturing further up north this time

yeeyeah!! thumbs up for this picture perfect moment!

things are not looking brighter on the other side either

hand it over...i'm on top of the world!!

taking a little moment to listen to mine mp3

peering at the sunset in the far horizon...when will our paths crossed again??

the moment was juz breathtaking...we decided to hang out a little longer and let the crow slowly dissipate first before making our 4.5 hour drive back to our hostel...hanged out at the souvenir shop for a while before making our way to Alan in the dark and slowly emabarking on our journey back...wish we could have spent here a little longer...should have planned an overnight camp stay here really...but nevertheless the whole trip is simply too smooth to be true...no major hiccups...no loss of directions of coz credit muz go to Tommy for ensuring that...great piece of driving from Naf the man...we were on time for the sunset and everything...and we had great fun generally...in short it's everything i can ask for for a good road trip! i will remember this one in time to come...

Grand Canyon USA - Summer 2006