SUPER VARIO WORLD

Hello from somewhere in Nevada, near Area 51, it’s top-secret, so we can’t say!

Having left LA, we headed East, hitting bits of what’s left of Route 66, towards the Mojave Desert. We spent a couple of nights at a public-use, off-road area near Barstow, with loads of trucks, dune-buggies, quads and bikes racing around. There was a mix of people from drunk rednecks in pick-ups to professional teams practicing for the upcoming Baja 1000 race in Mexico. It was a massive area, so the noise and dust wasn’t too bad and it was quite entertaining to watch the different types of vehicles and skill levels!

From there we entered the proper desert for a few nights. There are a few sand dune areas, but mostly it’s covered with yuccas, cacti and the world’s biggest population of Joshua trees. It was deathly quiet at night, with amazing views of the night sky and some shooting stars. A very nice change from the noise and excitement of the off-road area.

We were hoping to see the desert tortoise, but no luck. Gladly, we didn’t see or hear rattlesnakes either. There were many jackrabbits with their funny, huge ears, kangaroo rats and at night came bats and huge owls. The scariest things we saw were tarantula wasps, or Pepsis wasps. Huge things a couple of inches long, with apparently one of the most painful stings of all insects. We didn’t get close enough for a decent photo!

It was while we were camping in the desert, having one of our regular chats about what we had done and what we wanted to do next, that we made a tough, but satisfying decision. Having got prices for shipping to South America and working out how long we’d want to stay down there, we have decided NOT to go. The cost of shipping, plus flights and having to pay for accommodation for however long we would be without Bowser, would leave us short on funds to “do” South America properly. We would basically have to race through it in a few months and then be faced with the costs of shipping home.

So instead we will spend more time enjoying Central America and then perhaps turn around and come back to the States to ship home. It’s a shame we will not get to South America (on this trip at least), but the time and money that is now available to us means we can relax and enjoy the journey a lot more. We are happy with the decision and it has lifted a weight that has been bothering us for a couple of months.

With our new-found wealth and time schedule – it was off to Las Vegas! We stayed at the Stratosphere (the one with the thrill-rides on top of the tower) for four days. We saw all the sights. We watched the Gay Pride Parade. We did the zipline over the crowds down Fremont Street. We relaxed at the pool. Total cost? £100.00 for the 4 days, including the zipline, which was £50!

How did we do this so cheaply you ask? Well, when we say we “stayed” at the Stratosphere, we mean we slept in the truck in their car-park. But it was safe, secure and very quiet – no room doors banging all night, not to mention the partying of the other hotel guests. The nice young lady on reception gave us some blank, room key-cards which meant we could use the pool free of charge, and also the showers. For doing a simple survey which didn’t even require an email address, we were given free bus tickets, so we could travel “The Strip” at our leisure and at the Pride Parade, we were given 2-for-1 vouchers for restaurants and take-aways.

So that was our accommodation, washing and eating sorted – “What about beer?” you cry. $7 a pint from the casinos? No thanks. $1 a can from the shops next door, go to the casino front doors, pick-up a free plastic glass which you must use to drink in the street, and hey-presto!  Vegas done on a budget. We didn’t put a single cent in a machine. We did everything we wanted to, had a great time and it actually cost less than our normal daily budget!

We must of course mention the incident at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Seeing that now infamous gold building, the music arena still taped off as a crime-scene and the 58 crosses and floral tributes at the “Welcome To Las Vegas” sign was very moving. For us it changed the incident from yet another horrific story on the news to somehow being more real-life. On Friday, the huge funeral motorcade for the police officer / ex-army officer killed travelled down the strip - it’s still an ongoing process of grief for the city.

But there were so many signs of hope - the resilience of people determined to enjoy themselves, the crowds at the Pride parade, numerous weddings, the messages on the huge hotel screens such as “When it gets dark, Vegas shines”, “We’ve been there for you during the good times, thank you for being there for us now” and “#VegasStrong” everywhere. We ummed and ahhed about visiting Vegas after the shooting, not because we were scared, more because it might seem a bit macabre. But we’re really glad we did – we saw evidence of the worst of humanity, but a lot more of the best.

Then it was a quick stop at Hoover Dam and the new bridge that bypasses it – both very impressive – with a little jaunt into Arizona, before heading back to Nevada to see some planes at the Nellis Air Force base. And now we are here, somewhere near Area 51, heading for the Extra-terrestrial Highway and who knows what that may bring? Probing anyone?   

Live long and prosper!

More photos here!