45˚C in Las Vegas

The plane was closer and closer to the airport. I looked out the window: It was practically a desert with barely any greenery; land was flat all over but it was crowded with tiny little houses; and there were humungous buildings like other cities in the world. Las Vegas is the driest place I ever seen but also, it is very interesting. Scrutinizing the surroundings, I spotted our tour guide who was waiting to drive us to the hotel. The moment I walked into the parking lot a burst of heat went coming onto me-- it was boiling hot, the atmosphere was humid and it was 45C˚ Celsius.

About 30 minutes later we arrived at the hotel. Quickly, my family all hopped off the car except for me. I looked in the distance of the interesting buildings in Las Vegas. A hotel even looked like a pyramid. We all entered the hotel we  were staying in. Mandalay Bay hotel’s lobby was noisy, crowded and busy. It took us half an hour to check in for a family suite. To go to the hotel elevators, you had to go straight pass the casino. I’ve never seen anything like this.

At two o’clock we were ready to check out the restaurants since my sister and I were famished. We came by a restaurant and made my stomach satisfied. It was a Mexican restaurant with many different kinds of tacos. Also there was a strawberry drink that tasted so good and cooled me down very quickly. After lunch, we pretty much stayed in the hotel room for the day.

The next day we woke up at four.

The sky was burning blue and it was far from sunrise but people were still on the streets walking and amount of cars were as much as day. Neon lights were shining so bright—It felt like it was always morning in Las Vegas.

The bus ride to the Grand Canyon took four hours and I slept for the whole ride. After four long hours we finally arrived at the Grand Canyon. The tour guide chose for us to tour the Grand Canyon with a helicopter. Soon he bought the tickets and we waited for a long time.

In the afternoon the officials called out our number on the ticket. This was the first time I’ve ever been on a helicopter. Soon enough the helicopter rose and it was a different experience than from riding an airplane. You could see the atmosphere all around you including beneath you. You could see the extensive river beneath you and all the cliffs of the canyon.

Very quickly we arrived at the downer part of the great canyon where all the water flows. The river was murky, cloudy and very orange. We had to ride a boat in the river to the ticket center. The tour guide was explaining the history of the Grand Canyon but I didn’t hear a thing because the boat’s motor was too loud.

Lunch was quick and we soon left. Half way back to the hotel we stopped at the hoover dam. This part was most interesting. When we arrived at the hoover dam we first had to pass the security. Then, two guards went on the coach checking for explosives in our bags. This took the most time because in their office, they don’t have a proper air conditioning so they wanted to stay on the coach for a longer time. They were also extremely slow when they got off the coach.

Soon the day trip was over but in the night there were more exciting things going on. The tour guide was very thoughtful and bought us tickets for a show in side one of Las Vegas’s most luxurious hotels. The show was called “LERÊVE THE DREAM”. When I was watching it the divers and the actors fascinated me. One of the actors made me laugh my tears out. One “Splash” after another, divers dive from ten, twenty meters from above the water. The stage that was there was so incredible. The stage was a combination of water and concrete, the lights were bright, vivid and full of colours and all the actors were full of talents. It was one of the best shows I’ve seen.

After the show everyone left the theatre going in different directions. The direction we left just happens to go to the Car expedition and I soon bought tickets for it. Red, yellow, white and black cars with sports brands and antique cars were all in one expedition. In the end of the expedition we even received a green screen photo shoot that you could sit in a Ferrari and choose different backgrounds you want to be in.

In Las Vegas the weather is burning all the time. However, there are interesting places to explore, fascinating things to see and exciting things to do in the end of the day.

Hongzhi