The Americas: Heading South

Today was a day spent at rest and used to explore Vegas and its surrounds. Max and I took a Helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon in order to obtain a vista of this magnificent landscape that cannot be seen from ground level, and it didn’t disappoint. I have said it before and I will say it again, the US is genuinely a world in one country. The beauty that reveals itself on a daily basis, whether its in the form of a hot and stark landscape, a breath-taking canyon, snow capped mountains, man made wonders or just the genuine kindness of strangers, the decision to linger longer has definitely been a good one!

Heli flip over the Grand Canyon..

We caught a movie in the afternoon in an attempt to stay in air conditioned climes and then took a long walk to Andreas to experience the much hyped impossible burger which was “interesting” and certainly has the potential to catch on as an alternative to beef, provided it ever moves beyond the “fad” stage! It would certainly help with reducing cattle farming’s’ Co2 emissions although to the extent that this product were ever to become mainstream, I have no doubt that its mass production would bring some form of environmental destruction in itself to fill the void left behind by beef production. The only question is, will it catch on, and, to the extent that it does, is the resultant manufacturing implication better or worse than the status quo?! Time will tell although it would certainly be the more humane option.

Vegas by Day..

The Go Kart racing of last night has certainly taken hold! So much so that we were back again this evening and God help anybody that found themselves on the same track as Max and I as the battle for lap time superiority continued! I would love to say that I kicked the whipper snapper’s butt but I cant, he is consistently 0.5 seconds faster than me although my only consolation, which I steadfastly hold on to in order to defend my bruised ego, is that he has a 25kg weight advantage! Damn you Max, and damn anybody that gets on the track with us that shaves microseconds from our goals!

Max Schumacher Nobre….

We were originally only due to spend 2 nights in Vegas but have decided to extend by an additional night in order to get in a show (and some more go kart racing no doubt!!) and to see some more of this vibrant city.

As a sign of the grand disposability that has become a hallmark of our modern day culture, It has occurred to me that Vegas is a place that our modern day jesters come to see out their dying days. People that were once considered global stars with massive influence all seem to eventually get relegated to a stage in Vegas in an attempt to perpetuate the glory of their once meteoric status. Simply by looking out of the window of my room, I can see adverts for Jennifer Lopez (who can forget Jenny from the block?), Britney Spears, David Copperfield, Elton John and Gordon Ramsay, all jostling for visual prominence between McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Hard Rock Café adverts! As the famous quote goes, such is the fate of everything that once rose, although the opportunity to get up close to now B Grade stardom still has massive audience pulling capacity, such is the allure of Vegas, and Max and I are not immune as we will be going to see Copperfield tomorrow!