Heading to Grand Canyon’s Skywalk, half the bus caught up on the sleep they missed out on by getting up early. I was glued to the bus windows, rubber-necking left and right trying to get a glimpse of homes in the outlying suburbs. Vegas has a strong Spanish influence left over from early explorers and many houses are built Spanish adobe style with white stucco walls, small windows, little chimneys and terracotta terraced roofs. My appreciation for cultural architecture is growing and one of my favourites is this Mediterranean style of whitewash, arches and bougainvilleas. We passed through new and very uniform suburbs with houses that were virtually the same, all the same size and shape, all the same colour and every now and then a traditional Spanish church spire could be seen above the rooftops.
Our tour guide informed us that the Hualapai Indians own the land on the west rim of the Grand Canyon – which is also technically not the United States once you pass onto it. The Native Americans run the tours for the Skywalk and other surrounding attractions and a lot of their culture is on display like mud steam huts and pine teepees, jewellery and pottery.
Okay just to let you all know at this point about my fear of heights. When I was a kid my dad was a fisherman. My sister and I spent a lot of time on jetties and visiting whichever boat dad was on at the time. Jetties are dangerous places for kids. If you fall in you can be crushed between two boats moored together or sliced up on the barnacles on hulls and pylons and we were constantly warned about this. My dad used to think it was fun to sneak up behind us while we were watching the fish under the jetty. He would grab us under the armpits and swing us out suddenly over the water making us squeal in terror. As an adult I now have great difficulty walking out onto a jetty if other people are anywhere near me and this goes for anything with an edge; a mezzanine floor in a shopping centre, a glass elevator, a lookout point. The risk of being even accidentally pushed off an edge is so acute, my hands tingle and my legs can refuse to move.
Now the Skywalk is a challenge to anyone with or without a height phobia. The floor and side walls are clear glass. Welcome to my worst fear! But I was so awed by the view and literally humbled by the most incredibly dramatic impact that mother nature has had on a landscape, that I forgot I was scared of heights! Okay so I occasionally chanted “the floor is strong, it won’t break” as I walked over the clear glass but I spent 90% of the time just soaking in one of the most wondrous wonders of the world. It’s a shame that phrase is used so often that it doesn’t have the impact it deserves.
From Skywalk's website.
From Skywalk's website
The drive to the Skywalk from Vegas is about 190km and two hours by tour bus. There’s plenty to see along the way including Hoover Dam which now pumps water to the entire state of Nevada. You might only get to spend 10 minutes on the Skywalk but it will be worth it. Take advantage of the photographers on site because you’re not allowed to take any personal items onto the Skywalk – there is a big pile of lost property at the bottom of the canyon!
