No Opportunity Wasted

On the way back to London, our guide points out his native Wales, just on the horizon. Yet one more place to visit on a future trip. The world feels like a small place sometimes, when you're at home, standing still. Once you get moving and get out there, it becomes much bigger, full of new possibilities and experiences. [Newer technologies such as Google Earth try to shrink it back down again, allowing a different sort of travel, via a 19" screen.]

Our guide mentions once visiting a colleague and fellow journalist in America, and then inviting him to visit the UK for their next meeting. He was astonished when his friend informed him that he did not have a passport, and only 11% of American citizens did. One of the Americans on our tour drily notes that one does not need a passport when travelling as part of an invading army. [A more recent figure is up to 25%, partly spurred by planned border security requirements in 2008. The corresponding figure for Canadian citizens is over 40%.]

Time and money are always an issue, and being able to travel is a great privilege. But it seems a shame that many people who could do it, just won't venture out of their insular comfort zones.

Jubilee Sundial

Built in Westminster, across the street from the Parliament buildings, on the occasion of HM Elizabeth II's golden jubilee in 2002, the sundial carries a quotation from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part II:

To carve out dials quaintly, point by point,
Thereby to see the minutes how they run,
How many make the hour full complete;
How many hours bring about the day;
How many days will finish up the year;
How many years a mortal man may live.

Taking in Bath

Apparently, it rains 20% of the time here in the west of England. The great weather we're having this week makes this visit that much more pleasant.

Bath

Still, this is a major tourist town, with tour buses and tour groups filling the streets around the Abbey. Many Jane Austen fans also come here on pilgrimage.

Bath Abbey

Pulteney Bridge spans the River Avon. It is notable in that shops line both edges of the bridge, so that it looks like just another street when you're crossing it.

Pulteney Bridge

The main draw though are the Roman Baths.

The Roman Baths

Deeply buried facts learned in ancient history class slowly come back.

Model of the Roman Baths

The chi-chi restaurant above the Baths is offering water from the sacred spring for £1 a glass. It's supposed to be mineral-rich and good for you. I didn't realize that it came out piping hot. It's almost 30° outside, but I'm down one quid now, so I have to wait for a short while, before downing the warm Bath water.

The Stones of Blood

No, not really. A major touristy destination, but one that you just have to see once.

Stonehenge

British Cuisine

Lunch is at the King's Arms Hotel. A nice fish dish, washed down with Old Speckled Hen.

Downtown Salisbury

Our guide's recommendations for the best food in London:

• Fish & Chips - not the Kebabhús, but Rock & Sole (Ellers St.,Covent Garden Tube)


• Chinese - Wong Kei


• High Tea - Fortnum & Mason (Piccadilly)


• Camden Town Market


• Simpson's (Covent Garden)


• Rules (Covent Garden)

So many choices, and they all sound good. However, they'll all have to wait until next time.

Climbing up on Solsbury Hill

Flashback: Friday, July 30, 2004

Back in Iceland, we were going at such a different pace from my day-to-day life that I'd almost forgotten what it was like to drive into the office. I certainly wasn't going to attempt to drive on the wrong side of the road. So, it's back on the bus for a day trip to Salisbury, Stonehenge, and Bath (in that order).

Our guide for the day is David Simmons, a former BBC Radio correspondent, so there's plenty of interesting facts on the journey:

• The average annual salary in the UK is £30 000
• An average house costs £185 000
• You can add at least 50% to that figure for London, with some areas going up to £600 000

As it turns out, Solsbury Hill is near Bath, not Salisbury.

Salisbury Cathedral

The stained glass windows are very impressive.

Inside Salisbury Cathedral

Also inside the cathedral, is a copy of the Magna Carta.

Cloisters

...Know when to run

$1-$2 Limit Texas Hold'em: +$1.50 (hooray!)
Slots: -$5.00
Blackjack: -$13.50
Roulette: -$(not good) (Always bet on black? Sometimes it comes up red! It would have been more efficient to just hand over $20 to the dealer, and $20 to one of the other people at the table.)

Somehow, I don't think Rule #1 is "Take care of your dealer".

And what does a card shark look like? Could be a young woman from California, who bats an eyelash and smiles sweetly while professing to have learned poker the day before, then laments just missing an up and down straight draw on the next hand...

Leaving Las Vegas

Bright Angel

Bright Angel Trailhead
36° 03.439' N
112° 08.626' W
2079 m ASL

Plateau Point
36° 05.595' N
112° 06.961' W
1151 m ASL

Six miles down (as the mule walks), then six miles back up. Thankfully, only 85 °F in the sun. Bloody 'ell!

The start

Plateau Point is at the end of the thin ribbon on the green plateau.

The route

Note the warnings about how trying to make it all the way to the river and back in one day could result in exhaustion or death. And about (not) falling over the edge.

The way down

3h30min at a leisurely pace to get down.

On the plateau

An hour for lunch.

Colorado River

Still quite a way from the bottom.

At the destination

3h30min of pain to get back.

Safely back up

Although people of all ages can do this trip, it's too easy to underestimate how strenuous (and dangerous) it can be. Don't mess with Mother Nature. Bring lots of water. Thankfully, the only casualty was one pair of old and worn hiking shoes.