Mojave is not really much else....a way point....in geography it is very similar to Broken Hill, tending towards the Flinders Ranges.
The not borin' Boron mine at Boron, where Borax is got
Well Milo is a character: He is the guide at the Rio Tinto Boron mine, at Boron, about half an hour east of Mojave. He has worked at the mine for 37 years: in the pit for 35 of them....he was truely excited by Boron (element 5.. Not 6. Good pick up my pfoor reader Nathalie), and they cut it and refine it to various grades to ship it out on trains....we did get his life story, his wife Kathleen, daughter and son his quad bike and gun passion....Kathleen works at the nearby Edwards Air Force Base. It was at his suggestion that we considered taking a five hour detour to.........DEATH VALLEY.... It's only an hour or so up the road he says.....
Twenty four hours after snow and ice, we are in 35 degree Stove Pipe Wellls, in the middle of Death Valley....here there is an enormous 'camping ground and trailer park'.....one question.....'why?'
It would equate to a camp ground in the middle of a dry Lake Eire....maybe a dozen trees as far as you can see, some bushes, and nothing else....except heat in day and freeze at night....people apparently stay for a week at a time.....
Death Valley. A spot near here is 200 feet beneath sea level......
The journey led us through some truely spectacular and harsh country....until we got to a little town called Pahrump and the beautiful views that have of mount charleston, across the border in Nevada. No pictures...just liked the name.
This meant that we got to Las Vegas a little bit later than expected and cheked into the Tuscany suites and casino....everything in these parts it seems is ......and Casino.....
Don't want to upset the natives, but the housing estates on the way into Vegas look like a repaired yet slightly less colourful version of Beirut. Looks horrible...no doubt this is not helped by the lack of greenery.
Checked into the hotel, and I know Marie will appreciate the towel touches on the bed...
My bed is on the left.....note the towel thingy.
After a bit of a rest wandered to 'the strip' Not really our thing, very loud, noisy, bright, in your face, but nonetheless a once(and only once) in a lifetime experience. The lighting and displays are amazing, the people on the streets, many of whom seem very embarrassed to be wearing so little, and all trying to sell you something, the number of drunks is quite disappointing. The flow of pedestrians is very much channelled into and out of the big casinos....
Disneyland!,,,(not)
Can not go to Las Vegas without seeing a show.....half price tickets....apparently we have purchased some tickets to a show at the Luxor Casino...the one with the Spincks (sic) and Cleopatra's needle out the front.....now we have just picked up the tickets as I write this in the Luxor Casino atrium.
Stephanie will be pleased....
The atrium like the inside of a pyramid with the rooms around the sides.
Seen that: don't need to go to New York now
Back at the hotel after an 18 hour day...more to report tomorrow.
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