Around The World In 80 Waves

A lovely bar maid called Traci I was chatting up earlier in the week told me I should go see Red Rock Canyon which is only a few miles outside of Vegas. The voyages of Dr Doolittle continue and it comes as no surprise that I see this Mountain Lion near the visitors centre. That it is dead and stuffed is not that important, because I am told that there are plenty of them about and I should hope not to encounter one. I have some personal experience with big cats, but they are more impressed that my cousin Christopher catches lions for a living (www.wildconevents.co.za) than they are with my explanation on the Beast of Sydenham (http://www.standard.co.uk/news/hunt-for-beast-of-sydenham-7249671.html) from the neighbourhood of my flat in London.

There is plenty of other things to be mindful of though. I can hear, but do not see, a rattlesnake while walking on one of the trail paths, and decide that not hanging about might be best. I’m aware that there are scorpions all over the place too. I am just too slow to get a picture of the Coyote who runs off into the brush as I approach. There are also golden eagles and bald eagles nesting in the rocks.

Despite all this the only thing to get a warning sign is the humble tortoise, which has me in stitches.

The canyon itself is stunning and I would be more impressed had I not seen the Grand Canyon a few days ago.

I enjoy my standard fayre of ham and cheese sandwhiches by the side of the road before heading back to Vegas at the end of a charming day.

The desert has wonderful moonrises. This is actually the eastern sky as the sun goes down in the west, which I drive towards all the way back to the hotel. Beautiful