Day 33 - 36: Visit with Graham in Vegas

Day 33/Oct 31, 2013 Thursday

Hiking in Red Rocks

Donna is in middle of pix

We headed out fairly early to hike Calico Tanks.  A nice little hike with some scrambling up to a seasonal “pond”  two miles I think but upward hiking after the initial walking in the wash.  On the return we saw a parad of people coming in.  Hung out in Red Rocks Canyon park for a little longer and then Whole Foods and on to Graham’s where we will be parked for four nights.

View from above Calico Tanks

 













 

Hiking in Red Rocks

 

Day 34/Nov 1, 2013 Friday

David is rock climbing today and I am researching new health insurance options and I am NOT a happy camper at this moment.  We will end up paying more for less.

Day 35/Nov 2, 2013 Saturday

Today’s activities consisted of:  working on home improvements/fixes on Graham’s Seabreeze fifth wheel,

Shopping, AND a delicious dinner at Yama Sushi AND Cirque Du Soleil’s Mystere’ .  Yama Sushi was all you can eat sushi and since we got there for linner (lunch/dinner) at 4 pm we walked right in.  It is a small place but has a large clientele so those that got there at 5 pm got to wait in line for awhile.  Mystere’ was fabulous and I am not much of a show person but I wanted to see this!  I had been to vegas before kids for an outdoor show with Campmor but really had not too much recollection of what Vegas was like then. WELL, the strip was opulent.  Over-the-top Casinos.  People watching for “did you look at yourself in the mirror before you went out” or “is it a dress/skirt or is it underwear” (that  tight).  We had a great time with Graham and Melissa.  Drove the strip back towards his place.

Day 36/Nov 3, 2013 Sunday

Botanical Gardens

Botanical gardens visit with Graham and Melissa.  We decided to walk the Botanical gardens today.  Many cacti that I have never seen before...no real flowers, some lettuce and other veggies in planters.  They were having a celebration of Dia de Muertos/Day of the dead.

 

From Wikipedia: Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where the day is a bank holiday. The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2.   Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.

I really had no idea what this Day of the Dead celebration was...hey I live in NY...no where near Mexico.  But has my interest in cacti wained, my interest in the various booths and altars peaked.  I began reading and looking at the displays.  Well, I then realized what this celebration was about as I had not yet the Wikipedia article.  There were  more than a few altars and there were poems and other writings.  There were stories of how these people died (most way before their time...young mothers, children, young men).  Several were stories of crossing the border from Mexico with the "help" of smugglers and being abandoned on our side.  One was a story of a loved one being smuggled across in a LOCKED container only to have a few of the 17 survive the ordeal.  One story told of a mother and two children being smuggled across and only one daughter surviving.  Bottom line, they were ALL really very sad stories.