Jenni heads down from the peak after declaring she might have been in the most attractive place of all time.
The shades of color make one take a second look and third...
Many of us are fortunate to lead lives of relative comfort although at times, we forget this. It is a fact of the human condition that we need constant reminders, most of us, as to how fortunate we really are. Nevertheless, it usually takes an experience of meeting a person without feet to realize that not having shoes is not as bad as we thought. Although we see much confusion in the world today, we also realize this is not some new phenomenon. It does appear that darkness is descending upon us or to be less harsh, the light is dimming somewhat. There are many reasons for our comment: One being that not only is the level of violence, both on and by individuals and governments escalating but perhaps even worse in a rather perverse way, such behavior is no longer shocking and is in fact understood and accepted by so many. As truth fades and disappears, alternative value systems provide understanding and condone all sorts of shocking behavior. Of course, this is an opinion and is stated simply rather than purporting to be a ‘scholarly work’. The question to be asked: What brought this on and why in this forum?
(Continued at the end...)
A speedboat races on the lake. By road, this is about 30 miles from Boulder City.
Standing on a somewhat small peak, a little shaky in the legs.
Color our world.
A lake of varying shades of blue each moment.
Formations and shades that had us focused for most of the hike.
We loved this hike without trails through washes and up the mountain, with incredible views.
A river? No a lake, Mead by name.
The editor takes a break while having access to 360-degree views.
Little islands in the sky...lake.
Continued from above...
Before the Valentine’s weekend in mid-February, we decided to move from Boulder City to Henderson, Nevada, the region in which the hiking, views and experiences were extraordinary. After thirteen nights in one motel, as comfortable as it was, we were ready (almost) for change. Unfortunately, there was not much accommodation available over the period because it appeared many sweethearts would be enjoying a romantic weekend in the greater Las Vegas area. However, we finally found an extended stay apartment for the week. We had no idea of its location or quality but for a few comments about some rowdy experiences following our research on the internet. Otherwise, it seemed fine. We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and it seemed pleasant until we heard screaming in the parking lot followed by the arrival of a police patrol car.
We made our way up the steps and swiped the electronic key over the lock. It did not open. We tried again and this time the door did move. A large man, in shorts and a ‘wife-beater’, stood in the partially opened doorway and wondered why we were trying to enter his room. With the room exposed, the internal gasses and odors wafted their way through and hit us in the faces. Whereas we are not familiar with drugs, smoking devices and assorted plants, we do understand cigarettes. The odors did not emanate from regular cigarettes. I realized that perhaps the receptionist had written down the wrong room number—it was not our intention to evict this big dude, not unless the editor was willing to change places with me. It turns out that the ‘6’ looked like a ‘4’ on the paper receipt and so we would not have to evict or share the apartment but would be neighbors instead. A nice start.
The apartment was comfortable and included a living/dining room and full kitchen. It had a bedroom and bathroom, too. It was ideal for a weekly stay. We settled down and I went exploring. The mix of people was interesting. It included a wide range of nationalities, colors, always sizes as well as ages. Because it is an extended stay concept, many people are permanent residents. So there were families living within the complex including young kids as well as teenagers. The latter, we have noticed over the years, can be quite dangerous and often pose a threat to their neighbors. We watched as kids alighted from the school bus and returned home to the complex or the trailer park next door. Although we had paid our rent upfront, we had the option of course to quit and find another place. However, like so much of Hike-about, the process of discovery is exciting. It wasn’t even a consideration—this was an interesting place and as long as the threat-level was manageable, we would stay.
On the second night, I was heading to the reception to exchange linen, the units are serviced once per week (but they will provide daily fresh linen), when I came across a youngish woman with a cute 5-year old daughter. The daughter was very sweet and I thought of our granddaughter Ellie—someone we think of often. The woman greeted me in a most friendly manner which I generally find unusual although it’s our aim to be friendly with everyone we cross paths. I realized she was a ’solicitor’ not a lawyer, who offered me various services, one being weed up in her room. When I looked at the little girl whose mother performed various illicit services, probably in her company and supposedly while being her mother and protector, I felt torn. What chance in life do children brought up in those circumstances have?
The next evening, I felt another woman staring at me. The editor tells me I’m getting old and scrawny so obviously these women had other motives. I looked back and greeted her. She had a strange expression on her attractive face. She ignored me. I mentioned to Jen that the woman, who looked well-kept, seemed odd but in a very subtle way. It struck me that she appeared to be waiting for the arrival of someone, someone who had disappeared a long time ago. On the day we were departing, she approached the driver’s car window. I asked whether I could help her. She wanted us to take some cartons to California for her. She gave no address, no revelation of contents, no indication of who they were for...California is quite a big state with some forty-million people inhabiting it. It left us with an unusual feeling.
Periodically, a couple of dudes would stand next to one another and hurl insults that should a white person speak in such a way, he might be hanged at the gallows. The one afternoon, after returning from another of the incredible hikes in the area, we heard one guy shouting across the parking lot to the other. It went something like this, “Hey, John. Did you hear Fred’s back in jail?” One could be forgiven for thinking that old Fred was off on vacation from the tone of the conversation.
There was the proverbial little old lady who was unkempt, without teeth but seemed to have much spirit for what she lacked in other aspects. Each day, although we only saw it a couple of times, she would arrive in her pajamas at the reception and greet the personnel and share a joke. Obviously she has lived there a while and is part of the furniture. Then there were the young teenage girls hiding behind a pillar, lighting up cigarettes from time-to-time. Only on one occasion did I get riled a little when a guy rode his motorbike around the carpark at 2am. Before I decided to try and do something about it, he either ran out of gas, steam or crashed into the wall. Who knows?
We could not help but peek into the odd room when we passed. The establishment allows pets to occupy certain rooms. I don’t think we’ll ever forget the sight of one of these living areas which can best be described in the words of my Mom: “You couldn’t get a dog to live in that.”
At no time did we feel uncomfortable but most times, we walked about with eyes wide open observing our fellow humans from different socio-economic strata of society. It was fascinating and always sobering. It was also in the United States of America, not some third-world country. As a conclusion, in many of the regions inhabited by Native-Americans, and Nevada is one of them, the poverty level is extraordinary and the misery factor of the conditions to uninformed observers such as ourselves is horrific. When we met George recently, a delightful elderly man from Utah now living in Nevada, he gave us some fascinating insights into many issues of life including 19th century American history. We also had a discussion, which I always find interesting, about polygamy—he being from Utah. Anyway, George suggested that the ruling class, tucked comfortably away in the District of Columbia, are oblivious to so much going on in the rest of the country.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
Balancing on a very narrow peak in a stunning region.
