Both Simon and I were really keen on going to the Grand Canyon but after a browse online we realised it was really expensive. Despite this we thought we'd just check in one travel agency and luckily the lady had one tour on offer for less than $90! It was the cheapest full day tour and no other operators or agencies could beat her price so we booked it. We woke early and made our way to our pick up point where a bus collected us and took us to the companys building for breakfast. Everyone was then loaded onto coaches and neither of us could believe how long it took for grown adults to find a seat! People were moaning that they weren't sat with their party and others were upset they were sitting backwards so the bus driver and collegue were rearranging everyone. The spoilt Americans finally stopped complaining. Suddenly, the guy sat behind us had a stroke, went completely dazed and confused and then was sick so an ambulance was called. As he and his family were getting off the coach a member of his family fainted. It was a pretty hectic start to a long day. Luckily our bus driver, who happened to be English, dealt with everything well despite being slightly hungover from watching the World Cup Final the previous day. On the way we drove over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. Sadly we couldn't stop due to being delayed but we could see the scale of it out the window and our driver was an awesome guide giving us plenty of information. Lake Mead is the largest man-made lake in the U.S. and provides water to Arizona, Nevada, California and northern Mexico. As we drive past we could see the lines on rocks where the water used to be. Apparently the water is at less than 40% of its capactiy, and as Las Veags draws 90% of its water from the lake, the place will be in severe drought conditions within a few years. The Hoover Dam which generates electricity for Las Vegas and beyond will also struggle to provide and supply for demands in the area as the place is growing and the water supply is becoming smaller. We stopped for lunch before arriving at the Grand Canyon. It was amazing! You can't imagine how wide the canyon is until your there looking at it. We visited the South Rim which is apparently the widest part - around 15 miles and basically reaches as far as the horizon. The colours that changed in cloud and sun really didnt show up on the photos. We were dropped off at one viewpoint and had a two hours to walk to the following viewpoint where we would be collected. Despite Simons fear of heights he seemed determinded to find an ridge for a good photo. There were no fences so you could go as close to the edge as you wanted. You'll be glad to know Kay that I nagged Si with every scary step he took!! We did find one spot that wasn't too unsafe to get to, (although we did notice a big crack in the rock when we looked at the pictures the next day!!). At a few parts we could see the Colorado river that looked like a small trickle and there was also a steep winding path used for donkey trails and hikes down to the base. It was such an awesome sight and we're so glad we managed to see it.