Las Vegas, Nevada

They say whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  We can understand why as this place is unbelievable. You can't explain it in words, you just have to visit. To sum it up it is too lavish, too easy, too extreme and not easy to tear yourself away from .......as long as you have deep pockets .....anything is possible.

Place your bets please.

   Leaving San Francisco on Southwest airlines which was the most bizarre flight ever. The pilot first joked about our destination, telling all the passengers that we were going to Sacramento which caused a momentary uproar and us a personal panic attack until he confessed that it was a joke and we were in fact on the correct flight. Then he carried on joking about the weather over Vegas saying it was a bit windy and to hold on to our seat belts as it could get rough. All through the flight the crew kept cracking jokes which was fun but somewhat unnerving if your flying experience is Ryanair and Sleazyjet. Anyway the flight was excellent with big comfy seats, free drinks and snacks served and good legroom. Not bad for a budget carrier. The crew though were a bit more down to earth though. Having come from Air Asia where all the crew looked like super models, the crew of Southwest looked like they just started Weight Watchers. They were both enormous. Every time the rather rotund male air steward passed me, I had the pleasure of his huge belly caressing the side of my face. (which was often).

Even the dogs were huge.

   Arriving in Las Vegas we boarded a transfer out to our 'strip' hotel Circus Circus. The hotel was a typical strip establishment. It was huge, the biggest hotel I have ever seen. On the first day we got lost in it.......and the second day we got lost again.....and even on the 3rd day could not find our way around it, even to find the lobby. There were slot machines and casinos as far as the eye could see and every imaginable luxury you could name. And it was 24 hours. It really was the city that did not sleep.

Welcome to Las .....Cairo?

  After checking in, where there was a queue to check in with at least 20 receptionists working flat out to accommodate all the guests, we found our room which was HUGE and had two massive beds which are the best we've ever had. It was even more comfortable than our own bed at home! It did not take long for us to venture into the corridors of the hotel to explore. Here we found an entire 'Alton Towers' under a circus style domed roof, a huge casino, a circus with all day live acts for free, shops, restaurants, massage parlours, tour agents, Vince Neil's restaurant (him of Motley Crue fame)......the list goes on.......anything you want , it was here. It was all a bit overwhelming for us both to be honest as the scale and extravagance of it all was mind blowing. We eventually settled on a Mexican place and filled our bellies with some spicy fare which was excellent with portions that would make your stomach sore. It was proving very hard not to like America as everything was so easy and in excess of any expectations. The only downside was it was hellishly expensive. Our budget was out the window. San Fran was unnervingly hard on us but Las Vegas threatened to bankrupt us if we did not show a bit of self control. So much was on offer to us it was hard to make decisions on what to take and what to leave. You could have a compliment of shows from Donnie and Marie, Elton John, Britney Spears, Queens of the Stone Age, or plump for any of the daytime expositions such as indoor skydiving, virtual reality adventure, water immersion massage, oxygen rejuvenation, or just a roller coaster on top of a skyscraper. The list was endless.

How about a roller coaster above New York city?

  Next day we ambled down the strip from our hotel, wandering into the hotels that line the strip. We walked all day and only managed half the strip. It was totally mind blowing the sheer scale and extravagance of these resorts. A lot of the time we would just stand still and look around in awe in the vastness of it all. Whatever you have seen on T.V. is only half the story......in the flesh it was obscene. We wandered through Treasure Island, Wynns, Encore, Paris, Bellagio, Bally, Caesars Palace, Mirage, Harrahs, looking at all the free shows and taking in the amazing architecture.

At night the strip became a different beast.

 On the second day we ventured to the top end of the strip to take in Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York, MGM Grand.... the list goes on as we can't remember some of them as they just blend into each other. Even Donald Trump had his own resort. In the evening we went to an all American diner called Denny's which served up some gut busting portions that would defiantly give you a heart attack if you went too often. One portion could easily have done both of us.

Our winning moment.

  On our ramblings we stopped to have a play on the slots at a casino. It would not right not to have a go even though we are both not gamblers. We found a Sons of Anarchy machine and put our dollar in to play and on our first spin won a substantial amount so cashed it in and thanked lady luck. You think only these things happen on T.V.. We also stopped to see a circus show which highlighted with this dude balancing on a sword with his chin upside down. Also we witnessed exploding Atlantis style water and fire shows, indoor rain forest storms and choreographed water fountains. There was still a lot we wanted to do and see in Vegas but after 3 nights we were exhausted. Next day we had booked a car for 2 weeks so we could do our dream road trip on the old route 66.

Kathy was more impressed with his tight leather pants rather than the balancing feat.