Spin that wheel! Roll 'em dice! High living in Las Vegas!

The 'volcano' outside The Mirage
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Please note that this visit was in 1992. The Bellagio, Luxor, Stratosphere, Venetian and New York, New York were all glints in their respective planners eyes.

This town has to be seen to be belived. Seriously.

Even at ten in the morning there were gangs of old ladies clutching buckets of quarters shovelling them into the machines

There can be nowhere in earth quite like it. Twenty four hour hedonism. A city devoted entirely to the god mammon and the mighty buck. My hostel situated on 'The Strip' overlooks a small brown hotel with the words 'ELVIS SLEPT HERE' in big letters.Next door is the 'Thuderbird' hotel where they adverise 24 hour weddings. Complete with pictures of happy groom and bride beaming at passersby. But it is magnificent and I am beginning to love it. I've given myself two days and that is my limit. The temptation is of course to spend. Therefore two days wil be enough.

Not sure how I feel about this - a Siberian white at The Mirage
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My first casino was Circus Circus built in the shape of a pink and white circus tent with a colossal grinning clown outside. The interior is decked out in scarlet and a 40ft reception desk greets you as you enter. Further in was a forest of gambling and video poker tables. The lower level was a stage where circus acts perform. I saw some brilliant fire-eating and a trapeze artist whizz about above me as I was playing the slots. The top level has a funfair theme with hoopla and shoot-the-clown booths. But then it is a pull to tear yourself away from the gambling tables. Even at ten in the morning there were gangs of old ladies clutching buckets of quarters shovelling them into the machines.

Fremont Street at night
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If you cant beat 'em join them and I got myself a bucket, changed up ten bucks and tried my luck. My god I thought I was doing well making one dollar profit! Video blackjack became my game but there were more to see and I realised I had lost all track of time. Which is of course the idea.

Then downt the 'Strip' past the 'Stardust' casino where workers were holding placards on strike. The Desert Inn is a Vegas legend and I spent more time here then I should have realising I was not making good progress on the 'Strip'. But by this time I was making $4 profit.Wow! Big money! The classiest casino I saw was undoubtedly The Mirage. Facing the street is a big palm forest with a cascading waterfalls and a manmade crater with overspilling with water. At night this is lit up in red to duplicate an exploding volcano with real fire lit up around the pool.

Inside is sheer campery. Theres a white decked compound as you enter on the escalator that houses four white Siberian tigers. I mean, they are beautiful but even the most feared predator on the planet has been reduced to cute kitsch. They are part of the resident act at the Mirage - Siegfried and Roy. Two show magicians who are my fathers age but due to extensive plastic surgery but look a very stretched thirty. Its only a matter of time before one of their 'pussies' maul them.

I used my winnings to go on the 'Dolphin tour' where real dolphins are kept in a swimming pool at the side of the mirage and you can view them underwater. Very pleasant and a good way of escaping the heat. But I spent most of my time (it was now early evening) playing video blackjack and slowly losing money. Waitresses roam the casino providing you with free cocktails and I was slowly getting drunk on pina coladas (was I meant to tip?) It was in this state that Gavin found me.

He took me to the 'true' Las Vegas - a bunch of entertaining bars behind the big hotels.

I dont know why I paid for a hostel bed. I didnt use it that night...