Day 8 - Las Vegas

New York New York

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If it’s not one piece of technology having issues, it’s another. Laptop has been behaving again – I think it just doesn’t like small towns which is when it always refuses to work. But now my mobile has been having issues. It has been refusing to make or receive calls or text messages. Thus rendering it rather useless. Unfortunately I did not realise this for a while and just thought that I was rather unloved and that no-one wanted to speak to me. After a rather long call to O2 it transpired that they had put a block on it after a week. Well done them. It should be fixed now, but you never know it could be like my laptop and just temperamental.

Picked up Charlie fine from the airport last night before we visited Downtown Las Vegas which is where the more local people with less cash hang out. It was a real experience with lots of people shouting when they won etc (not like the more sedate casinos on the strip where you have to look nonchalant if you win big). They have a light show over a covered section which covers four blocks of downtown which was pretty cool but not as cool as the man dancing in the middle of the street. He was straight out of the Fatboy Slim Praise You video. To the most infinite detail. It was a special moment. Also true to form that everything is bigger in the US a shot of alcohol was actually a good sized tumbler which made it rather difficult to drink when trying to down it. Luckily it wasn’t tequila as I would have been on the floor.

Me in Caesars Palace

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Today we wandered around the strip and casinos some more and actually tried some gambling. I have now grasped the concept of video poker, not that it did me much good as I lost the grand sum of two dollars – big spender! However, it was really interesting watching some of the people there. One guy lost $25,000 on a crap game and appeared not to care less about it. I was then casually sipping on a gin and tonic in the Bellagio when shouts of ‘oh my god!’ rose above the sound of the slot machines. It transpired that some woman had won $4,758 on one of the slot machines and both her and her entire family were jumping around for joy. It was quite cool to see someone get so excited.

We then saw Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity show at New York New York, which is their risqué over 18’s show. (I thought I’d just go wild in Vegas as you can see!!!). The drinks and snacks at the bar were all themed – as everything has to be in Vegas, and my personal favourite was the ‘Tuna Sutra’ sandwich. The show itself was really good but I shall leave it up to your imagination to imagine it and the risqué bits – I know I’m a tease!

Me gambling all my savings away!

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We then went to eat some Japanese food in a restaurant where they cook the food in front of you. Our chef, named Kong, and yes he did make the King Kong analogy, was highly entertaining, but not as entertaining as the family from Colorado also sharing our table. He had a great moustache and patterned shirt and she had a lovely platinum blonde hairdo which was held in place with some serious amounts of hairspray. This combination completed my evening extremely well and I went home satisfied that I saw all sides to Vegas today.

Miles travelled today – 0.

Bearwatch – 0. Transpires there are no bears in Las Vegas. I think this is an oversight on their part. I think there would be a good market for bears. Afterall, they have tigers.