Evenin folks. It is midnight here in Vegas (I think that makes it about 8:00 back home) and I am lying down in quite possibly the most comfortable bed I have ever been in.
I should say that I haven't slept properly in about 3 days, and I have been up for 24 hours straight now, so I apologise if I don't make much sense...
It seems ages ago since I was in London, yet it was less than 24 hours ago - weird! The flight was actually really good - no turbulence at all...in fact, apart from take-off and landing, the seat-belt sign didn't even turn on for the whole flight. Lots of films on offer; I watched 'The Hangover' and Pixar's 'Up'. Sat next to an Irish couple who were celebrating the Mrs' 40th birthday - it's their first time in Vegas too. I played a game of chess with Mr, and he beat me. Other than that, the flight was fairly uneventful to be honest - the food was really nice and I dunno how the crew manage to keep going for 11 hours. Was talking to one (her name was Sam too) - apparently they are staying in Vegas until Thursday when they fly out again. Also, the whole of the cabin crew are staying in the same hotel as me! (apparently they always stay in the same hotel). I didn't realise before hand, but when the plane was coming down to land, you can actually see the Vegas Strip - I could see the MGM Grand, Stratosphere etc...didn't realise how close it was!
Luckily my bag was one of the first ones out, so I was out the airport fairly quickly, and into a taxi. Driver was very friendly - was giving a guided tour as we got to the hotel. Check-in was a breeze - was given a voucher for a free bottle of alcohol - that's kinda like giving the pope a free packet of condoms. They don't have a non-alcoholic option which seems stupid because surely the alcoholic things are 10 times more expensive than the non-alcoholic things? I haven't cashed it in yet...I might just do it for the sake of it. The room is fantastic - absolutely massive. King-size bed, a massive television for all the cheesy American television, a HUGE bathroom with a separate bath and shower, great view of the pool, and memorabilia from the film 'Lost In Space' - actual props apparently.
Now, my original plan was to get in, chill for a bit, have a shower, get changed, and then walk around a bit. That kinda didn't happen. I dropped my bags off and just left. I then got lost - inside the hotel. The thing is about Vegas which doesn't come across in the films/television programs, is that the hotels are ridiculously massive. To give you an idea, I'm on the 19th floor. 8 out of the 10 largest hotels in the world are located in Vegas...so off I go into the elevator and I press the button for the 'lobby' - I end up in the Casino - not quite sure how. So I decide to look around the Casino for a bit...the problem is that it is so easy to lose track of time because there are no clocks, no windows, and it's just so busy everywhere. People betting literally hundreds (One guy I watched on the Roulette table bet over $800 in the space of about 5 minutes. My bet of $5.00 must have looked pretty pathetic in comparison. Once I get out of the maze that is the casino, I end up in a place called the 'Miracle Mile Shops' - this is like the Birmingham Bull Ring (yes, it's that big) - full of shops, restaurants, and people. Now bear in mind that the casino and this shopping mall are both still part of the hotel, and you get an idea of how big we're talking.
It was probably about an hour before I found my way out of the hotel. I walk around a bit and end up in a casino called the 'Paris' - and also venture to the Bellagio (this place is stunning), and the MGM Grand (this is frickin' HUGE) - they had some lions you could go and look at (including a transparent tunnel, so you can actually see them from below too). I must have walked several miles - the problem is that because everything is so big, everything looks closer together, but it's not. I really didn't expect to see as much as I saw today, but you keep going just that little bit further, and before you know it, you're another mile away from your hotel.
But I think that's enough excitement for this day - when I got back, I ran a bath and it was probably the nicest bath I have ever had (very deep bathtub - I want one!) - very relaxing - just a shame it doesn't kill the jetlag.
