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Published: June 22nd 2006
We Sue Drunk Drivers
Typical of the many amusing signs I saw in VegasAfter a really long day before (27 hours awake) I was woke up about 7am by a room mate coming back from a night on the strip... Who then snored... Got out of bed 9am... feeling pretty tired still. But the snoring was still on-going and the heat was starting to overcome the air-con.
Made myself a 'free pancake', which I made too thick - so threw away after one bite! Then I went and booked my Grand Canyon trip for the next morning: pick up from the hostel, taken to an airstrip, flown by light plane to the Canyon, taken in to the Canyon by helicopter, put on a boat that goes up the Colorado river and then after some food, reversed. Really looking forward to it, despite the 150 pound price tag.
Before I could book the tour a girl came in to reception with her hair in a towel. She then went on to stamp her feet and get really unhappy about the hostel having to turn the water off for repairs. They offered to buy her some water to bring to her room to allow her to rinse, but she was having none of it.
Fremont Street
A covered area that houses the original casios of old Vegas... bit crap really ;-) "You can't turn off the water - turn it back on! This isn't good enough, figure out a way to get the water back on...", etc, etc... Crying, shouting, stamping feet! Thought we were in a 5 star hotel with a celebrity for a moment, waiting for the "don't you know who I am!?!?" line...
Started the walk to Downtown Vegas, along Fremont Street (NOT to be walked alone at night!). One of the first things I see is a sign "Jesus is the answer"... I wondered what the question was... Right next door was a pawn shop sign: "Cash paid for TVs, VCRs &.... Guns"... LOL Yep definitely in America! Next a guy comes cycling down the sidewalk (can't say pavement now) with a 'getto-blaster' strapped to the front of his bike, playing (and him signing loudly along to) "No ordinary love"...
I also realised how huge American vehicles are - they are like our mini buses! And their Mini buses are like our coaches, and their coaches, etc ... And the best thing i saw was their security vans (for delivering money etc) - like tanks!! Our security vans are like their standard mail vans in
Glitter Gulch
Live XXX girl shows, etc... Nope I didn't go in! comparison!
Not the nicest of areas of Vegas for sure (taxi driver said it was full of crack heads and crack whores - he was right), but eventually got to the Fremont Experience - a huge covered area of old downtown casinos and shops, bars, restaurants - where Vegas started out. Had a Bud and a Ultra in the first bar (ordered Bud and water - but seems water = Ultra...) Still 2 beers downed while writing up my travels so far and watching the strange people of Vegas! A lot of fat, 40+ Americans, wearing crappy Hawaiian style shirts, shorts, fanny packs (bum bags), baseball caps and big, white, squeaky-clean trainers. My favorite was a guy, about 50+ wearing a flat cap, shite shell suit top, large chunky silver necklace, grey trousers (too short) and big white trainers - wish I got a pic! Also spotted and watched a Starwars slot machine - looked very cool, but saved my cash...
I had read about buffets in Vegas being huge and great value for money - ideal for backpackers. And one of the best was at Main Street Station (tip from taxi driver). I have never, ever, seen
Check out his 'tash
This was the first Casio I went in to on Fremont Street - spotted many funny dressed people - but loved this guy's 'tash! anything like it! The choice was amazing! I planned trying a really small amount of everything and stop eating if I didn't like it that much - I still only tried about 20%!o(MISSING)f the options!!!! There were hundreds of dishes and you just keep grabbing a fresh plate and going back, again.. and again... and again... and again... .. and again...... Then the desserts.... Actually found somewhere that beats Emma's Mum's choice of desserts!! I only managed two mouthfuls of chocolate ice cream, with mini M&Ms, cookie crumble and chocolate sauce. All this, plus drinks, for about four pounds!! Not eating again for 2 days! In fact, it actually put me in to a 'two pooh a day' cycle for a couple of days - to deal with it! "Too much information" I can hear everyone saying! I sat and looked around me - loads of really big fat Americans! LOL
When I managed to stand up and squeeze out of the door, noticed loads of helicopters sight-seeing. Doing low circles - all really quiet too! And the heat was soo oppressive! My first stop on the Strip was the Sratosphere - a casio/hotel complex with a
Starwars!!!
It was the same casio that I first saw a Starwars slot machine - lots of cool animations and sounds, but didn't have a clue how to play, so just watched over people's shoulders :-) huge tower over the top, offering great views and a few scary rides. I paid to go to the top and go on the rides. The view shows you how huge Vegas city is & you can see how isolated it is - with the desert and mountains all around.
I met up with a girl called Michelle, from Seattle - her mate was too scared to go on the rides. So I was her 'ride buddy' - not as rude as it sounds!!! She comes to Vegas twice a year and gave me some tips. It was her first time on the rides and she was crapping herself! The rides last 30 seconds (hanging you over the side etc..) and she came off with her hands soaking wet with sweat! I was more worried about being sick on one of the rides (spins you round and round over the side) - imaging how it would be to be walking down the Strip and then being douched in sick doing 100 mph!! LOL The best ride is on a rail over the edge, it races you towards the end of the rail and stops at the last minute -
Escort brochures
This was new to me - help you self to brochures of local 'escorts' LOL Typically american - bigger & better than the crappy little call cards in phone boxes in UK! very scary!
I saw the Nascar place from the Stratosphere - I was really looking forward to going, but from above I could see the cars were really slow - or rather not fast enough (at least not a for a recent Karting champion!! LOL )
I left Michelle and carried on down the Strip. Was amazed to see pedestrian crossings - with not only go/stop signs, but also count down timers!
One of the stops was the Fashion Show shopping mall! It was huge! I tried walking it to find a watch but soon ran out of enthusiasm (Not a big shoppper) and still no watch. But if you like to shop and you like your brand names - this is the place! Did manage to get collared by a sales lady who made my hands all soft (with demo products) and then offered to sell me 2 products for the price of one. I explained I was a more 'rough and ready' kinda guy, but she insisted my girlfriend would love me more if I had soft hands!
Treasure Island casino/hotel have a really impressive show outside, with waves, two tall ships, cannons, people
Stratosphere
My first stop on the Strip proper. It has amazing views of the Strip with 3 rides at the top - which were pretty cool! falling from the top of the boats to the water below, etc... I tried to watch but it was cancelled - high winds ironically made it too dangerous for the 'dead' sailors falling from the masts LOL
I wanted to go to see a show (Blue Man Group looked good) but they were all fully booked, so on with the Strip...
Went in to the Venetian - amazing painted ceiling, an indoor mall that had a sky-like ceiling and had gondolas going up and down the 'canal' that ran the full length of the mall. Very impressive! See
here.
I went in to Mirage casino to find the secret gardens and see the tigers and dolphins, but I was too late - the tigers go home at 7pm. Another lesson learnt: A> Read the guide book properly! and B> Buy a bloody watch! I had no idea it was so late already!
Went in to Ceasers casino, and found a shop in there (they all have massive shopping complexes attached to the casino) that had over 20 thousand watches! But could I find one I liked...?
I then waited for 15 minutes to watch the
Strip from the Stratosphere
View of the Strip from the Stratosphere - my ambition was to walk to the end... 'volcano' at the Mirage... Will let the video tell the story
here.
It was a full moon as I walked - was funny to see it behind a 1/3 size version of the Eiffel Tower! I sat drinking a beer looking at it wondering (for a split second - I was tired!!) if it was a full moon in the UK too? LOL Silly boy!
Also watched the automated fountains at the Bellagio casino - to music (see
here). This time the music was the US national anthem. And sure enough (as I predicted in my head) at the end there were many Americans 'whooping' and clapping...
I went up the Eiffel Tower and tried to take photos of the fountains - waited for about 20 minutes (they go every 15) before someone told me they stop at midnight and it was past that now! LOL Time flies in Vegas!
I walked on & started getting hungry - tried out McDonalds at 1am. Met a Russian girl called Anna who was on her own and looking very unhappy. I chatted to her and she was staying at Tropicana casino hotel but had cockroaches in her room
Fremont Street from the Stratosphere
View of Fremont Street from the Stratosphere. You can see the large buildings running left to right - they are part of the Fremont Street Experience and if you follow the road right, my hostel is down there somewhere.... and so got moved to a new room and got a night free. She didn't realised there was a hostel in Vegas, where she could have stayed in a room, where she could have met others (she was on her own all day), paid less and not had cockroaches! Then she said she had a huge long day because she had done the coach tour to the Grand Canyon (10 hours in a coach), wasn't a gambler and not met anyone, so not happy at all.
Found Hooters casino!! LOL The bar was so disappointing!!! $6 a beer and crap hooters! Finally got to the end (Luxor casino) where I was hoping to have a massage - but the spa was shut. So I was tired and fed up and got a taxi back to bed about 3am. Got told (by the taxi driver) I had 'under tipped him by $3 for that journey!' Hate all this tipping crap!
Just remembered - saw loads of fat, old, grey, balding Americans with young sexy Thai brides, who looked genuinely happy!! Who said money can't buy you happiness?!?! On to the Canyon tomorrow (by plane not 10 hour coach!)
Aqua Massage in the Stratosphere
LOL Never seen anything like it! You get inside a big blue 'femidom' and jets of water massage your back...
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Em
non-member comment
Cake?
OMG! You mean mum will have to work harder to create more desserts??! I think thats a challenge!!! LMAO at the 2 poohs a day cycle! with 2 a day, I'm surprised you've found the time for sight seeing ;-) Sounds like you are having an ace time, just make sure you avoid the crack whores (and the thai brides!!!) Take care (or should that be have a nice day now?!) Em x