Viva Las Vegas and Grand Canyon

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Well we arrived in LA after a long flight and an even longer time difference. It took us a good three days to feel back to normal, never had jet lag before and it's the strangest feeling. You are wide awake at silly hours and then want to sleep during the day. On day one in LA we woke up at 2am so we had a picnic of southern comfort and crisps (it was all we had to be fair) we read for hours and eventually must have gone back to sleep at around 6am to be woken by hammering on the door! Baz shouted go away really grumpily until we looked at the clock and saw that it was 1pm and we should have checked out an hour earlier. They were very good about it and said they understood, I have to say customer care in the States is incredible, they could certainly teach us a thing or two!!!

Couple of days later and we hired a car, Baz wanted the one in the pic but after much heaving squashing and shoe horning the cases just refused to fit in the boot so we had to have a SUV instead which is very nice, it just doesn't have as much street cred!! Off to Viva Las Vegas, a 5hr drive through the desert which is not very pretty and not very exciting but it was different and went quickly. Our hotel is just off the strip so it is nice and quiet and we have an apartment with a much needed washing machine, think we must be quite smelly by now, not washed anything since China!

Las Vegas is big bold brash and bloody beautiful. We really love it. It's mesmerising, all the hotels, the casinos, the water fountains at the Balagio. There is something for everyone and so much to see and do it's exhausting. We have spent two days wandering and have still only done half of the strip. We thought today we would have a little flutter and when I say little I mean $1 but as gambling virgins we didn't even know where to put the dosh in the machine and I had to ask one of the bar tenders. Felt like a complete numpty, the $1 lasted about 3 seconds and that was that. Any thoughts we had of winning big didn't happen today! You can go for free lessons on how to play in the mornings so we may go and see if we can pick up some tips. It's fascinating just walking around watching everyone else play and the amount of money that passes across the tables is staggering. We thought it might be cheap and tacky but it's not, it's all been done so well it really is something to see. There must be 30 shows to choose from at the very least but unfortunately there are no big stars on at the moment, they must have heard the Bennetts were on tour and bunked off. No Rod Steward, Celine Dion even Britney has taken a holiday! No probs though we will settle for a couple of the smaller shows which I am sure will be really good.

Another day and we did the other end today which meant a left out of our hotel, there is so much to see, started at the Venetian which is a nice hotel and watched the gondolas for a while, didnt have a ride though. You can go either inside or outside on the canals and I think that the times are the same it's about 12-15 mins and is €20 each, it's not Venice but its a lot cheaper than a gondola ride in Venice and the water is clean!!. After this we ventured to the five star hotels which I have to say are just spectacular, there are two of them and they are gold/bronze in colour and are together. The entrance foyer alone is worth the walk, just incredible and actually price wise they are quite reasonable. After that it was across the road via the walkway and onto some more hotel and casinos, it's actually quite hot and its nice to take a break in the cool of the hotels and shops of which there are so many. Its now 4pm and having walked our socks off it was time for an afternoon interlude and we found ourselves in Caesuras Palace where we went to Gordon Ramseys Pub and grill for happy hour. Beers and wines at a set price and nibbles, we had some nachos and wings which were really good. Only problem is we haven't got used to American portions yet, two nibble snacks in the afternoon are enough to put us on until breakfast the next day! It's cheap but it's beige food (just up Baz's street!). Tonight we have been on the bus to downtown Vegas which is the original part with the oldest casino's. It's called Freemont and it is very lively, it is a long street with a canopied roof and there is a laser show going on all night long, it shows different pictures and patterns and then every now and then you get people zooming across the roof on a zip wire. It was actually fascinating and the best part of being down there. Unfortunately we didn't do any zip wire acrobatics as I had gone out in a dress and it would have caused even more of a spectacle! There were lots of characters down there and some very scantily clad ladies, all different shapes and sizes, some proper chunky monkeys! The bus back was nearly as lively, lots of people all feeling very merry, only problem is it's a slow bus and at night the traffic in Vegas is full on. Another good day.

Well what can I tell you about today, moved hotels and have an equally nice one just a bit further off the strip, about a 10 min walk. We went in search of some show tickets today's and got some for the Australian Bee Gees, the show was at 7pm in the Excaliber hotel. We spent the day visiting hotels and casinos that we hadn't already frequented like the MGM and Planet Hollywood, Luxor and Mandalay Bay. The show was really good, bit cheesy but I think the Bee Gees are anyway! We sung along and even danced at the end, all good and then actually the highlight was finding a really nice Italian restaurant with Happy Hour all day long. Good wine and beer and food, good night all round, we were so full we got a carry out for our very delicious pasta (you may wonder why I am telling you such trivial info but bare with me) and on the way back to our hotel we saw a homeless lady with her trolley so I asked her if she would like it, thinking that she might be hungry. Her reply was, " what is it and when I told her she said no thanks I've got shrimp, do you like it cos you can have some if you want" I thought I was doing a good deed but obviously the homeless in Vegas have high standards a bit of pasta is not good enough!

Up early today, it's my Birthday and off we go to visit The Grand Canyon. We thought we had it sussed, sat nav programmed, plenty of water and nibbles packed for the journey but it turned out to be a lot lot further than we thought. It took us five hours to get there. We went to the South Rim of the canyon and all I can say is after being stressed in the car and pouty because I thought we had gone wrong it was so worth it. We called in at the visitor information and spoke to a very nice lady who explained our options to us. We decided to drive ourselves around the rim rather than get the shuttle buses. You pay $30 to enter the park but you can go everyday for 7 days for that if you want. It is spectacular, we sat on the rim of the canyon with our picnic and a plastic cup of wine and had the most amazing view. The canyon stretches for 277 miles, it is on average 1 mile deep and the Colorado river snakes it's way through. It's staggeringly beautiful and what a way to spend my birthday. It blew us away, it was another pinch me moment. You drive on a road that winds it's way around the rim of the canyon with various view points and picnic sights along the way, the part you can drive is just over 20 miles long. Worth every minute of the long drive there and back, we didn't get back until midnight and Baz did all the driving, he was a star and tomorrow he is having a chill by the pool day with beer and crisps to recharge his batteries!!

Last day in Vegas and we have a plan, firstly the morning job is to sort our next next few days and book accommodation and then go and see the conservatory in the Bellagio, watch the Volcano erupting at the Mirage, the statues of the gods move in Ceasurs Palace, do some gambling at the Paris and then off to our favourite spot for all day happy hour and great food in the Excalibur Hotel. All good plans have a blip and ours was the volcano didnt erupt until night time and as it was so hot I couldn't be bothered to wait for the Greek gods to shimmi on their plinths!! When it came to the gambling only Baz was brave enough, we spent the night before watching you tube to get some tips but when faced with a black jack table it was all a bit daunting for me. Bazi plucked up the courage and passed over his dollars and then very nervously took his seat and began. He was actually quite a lot up at one point but cockiness got the better of him and he ended up loosing. Having said this a budget had been set and it was only a small amount that we were happy to loose and better still my gambling money bought pasta and wine instead so it wasn't too bad!! I asked Bazi if he had enjoyed the experience and I don't think he was that enamoured with it, could have been the broads sat at the end of the table shouting instructions, the young guy smoking relentlessly or the croupier who thought he was the funniest guy on the planet. Needless to say he wasn't jumping at the chance to spend any more, yippee!!

Loaded up the car and off we go, today we are visiting Death Valley National Park. All the blurb I have read makes it sound like hell on earth. Loads of instructions about making sure your car is A1 and that you carry enough water and provisions if you break down for two days!! To say we were a little nervous is an understatement!! Anyway it took us a couple of hours to get there and I have to say it was totally not what I was expecting at all. What an incredible place. It is so mountainous, rugged, the colours of the rocks are pinks, purples, oranges, yellows and greens, it's as though they have been spray painted. It's a kaleidoscope of colours which is all as Mother Nature intended. We payed our $20 to enter the park and then you drive yourself around as much or as little as you want. We had a few hours and managed to do the Artists Palette route, then onto Badwater which is the lowest point in North America at 282ft below sea level. It was very hot at this spot, a cool 112 degrees! We got out and wandered onto the salt flats but not for too long! Then back in the car and upto Zabrinske Point where we helped out a young girl who was passing out with the heat. Then a drive to the sand dunes at Mesquite Flat and then onto Stovepipe Wells Village for more fuel! Baz thought it was more spectacular than the Grand Canyon but I think I prefer the Canyon and the fact that it was only a cool 80 degrees at the canyon helped. It is known as the hottest place in America and one of the hottest in the world, it is very diverse and has a raw beauty but at the same time is probably the most hostile place I have ever been. Think it must be like being on the moon! Wouldn't have missed it, a raw beauty. Travelled onto a town called Bishop where we have booked into a B&B, the lady is lovely and welcomed us with a glass of wine each and gave us loads of info on the area, where we are going onto tomorrow and restaurant recommendations. Room is a bit chintzy but the gardens and the hostess are lovely.

Tomorrow we head off to Yosemite National park for two days, back soon..............

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