LAS VEGAS

Flying from New York to Las Vegas - a 5hour plus flight - was great with American Airlines. We had the most amazing seats, just 2 together at the bulkhead and just behind business class. The food was good, the drinks plentiful and the flight staff happy and generous. The only downside was that we were charged $50 for our bags. We had been pre-warned that there would be a cost but $US25 per bag is a little exorbitant!!!
Arriving in Vegas the airport and runway are very busy and crowded with planes taking off and landing like some choreographed ballet. Once down on the ground the plane then has to run the gauntlet crossing the landing and take-off runways to get to it's final destination. Our transfer shuttle was there to meet us as arranged and our hotel was great. An hourly shuttle to Mandalay Bay Hotel at the beginning of the Strip was a life saver and we soon got to know our way around the Strip like a couple of old hands.
The strip was definitely an experience especially for our feet and there were some sights to behold I can tell you. Everything was big, loud, glitzy and smokey!!! Some sights took your breath away and others were just tacky though.
The Venetian was absolutely incredible once away from the casino area. You could actually imagine yourself being in Venice for real just on a smaller scale. The weird thing was that we were actually in the real Venice on exactly the same day 2 years earlier!!!!!!
Fountains choreographed to Bing Crosby songs were another highlight just outside the Bellagio Hotel. Treasure Island, Fashion Show, The Mirage, Ceasars Palace, Flamingo, Paris Hotel with the big Eifel Tower outside, New York New York, Walt Disney Excalibur Hotel, and Luxor were all worth a visit and all for their own special glitz and glamour. As we are not gambling people the casinos were not an attraction but most hotels and even the footpaths in certain places forced you to re-route through these smoke filled, crowded dens. In saying that I did decide to risk one US$ on a pokey and won 17cents!!!!!!
The biggest attraction was our helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon on Gary's birthday November 5th. It was soooo awesome. Never having been in a helicopter before, whilst conscious at least, this was a first experience for me and having ordered the champagne lunch drop at the base of the canyon as a birthday celebration for Gary the whole trip was beyond belief. This experience was made even more awesome of course by our pilot. The Canyon is spectacular in its own right but he made it even more so with his swooping, birdlike entrance and of course his endless knowledge. The lunch and champagne was great too as was the limousine ride to the airport. Think Gary had a good birthday.
Our next treat was another Cirque de Soliel show - Ka. This was at the MGM hotel and has been running for a few years now very successfully. Once again it was different to expectations, as was the New York show Paramour, but so so clever.
Freemont Street - the original Vegas Strip - was our next stop. Walking with eyes wide shut we shuffled down the street with a thousand and one other tourists. Before us there were definitely some extreme sights to behold - old men and very fat men in mankinis (not nice), skimpily dressed, semi naked young girls, toothless old women supporting themselves against trash cans looking for the next fix and dozens of Elvis Presleys. Contortionists, singers, dancers and long queues for the restaurants......all was in abundance. Every few minutes above us the zip lines buzzed the length of the street as their occupants screamed with delight and fake courage.
This street was not our scene, although we were pleased to have experienced it, so we decided to beat a hasty retreat. This retreat included crossing a very wide non busy road and as the closest car was way in the distance we decided we could make it across easily and ........jaywalked!!!!! What we didn't know was that the car in the distance was a police car which, seeing us starting to cross, accelerated and laid his hand on his bull horn continuously. Well we both jumped out of our skin - double cycling in the air - and, on hitting the opposing pavement safely whilst seeing the police car pulling over, we decided to split up (only slightly I might add) and remove our backpacks. Consumed with guilt we quietly walked separately to an awaiting bus to take us to the top of the strip and safely home. OMG sounds tame here but NOT - very scary.
So we definitely finished our Vegas week on a high and for all those asking the same question...........NO - WE DID NOT GET MARRIED!!!!!!!!