To Las Vegas - 31 January

31 January - to Las Vegas

Quote: All that glitters is not gold.

Super Shuttle to John Wayne International Airport in Santa Ana for our US Airways flight to Vegas. All in all we should have caught the bus. Although the flight was cheap, I didn’t factor in all the travel to and from the airport, check in and lengthy security times, etc. All up it took about the same 4 hours the bus would have taken.

And it wasn’t actually that cheap after we paid $50 for our 2 bags. Plane full of people going on gambling holidays, all wishing each other luck as we landed and de-planed (love that word).

Cab to The Orleans, from Las Vegas airport. The checkin service was quick and easy, but that’s pretty much where the service ended for the duration of our stay there. It was awful. The room itself wasn’t too bad, a good size, with a nice view over an enormous parking lot to the surprisingly pretty snow-capped mountains surrounding Vegas.

Vegas itself is astonishing. But one day and night would have been enough for us. As well as being completely over the top, it was depressing. Lots of poverty and beggars, including one that upset Angus quite a bit (“homeless and pregnant, please help”). This led to us discussing how best to help people in that situation - giving them some cash, or donating money to welfare groups? Political change? We decided to throw some coins in a fountain (money all goes to organisations that help disadvantaged people) so we got a benefit too (a wish!) Not very altruistic, and it didn’t really salve our consciences.....

There's something really quite gross about this place. I know it isn't just Americans, but this excess, of flesh (covered and uncovered), alcohol, all-you-can-eat buffets, slot machines, casinos you can't get out of, 2 and 3 star hotels, and people seeming to be enjoying it - I don't know, I just find it really yuk. Maybe it would be different if we were staying at the Wynn or the Aria, or the Bellagio, but somehow I don't think so.

A highlights was the Bellagio Fountain performing to music (Pink Panther, and some Italian opera for the two sessions we watched).

Things we’ve learnt:

A: TBA

B: You get what you pay for; and I don’t like Las Vegas.