Day 49: I can see why they call it Sin City...

Left the hostel early today but not before having my free pancakes. I had a shuttle booked to LAX, which turned up late and I pretty sure that the driver was drunk. He would stop outside of some rundown shack and say "Bruce Willis lives there", giggle and carry on driving. He stopped for cigarettes and coffee and ontop of L.A early mornign traffic, it meant that I got to the front of check-in at exactly 4 minutes before my flights check-in closed. So I had to run to my gate. It really pissed me off just because I always leave so much time for check-in and because he was a twat, it nearly made me miss my flight. So my day started off badly, but flying over the Nevada desert and seeing Las Vegas a.k.a Sin City, a small dot in the distance, turn into a chaos of highrise hotels put a smile on my face.

Vegas is everything I remember it to be and more. My room is out of this world. After 7 weeks of dorms and couches, the Planet Hollywood is pure luxury. The bathroom is as big as my living room back home and my room is meant for celebrity entourage as it is behins a bit private door next to the luxury suite. Not sure who is in the at the moment ut they are noisy.

I got a free buffet as part of my room package and a Vegas buffet is like no other. As you can tell from the picture of the cake I uploaded.

So, I sit here on a velvet poof (the stall thingy) looking at the view from ym 26th floor room, listening to the music coming out of the i-pod docking system they provide and thinking i'm damn lucky.

Then I realise that I haven't actually been outside properly yet. I had gone from the airport to the shuttle and then straight into the hotel. When I went outside I was hit by a huge wall of heat. There was some wind as well, which made it worse as it felt like someone was following me with a giant hairdryer. The heat is horrible - just like I remembered it, and it was still over 100F at midnight.

I walked up and down the strip tonight and went to the Bellagio (the casino in Oceans 11) to watch the water fountain display with was awesome and then went inside to gamble. I then went to ceasers palace for a couple of drinks and to gable some more. I was very happy to find that you can play on slot machines that are only 1 cent per play, so you can play for longer without spending too much. I then realise I had no idea what I was doing - I was just pressing buttons and reacting to all the pretty colours. I won a few dollars, but soon lost it all again. The casinos really do always win.

I put a $5 bet on black 7 on the roulette table - and lost. But at least i tired.

Saw a lot of people win a lot of money on the pker tables, but I dont know how to play properly, so I stayed well away from the,.

So, I have come here and gambles, drank, and eaten lots. Sin City it is indeed.

Everyone (well most) is drunk on the streets in Vegas as it is legal to drink on the streets here. Prostitutes are also legal and I got offered many. I told them I am not here for THAT kind of a holiday.

There are also lots of preachers telling you to turnyour back on sun and find Jesus (I have been looking for him). Tough audience in Vegas.