I woke up at 9am and casually wandered downstairs hoping to get a Grand Canyon tour booked but apparently they leave at 6am! So I'll do it at the end of my trip - I think not rushing it will make it more special too :)
So I had a couple of coffees and a nice man staying at the hostel made me a pancake, which I doused in maple syrup. It was so good. I had a shower and got ready to head downtown at 10:30am.
I walked to a casino called the Golden Nugget which I had heard a lot about - mainly because they have a pool resort that includes an aquarium water slide - no brainer. It was $35 to get in but I got access to the sun loungers and towels and the whole pool resort until 9pm (in case I wanted to be there that long because there's nothing else to do? Crazy...) they gave me a paper wristband, which is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. However the slide was amazing! The first time I shot through and was concentrating on my breathing as I wasn't expecting the slide to be so fast! The second time I sat up very slightly which slowed me down slightly through the aquarium and I could see a lot more clearly that I was surrounded by sharks and big fish.
After I left, I walked around to find the right bus stop which for some reason took me about 30 minutes! I found it though and took it to Mandalay bay where I went to a shark reef aquarium - yay! Such an aquatic day :) I also went to the sea monsters exhibit and learnt loads of stuff. Who knew that you could actually learn stuff in Vegas? Apart from learning lessons about being too drunk.
I was hungry and craving Mexican food before long so I went to a Mexican place to indulge in some nachos and a Margherita! Both amazing but.... I experienced cultural friction. When asking for the rest to go, the guy was lovely and went off to get a box for me. Then he came back and GAVE me the box then carried on with his day. Woah.... Hold up. That - is - rude! So I paid in exact change (only in excess of 1 cent) and in my tipsy but still very British state, I asked the waitresses about it. They said it was customary in a 'quick bar' but the more high-end the restaurant the more likely that they will do it for you. Really?! Well, I felt it was rude so stuck to my British custom of passively aggressively leaving no tip, slipping away into the night as if 'everything was fine, thank you.'
It was so excessively hot outside and I had had a Margherita so decided to get a cab to the mirage which was $14.07 and asking for change met me with dismay and disbelief. Well I got $2 back out of principle because the other amount was technically 20% which is an acceptable tip. I was still pissed off about the box to be fair and was just angry at America and taking it out on this driver. Oh well!
I picked up my pre-booked 'Love' ticket and waited from 7:30pm for the volcano show outside. Scooby doo and elmo appeared, naturally. Along with a big portion of Chinese tourists and a side serving of drunken idiots who sang the scooby doo theme tune whilst clutching luke-warm beers in their sweaty palms. Lavley. The volcano show was 8 minutes long and consisted of red lights lighting up the water, lots of fire (although we are in the desert and it's already 40 degrees) and again, plenty of Chinese tourists. It was pretty though :)
The show started letting people in at 9pm so I was chatting to Chris, a guy that worked there, for 10 minutes or so beforehand. He was lovely and said that Yoko Ono, Paul and Ringo were there not too long ago celebrating 10 years of the Beatles Cirque Du Soleil! Amazing.
The show was breathtaking - from choreography, to costume, from sets and props to acrobatic prowess. 'Yesterday' was beautiful and involved a couple dancing acrobatically with each other. 'Help!' Involved 4 roller skaters on ramps jumping over and under each other - that was incredible too.... The octopuses garden had octopuses floating around, projected in screens and 4 acrobats dressed up as such, doing their thing.
It told a story that was the history of Britain from war to liberation and it made me homesick yet so proud to be British. The Big Ben clock face was projected on the stage, train stations were replicated, cabs were emulated and real recordings of the band talking to each other and singing narrated the entire show. So, so, so worth the money and probably the best show I've ever seen!
Took the bus back and by the time I got in, only had time for 2 hours sleep before my taxi to the airport.
What an amazing way to end my stay in Vegas.... Spending money on art and culture, not throwing it away into the greedy mouths of glittery machines.

Next stop - San Fran!