LAS VEGAS!!! We drove through the desert feeling very strange that by that afternoon we were going to be in a place which was so completely different from where we had been for the previous few days. We had got used to driving for miles on end without seeing another car. We had decided that during that time we were probably the furthest from another human being that we had ever been. Let's face it, at home we each have about 3 square foot to ourselves, so it is a very alien feeling to be so alone. Anyway, philosophising over (it never lasts long!) we decided we should really try and book a room for the evening as it was Columbus Day so the chances that we would be surrounded by Americans on long weekend gambling trips to Vegas were quite high. Cynthia had told us that her friend Dave had a cafe called Cafe C'est Si Bon in a little town (frankly they're all little!) on our way out, where we could get online. Off we trotted, finding it very easily. We went in and introduced ourselves to Dave. He has a really nice little place and we had a really refreshing Cranberry Cocktail. Emily asked to use his loo and discovered herself being shown through his bedroom into a doorless bathrom...needs must, I guess! When I asked about the internet, Dave said that it wouldn't be a problem, he'd just have to get his son Olivier off the computer. Olivier, being 8 years old and told that he had to stop playing his Spongebob Squarepants computer game, was less than impressed, but he warmed to us a little bit eventually! We booked three nights at the Luxor, which had been recommended by Peter and Deanne the previous night and marvelled at a) how we were going to be staying in a 4 star hotel after a fairly large number of sh!tty places on our journey so far b) how this 4 star hotel was going to cost about the same as a Travelodge in somewhere like Stoke on Trent. Feeling rather rude, being sat in Dave and Olivier's living room, we finished up quite quickly. Bidding farewell to Dave and Olivier (who I don't think was particularly sad to be seeing the back of us, particularly as we had eaten all the grapes his dad had put in a bowl for him) we headed out. We knew that we would come to Pahrump fairly soon and so decided to stop for a bite to eat. When we got there, we were glad when we saw two dodgy looking blokes offering car washes at the side of the road as we thought we'd better get the desert washed off our car before having it valet parked at the hotel! Handing the car over, we saw a nearby cafe that we thought would be ideal for killing some time. We settled ourselves in and I headed for the bathroom, coincidentally at the same time as the waitress. If I tell you that she talked to me throughout the whole 'process' then you'll perhaps understand how intrigued people are by us. She wanted to know where we from, why we were there, and to tell me how cute my accent was. Strangely she also told me that Pahrump is the only place in the States where prostitution, or at least brothels, are legal. As I was (probably quite awkwardly) giggling, she also told me that her bosses were from Ipswich and she'd have to tell them we'd been in (did she think we'd know one another?!) Anyway, our grilled cheese sandwiches arrived with little union jack flags stuck in them and then the owners unexpectedly arrived. They were a really nice couple who'd relocated out there 2 years ago. They were very excited to hear that we were going to Vegas as it was their favourite place, and wanted to tell us all the things we needed to do, and all the odd stuff we needed to see. We talked to them for a good hour, so the dodgy blokes with our car must've wondered if we were going to come back, but it was really nice to talk to Brits and get their opinions on the place we were about to visit. I have to admit that I was prepared not to like Vegas, but I was encouraged by their enthusiasm so we excitedly headed off (in our shiny car.)

It was very strange to only drive for an hour through the desert and then see Vegas gleaming on the horizon. The first thing you see is the Stratosphere hotel tower but as you get closer you start to see all the landmarks. Our hotel was ideally located on the south end of the strip, but we decided to drive up and down to orient ourselves a bit. The place is AMAZING! There is such a buzz there. The hotels have to be seen to be believed...New York New York has the Brooklyn Bridge out the front with the Statue of Liberty right next to it and a full size roller coaster right there on the pavement - it's very disconcerting to hear the people screaming as you drive along...Paris has the Eiffel Tower and the Arc du Triomphe...outside the MGM Grand is a great big bronze lion statue and outside the Bellagio we saw the fountains that you see at the end of Ocean's Eleven. Nobody crosses the road as they have ideally positioned footbridges over the roads which you get up to on the outdoor escalators. Maybe this is what Newport will be like once the Regeneration Project is complete, eh? Feeling that actually being in Las Vegas for the next few days might not be too much of a chore, we headed to the Luxor to check in...Off to Fiji tonight. I'll update asap. Miss you all xx