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Today finds us writing our last blog for the US before we catch our flight to Fiji, and a short one it will be we're afraid, as we haven't really done all that much!
The journey to Las Vegas from San Diego was, as usual, not without it's drama! Collecting our tickets and queuing ready for our bus it soon became apparent that we were going to be leaving late, and our 15 minute window to catch our connecting bus in San Barnandino was looking smaller and smaller by the minute, but once we boarded the driver assured all on board that she would phone ahead and make sure that the bus did not leave without us!
Due to arrive in San Barnandino at 1pm, we finally arrive at 1.45pm, and as promised the bus was there waiting! Phew! And so on we got, with a drug dealer to the left of us (why else would you need three mobiles??? Oh and there is no way he cuts the drugs himself as his nails where far too long for a man, and the white powder would get caught in his nails for sure!), and a drug user infront if us! She spent the next couple of hours twitching around in her seat, obviously due to the "help" she had taken to "get her through the journey", as she declared to half the bus. Thankfully many of these characters left the bus after a couple of hours into the journey towards Vegas and we were soon on our way to the city that never sleeps, due to arrive there at 6pm, but leaving late we knew we had a bit of catching up to do.
With 70 odd miles to go til we hit Vegas our bus all of a sudden started braking and pulled onto the hard shoulder. It would appear that a bus that left at the same time as ours from San Barnandino on its way to Vegas had broken down. And so came the challenge of trying to fit all the passeengers from that bus onto ours, luggage and all! Amazingly it was acheived, and somewhat full we were back on our way, and arrived in Vegas just over two hours later that our expected time, making our journey there just over 10 exhausting hours!
Getting off the bus we knew we then had to catch a couple of local buses to get to our hotel, which would take another hour, and so we asked the one taxi driver outside the Greyhound bus station how much he would charge and dismissed him instantly at the $20 he wanted to charge. Organising our day packs back onto our backpacks a gentleman then approached us and offered to take us for $15 and explained that he was an off duty taxi driver, we agreed, and started to follow him to his car, which he explains is his own and not his regular taxi . . . . alarm bells!!!! But deciding that we are together and "should" be safe we go ahead, ensuring that the driver was fully aware that we had been to vegas before, and knew the way to the hotel etc!! Thankfully it turned out he was really nice, and really just trying to make an few extra bucks in this downtrodden time.
Checking in and dumping our bags, we head to the garage for some liquid refreshment (alcohol not fuel) before heading to bed.
Next morning is Christmas Eve and we decide to walk an hour to the closest supermarket to stock up on supplies for the "Big Day". Walking around the supermarket, Ollie soon becomes most disappointed at the fact that they have no "traditional" Christmas fare! No, mince pies, no Christmas Cake, no Quality Streets, no Christmas pudding, no Twiglets, no sugared armonds, no turkish delight or cheese footballs!!! What the hell type of Christmas was this going to be??!! So instead we load up the trolley with donuts, munchies and chocolate, with a bit of the healthy stuff of strawberries, carrot sticks and celery sticks thrown in for good measure! Oh and of course the booze! A couple of bottles of 1.5 litres of white wine, one of red, two bottles of Champagne and a box of beer!
Off we head to the till and start loading everything on the conveyor when the assistant suddenly declares that if we get another bottle of alcohol we'll get 5% off!! Whoo Hoo, "Run Ollie Run"!! So that will be three bottles of Champagne! The assistant then pipes up with, "oh I do hope I haven't pushed you into buying extra, it all depends on how many people you have coming to join you for the holidays", at which Sasha replies, "Oh no, it's just the two of us!". Laughter erupts from the assistant and the two bag packers "Oh god, is that bad of us? asks Sasha. "Well, you certainly wont be moving for a few days!!"
Off we trundle to the bus stop to catch the bus back with our excess of food and alcohol, just in time to Skype Hayley to wish her a Merry Christmas in Australia.
Awaking early on Christmas day we find that we must have booked the cheap room as Santa had not visited, due to that lack of chiminey, and so to console ourselves with crack open a bottle of the champagne to wash down our strawberries and await those on skpe to contact us! We managed to have fantastic conversations with both sets of parents who were all obviously having a great time finishing off their Christmas in the UK, as well as a chat with Tony celebrating Christmas with his brother and Paige.
The rest of the day consisted of continued drinking, a bit of a Christmas snooze, off to the casino for a quick gamble and a few margaritas before back to the room for more booze and junk food, and of course the obligitory Christmas films!
Boxing day was a day of little movement, apart from Sasha rolling off the bed to make her way to the bathroom to be sick! A little too much Christmas cheer was had it seems!!
The next few days we ambled around a few of the casinos that we had missed on our first trip, as well as had a walk to the "Welcome to Vegas" sign, and kept Ollie happy by filling up on burritos!
Then came the move to our new hotel at the other end of the strip for New Year. The night before Sasha had developed a tickly cough, and awoke that morning feeling pretty rough. But on she soldiered the 20 min walk to the bus stop to catch the bus up the strip.
The next few days were spent mostly in the bedroom. Not in that way you filthy minded beasts! In the way that Sasha was pretty ill, and was unable to keep too much food down.
The casino that we were in had an all you could eat buffet, that if you signed up to their free rewards card, lunch was just $6.99. As and when Sasha was able to move each day we headed there to get our days meal. Ollie taking the "All you Eat" as a challenge each day!
On one particular day Sasha was feeling pretty ok and so off we headed, paying our entrance fee and finding our table quick before grabbing a plate to pile high. Sasha managed a small plate of salad before having to head out of the dining area as a nose bleed had come on. Ollie was then a little concerned that she might not be able to get back in, as she has not taken the receipt with her to gain entry again . . . but on he ate! Thankfully she shortly returned and Ollie, ensuring she was able to sit for awhile in her feverish state, headed to the dessert aisle!
New Years Eve was again spent in the hotel room, with Ollie heading out for OJ and painkillers for Sasha, and a big bottle of Red wine for himself, watching on TV what we would have attended at the Fremont Experience.
So then comes the time to leave Vegas and we awake to snow!! Snow?? In a dersert??! Yep, the tempuratures had plumetted overnight and it would seem that some of the roads had been closed due to the bad conditions. Result being, the Greyhound bus station was heaving! No one had managed to get their bus the day before and so we had two days worth of people all jammed into the very small area. Queuing to get our ticket, we still hadn't made it to the front, by the time our bus was due to leave. Thankfully however, no buses were leaving on time, and extra buses were being put on. Off we headed to the back of the queue for our bus line and waited . . . and waited. And hour after our departure time they started to load some of the priority passengers (those that pay $5 extra to get on the bus first), and they then open the door for our queue. But instead of orderly taking the first persons ticket and letting them board the bus, the driver calls for passengers by location instead. "Hollywood, anyone going to Hollywood?" With that, with little chance for Ollie to catch what she was doing Sasha run, with backpack in hand, right to the front of the queue! So she can carry it!!!! And on we get to a bus bound to LA.
Already being told that we would have to change at LA for our Hollywood stop, we arrive in LA ready to go through the xray machines, and ready to lie about any sharp objects in our bag. We are told by an assistant that a bus for hollywood was due to leave in 15 minutes, so happily we start to head to the correct door, when all of a sudden an anouncement comes over the tannoy that ALL buses are delayed for 2 hours! 2 hours?? The trip to Hollywood only takes 20 mins!! And so off we head to catch a taxi and find our way back to familiar surroundings, that of the Banana Bungalows.
The following days were spent seeing Stan Lee receiving his star on the walk of fame, and general chilling out in Hollywood. Thankfully catching a couple of days of good weather to warm us up after our Vegas chill.
And so we find ourselves checked out of the hostel and waiting for our taxi to take us to the airport, hopefully to some sunny climes in the form of Fiji . . . however, it is the rainy season there right now, so who knows what adventures are ahead of us!
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The Parentals If you were looking for cheesy balls,sugared almonds and Quality Street, they are all still here.We bought the usual amount of goodies and had no one to demolish them.Love the latest blog, Take care xxx