Doing The Strip (fully clothed)

Late start today….Annelise volunteered to go to the Starbucks across the road for breakfast. Left the room at 1130 and set out to see the sights of the strip.

First on the agenda was the Palazzo: ambled through the mall, flanked with Fendi, Dior Jimmy Choo etc (no-one buying) and reached the legendary Venetian canal, complete with gondolas. The clear turquoise water made it look a bit false though! Further on was a replica of St Marks Sq......I guess this is as close to foreign culture that some Americans get.

Popped into a shopping Mall opposite our hotel. Back home this would be a major retail magnet, but out here you cold blink and miss it in the shadows of the skyscraper hotels all around. Tucked into a vat of minestrone soup and trough of leaves for lunch whilst planning the sights to see in what was left of the afternoon: lions at the MGM, flamingos at the Flamingo, view from the stratosphere, botanical garden and Warhol exhibition at the Bellagio. The plan was hi-jacked when I noticed the offer of a free Craps lesson in the Palazzo. An hour later I was shooting the dice with our fellow students from Austin Texas, and….losing more money….

Went back to change and stopped at a $10 blackjack table to utilize Tuesday's winnings. Annelise asked if she could have some chips to play too as she was yet to have a go at gambling since we arrived. I said absolutely not as we would then lose our reserves twice as fast. I got The Look and handed over the remaining $100 chip.

Cut our losses and headed across the road to watch the pirate ship battle outside Treasure Island. I was expecting some kind of Pirates of the Caribbean meets p**** Cat Dolls spectacle, however a light breeze meant the show was cancelled. Gutted! Small compensation awaited next door in the form or a volcanic eruption show outside the Mirage followed by the fountain show at the Bellagio.

Next, down to New York New York where I'd seen an intimidating looking roller coaster built around the hotel. A-lo politely declined my invitation to join me and packed me off with a new friend whose husband was also too chicken. Ride was awesome - huge drops, loop the loop and corkscrew - but all I could hear were whoops, yells and shiiiiiiiiiuuuuuugh from the follow passengers.

It was getting late so took in some sushi and chicken yakatori opposite the Wynn before heading back for a final flutter. I think we were getting a bit casino-ed out by then: we struggled manfully on the $10 roulette table with some very dull punters until our free drinks arrived, then made our excuses. Somehow we'd come out up on our money without even trying.

Another wheel, another free drink from scantily clad waitress and time to head for the bar for a final tipple. Got talking to a Californian couple: once they found we were from the UK, they asked if the recession had hit Europe yet. Time to go…….