Day 8
It was an early start today for the next leg on our journey to Las Vegas or Sin City as the locals call it. A small shuttle bus took us to the Anaheim Luxor bus depot, where we were transferred to a larger coach, which would take us to Vegas. The coach is classified as a luxury bus; leather seats, cup holders, TV screens, and a funny, but slightly annoying hostess with a Russian accent who would serve us our food and drink on our journey. I think she could be related to Borat.
We left Anaheim, which approximately forty minutes west of Beverly Hills around 9am. It was another thirty minutes later until we had cleared the urban sprawl of LA., which illustrates the size of the city. Nearly the entire population of Australia can fit in its borders. Clearing Chino, the freeway, heads through the steep yellow and green Santa Anna Mountains. We head for the town of Barstow the last bastion of civilisation (I use that term loosely) before we head across the desert to Las Vegas.
We arrive at Barstow (pictured above) at 10.30am, a small town, whose whole purpose out in the desert seems to serve the coaches on the way to Vegas. It is hot as Hades out here, a dry heat that sucks the life out of you. Louise and I buy an ice cream at the shopping centre to cool down There were about a dozen buses in the car park, and it is here that we see for the first time the people you see on Jerry Springer - real Americans from the Midwest and southern states, whom the more sophisticated LA and New Yorkers snobbishly refer as “The fly over States', the places you fly over between LA and New York.
At precisely 10.55am we're back on the air-conditioned bus and nobody is late back on the bus, because nobody wants to be left in Barstow. The only people left in Barstow have six fingers and are named Earl. Around midday the landscape changes, and the oddly shaped Cactus or is that Cacti called Joshua trees can be seen. They are probably the only thing that can live out there it so hot. (pictured below)
At 1pm we can see Las Vegas in the distance, literally in the middle of the desert. Unbelievable! Could you imagine the guy trying to sell the original Las Vegas concept, “Yeah, we’re going to build a city in the middle of the desert, and everybody is going to come and gamble away all their money.” They must have laughed at him at the time, but come they did, and last year over 40 million people visited Las Vegas.
As we exited the air conditioned bus, the hot air blasted us, like a hot air dryer blowing directly on your face. We later learnt it was 41 degrees. Checking into The Mirage Hotel (pictured above)was an experience. The check in counter has twenty staff working like robots. To get to the elevators you have to cross the casino. Now the casino is like Sydney’s entire poker machine rooms stretched end to end. Dad, you thought the Bankstown Sports Club was big, you should see this place. Up the elevator and to our floor, and I can’t see the end of the corridor it is so long. This hotel is huge catering for over 3,000 people a night.
We have a great room (pictured below) overlooking the famous Las Vegas strip, and they have high speed internet access, so I’m very excited. They also have a $6.99 buffet (beat that Hornsby RSL). I love America.
After settling into our room, we walked next door to the Ceasars Palace Shopping mall (pictured below), a luxurious shopping centre, complete with Ancient Roman Architecture. They even had an imitation Trevi Fountian, and a full size Trogan Horse (Yeh, I know its technically Greek). We went shopping at GAP, which is a great clothing store, along the lines of Just Jeans, but with good quality clothing, at Big W prices. The shop attendant thought we were English, like many Americans do, and then asked why we eat Kangaroo tails. I want to know why everthing in Australia costs twice the US price.
We had dinner in the Hotel's buffett, and it was simply outstanding - the best buffett I've ever had. The food was top restaurant quality, and a waitress hovered around never letting our drinks get less than half full, whilst we feasted on this amazing food . I was very impressed that they even peeled the prawns. After dinner we waddled (slowly) back to our room, exhausted.
We were watching television tonight when we saw Taser Stun guns being advertised for personal protection. We can’t even get Tasers issued to front line New South Wales Police, and they are selling them on infomercials like sets of steak knives! You can even get a Taser in hot pink (Louise wants one), which is designed to fit in your handbag. Only in America!
