Viva Las Vegas

As they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Therefore according to the rule I shouldn't really tell you anything on pain of death. However as nothing really debaucherous happened maybe I can tell you.... that is unless this is a double bluff and I'm secretly covering up our evenings of card counting on Black Jack tables and European strippers by pretending that nothing "really happened." I guess you'll never really know right ;-)

In short Las Vegas was totally amazing, like Disney on acid full of adults where anything can happen and it really does. Jenpen and I were joined by two other Green Tortoise members; Cat and Kim (let me just make a note that we were now onto the four week mark of travelling together and Jen still hadn't had to take one of her "walks" she threatened in the beginning because I had driven her crazzzzzyyyyyyyyyyy). Our Hilton hotel room was AMAZING after sleeping on the bus all week, also the fact we had a fully working shower which we could use hourly if needed was lush after not washing in 6 days (ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww). Also we managed to get upgraded to an even lusher room which on paper would seem impossible as at check in I was wearing a cagoule and sporting unwashed 6 day hair.

One of the most amazing Las Vegas memories has to be the best freebie of all time; $375 Cirque de Soleil tickets thanks to my legendary flatmate Rhi. Having carried around our ball dresses and high heels for weeks just for this one event there was a massive amount of expectation....and we were not disappointed. We went to see "Love" which is The Beatles musical done on a 360 degree stage with breath taking acrobatics and amazing stunts. I don't think I closed my mouth once in the whole two hours it was that good and too add to it we had some of the best seats in the house.

I went to Paris, Venice, and New York all in one night (I'm an expensive girl to keep) and drank 99c margaritas which were NASTY. Jen and I then discovered Fat Tuesdays (Ol had taken me when I stayed with him in Philly and lets just say I don't remember making it home back then and it was only 4 in the afternoon) and along with the crazy alcoholic slush puppies they sold and happy hours at many a famous hotel we were soon on the way to a REAL "fear and loathing in Las Vegas" experience. Unfortunately we did sing karaoke (much to the horror of Las Vegas but it was in ode of the Queen Bianca of karaoke) and then Jen fell asleep in the toilets for a while whilst I made friends with a drunk Japanese old lady We also saw a massive amount of celebs, alas my American sporting culture sucks so I didn't really have a clue who half of them were but we saw the Rock filming in one of the casinos and were serenaded by Elton John in Planet Hollywood :-D.

We hired the ULTIMATE car to drive to the Hoover Dam, a convertible white Mustang, nice times nice times. However having only ever driven India (and that was over a year ago), never mind an automatic or on the other side of the bloody road it was going to be an interesting road trip. Having made it squeal horridly as we pulled out from the car hire place (I didn't realise you couldn't rest your foot on the break) the drive to the dam was an ultimate Thelma and Louise experience (without the dodgy head scarves). Jen chickened out of driving (unless you count her numerous laps round a car park in Red Rock national park) which was understandable after what happened when I was driving over the dam (we don't mention it because car hire companies have ears)!

Unfortunately neither Jen nor I came back from Las Vegas as millionaires, however on the more positive side at least we didn't come back married. Although I have to admit doing a Britney would be an amazing dinner party story....