Throw another shrimp on the bar-b

Whatever day this is, it's a catchup day, time to visit family of these friends of Becky's who we've inflicted ourselves upon; I do feel sorry for them as they're probably happy to see her but totally unsure what the "mother" is like. I have met some of them before but it was a long time ago and why would they remember, I didn't mean anything to them!.

We wake up to our first proper day on the Sunshine Coast thinking yesterday was just bad luck and today will be warm and dry and just as we imagined this part of the world to be! Ha Ha! Good trick all you Australians who thought it was a good idea to call it the Sunshine Coast when it's wetter than England in a bad summer! So, no rush, the friends we're visiting have planned the original Australian bar-be-que for us, not quite the beach but a house in the outback (spiders and snakes come to mind, but I have to dismiss this thought so as not to be rude!) and we're planning to head out that way lunchtime, about 12 after picking up Oli's mum who has prepared a load of food. All is going to plan until a phone call about 11 explains that the torrential rain we're having might have washed the road out and we may not be able to get through! Great, looking good!

Lots of rain, but the word is that the road is ok at the moment so of course we give it a go. We leave to pick up Oli's mum and the food and drive out into the outback. It's not that far, only about 20 minutes, and we get there without any problems and stop at the top of their road to pick up some alcohol, the only acceptable thing to take to an Australian bar-be-cue, handy this bottle store!


If you can read the writing on the side of this building, you'll understand the Australian psyche!
Eventually, we get there and the road hasn't quite been washed away but the torrential rain is more torrential than you can imagine! Continuous rain, bar-b-cue under cover in the garden and a selection of salads all combine with the lovely people we're visiting who have all put themselves out just for us and make it a really pleasant and welcoming afternoon. A real pleasure to be a part of this family's gathering, even though I feel like I've just turned up without an invitation just because I know someone they know, but they all make me feel very welcome! There was a lovely selection of food, but I don't know what happened to the shrimps, I thought that was all they had out here but I suppose we weren't on the beach so maybe that's the difference! You just can't rely on these stereotypes!

During the afternoon, Oliver noticed that one of his tyres on his lovely shiny car was flat and after re-inflating it, it soon started to go down again. That might be a problem in view of the weather, spare tyre is just meant for a short journey to the tyre shop, not for touring the Sunshine Coast which had been the plan for the following day, so the situation was under review. After some discussion, Oliver's brother kindly offered to let us have their second car and would change the tyres the following day when it might not be raining so much, and we at least would have a car to go sightseeing in the following day. Apparently, none of the tyre shops needed to put the problem right would be open on a Sunday, we had to wait til Monday. Poor Oliver and his nice shiny car, sorry about the fact that our bad luck, which we seem to manage to drag round with us wherever we go has managed to get a foothold here too.

When its time to leave, we get the substitute car and Oliver tries to reverse out of the drive, opening all windows and lighting all lights trying to find the appropriate gears and brakes but we get there in the end, never a dull moment with the Smith family, but I bet you wish we'd stayed at home!

Where did that time go?

After picking up our bags and getting the quickest taxi ride to the airport, free debate on politics and President Obama / Tony Blair included, we check in on Wednesday 27th February for a 14 hour flight to Brisbane. All goes well, Becky and I have a spare seat between us so can spread out a bit (the nice lady who checked us in must've thought we needed a bit of space!) so we're boarded and off before we know it! A quick dinner and then the lights go down and we try to sleep which we both manage, me with the help of some sleeping tablets but needs must!

Becky has always had trouble with her ears, she used to get earache a lot when she was little and as a mother, you always feel guilty if your child suffers at all so when she had to have grommets in her ears as a little girl, I was there wishing that I could take away the pain and go through it myself, not her. She's grown up used to it all but really suffers when flying so taking paracetamol and ibuprofen before take-off and landing is standard procedure, as is screwing in special earplugs which help balance the air pressure, and of course sucking sweets! She did all this on the way up, slept through and when we were getting ready for breakfast, she couldn't find the earplugs! They were in the special container before she slept but gone by the time she woke up. Well, she turned herself and her seat pretty much inside out and upside down trying to find them and couldn't, had breakfast and then tried again to find them. I had a look behind our seats where there was a space for the crew members and the very nice steward asked what we were doing as Becky was upside down on her seat. He then launched into the small gap between seats and turned it all inside out but still with no luck so poor Becky had to suffer the landing with cheap, nay free, earplugs which seemingly worked as well, if not better than the £8 ones she had lost! I don't normally suffer, a sweet to suck on is all I need, but this time my ears really started to hurt and not just hurt, I thought they were probably bleeding by this stage but we were landing and it was too late to take anything for it and I hoped it would stop as soon as we landed, which it did but that's not fair - Becky was fine after all that fuss looking for those earplugs and I suffered doubly for it - that bit where I said I would rather suffer than see her suffer - scrub that - she can take it! That's life eh!

Eventually we land early and it's Friday 1st March - where did Thursday 28th February go? Time travelling into the future is here and now! Confused, yes I am, crossing the International Date Line really messes with my head, so am I on day 8, 9 or 10? Who knows?

Well, we're here anyway and after queuing for an hour Disney style, backwards and forwards, to get through passport control we finally come out into the airport and at last a friendly face, or at least a familiar one as Becky's friend Oliver met us. Getting out of the airport, we're impressed as its very warm and we're on the Sunshine Coast so at last a chance to get some sun and have a good few days relaxing and catching up with friends. It turns out its all a lie - its not the Sunshine Coast at all. It soon started raining and when it starts, that's it - still warm and humid but very wet rain. Oliver drove us back to Caloundra, an hour north of Brisbane, where we would be staying with him for a few days in his unit - Do you live in an Industrial Unit and haven't told us asked Becky?

When we get to the Unit, and a very comfortable unit it is too, we settle in and then Oliver's mum, who has moved from our home town, comes round to say hello and we all go for a walk to get some lunch from a beachside cafe - yes, this is definitely a bit more like it - sand, sea and a beach cafe. At last, a bit of relaxing. We go back to Oli's mum's flat after lunch and then by the time we make our way back to Oli's, we're starting to wane. It's time for a bit of tea just to keep us going so a quick look in the food cupboard to see what we could have reveals a tin of spaghetti and sausages that Oli got on special offer, buy one get one free, ate one tin and didn't like it so its been there a while, and a tub of peanut butter - hmmmmm, not much choice then. There was a packet of pasta but nothing to go with it! Ok, Becky and I have spaghetti and sausages on toast and very good it was too! Hard luck Oli!

Time differences worked out, we try for a quick catch up with the family back home, my son and my other daughter on Face Time (technology is bloody amazing), and I show them around the flat, just a quick look but I show them the food cupboard so they can see how Oli has prepared for our stay, sorry Oli - really wasn't trying to embarrass you, I found it very funny though, as did the family, who all know him well and both gave him appropriate comments on his catering skills! It's nice to all catch up but we're ready for our bed by 9 and our host informs us this is the normal bedtime for most of Queensland anyway, so we don't feel so bad! Time for bed Zebedee, boiiinnnggg!

And on the Seventh Day ...

After a fairly good night's sleep, (well Becky slept well, my sleep pattern is still very erratic but probably amounts to two hours sleep, one hour awake) we were awakened by the annoying lady next door talking loudly with her roommates, I bet they wish they had killed her after all, or maybe they thought they had but she wasn't quite dead - damn! After laying in bed for a short time trying not to listen and get back to sleep, I knocked on the connecting door and asked for some quiet please, some people are trying to sleep and its only 5 o'clock. She laughed, made a comment to the effect that at least they weren't having sex and her roommates told her to be quiet. It didn't work but they did get up and go out for breakfast I presume, or maybe they killed her! Anyway, we weren't going to get much more sleep!

It was time to be moving on, no day of rest for us but our next flight wasn't until ten to midnight so we had a whole day to fill. Before leaving home I had looked at the "things to do in LA" website and wasn't very inspired. My last visit to LA was with all the family in 2000 and we had all felt like LA was rather dirty, scary, intimidating and not somewhere we wanted to be so revisiting wasn't really because we really had to get back there, it just happened to fit into the itinerary so when in LA, do Disney or Universal Studios - what else is there? I looked at the Universal Studios website before leaving home and noticed a "VIP Experience"! Oooh, I thought, that might be good and my other half isn't with me so I might get away with that! When I mentioned it to Becky, she reverted to her 10 year old self and got very excited - "yes, that's a good idea, I think we should". "Oh, ok then!"

Because the taxi fares so far had been quite high, we asked at reception about getting a bus to Universal. The nice english lady had told us which bus to get and that it would be two buses and only $1.50 each for each bus - bargain - but we would need to catch the 8 o'clock bus! Not such a good idea as the tickets I'd booked the day before were for 11 o'clock! During one of my awake spells in the night, I had laid there thinking it might be easier to get a taxi after all, giving us time for breakfast and a more leisurely packing up ready to get to the airport later. So after being rudely awakened by next door, I ran this idea past Becky and also, what's the point in doing a VIP Experience and turning up by bus - well, it just shouldn't be done!

We got packed up ready for another long flight, went to IHOP for breakfast, and then left our bags with the hotel and checked out after asking them to order us a taxi. All good so far! Then the taxi arrived and when we asked to go to Universal Studios, he didn't seem keen - what's the matter with these drivers? Then we noticed he was still wearing the dinner shirt that he was obviously wearing when he went out last night to do his other job, whatever that might be (I'm thinking hit man but I keep quiet!)??? As we drove through a very busy LA, having thought the rush hour would be over by now, we noticed the driver had a really bad sniff - I'm guessing he had a cold coming!! Becky thought he liked Coke or Pepsi or something! Eventually we got there and it was only $60, good job I left John at home I thought!

The sun is shining, we're in Universal Studios LA and we're VIP's for the day - cooool! I'm impressed even if no one else is! So we make our way through, get a picture taken with Marilyn Monroe, thank you very much, and go sign in for the VIP experience. Shown to the VIP Lounge, we realise what a mistake we made by having breakfast at the IHOP as there's a delicious selection is pastries, muffins, fruit and cold drinks as well as coffee and tea. Damn!


Not only all that food, but free wifi too. Look family at home, see where we are and what you're missing!

So the Tour started at 11 and the group we were with had a couple of the usual weirdos that we manage to attract but we tried to keep away from them and overall we did better than usual today! The great thing about the tour was that we didn't have to keep checking the map and see where we wanted to go next, we were led from ride to ride and taken to the front of the queue by our guide, met when we came off and taken to the next one. Brilliant! After a few very exciting rides, including the Simpsons and new Transformers ride, (I know I'm too old to be excited by all this but, I'm sorry, I was, and I remembered how much I love it!) we were taken to a Parisian restaurant for the most beautiful buffet lunch and desserts, which we couldn't really do justice to but it was yummy. So yummy in fact that we just dived in and only realised too late that we didn't take a photo for you! Sorry! Try imagining a beautiful buffet and it was better than that ok?

After lunch, we had the Studio Tour which took us to film lots not usually seen on the normal Tour and after that a couple more rides before the park closed. We were taken to the House of Horrors which we haven't done before and I expected it to be like the Disney ride where you go through a scary bit, then get a ride, but no, we walked through black corridors with dangling threads in our faces. It all seemed a bit tame to start until verrry scary ghostly film characters came out of the darkness at us and came so close without quite touching us that we were soon clutching each other and screaming at everything, even the man walking through in front of us! We walked through with hands out in front of us to fend off the scary creatures, which didn't really work, and were very relieved to get to the end, me still alive and not having had a heart attack, and Becky still having a voice because she'd screamed so much. It was good but I don't think I want to do it again!

Park closing time and we head for Guest Relations to see how to get that bus home. It should have triggered that alarm that we don't seem to have yet when it took the girl about 20 minutes of looking at her computer screen with a frown on her face before finally writing down what we needed to do - it all seemed fairly straightforward - what could go wrong? We got the shuttle bus to the bottom of the hill, didn't have to wait too long and all seemed to be working out well! Got off at the bottom of the hill and could see no sign for the underground - o-oh! I asked someone and she said that's where everyone's heading so we followed the crowd and we got to the station, got tickets and the train arrived. This is easy! The train was going the right way, we needed to get off at Santa Monica / Vermont and it was on the right line and yes, the train stopped there and we got off, easy! Now we're on Santa Monica Boulevard, that's where we wanted to go so we've done it, we just need to get the 704 which we'd seen pass the hotel regularly and how hard could that be? We emerged onto a very busy junction and looked at a bus stop with no idea what we were looking at! Fortunately, a normal and quite nice looking young man asked where we were trying to get to, checked his phone app and told us we were right and did need to be on the other side of the road BUT the next 704 wasn't due for half an hour, but it may be wrong he said! That's ok, we've got plenty of time before our flight and we're on Santa Monica Boulevard.

We stand and wait and several no 4 buses come and go, picking up all the strange people that keep gathering. When I say strange, you think how strange can they be? Let me tell you, you ain't seen nothing 'til you've waited at one of these bus stops! We thought the bus to Vegas was bad but really? After about half an hour, as the very nice man had predicted, the bus arrived and we fought with the crowd to get on and Becky, the only one of us with any money, tried to pay with a $20 note. We'd been told they give change but the young female black driver (it was dark and she was black, all we could see of her were ten blue well manicured fingernails dancing around, like one of those blacked out puppet shows!) remonstrated about no change, and pushed us away from the machine. "We asked, and they said you would and they didn't tell us and we checked and the man in the shop told us we couldn't get tickets from him and we had to buy from the bus and and and". The poor woman waved us through the bus wondering what these two strange foreigners were jabbering about I think! Phew, at least we're on the bus, but we haven't paid, but its only $3, but still we feel that good old British guilt! I say to Becky in a hushed tone "do you think we'll know when to get off?" "we'll get off after 21st 'cos the hotels on 20th mum!" (Of course, silly me, but it is dark out there!!). We sat quietly looking at the bright lights along the street, oh there's 3553 and our hotel is 1920 - not far to go! O-oh, there's 3793, - um the numbers are going up not down??? We sneaked a look at each other, nothing was said! We could just feel each others panic, but it was the right bus, wasn't it? We were going the right way, weren't we?

After ten minutes or so, and a few drops and pick ups, the numbers were heading for 9757 - maybe they go back down after 10,000, that'll be it! No, 11357, bright lights, Hollywood, signs for the Walk of Fame, nice bright lights and dingy, seedy areas, we were seeing it all. The tramp that got on and sat next to me, shuffling with his sleep mat under him, was a bit scary and I didn't want to catch anything and couldn't move any further up the seat, so I kept quiet when he stepped on my toe whilst fidgeting around but fortunately he soon got off, then Steve got on in his wheelchair with his friend. A lady friend of his (they all know each other apparently) got on at the next stop and they discussed his nice new trainers passed on from his brother, who sounds like he's done alright for himself and doesn't have to catch these buses (bad luck Steve!), and compared notes on their friends. Me and Becky took sneaky looks at each other "help!" They soon got off again! The bus seemed to take a slight turn and I panicked - are we still on Santa Monica Boulevard? Oh, there's a road sign, yes we are! How long is this bloody road, it's like a built up version of the M1! At least the American system of numbering blocks and hanging road names at each junction kept us slightly informed on it all but we were up to 15379 and still going. "HELP!" We've got a plane to catch! We asked the quiet lady next to us if the bus really was going to Santa Monica - she just nodded! Oh. My. God! Will we ever get there? I think we were both near to tears when suddenly, the house numbers changed to 3567 and started going down instead of up. The area started to look a bit nicer again and then we saw it - 26th then 25th - YES, we're nearly there after about 15 miles and at least an hour! Thank God! NEVER AGAIN! Taxi to the airport, get me outta this damn country ...

A Whole New World

We wake up in our lovely comfy double beds to the sound of some old man coughing up something nasty next door, not the best alarm but still, what can you do! Free WiFi at last so we get on it and pretty much the first thing to do is let the ones left at home know we're ok, having moved on once more! Laying in bed in no particulat hurry was something we hadn't really had chance to do yet so I made the most of it. Contact with my son at home led to a chat on FaceTime which probably wasn't great for him and his partner as we still looked half asleep - I'm not normally seen without anything on my face, a little makeup is always necessary but I think on this occasion a paper bag might have been better. However, there they were driving through Bristol back in the UK and there's us in bed in Santa Monica, USA - not your everyday occurrence - modern technology is bloody amazing!

 Time to get up and get to the International House of Pancakes for breakfast - well, we had to didn't we? It was good, pancakes for breakfast with egg and bacon and maple syrup, you'd never have it at home but when in the USA - get on with it is what I say!


After breakfast, fit for the day, we decide to get the free shuttle bus to the world famous Santa Monica beach and walk down to the pier, which is an amazing sight. Not only is the sky blue and the sun is shining brightly and it's warmer than I've felt in a long time, it is so different to all other impressions I've had so far in the USA - it's like a whole new world and I like this one!

Slowly walking along the pier, enjoying the sights and watching it start to fill up with visitors and stall holders, is really made us glad to be there. We walked to the end and started to wander back, stopping to admire the view towards Venice beach just along the coast. Sat on the bench enjoying the warmth of the sunshine we caught sight of a dolphin swimming a short distance from the pier and just sat and enjoyed that feel good feeling you get when you see these beautiful creatures. A man came to stand nearby with his fishing Ross and started casting the line and before we knew it, we were chatting with him like old friends. He lived along the beach and enjoyed coming down to the pier most days for a couple of hours of fishing, obviously made his money and enjoying the benefits, he to,d us about his son's screenplay for a film which was set to be made and we felt like we were part of the whole celebrity air that the place has! By the time we left, he knew all about our family and was telling Becky not to worry about finding someone to spend her life with, plenty of time yet (not sure she was convinced)

We moved on eventually and decided to walk along the beach towards Venice beach and Becky found a couple of poles (metal, not people from Poland) to wrap herself round and throw herself up against, good job I only had to take the picture for her to send back to her pole dancing friends and not actually join in! It was as well that she couldn't hear my giggling whilst she was trying very hard to do a headstand in the sand but she did it and that's a lot more than I could ever do!

After walking some way and not seeming to gain on Venice Beach at all, we decided to turn around and head back to the pier and have lunch at Bubba Gump's - wow, it was good. A cocktail and mixed shrimp and fish platter did the job nicely, yummmm



Wandering back through Santa Monica looking at the lovely shops, we phoned and arranged for a lift back to the hotel using the courtesy bus and then spotted a postal service so stopped to get things posted back to the grandchildren and the helpful lady ripped me off good and proper paying a mere $46 dollars postage for two small items (still, it is a long way I suppose - I just hope they arrive)! We got back to the hotel feeling full still from lunch. New people in the room next door very noisily let us know about their "pro-cee-durre" (using a Texan type American drawl), their dogs, their family and their tattoo on their butt which was twice the size it used to be - too much information. There were three in the room but there was one woman who was particularly vocal. Fortunately they finally shut up about 11p.m., maybe one of the other two had killed her, or they might all have been asleep!

Leaving Las Vegas

Next morning, we had time for breakfast - Starbucks again! Back to the room to get bags and then down to check out. So far, so good!

We walked to Bally's hotel and through to the other end to get the bus back to LA, and we were really looking forward to that, not! Quick look at the Parisian as we'd missed it so far and then through to wait for the bus, due at 11 o'clock. I just wasn't confident that it would turn up after the journey up and when it didn't arrive at 11 I started to panic! (It doesn't take much!) I braved using the phone and called the office and was told to ring another number - o-oh! I rang the other number and asked if they knew if the bus was running on time. "Yeah, it's just turning into the Bally hotel so it should be with you". it was a good job she told me that as the bus that then pulled in was totally different to the bus we'd come up on and had no name on the side. We would never have known it was our bus, but as it stopped, suddenly a large group of people appeared from nowhere and tried to get on the bus! Help!

We joined the group and fortunately there was someone checking tickets and giving out seat numbers and we were ticked off the list and got the luggage into the store and got our seats. Ohh, wifi and password available, that might make the journey better. Oh no it won't, it doesn't work! So at least we were on the bus and the driver seemed capable, all things being equal, we might actually get to LA this afternoon!

After about four hours of the same view of desert, the city started to appear and greenery and houses took over from the bleak surroundings. We should've known it was too good to be true, after the first LA stop and back onto the freeway there was rustling and a woman came down the bus to tell the driver he'd missed her stop! Great, someone else was supposed to be getting off at the Monterey 4.30 p.m. stop and wanted to know when we'd be there. Some broken English and rough translations led me to think "here we go again". So we get off the freeway, go around and back onto the same highway going the way we'd just come to get back to the stop he'd missed and drop off that one person! All stops were running late so we knew we would be later getting to our hotel than we hoped but at least we didn't have to get from the office to the hotel to pick up luggage and then get to the airport to get a flight home to Australia by 9p.m. like the family in the opposite seats who were really starting to worry!

The LA traffic is ridiculously busy, 5 to 7 lanes of traffic crawling along and now we're running a bit late we get caught up in more traffic as everyone starts to head home. It could've been worse, the trip up to Vegas had shown us that, so when we got back to Downtown LA and the hole of an office, we were just glad we'd made in.  We had thought about trying to get a bus to Santa Monica - how difficult could that be? However, as it was very dark and getting late, we asked the office to call a taxi for us and when it turned up 10 minutes later asking for Kim, we tried to claim him and he walked off! HELP!  Don't panic yet, he hasn't driven off ... yet! The party of three Hispanics tried to claim him when he got back out of his car and he asked how many we were and where we wanted to go and ... we won - yay, see you you skanky Americans, ha ha! Two to Santa Monica, thanks very much - at this stage we would probably have paid anything to get to our hotel but how lucky were we when it was only $50! Probably best not to answer that! Still the taxi driver turned out to be not so scary as we first thought so another bonus - maybe things were improving for us!

So eventually, we made it through the traffic to what, in the dark, seemed like a nice area and the hotel was right next to an IHOP - we love IHOP - ideal! Checked in and left our bags in the more than adequate room and almost ran next door for some dinner! It was good and we had some wine too, at least she called it red wine but it tasted slightly more like petrol would taste if I ever got that desperate, anyway, needs must!

Day four, large rocky outcrop

So, in planning the trip, we decided to book a tour to the Grand Canyon with a visit to the Hoover Dam thrown in! That's not thrown in the Dam, just included in the price and also included lunch which suited us - anything including food keeps Becky happy - you'll notice a theme running through the holiday, I'm sure! So early start with breakfast in Starbucks again and ready for bus pickup from hotel at 7.50 a.m. which was there waiting for us as we went out early at 7.45 - good start! The driver introduced himself - "I'm Randy" he said. "Oh, ok" I said "and what's your name?" Ha ha, I thought it was funny - doesn't mean the same in the US as home in the UK so I don't think he really appreciated the humour!

After a few more pickups, the minibus filled up with an eclectic group of people and once full we got started to the Hoover Dam. It didn't take too long to get there and was a much better coach trip than the last one, thankfully. So a few photos later of the impressive Dam, we were on our way again and drove through the desert with a quick comfort break where alien pictures were placed all around the car park with signs saying "Area 51" so "Randy, are we near Area 51?" "No, it's way over the other side of LA!" Hmmmmmm.

However, I didn't realise we were passing by the original Route 66 - slightly upgraded now but still some bits of the old road. Cool, expecting to get some kicks on Route 66, if I'm lucky - or maybe not with the daughter in tow! Hmmmmmmm.

Driving through the desert with commentary from Randy, suggesting we look out for wildlife. How interesting, we thought, wild cougar, coyote, what would we see? Well, apparently we might see some sheep, cows and if we're really lucky, maybe a horse! Americans are so easy to please! Anyway, we got to the ranch where we were to get the helicopter ride over the large rocky outcrop and lunch after. It's a beautiful day but the cold wind meant keeping all clothing on and probably not going for a horse ride or wagon ride as it was too damn cold! The helicopter ride was amazing, I was just excited by being in the helicopter but it was a real bonus to see the Grand Canyon, it really is impressive to be flying over it and seeing the immensity of it all.



After the helicopter ride, we went to the ranch for lunch and had delicious ribs with corn on the cob and musical entertainment from Casey who had an excellent repertoire and did a few requests for the drunken group of English stags that were there when we arrived! They sang drunkenly along with Casey singing American Pie and then one of our group, a slightly strange Glaswegian lady, got up and danced (I think it was dancing - it was definitely strange rhythmic movements in varying directions). We were embarrassed for her but she was fine and well into it! Oh to have such a lack of self consciousness! Anyway, we all enjoyed the music, the lunch and the wander around the ranch after - apparently, the owner of the ranch in the 1860s lived in a little stone building consisting of one room and very very draughty walls and roof, and was friends with Butch Cassidy and Sundance who used it as a base when passing through!


Time came to return to the city and we were back in Vegas for late afternoon wanderings around the other end of the strip to see the few hotels we'd missed the day before! The Bellagio, the Venetian with its canals and gondolas and amazing ceilings inside, the mirage with erupting volcano and bit of greenery in the entrance area. By the time we returned to the hotel we were tired and getting to the stage where they all looked the same again! We couldn't even summon up the energy to go out for dinner and ate in one of Planet Hollywood's many restaurants. There's been a shortage of wine so far, the cheesecake incident put our appetites completely out of kilter, so we managed a jug sangria with dinner - it was our last night in Vegas after all!

So what happens now ...

After some sleep, after such a full day yesterday, we both wake up feeling much happier in our surroundings and ready to explore.  I'm feeling ready for the day, even after only a few hours sleep.  It seems I'm sleeping like a baby - about two hours of sleep then waking up hungry and crying!

There's no WiFi in the hotel rooms in Vegas as they don't want you to stay in the rooms, they want you out spending.  So breakfast in the Hotel Starbucks with free WiFi seemed like a good idea, if only the free WiFi would work - damn technology!  It was a bit hit and miss so messages home on Facebook just about kept us in touch with anyone who cared.

We started with a stroll through the Mall and as it was still before 10 o'clock when it gets started we were accosted by stall holders at every turn, which we just enjoyed but they weren't so happy that we didn't want to buy.  We were very tempted by the solar phone charger which was expensive but genius and the price kept coming down, the more we said no.  I had anti-wrinkle treatment on my left eye - he must have thought that was the worst one - and he gave us both a bit of chat.  I'm sure he meant it when he said I didn't look 50 and my skin was really good(!), but then tried to sell me his very expensive cream.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, the miracle eye cream that was going to make me look 25 on the left eye and still 50+ on the right eye didn't make any difference, even he admitted that so thanks but no thanks.

I got a free manicure on one finger, which looked lovely, but didn't persuade me to buy, but I could have done with another 9 nail bars like that one to get all the fingers and thumbs done!

Strolling through, we were drawn into an Aqua Massage shop - neither Becky or I had seen anything like this before (if we'd waited til we'd walked around a little more, we would have seen lots), and were talked into having a 10 minute massage and 10 minute oxygen session - and was not as wet as it sounds.  We laid in individual plastic coffins - fully clothed - and powerful water jets pounded up and down the length of the body through a plastic layer which allowed the feel of the water without the wet.  It really felt nice and you could stop it in a particular area for more intense water pummelling if wanted and no worries about intimacy when it's not someone's hands!  After that, we sat at the oxygen bar with tubes up the nose giving us oxygen through aromatherapy liquid to uplift us (which we needed after the travels and traumas of the previous day) and was surprisingly pleasant.  Whilst taking in oxygen, a tens pad was put on our shoulders to relieve aching muscles.  The pulse was quite high on mine and made me feel like I was turning into the Incredible Hulk or some angry weight lifter each time the muscles tensed.  Once I'd worked out how to turn it down, the whole experience proved to be worth the stop and gave us both a bit of a laugh!

We continued walking through the Mall, and were both impressed with the way the ceilings are blue sky and make you feel like you're just wondering through a fairy tale land that doesn't exist, or it certainly doesn't where we come from - it wasn't raining.  When we finally came out into the open air, the sun was shining and the day looked good so we continued down the strip enjoying a bit of decent weather.  It becomes apparent as you visit the different hotels and their casinos that they're all pretty much the same but with a different theme - stick lots of flashing lights on it all and you've got Las Vegas!

I'm not a great shopper and I think we were both getting bored with it all but a friend of Becky's had recommended a few things to try, one of which was the Red Velvet Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, a photo had been provided on the phone so we searched and searched and were on the verge of giving up and going back to the hotel when we found it on the Ceasar's Palace Mall map and then spent ages trying to find it in the mall itself.  When we got there, we were so excited about the prospect of cheesecake that we ordered a light lunch each and went halves, then ordered the cheesecake.  Oh, it looked good and tasted good but we had barely had a few mouthfuls each when we had to admit defeat and walk away - it was very sad, I was very sad, I've never been so beaten by cheesecake and it had Oreo biscuits in too!  Becky did slightly better but we both felt cheated, and quite sick, as we walked dejectedly away.  It's just not like us, we both like our desserts but since then, whenever we see all those lovely delicious looking sweet desserts in the windows, we just have to turn away!

Limping back to the hotel room, feeling like we've let Becky's friend down, we watch those dancing fountains outside the Bellagio and have a bit of a rest before finally going to get a bit to eat (and me feeling really sick still) before turning in for the night at a very premature 10.30pm, two sad and tired girlies, but ready for an early start tomorrow.