Hasta la vista Los Angeles - boy am I glad to see the back of you! We left LA at around 11am, headed for Vegas baby! The city skyline slowly receded into the background as we cruised through the suburbs of LA and then into the desert. The Mojave desert is a strangely beautiful, desolate place. Except for Barstow. This sad little town is about halfway between LA and Las Vegas and is possibly the most depressing place on earth. Most of the houses look more like shanties than homes and a fair proportion are boarded up altogether. I half expected to see tumbleweeds blowing down the street. Maybe it was because we were passing through on a Sunday, but it had the distinct feel of a ghost town. Maybe it is a thriving little metropolis on a weekday, but I doubt it. There is an armed forces recruiting office in the main street and it occurred to me that Barstow is the perfect place to base such an office because being in the army or navy would be preferable to living in Barstow. Anyhow, we had lunch at the local Denny's and then hit the freeway again, this time with me at the wheel of the Mustang! Woohoo!!!
It was not without some trepidation that I slid into the driver's seat. I had hoped that I would make it through the entire trip without having to test my driving skills in a foreign country. But, Chris was getting tired and it was only fair that I shoulder my share of the burden. As I nosed the car out of the Denny's carpark and across the intersection without mishap I could feel my confidence start to flower. I made the turn onto the freeway and merged into the flow of traffic with ease. About 10 minutes in I started to relax and enjoy the soothing rhythm of the road. The further we travelled into the desert the more I was enjoying the drive and the amazing scenery before me. There aren't enough words to describe the vastness and the quiet beauty of the desert. Long stretches of flat scrubby land dotted with joshua trees led to high mountains, some topped with snow. Chris was not impressed, characterising the landscape as "miles and miles of kitty litter", but I found it quite moving. To be honest, all that nothingness was a relief after the human crush of LA.
As we crossed the state border into Nevada, the small townships at the edge of the freeway started to take on a Las Vegas feel with the odd small casino popping up out of the sand. Before too long we could see Las Vegas coming into view on the horizon. What can I say about Las Vegas? It is like Surfers Paradise on steroids. The excess is truly staggering. There is a casino here that has a half-scale model of the Eiffel Tower. Another casino has replicated the New York city skyline, including replicas of the Chrysler and Empire State buildings, and it has a 150ft tall replica of the Statue of Liberty in its forecourt. Another one is shaped like a pyramid and has a 110ft tall replica of the Sphinx out the front. We are staying at the Tropicana, which is not shaped like anything except a big mother of a hotel, although there is a swim-up blackjack table in the swimming pool. Yes, you read that correctly.
Chris and I wandered into the MGM Grand casino with thoughts of finding a cheap blackjack table where we could lose our money at a slower rate. All the tables we saw were too rich for our blood, so we settled for a Starbucks and a slow mosey back to our hotel. But not before I saw something that made me rub my eyes in disbelief: scantily-clad go-go dancers gyrating on podiums over the blackjack tables. No joke. What happens in Vegas....etc.
Tomorrow: more exploring of Vegas and maybe a spot of blackjack. Wish us luck!
Vxxx
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