Malc was dreading arriving here and Diana was really excited to see what it was all about.
We came via the Hoover Dam which we enjoyed walking over [not the heat] and travelled towards LV. We saw it rise out of the desert from a distance of 12 miles away and thus began our journey into this huge entertainment city. Malc was distracted by a huge Pyramid and then a Harley Davidson springing out of a wall at us, consequently we took a wrong exit and had to be guided by the sat nav to the correct road. Oh look, there’s Blackpool Tower he said!! No, Malc that’s supposed to be the Eifel Tower!
We arrived at the Monte Carlo, left our car in the capable hands of a valet and joined a line [that’s queue to us] and eventually reached a receptionist. The foyer [oops lobby] was HUGE and we were to discover that everything in Las Vegas is in extremis.
We travelled to the 20th floor of our massive hotel [Diana suffers from claustrophobia and hates lifts] and opened the curtains …… well we’re glad we don’t have to pay the electricity bill was our first thought.
Malc took ages to sort himself out and clearly needed time to acclimatise or whatever so eventually he plucked up courage to explore the hotel. Everything exists though the casino which takes up the whole of the ground floor with the exception of the lobby and food outlets. There were people of all [legal] ages sitting at machines and being served drinks by waitresses, or sat at dealers’tables playing cards or with dice. It was amazing to see and hear it all and observe how many pensioners there were. We were on our way to the French Restaurant called Andre’s at the front of the hotel. We walked past a scantily clad woman girating on top of a table adorned with tassles and things [the woman that is] and lovely white tasselated boots - don't think Malc noticed as he was too engrossed in getting through it all and to the restaurant. If he did, he never said! Nice restaurant, great food, over effusive waiter, lovely arched booth. Malc likened it to the type of booth that Al Capone and his mol would sit in surrounded by his minders carrying violin cases. The whole table had to be moved out to let us in and out.
Following a delicious meal and plenty to drink we were ready to brave the Strip! Well, there seems to be Strip cred;that is, take your 9 inch heels but carry them and walk in flat strappy sandals, clutch a long plastic drinks container shaped like the Eifel Tower or a pink yard of ale with a straw and wander exclaiming noisily with others; we stood out like a sore thumb. What amazed us was how filthy our feet were when we returned to the hotel – where did all that black come from?
It was incredibly warm and everyone was in loud jovial mood, being the weekend all the world and his wives were there. We eventually found our way to the Bellagio and the dancing fountains – very good entertainment, then wearily made our way back to the peace of our room and looked out onto the Strip in all its night-time glory.
