Just Married
Sorry to disappoint, didn't tie the knot, maybe another time.

Doesn't seem like yesterday we were here in the summer of 2003, not much has changed. There are a few more megalopolis hotels and a mall to spend money in should you tire of pouring it down slot shaped drains or converting it into chips. People here are still getting fatter by the minute in the all-you-can-eat feasts and still enjoying the sleaziness of it all. For 40 USD a night (between us) we're not complaining, our hotel room was fantastic, its hot and everyone here is having fun, what is there to dislike?

Our first night we picked up some discounted tickets to an adult revue called X, presumably after the black X's covering the models nipples. Needless to say this was more oriented to a male audience, we more accurately a male audience who enjoy ogling near-naked showgirls. Susie clearly earned a credit for this one, to be repaid in shopping vouchers. I'll say no more about the show, for fear of recalling too much and drifting off into fantasy land.

Susie's Birthday dominated Wednesday. Chocolate cake for breakfast then off to the heliport for a champagne brunch in the Grand Canyon. Susie has always wanted to fly a helicopter, some childhood northern exposure TV whim, I'd warned her it might be a bit rough, as it happens it wasn't (guess the flight I had in a royal navy sea king was not exactly representative). The flight to the canyon was breathtaking, if a little sedate. I'd hoped for stomach wrenching dives and hair-raising near death plummets, it wouldn't even have rippled our extra-mega-starbucks-hot-chocolate-buckets had we taken them on board. After the flight Susie went off to have some 'treatments' in the hotel spa, I was sent off to look for contact lens fluid.
Suitably refreshed (Susie that is) the next treat was watching the 'Blue Man Group' perform. To top it all off we dined in the Luxor steakhouse, probably the best meal I've ever eaten.

'Blue Man Group' is not a male adult revue, blue refers to their skin, not the way they behave. For those of you who haven't seen them perform, if you get a chance, go. If you hate the thought of Vegas, come here to see them alone. Quite why it comes so highly recommended is incredibly difficult to explain. The show lasts a couple of hours, it immerses you in a rhythmic world of light and colour and sound. If you enjoy modern art, modern music and have a taste for the surreal side of life you'll love every minute, if you don't at least you've experienced something unique that you can complain about with the other miserable old-gits in your retirement home.

The day after Susie's birthday we tightened our belts back to traveler level, within 24 hours we'd blown 1000 USD, it was worth it.

We had to leave on the Friday, our 40 USD hotel room increased to 450 USD a night. Turns out the weekend we left is the most expensive all year, thanks to the arrival of the NASCAR race series, we thanked fate, our original plans involved us arriving on the priciest day of the year. Next stop Vancouver, guess it won't be 80 degrees...
- posted by Adrian @ 2:53:00 AM