USA 6 - Vegas: Land of Firsts

Warning: This post isn't really about food, but it's Vegas, and in Vegas the usual rules don't apply!

How many "firsts" can you fit into two days?? Good question. Let's list my firsts from the moment we left LA, up until right now (which I suppose is really almost 3 days):

1. First time I met a crypt keeper - I met the freakiest person I've ever met at a gas station on the way to Vegas. She had wrinkles on her wrinkles (and I don't think she was that old), yellow skin, really really skinny, no teeth, and walked with a serious limp - she was serving behind the counter. I had to stop myself from running screaming from the shop...luckily there was a man with a plastic pepsi bucket with a straw out of the lid coming in blocking the door.

2. First gunshop advert (see above)

3. First time driving through Death Vally (see above)- it was a childhood dream of HOS (Hunk of Spunk), and the scenery was absolutely amazing, I had no idea it was this beautiful here, really (if you ignore the trailor parks and gun adverts).

4. First time in Vegas - we are staying at the Palazzo, which is joined to the Venetian, we're in a huge super luxury king suite - the bathroom is bigger than my bedroom! I think there's like 5000 rooms here.

5. First time I've run into someone I know - we ran into on of my colleagues from C on our first night in the lobby of the Bellaggio - very very wacky!

6. First time I've played Craps - we had a lesson in the Casino downstairs - complicated, but fun - then played like real pros last night.

7. First time HOS has turned 50! What a bloody great day.

8. First time to Serendipity - see next Post

9. First time I've seen Venice recreated indoors - it's all part of the Venetian's charm...I just wandered around gobsmacked - see above

10. First time I've eaten at a Wolfgang Puck Restaurant - we ate at Postrio Bar & Grill in the Venetian - pretty damn good food - I had a lobster BLT (first one ever) and my first Rhubarb and Raspberry Crisp (a posh name for crumble!)

11. First time I've seen the Blue Man Group - it was our first Vegas show and the BEST SHOW I'VE EVER SEEN.

12. First cocktail with sage in it - it was totally delish, a specialty in the Lavo Bar in the Palazzo

13. First ride in a stupidly ridiculously long limo - on our way to a club with a pair of fun yanks we met at the bar above

14. First time I've been home at 4am in a long long time - we're bloody ragers!

15. First visit to a Manolo Blahnik store

16. First purchase of a pair of Manolo Blahniks! Pic above shows these gorgeous things - I suspct I won't ever be able to wear them without breaking my foot in 26 places, but I was sooooooo attracted to the fact they look like I've got licorice seductively and artistically wrapped around my feet!

17. First ride in a Hummer - at the Las Vegas Speedway with HOS and two other would-be racing car drivers on their learning laps before the real thing

18. First time I've seen HOS drive a Ferrari around a race track - see hot HOS in hot red car! Happy Birthday HOS.

19. First time I've seen Cher in concert (at Caesar's Palace) - OMG, it was bloody amazing, she changed costume for every song! She was UNREAL!!!!

20. First time I've seen people walk around the streets drinking from a 2 foot glass Eiffel Tower full of alcohol!! HOS even saw a group of young ladies walking around with blenders with straws out the top - nothing like being prepared! This is one classy place!

So, there you have it - not much food action - but a lot of action nonetheless.

This is probably the wackiest place I have ever been to in my life. The word ridiculous has come out of my mouth at least 22,345 times since I arrived in Vegas. It's a world where "bigger is better" rules, a world so artificial I honestly have trouble comprehending that it actually exists. I have moved from disgust on my first walk around the Strip on our first night, to laughing acceptance of the ridiculousness of it all, to the enjoyment of the absolute surrealness.

Vegas is a must see at least once in a lifetime - for me, I think once is enough!