Around the world for free

USA Part 1

Las Vegas

This competition was won on the internet from "V Energy Drink" by playing a game. The game consisted of a conveyor belt where certain drinks would drop down and you had to catch them in a particular order to win a specific vacation. I think there was about ten different vacations to different destinations around the world and it was the luck of the draw if you won one. I used to play it everyday for a couple of hours not really bothering which vacationI won, just trying different ones. One day I was playing and after twenty minutes I was just clicking anything when suddenly a banner popped up saying "Congratulations" I had won a vacation to America, four days in Las Vegas, three days in a National park hotel, two days in a Tepee on a ranch and three days in Los Angeles, with car hire, flights with "Virgin airways" and a "Authentic stay on a ranch, in the desert". With this being one of the first big vacations  I won, we were both extremely excited and looking forward to our trip.

We had to wait a few months to go because we decided to go for Trish's birthday in March, but the tie soon flew over and before we knew it we were ready to go. We had to travel to London from Liverpool to catch our plane and stay overnight so we were quite tired when we boarded, but the excitement and adrenaline was keeping us going. The only problem flying back in time to the early hours was not being able to take advantage of the free drinks available due to having to pick up the hire car at the airport, oh well I'll make up for it on the way back.

When we finally arrived, we thought it would only take a few minutes to get through passport control but how we were wrong, it took nearly two hours to get through because a few planes from Europe landed at the same time and no one was in a rush. Eventually we get through after a very stern look by an immigration officer who scrutinises our passports like they are the worst forgeries ever (which they are not by the way) and sends us on our way like he's doing us a favour!

We collect our bags and make our way to the car hire company to pick up our pre arranged car only to find it's not a car it's an SUV and I think it might be on steroids, it so big you have to climb inside it, a ladder would have helped. After all the paperwork is sorted out it's time to get this big boy out on the road and all I can say is thank god American roads are big and wide, especially when you are still tired from having no sleep on the plane. Once out of the car park it becomes quite easy to drive, until we have to find our way to the hotel the "MGM Grand", I know it's not hard to find, you can practically see it from all directions, but on unfamiliar territory and traffic lights that have a different meaning to ours, it takes a bit of getting used to. We eventually find our way to the strip and in the right direction to the hotel, now we just need to park this thing, but once again everything is bigger which is good so we have no problem parking in the car park, phew only been here for thirty minutes and my head is spinning like a roulette wheel.

We make our way to the vast lobby and can't believe how big it is, the only place I have seen bigger is in Naypyidaw, Myanmar but that place is bonkers and for another time. We are greeted by a warm smile and great hospitality and before we know it we are given our key card and pointed in the right direction to the many elevators. We are given a room on the 25th floor which is quite high, but has amazing views of the strip and the surrounding area. The room is nice with the usual two double beds in a room that is bigger than most people houses and a large bathroom to go with it.

We leave the bags and decide to go downstairs to have a look around and get something to eat. Everything is so overwhelming, lights flashing, strange noises from the machines, lots of people everywhere, and lions outside the lobby, where does one start. We settle on a diner in the casino and start to peruse the menu and once again the choice is vast, we settle on some scrambled eggs, toast and coffee, and look in amazement when the waitress brings enough food to feed an army. Well fed and watered we decide to have a walk down the strip to get our bearings and see what Vegas is all about and boy is there a lot to see. Until you've been you can't imagine what it's like, casinos everywhere, roller coasters at the side of the street, overhead railway system, these even a copy of the Eiffel tower. Senses overloaded and still tired we head back for a nap and get ready to see what this place is like in the evening.