Day 6 - Lazy Day

Woke up at 5pm after some much needed sleep and hung around the hostel til about 11pm drinkin beer and vodka by the pool. The prize for most interesting person I've spoken to in Vegas goes to Gary the chef at the hostel. He's in his 50's or 60's I think and has a really interesting history including his claim to fame that he knew Ken Kesey (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest writer) who was a good friend of Jack Kerouac.

At midnight we (a group from hostel) went to see the 'Fremont Street Experience' a huge overhead light show in the old 'Downtown' district of Las Vegas. |It was impressive in it's own right but didn't quite measure up to what the strip has to offer. After that we went to some of the old Downtown casinos and gambled cheaply, I lost $10 on roulette for the experience. I went to bed early though (2am) as I had to check out at 11am.

So what are my overall impressions of 'Sin City':

• The strip is like nothing else in the world, especially at night. So much money has been spent on making this place play to all the senses which is epitomised by the fountains at the Bellagio.
• When you venture off the strip you find that this city is also home to extreme poverty and all that goes with it including drug and alcohol abuse as well as prostitution. There's definately another side to this place that most people never see.
• Once you get past the flashy exterior of the strip the insides of the casinos are much of a muchness imo - rows and rows of slot machines among other games. It may sound strange but this almost put me off playing poker!
• If you know where to go Las Vegaas can be cheap but if you don't you better have some cash behind you!
• The poker here is an education worth paying for. The players are both interesting and on average a lot better than back home. This makes the games less profitable but much more mentally stimulating and satisfying :)
• Overall I'd recommend it to anyone who can afford this trip but don't build it up too much, Las Vegas is an eye opener, at times a jaw dropper and a city of contradictions - it is not Paradise.