A Very Vegas Vacation - Day 11
The Company Is SunderedAnd lo, it was on the seventh day of their joint sojourn (and the eleventh in this adventure) that the merrie company of Ger the Wise, Don the Unshaven and Paulie the Rotund was divided as Ger and Don were, perforce, required to return to their native lands whilst the gallant Paulie continued on his trek alone.Checkout time is 11am, which is a shock to the system when you aren’t used to leaving the room until midday.
However, we all managed to check out and dump our bags at the bell desk before heading back indoors for some breakfast.
Silly time to do it really as everyone is having breakfast at 11am apparently. We queued for a while at the Cafe in Harrahs watching the degenerate gamblers ( Diamond Status) get priority over us mere mortals.
However, we were eventually seated and I tucked into what can only be described as a significant portion of a pig slapped on a plate. Coffee and OJ...you betcha!
Don very kindly picked up the check thanks to his luckboxing a chop at Caesars the day before. We were done by noon, I guess and with nothing to do until check in time (for me) and flight time for Ger and Don there was only one option. Pai Gow.
We sat for a couple of hours until Don went for a wander so we said our goodbyes then and Ger shook my hand a little while later and disappeared into the mists of legend via taxi to Terminal 3 of McCarran airport.
I jumped in a can to the Venetian making sure to tip the cab driver heavily for the short journey.
Here’s a small tip for for you. Your minimum spend in a Vegas cab should always be $10 even if he’s driving you next door. The poor sod has probably had to queue for some time in the rank at wherever you picked him up.
Now your lazy azz comes along and wants a cab from Harrahs to the Venetian. Sure it’s a 10 minute walk but you’re lugging 35kg of bags with you and you really don’t want to walk.
So he has to carry you that short distance, giving up his place in the queue and join the back of a new queue.
Tip the man. I apologised for the short haul and gave him $15 for a $5 fare. I’m a high-roller me.
Check in at the V was a lovely procedure and much nicer than other places I’ve visited. A short walk to the elevators and a long walk down the corridor to my suite (thank you very much).
Feck me you get a lot of room for your money. I’d never shell out normal rates for all this, I just don’t need it.
Two main televisions, one for watching in bed and another (with DVD player) in the lower level lounge area.
Oh, and another in the bathroom in case you need to watch the news while brushing your teeth.
Separate shower and bath...frankly, I prefer the bath/shower combo but each to their own.
Separate WC as well, with shatphone in case you strain something and have to call for medical assistance I guess.
Remote control blinds and curtains.Wired internet (no wireless seems odd) but no biggie.There’s even a friggin’ printer by the desk.
A remarkably comfortable bed...utterly gorgeous.
I declined the $45 a night upgrade for a Strip view which means I get a view of the mountains in the distance across a roofscape and the sound of air conditioning units. Actually, it’s like white noise...quite restful actually.
I lounged for a while just taking it all in.Lucky I’m not really paying for it. Thanks Holiday Inn Points.
However, the siren song of poker was calling, although I stopped off at the Grand Lux Cafe first for some, as usual, top notch food and Blue Moon.
A mere 6 hour session for a grand total of....nothing...I think I may have broken my streak. I broke EVEN...hell, with the $2 an hour comps I might even have some out ahead. I’ll take it.
A later night for me than has been the case before and I watched some TV for an hour or so even after getting back to the room. I guess I finally succumbed to the tender mercies of Morpheus about 2.30.
Bliss.
