Day 7 Los Angeles to Las Vegas

Where better to put the trainers from New York into action than a run along Venice Beach early in the morning. Plenty others doing it and can see why. The beach goes on for miles, the sun beats down and the place is so clean for a city of its size. I made it as far as Santa Monica pier past a group of meditators and gave it a go myself. Lost patience after a few minutes but hey its a start. Self levitation next week!!

This was going to be another airport day to make my way to Vegas so I thought I'd make it more fun by staying out too long down the beach and leaving myself more than a bit short of time to get out to LAX airport. "Taxi" "Taxi please"

The e-ticket self check in went well I thought until I realised I was in the flight boarding check in and not cargo baggage check in. Security were a bit concerned opening up my rucsac as I tried to get it through hand luggage but were most kind about it all only confiscating my sun cream in the process. They had cause to be jittery as moments before ten of the security gaurds stormed some unsuspecting individual who had inadvertantly skipped over the barrier. The screams "lockdown" "lockdown" from the gaurds will live with most of us passengers and rather than all dive for cover we looked on mesmorised. Calm returned with the reassuring shouts of shouts of "All Clear".

Did I say earlier I was getting good at the airport thing. Next faux pas please.....stood in the priority cue A for boarding and realised after I should have been in the "Economy yo wont get a window seat cue B". Reckon the official felt it was more hassle to put me back and I waltzed on to enjoy a view of the Arizona desert, quaffing my orange juice and choking on my peanuts. Also grilled a fine irishman from Dublin called 'Conner' who works in the investment markets in the US and lives here with his family. Conner gave me some good places to visit and threw in the occasional fine pub to catch a pint and a meal at. See told you he was a good irishman.

Grabbed the shuttlebus at the airport and got some wise words of advice from a Bruce Albee who works in wealth management (its all money out here). Bruce said beware the slot machines as they sucker you in to begin with by paying out and then they take it back and more. I knew Bruce was on to something. Any man whose grandfather was none other than Howard Blakeslee winner of the Purlitzer prize for science reporting had to be right. I would go on armed with this knowledge to take Vegas big time.

I was due to meet my cousin Angus Mackay to stay at the Luxor and had to say I'd not expected a thiry storey glass pyramid in the desert would be quite so big. No mobile and low odds of finding Angus in the vastness of it all I heard a shout from the check in desk. Here was Angus and another sign the odds were on my side at Vegas. You see wehere I'm going with this...

First things first after staring out over the balcony from our room twenty floors up we made our way for my first introduction to an all you can eat buffet. Those who know me are aware if its put on front of me I'll take it...four main courses and four sweeets later with the waiters taking bets I fell of my chair onto the floor. Suitably pregnant esque (Laura you know how it feels) I waddled my way along the strip to see all the grandeur and craziness that is Las Vegas in lights. Highlight being the water fountain display to "Viva Las Vegas" by the King himself.

Early to bed still feeling like I might explode...the casino would have to wait.