We have had a couple of relaxing days in Vegas after the river rafting trip. Allthego has had some good sleep ins after the long days on the river. The young’uns have left and gone to Houston as planned. So we have had a little wander around town, been here before a couple of times. There is always something to see that you didn’t see last time. Vegas is a town of many colours and flavours. Mostly loud and noisy. People of all nationalities and sizes, some conservatively dressed others with very little left to the imagination. You feel quite safe wandering around the Strip, even late at night. There is so much neon light that it is almost daylight.

Caesars Palace

Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen outside Caesars Palace.

Trevi Fountain replica

One of the things we do like doing here is going to some shows, don’t do it much at home. A favourite of Homealone is a Cirque du Soleil show. So we went off to see ‘Mystere’. Not sure what it was all about, very ‘arty’, but there were great costumes, some spectacular acrobatics and high wire trapeze action. We also caught up with another Homealone favourite Human Nature, the Aussie vocal group, doing a Motown and others show. Full of 50s and 60s hits by artists like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Supremes, Sam Cooke, Drifters, Righteous Brothers etc. Some of the songs  ……  Runaround Sue, Under the Boardwalk, Stand by Me, Unchained Melody, Wonderful World, Why Do fools Fall In Love and You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. Great night out.  After the show Homealone managed a photo op and an autographed CD to add to the collection.

Cirque du Soleil

Human Nature concert

That photo

Back in the hotel we do a bit of packing before our departure the next morning, have to be out by 11am for a 3.30pm plane to Los Angeles and then a 10.30pm to Brisbane. Will finish this blog off at the LA terminal if possible.

So we made the short journey to the Vegas airport in a taxi. A funny thing happened at the Airport after arrival that illustrates the saying that ‘things come in 4s not 3s! Or, you hope that the 4th isn’t the start of another string of 3s! Readers may recall from an earlier blog Allthego’s three earlier experiences. Well you couldn’t believe it but there has been a 4th. Allthego has a black ‘carry on’ camera bag and we made the mistake of  getting into a cab with black seats and black floor mats, the bag blended in well with seats. The camera bag also has some other lens and on this occasion Allthego’s reading glasses and phone.

Duly alighting at the Alaska Airlines terminal the driver emptied our luggage onto the street, we put it on a cart, paid the driver and went into the terminal. Staring around a bit working out where to go Allthego got that Sinkin’ Feelin’. Yes, the camera bag was still in the cab, but the cab had long gone somewhere else. Mmm. Despondency set in fairly quickly. Homealone suggested that maybe the cab had got in the line of cabs taking people from the airport and Allthego could intercept it there. A good idea, so off Allthego went. Downstairs two levels to Arrivals and onto the street. The line of cabs disappeared into the distance. Allthego slowly walked the line. He couldn’t remember the cab company, the cab colour (except the black seats and the long haired toothless driver) and he didn’t have a fare receipt either. He stuck his head in a random cab and asked the driver for a solution. The driver was helpful and said there were about 8 cab companies, his company covered three of them and if I rang a number he gave me they could put a notice about the lost bag on the computer and maybe the driver would see it and some how we might get it back. Worth a try Allthego thought. So back to where Homealone was based and onto the phone. Usual thing, a computer answered and gave Allthego a choice of about 6 numbers to press, none were for ‘bags left in a cab’. Eventually a person came on the line, pleasant lady, and I set about explaining our difficulty. Hadn’t got much out when she suddenly said ‘Are you the guy at the Alaska Terminal’? To this Allthgo said yes and she then said well ‘wait outside on the street, the driver is on his way back to you with the bag right now’. Allthego was a bit dumbstruck at this and did as he was told. The cab duly arrived, driver alighted and returned the bag with a big toothless grin. All’s well that ends well. There are many lessons to be learnt from this experience, but Allthego won’t go into them now! Homealone doesn’t think there are any lessons to be learnt other than ‘DON’T LEAVE YOUR BAGS BEHIND IN CABS’.

So it was onto the plane and we are heading for Brisbane and home. Homealone is eager to do the washing. Allthego continues to wonder whether things come in 4s or 3s.