Jet lag Hell Tuesday ...

Despite the previous night’s excitement, I woke up in a grouch. The lag seemed to kick in even more after 2 days and I’d had a disturbed night.

E had insisted he’d be sleeping til 11 – but I knew he wouldn’t. The lag doesn’t legislate for how few hours you’ve slept – just what time zone you’re in…..and your brain will be prodding you awake regardless of how long you’ve been in the arms of Morpheus….

I killed some time, and then called E at 10.30. He was up -as I knew he would be-and had already had room service breakfast.

‘Selfish git! ‘I exclaimed …( told you I was in a bad mood!)…’but I was hungry’ he said ‘and I thought I’d let you sleep’……( he does tend to panic about eating…)

I grumpily lectured him on jetlag and pointed out that, no matter what time we both hit the sack, our body clocks would be in sync…and now I had to do breakfast on my own.

E said room service took half an hour, the buffet q was long again… so I headed back to the Caribe café…

‘Would you like to sit at the counter?’ Said the maitre d’ …

’Ok then’, I said, thinking it would be like a breakfast bar and save me time - and them a table.

And it is like a breakfast bar ..

Except that we singletons are all seated along one side in a very long line,

Quite frankly, it felt like animals’ feeding time.

I order something quick and easy. Bacon and eggs, tea and toast.
And I wait.

And wait.

And wait…….

I am already feeling like Billy No Mates …..

But now I appear to be Billy No Plates as well…

I look on hungrily as others are served - but the waiters scurry back to the kitchens before I can grab one.

After 15 minutes I nicely ask the ‘water man’ if my order will be coming soon.

‘Yes’ he replies enigmatically, a faint smile playing about his lips -but he doesn’t go off and tell anyone.
I am beginning to think that, like at registration, if you ask the wrong person -you won’t get a result.

After 20 minutes I manage to grab a waiter. And politely remind him of my order.

The man seated next to me leans over. ‘I would have complained after 10 minutes’ he says and is amazed at my patience …’Ah’, I say ‘we’re used to this in the UK !’ but admit it’s a surprise in the country famed for its customer service.

Or perhaps this is another ‘Mirage’ ..I think I can see my breakfast coming …but it’s just an illusion …

Wolf it down faster than I would have liked, which only makes me more grumpy, and go meet E.

We decide to get some air.
E has forgotten his shades (they’re in his room) and his hat (it’s in the UK) and he doesn’t like his sun cream. So he isn’t wearing any. And it’s 98F.

This prompts another big lecture from me on sunstroke, skin cancer, bla bla bla ....

I’m like a nagging fishwife as we embark on the great hat hunt to protect his bald bits.

We check out all sorts of hats with various Vegas slogans – but E wants it plain.

I suggest getting one with ‘Slotty Bigballs’ put on ....but he’s not keen.

We end up in the Miracle Mile shops…but still can’t find one to E’s liking.

So, into Planet Hollywood in search of a coffee.

And there, in the casino, we find The World’s Quietest Starbucks.

Mark my words – years to come this will be a Trivial Pursuit question.
Q. Where is the world’s quietest Starbucks?
A In the casino at Planet Hollywood.
There is no one in it. I mean NO ONE.

Literally.

With a staff ratio that far out numbers its customers – us – we enjoy the novelty of having the place to ourselves.

Coffee and quiet ambience enjoyed, we go play a few slots…E is being careful despite his big win….and so am I .. I just don’t ‘feel lucky’ yet…and sure enough I shed a few more dollars.
So we decide to head for The Bellagio for a scout around. We have another Meet n Greet tonight in the Fontana bar and thought we’d do a recce first.

The Bellagio is as richly inviting as ever –you can’t fail to luxuriate in its all enveloping opulence - and once again we wonder why we haven’t stayed here.

There is an answer of course.

We haven’t spent the money…

There’s an exhibition just off the main lobby – beautiful flower beds being watered by dancing mini fountains, laced with little locomotive trains and overlooked by 2 huge animatronic Eagles in a nest…it’s a riot of colour and all quite surreal and we love it.

Head back to the Mirage as by now we are both feeling abit rough. The heat and the lag are conspiring against us …

E calls it ‘ The Day 2 UK Jetlag Syndrome’.

We have a date with Cher and a Meet n Greet tonight …so a bit of shut eye is in order…..
Don’t want to be less than sunny for Cher! And don’t want to be boring Brits at the Bellagio …….so, despite not wanting to waste a single Vegas second…. a few zzzzzzzzzz ‘s are now a must………………
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Coming up next….Agog at Cher’s perennial youth …and meeting Mr&Mrs Evoni and Pruske ……