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15.12.2003: Las Vegas
Our first task of the day was to write a list of what is wrong with Winnie that needs sorting out. We needed to get the alternator cleaned as well as the rest of the engine that was now covered in oil! The other problems included the petrol tank - some kind of cut-off mechanism which wouldn't allow any more petrol in it. We got it fixed last time by getting air blown through the feeder pipe but that's not a permanent solution. The clicking noise under the dashboard that inconsistently comes and goes. The left indicator sometimes blinks at double time. The automatic transmission which changed gear all the time as we were driving to Las Vegas yesterday and might be something to do with the oil. And then there's the usual things that need doing - we might as well get a service done at the same time as getting the oil leak fixed.
Armed with the list, Helen started phoning garages to get quotes. The main Toyota dealer was a nightmare, with Helen getting passed around from department to department and getting cut off or lost in the system. In between she phoned an independent Toyota garage and it was a lot easier to get a quote. Back to the main dealer and Helen finally got through to someone who said there were 37 seals in the engine and 7 front seals, so which one front seal do we need! Well Helen didn't have an answer to that one so she ended up getting a general quote which ended up being more than $1300 (about £850 ). So it was back to the independent guys who quoted $450 for the service and front gasket plus extras for the other problems. So we booked with them for 8am tomorrow.
After 2 hours on the phone we finally had Winnie booked in. We bought a newspaper and sat and relaxed for a while. Kirsten made Chinese stir-fry for a late lunch and then she started work on the computer.
At 5-40pm we decided to go over to Circus Circus and play Black Jack again. Kirsten played and we had to play $40 as the first $20 didn't last very long. We were down to our last chip on several occasions but managed to survive. Then Kirsten won on lucky lady (2 matching kings) and won $38 in one go. We played a bit longer but after losing twice in a row we decided to quit whilst we were ahead. We came away with a plus of $67!!! Not bad for us beginners.
Then it was back to Winnie for a celebratory photo of our winnings!
16.12.2003: Las Vegas
We reluctantly got up at 6-50am and it seemed like all the showers were occupied! But we managed to find some eventually. We made a cup of tea and drank it whilst getting Winnie ready to drive and got to the garage for 7-50am. We had to wait around a lot as there were other customers coming back with things that still weren't right after they'd brought their cars in the day before! That didn't exactly fill us with confidence about our choice of garage! Then we were asked if we could come back tomorrow - not an option!
They started cleaning the engine at 8-45 am and then drove Winnie carefully through the 10ft by 10ft garage door - at tight fit on the height! We sat in the office and read a newspaper, then Kirsten went to get some coffee and breakfast from a nearby cafe. The manager had told us it was too far to walk, but we're getting used to Americans who drive everywhere. It took Kirsten about 5 minutes to get there!
Then Kirsten got the computer out and plugged in whilst Helen read her book. We had to stay around in case there were questions and to make sure they looked at everything that needed looking at. Plus it hurried them up as they were finished by 13-45pm. We needed a new transmission kit which cost an extra $150, so the total cost was $621-23. Winnies Christmas present! Fingers crossed he'll be alright now!
Then we started doing some shopping around. We went to get a quote for a foam mattress as we think the mattress that is in the alcove is actually the original (i.e. 17 years old!). Then went to a do it yourself place and bought some particle boards to fit across the alcove. Part of the original mattress includes a piece above the driving compartment which has a board in it. If we are going to buy a new mattress we'd need an alternative to fit across the hole. Hence the particle boards. We had to get the boards cut to our specifications but the machine didn't cut to the exact line so we've ended up with something a bit shorter than we wanted. But it'll do!
All that took a long time and we got filthy getting the boards into Winnie. After doing some food shopping we drove back to Circus Circus and parked up. Helen won at cards again and then we read our books after quite an exhausting day.
17.12.2003: Las Vegas
We didn't do much today except work on the computer. Kirsten phoned up one place to ask about a mattress and get a quote, but its for something smaller than the size of mattress we need. We were about to find out that the size of mattress we need is not a normal size and will have to be ordered (no chance of getting it this side of Christmas) or get it made specially. It would take another 2 frustrating days of searching to finally get it sorted out.
18.12.2003: Las Vegas
We got a yellow pages from the reception and made a list of places that sell/make mattresses and marked ones that were fairly nearby on our map of Las Vegas. We also took the damaged wheel off the bike attached to the back so we could take it in to get repaired.
We set off on our hunt at 12 noon and went to 3 different mattress places. We got the same story - an irregular size. Order one or make do with one that is 6 inches smaller than the alcove. The prices ranged from $150 to $1000! Mind you the expensive one was a Swedish system that moulds to the individual when you lie on it and is very comfortable. But it´s not worth having such an expensive mattress in a motor home that is 17 years old!
We then went to another do it yourself place to look into possibilities of buying a smaller mattress and fitting something in the 6 inch gap. Sticking pieces of polystyrene together and then taping them up didn't seem to be the most perfect solution. So it was back to phoning up various mattress places. We found someone who said they had what we wanted in stock but we had to get there in 10 minutes! So we raced back to Winnie and managed to get there in one piece despite Kirsten having to hit the brakes really hard at one point, as she was looking through the side mirrors whilst Winnie was heading directly for the boot of the car in front. Helen shouted and Kirsten stood on the brakes! Everything in the back went flying! Bin, water bottle, you name it! Thank goodness our brakes work!
Once we got there we found that "in stock" meant being in a warehouse in LA and would have to be ordered! We couldn't even try out a similar mattress as there was no room to lie it on the floor. The guy kept telling us to lean up against the mattress which was leaning upright against the wall, to get an idea of the firmness!! Idiot! He also had snot coming out of his nose and was a really creepy guy! Needless to say, we didn't buy a mattress!
It was now 3-30pm and we hadn't got anything done. The bike wheel still needed repairing and we hadn't got to Kinkos to download the new updates for the website. And of course, no mattress. We tried to find Walmart to have a look for mattress protectors but ended up in the back end of beyond. So we gave up and drove back.
There was an injured small bird on the tarmac just in front of our site. We both covered our eyes up in horror as a large RV came driving along before we could do anything and we thought the little bird would get squashed right in front of us! When we tentatively had a peak, the little bird was still there, still injured. The wheels of the RV must have gone either side of it. Kirsten picked it up in a small rag to take it to reception but it died on the way. Probably from shock, poor thing. But at least it wasn't in pain anymore.
We got changed and then got a lift from one of the KOA team in a golf cart to the side entrance which saved us a bit of walking to get to the Sahara Hotel and to go for the buffet there. Then we walked all the way down to the Bellagio Hotel (2 miles at least) to go and see Cirque du Soleil.
The show started with the typical Cirque clowns and water was dripping from the theatre ceiling. The show is called "O" which sounds the same as the French word for water (eau). The stage was absolutely amazing. It featured a swimming pool that could be drained to form a "normal" stage and could also be altered to have different depths of water in it. We had heard beforehand that the show and stage had taken 4 years just to develop it. Now we know why.
There were divers under water (we didn't know they were there until it was nearly the end of the show) who were giving air to the actors before they were due to appear "on stage". The whole show was typical Cirque du Soleil and of course there was a lot of gymnasts being catapulted into the air from swings, doing double saltos in the piked position, quadruple somersaults etc etc before diving into the pool. There were also some divers who jumped off boards we couldn't even see as they were so high up! The pool stage had to be very deep to accommodate dives from such heights.
The audience sitting in the middle section (the expensive seats) got quite wet! But unfortunately, besides the stage, the show wasn't that spectacular. We've seen it all before - Helens third and Kirstens fourth Cirque show. And for $93-50 each, too expensive. We probably won't be going to see another one.
On the walk back, we saw the Mirage volcano erupting - something we´ve somehow managed to miss when we were on the Strip before, even though it erupts every 15 minutes! We got back home at 12-30pm.
19.12.2003: Las Vegas
Kirsten made us pancakes for breakfast whilst Helen went to the phone and made yet more calls to mattress places. We knew that today was our last chance to get a new mattress this side of Christmas. She eventually got through to someone who had our mattress in stock. And this time she asked twice if the mattress was there so we could try it out and take it with us if we decided to buy it. Yes to both. Unfortunately it was right on the southern outskirts of LV and meant at least a 45 minute drive.
On the way, we got our bike repaired at a cost of $43 and went to Kinkos and downloaded our updates onto the website. Then we drove all the way down, only to be told that the two mattresses they had in stock had just been bought! It was obviously a lie. He never had them in the first place. We were livid! And told him so!
On the long drive back we called in at various stores on the way and finally found somewhere prepared to make us the size we wanted by 3pm on Sunday. So we paid the $172 after the man who would be making the bed assured us that it would be ready in time. We can only hope!
Then, with Kirsten map reading we tried to get to an Indian restaurant for a meal. At one point we ended up at the back of Caesars Palace under the car park!!! But we managed to get back onto the Strip and eventually got to the Indian for a really good meal. Kirsten ordered a dinner which was a silver tray containing small dishes of various food. The dinner included a soup and a dessert. When Helen ordered and was served with her dessert, Kirsten asked where hers was. She was told that it had been included on the silver tray!! She then realised it was the only cold dish on the tray and had wondered at the time why it tasted quite sweet!! She'd just eaten it along with all the savoury things! How embarrassing!
Afterwards we stopped off at Target - a large superstore - to try and find a mattress protector. We ended up buying $135 worth of stuff! A new 1 hour battery recharger and batteries, a new pillow, CD case, 50 CDs for our downloading and some new knickers for Kirsten. When we got back Kirsten looked at them and they were at least 4 times too big, even though they were supposedly medium! If they hadn't had holes in them we could have used them as bin liners! So now we have to go back and exchange them for Xxsmall.
Finally back home we decided to go and lose some of our recently won money on the Black Jack tables! On the way back we got another lift in the golf cart from our friendly KOA man and ended up chatting for at least an hour. He and his wife have been living out of their motor home for 3 years now and are on the management program for KOA campgrounds. They came over from a Florida KOA to work here for 3 months during the transition period as they've just taken over this campground from Circus Circus. They'll probably be going back to a different campground in Florida as managers in January.
20.12.2003: Las Vegas
We didn't get much sleep as we were woken up at 4am and 6am by noisy motor homes leaving the park. We also had to endure a 1 hour telephone conversation outside our window by our inconsiderate neighbour from 7-8am!
After a shower and breakfast, it was another computer day whilst baking a chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls, washing up, re-attaching the bike wheel we got fixed, doing the washing and cleaning the mats. At one point an alarm went off and we thought it might be Winnie. We went outside and saw other people checking their motor homes thinking the same as us! It turned out to be an emergency alarm button in the toilet block that had accidentally been set off.
So we went back to writing on the computer.
21.12.2003: Las Vegas
Today, our old mattress got ceremonially dumped into the waste bin! Then we gave Winnie a thorough clean out and washed all the bedding - 4 loads! Then we drove off to collect our new, custom built mattress and loaded it into Winnie. Afterwards, we drove back to Target to exchange Kirstens massive knickers for smaller ones that fit! After eating at a Thai restaurant and doing the shopping, we returned to the RV park.
The first thing we had to do was to put a waterproof/allergy proof cover over our new mattress. Not easy in such a confined space. We promptly ripped the new cover! Fortunately its only a small tear. Then we made the bed. At 7pm, we caught the bus down to the other end of the Strip. It would have been quicker to walk! We were packed in like sardines from the start and the bus continued picking up more passengers, including a Mike Tyson lookalike who even talked like Tyson!
Then we went on a last Hotel tour - the Luxor, with all the Egyption inscriptions and a Sphynx; the Excalibur, where we were put in the stocks; the Tropicana, where we went to the museum and watched a video of the various fires in Las Vegas over the years, demolitions and even a bomb explosion! The MGM was quite boring - we'd expected to see everything to do with movies, but other than a few photos of stars, there was just a casino. The Aladdin was far better - a shopping mall with a moving sky overhead that even had thunder and rain every half an hour. The Paris hotel had lots of live music and very French buildings with shops in them. The last hotel, Ballys, was also boring, so we walked back along the Strip, passed a statue of the backs of naked ladies whose bronze bottoms should be rubbed for luck!, and went to the Circus Circus to have a go at Roulette.
Our $20 lasted about 1.5 hours and we were doing quite well at the start but we weren't making high bets and so we didn't win much either. We saw one Chinese man placing bets around a single number. He won loads of money and then lost it all! We walked back to Winnie and noticed a burning smell! It turned out to be a bulb burning a hole through the plastic cover on one of our lights. We'd put the wrong size bulb in there! So, disaster avoided, we went to bed.
