" Leaving Las Vegas..... "
Cue the Bellagio Fountains ...it's Time to Say Goodbye ...

So after NYNY, a little bit tipsy, and a few dollars richer we headed back to The Sig.
Over the Bridge , through the MGM ....'Do you want to play abit more ?' said E ..'no' I said ..'I'm done' ...and I knew I was - for this trip anyway.
Through the Studio Walk....onto the moving walkways ....both of us a little subdued.. Vegas was flashing through my head in fast rewind.....

Up to the 26th floor -said goodnight to E and ran to the balcony for one last night- time look. All the lights had gone out on the Eiffel Tower. Somehow, it seemed significant.

Flung a few things in my case and gave up. Plenty of time in the morning. ....
No point in getting sad - Vegas will always be here - getting under your skin and wrapping itself stealthily around your soul. A desert siren with a song full of promise. Nirvana, Vallhalla, Shangrila - name your paradise - or your purgatory ...whatever you want it to be, it will be. And it will always be waiting for you.

Sleep.

And so ...the final morning . Gulped down some tea and packed furiously. Banged on E's door. E was ready - impeccably organised - as always. He'd had his room service fruit and was ready to travel.

But first - the great glasses hunt.

Somewhere in the night I'd lost my specs. Very old, not valuable , but my 'travel glasses' with a great pair of unreplaceable clip on shades. Not needed for up close 'slot work' but perfect for the 'longshot'. I hate losing things anyway.

Tolerant E agreed to retrace our steps of the last 24hours -and so we hit the Strip for the final time. The words 'needle' and haystack' hung in the air unsaid. I dragged him round from casino pillar to casino post - visiting every security office I could think of. The sun beat down, our feet were sore again... but I was determined.

Incase you are thinking - what an anticlimactic way to finish off Las Vegas - there is a point to me telling you this .

Here's what I discovered - if ever you lose anything at all on a mad Vegas night -(apart from dollars!)- there is a good chance it will still be there.

I can't begin to describe how many racks of clothes ( !) , bags, briefcases, hats, coats, jackets, cameras and god knows what else are sitting in casino security offices all over Vegas. If you lose the shirt off your back...that's where it'll be.

As for pairs of specs ..well boxes and boxes and boxes of 'em...

Fortunately,everywhere, everything is logged in by time and date. But sometimes the system goes pearshaped . Like at NYNY. Which was our last port of call.

Found the security front desk. Described the glasses. As I did so the security guard picked up a glasses case in front of him. 'That's them!' I shrieked -giving a thumbs up sign to a patiently waiting E.

The security guard summoned 2 other guards. Big discussion. This was obviously serious. Waited patiently. And waited ...and waited....

Here was the problem. In order for the glasses to be logged out to me- they had to have been logged in first.

And they hadn't.

Me turning up to claim them too soon had thrown the whole system into chaos.

The guards continued to debate the issue. Eventually I said - 'look, can't you just pretend they were never handed in in the first place?.'
Well... it was a solution. Or else we could have been there all day.
So, after exchanging suspicious glances, security furtively handed them over - and I felt like I'd taken part in an espionage drop. Operation Spectacles. Code name 'Unfashionable Wire Rims'.

E was duly impressed. So was I actually. It felt like one last little bit of Vegas luck. Or maybe it was just LV's way of making sure we did a final lap of honour round the southern end of The Strip.

Meanwhile, time was running out .....and we had a plane to catch.
Settled up at the Signature and grabbed a cab. The sooner we leave - the sooner we'll be back - so I tried not to gaze out of the window too much as the candy colours of The Strip faded away....

McCarran.

Slight confusion as E bolted up the escalator for departures before we'd checked in. I followed him regardless, and just managed to stop us being arrested at the scanners. I'd forgotten he gets nervy around airports.

Find the Virgin Check in queue.

'Ladies and Gentlemen - we have a special offer today' trumpeted a Virgin employee. 'For $100 dollars you can upgrade to an exit or bulk head seat' .....

'Great ! Lets do it! ' I said, all excited.
Not E. He doesn't like sudden surprises. Especially if it involves his wallet.

'But our seats were perfectly ok coming over?' he ventured...
'For god's sake ' I said - thats only 50 quid ! for extra leg room! '
'Well I was comfortable ..' he said ...
Tthat's because I gave you the aisle seat'...I retorted.
C'mon' I said - it's only $100 - thats nothing for a 10 hour flight...'
'That's $10 an hour ! ' said E.
I shot him a look.
'Well, I'm going to do it' I said defiantly, as I marched up to the desk.
E followed hesitantly.
I want to upgrade to one of your bulk head or exit seats please'...
'Certainly madam - are you both together ?'
'No', I said glowering at E -
'He doesn't want to give Richard Branson an extra £50 pounds'
E had his injured face on.
The Virgin girl started laughing nervously . She obviously thought we were having a full blown 'domestic' ....
'Well', she said, looking at me - 'as I only have a couple left, I'll let you have one for free'. I looked smugly at E.
'Oooohhhh...I want one !' piped up E
'NO! I shouted ...DON'T give him one ! Leave him where he is !'

The Virgin girl must have thought we were a right pair...and looked suitabley confused.
'Well' .....she said, carefully..... 'I can let you both have one...they're in the same row ..but they won't be together' ..'fine' I said sniffily....

Ofcourse I continued to needle E as we waited in the departure lounge...Our notions of what constitutes a 'bargain' are very different sometimes. This is a man who will happily spend money to shop organic while I am happy to spend anything on comfortable travel.

Remember our Bellagio v Travelodge debate?!

By the time our plane was called...we had both lapsed into silence...our check in drama forgotten by now...just post Vegas exhaustion kicking in.
And so - we boarded our flight. Checked E was ok and settled into my seat.

Take off.

As Vegas fell away and the desert stretched below us, I knew we would be back. ...

E had loved it. I had loved it .

Like an obsessive lover, Vegas had us in it's grip...and it had left us wanting more....

Whatever it is you want ...it's all there, in this city of sinful promise.....

Beautiful, gaudy, sexy, sultry, trashy, tempestuous...... tempting ...

You know it will always be waiting......