So leaving the hostel around 10.30am for the bus, only to find out that the bus is only one every 45mins and just missed it so instead take an under through the hostel at a flat $15 rate, as it is much easier than hunting around downtown LA with all my bags in areas that are meant to be a little bit dodgy. So arrive with plenty of time the bus actually leaves an hour late which is annoying as just means I won’t get to Vegas until 7pm so later than planned. The bus journey is really comfy – big seats with leg room, wifi and has a few stop offs over the 5hour ride. The driver is quite cool as lays down the rules like no nail polish to obviously no touching other passengers otherwise he will pull over and leave you in the dessert. I assume that the night buses attract more unusual people than the daytime ones.

Checking into New York New York, as a little treat to myself before getting back to the hostel life again. It is a nice hotel with the funky roller coaster there and the room is nice with views of the mountains, the coaster, statue of liberty and has a very comfy huge bed a nice change from a bunk bed. However not so cheap as the weekend rates are expensive, with all the resort fees to so $350 (230 GBP) for a weekend break, but totally worth it to reset and pamper myself even making the most of the luxurious towels they provide.

I pretty much head straight out, as it is already late by the time I get everything sorted so explore the hotel spending a lot of the night in the bar they have called Times Square as it has live music and is only a $10 (7 GBP) cover charge, although I would have thought that if you stayed at the hotel you should be able to get in for free, but maybe it would just get too busy or as it’s Vegas just another way to get your money.

Starting off with two guys on the piano dueling each other and the audience having to give them names of songs they want to play. A little bit later, after several attempts to requests AC DC from a group of Newcastle rugby union lads, it switches from piano to a guy playing his guitar on the top of the piano really getting into jumping around all over the topof the piano giving the bar a fun vibe.

A fun night and nothing too crazy this first night as have a pool party planned for the morning so just hang out with the rugby players who are a good laugh. After check out the other bar they have in the hotel called Coyote Ugly  from the film and is actually quite similar to how it is in the film with the attention to detail of the bar very good and of course popular as the girls are all wearing very little and dancing on top of the bar. The bar is really packed and it is a $10 cover charge to get in, but the lads pay for me so that is handy. Stay in there for an hour or so having a dance as the music is general dance stuff.

To end the night head over to Excalibur Hotel to try out some roulette as the tables are cheap there and get a burger as the rugby boys stay there and said was the best burger they had, although I’m not a hug burger fan usually.

11th June 2016