After a later start, we headed out to meet Neen and her family at the Hard Rock Café. We crossed to New York New York and went down to street level, only to find it’s illegal to cross the streets on the Strip – you have to use the walkways or crossings which are further down. This was frustrating as it meant retracing our steps, and we’d already done that when Lynx forgot her sunglasses. Maybe authorities disliked tourists being used for the Pedestrian Points game. Or maybe drunk people and cars are a bad combination. Gambling with money or your life has similar odds.
A man said, “I think you’ve dropped something.”
We looked back.
“Your smile.”
“Well, I’m not picking that up,” Cat said.
Haunted hotels
We collected Neen and headed out to get a bus. A guy who worked in the ticket stand next to the bus stop asked for a photo with us. We should start charging like the street performers do. Earn ourselves some souvenir money. We took the bus to Circus Circus and wandered around there for a while. Fortunately, it’s not circus themed on the inside, though it did have a carousel. While we were here looking for ghosts, that doesn’t include clowns. We’re not that perverted.
We failed to find the haunted room, as they appear to have renamed them. Thanks for ruining our episode. We got the bus to Treasure Island. The heat coming off the boardwalk was immense! Our feet were burning through our boots. It’s not like British heat, which is hot in the blazing sun (when it bothers to show up) but cool in the shade. This was more like standing under a heater with no escape. No wonder all the hotels have air conditioning.
Treasure hunt
Treasure Island has the coolest gift shop. Inside it’s very pirate-themed. Most of the hotels seemed to only be themed on the outside and are disappointing on the inside. A bit like people. New York New York has some fake streets. We stopped at a bar in a corridor en route to the Mirage for some frozen strawberry daiquiri and the bartender told us he’d been to Alcatraz about 25 years ago. He gave us some haunted places in San Francisco to check out. His cousin and his wife have a ghost hunting show on YouTube. He was bored. We suggested leaving the bar in our capable hands, but he didn’t think his boss would be pleased. It would be fine – Neen’s done bar work.
It’s a mirage
We got on the monorail to the Mirage. Our first time riding a monorail was very exciting and it takes you above the streets. We spent most of the ride chanting “Monorail” and singing the Monorail song from The Simpsons. The Mirage have dolphins, lions and tigers in the Siegfried and Roy secret garden.
We got another bus ticket and returned to the Excalibur to freshen up before heading for the Luxor and the very exciting Bodies exhibition.
A man stopped us. “Would you like a free massage in one of our massage machines?” Because that’s not at all creepy.
“Sorry, we’re going to look at dead bodies.”
We know how to charm people.
Bodies exhibition
The Bodies exhibition was fascinating. They have skeletons and bodies showing the muscles, organs and even the nerves. There are 13 body specimens and more than 250 organs, preserved through a polymer process. Prisoners donated their bodies to the exhibition. Well, we hope the prisoners consented to have their corpses peeled and put on display. Unlike in Britain in the 18th and 19th c, when being dissected was part of the death sentence for murderers.
There were dissected pieces on slides, organs, bones, and organs showing the veins and arteries. Injected dye made the veisn visible. One area was behind double doors and you had the option to bypass it if you wish. This was the foetus section. We went straight in but Neen, who’s a parent, was conflicted. She soon joined us as curiosity won.
Foetal position
They had foetuses in different stages of development. They even had a knee meniscus and said tearing it could cause debilitating pain. That’s what Cat did. She calls her knee Linus. It was cool to see what Linus looked like before the damage and all the surgeries. Cat was wearing an ice patch due to all the walking. Linus spasmed in sympathy at the meniscus in the case. Lynx’s left knee, which had been silent up until now, decided to click throughout the whole exhibition then fell silent when we left. Obviously the quiet of the exhibition reminded it of when we do EVPs when ghost hunting and it wanted to contribute.
Almost every shop worker we’ve met has complimented our look and outfits, which is really strange. Back home, we just get abuse. People are so nice here. Vegas really is a home for the misfits.
Read Day 2.
Read Day 4.