Day 15, Vegas day 2. guns, guns, guns!!!

26/8 I woke up in Vegas, Nevada

One of the old time favourite things on my “bucket list” was shooting AK-47. Don’t ask me why. It just sounds so retro, yet powerful. Yes, this is a girly description of a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, also known as a Kalashnikov, an “AK”, or, in Russian slang, Kalash.

Even years after the first one has been produced, it is still the most popular assault rifle in the world.
And there’s me.

I was as excited as Heather Mills spending McCartney’s money at Prada.

I shot some hand guns and rifles before, outdoors and indoors (next time I will make sure they are not loaded, when I fire one towards the kitchen cabinet. Sorry mum. ), but, like with many things in life, It’s always exciting to try a new one.

And we are in Vegas, USA. We can shoot. What’s best, Leah (age 12), can shoot, too! (note to anyone, who wants to use this statement against us or to judge my maternal abilities, she was supervised by the professional and with double ear protectors).

So off we went to the nearest Gun Store. The queue was pretty long, with mixed crowd of girls and boys, a stag-do and two little boys, maybe around 8 years old. The staff were friendly and professional, and there must have been around 200 different guns on display while waiting, but my favourite was the movie played: “Finding Nemo”. Bless. The ultimate choice for a shooting range.

I chose P266 and AK-47. “Who wants to be first?” “Me! Me! Me!” .. FUN!!!! Hell yeah, lets just say, I did not waste a single shot on anything other than the scull and the heart. Lucky, considering I could be called “Legally Blind” as opposed to “Legally blonde”.

It was a bit much for Leah, as with all the shooting and noise and bullets flying around, she started crying and did not want to play anymore, but the cool dude who was looking after us, gave her a less powerful rifle, and she was rocking.

Shane did ok as well, let’s just say, If you find yourself near him, when he’s holding a gun, do not be afraid Unless you are reaaally fat. And wide. And very tall.

That’s how many shots it took Shane to finally hit the target..

..ok, maybe half of that..

After the killer session, we came back to the hotel for a late lunch at Pink Taco, consisting of awesome chicken fajitas and tiramissu .

The night was young, so we decided to hit the town, which believe me, is something else, when you are accompanied by a 12-year old in Vegas. It’s like throwing a bulimic into a room full of chicken drumsticks with his mouth sewn a’la Hannibal Lecter, and hands cut off like they came in contact with a main character from the chainsaw massacre.

We had a good walk around. Vegas looks much better at night. It’s something I suspected. What I did not suspect however is how little drunk people there would be around in the middle of the night! Virtually everyone sober! Coe to think of it, yesterday when we went out, I did not see anyone smashed. How did they make movie called “Hungover”, based on a crazy weekend in Vegas, when people here don’t get drunk in a first place, to have a hungover to follow?

We went down the strip, stared in awe at the dancing fountains outside Bellagio Hotel, the replica of the Eiffel Tower, strolled down the Miracle Mile, and between some trashy clothing stores, we found quite a few decent galleries. The most interesting point of the evening however was a little shop offering a water jet massage, so geek suckers that we are, we were on the bed quicker than the boy running the shop could say: “15 or 20 min?”. It was really relaxing. I could have stayed there for ages.

Finally the time was up and I rolled my fat but off the bed, to see Shane already targeted as a potential ATM machine, plugged to the oxygen bar (which for him was a blessing, after the cocktails yesterday..).

Me and Leah joined him, and soon after, the excellent salesman that we met, plugged a current producing machine to each of our backs. It was causing muscle contraction in the tense area, releasing the pressure in shoulders and as I found out, helping to loose fat from one’s ass. I was sold. We left the shop with a piece of high-tech equipment we are probably never going to use.

Afterwards we went to Venetian, which is pretty amazing when it comes to shopping experience. In between the high end shops, like Burberry and Cartier, you can get on a gondola, and feel like you are miles away.. bliss.. the flower arrangements, the fountain.. it’s great, if you want to spend some money, that’s the place.

However stunning all this was, I was after one thing and one thing only: a huge sculpture of horses, that a few years ago was the backdrop for a pic of my dad, that drilled itself in my head for some reason, and I decided : I want one too!

We were looking for it in Venetian, but after a brief phone call to dad, I was told: “It’s in old Cesar Palace, near Mirage”. He also added: “Have a look in the jewellery shop next to it, there was a ring I loved, with green stone and..” YES DAD, IT’S STILL THERE! IT’S BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR 10 YEARS! Jeez.. All those blond moments I have.. at least I know now where they came from!

We got a taxi and shot for the Cesar Palace, but the part with horses was shut. On the way out, we got some drinks and the lady at the shop wished us a “lucky stay”, not a “good”, or a “nice one”, but “lucky”. I like that.