Omnia in fine valebunt - solus interrogans adiuvari potest.

Not really happy about the assigned car at the car rental in Palm Springs and especially the fact that we couldn't fit our suitcases and bags into the "cool, sleek" Ford Mustang after trying out a hundred Tetris versions in the trunk this morning and still not being able to store everything as desired, we set off half satisfied on our way to Las Vegas. Maybe a short explanation why we wanted/needed to store everything in the visible trunk: We're on the road for three weeks now, rarely do we have two nights in one place and thus we always have to have EVERYTHING we have in the car. It's not a good feeling for hiking trips we want to take ...

After about 100 meters on the road, we thought we should at least try to exchange the Ford Mustang for a "real car". Spontaneously, we drove to the airport or the rental station and inquired. And we were rewarded, we were so lucky ... we got another car. We didn't have to book a new car, they simply exchanged the Ford with all the conditions for a Chevy Malibu. No one can imagine how happy we were to sit in a spacious car again, out of this overheated and uncomfortable and much too small sardine can. The trunk was the perfect size, everything found its place, nothing had to be placed on the back seat. Very satisfied and extremely happy, we continued on. We knew we would have been annoyed every day for the next three weeks if we hadn't tried it.

Now heading towards Las Vegas. About four hours of driving time, which will be a long and lonely road. We drive at least 150 miles through the Mojave Desert, at some point you could read: Next Service 100 Miles". The look at the fuel gauge revealed: we can do it, even if the air conditioning is running at full blast, outside it's constantly about 40 degrees ...

On the way, you pass mining fields of carbide and otherwise desolate solitude. Only the many Joshua Trees greet you on the side of the road.

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, suddenly a "monument" in the desert announced "The End of the World". Completely unclear why these big letters were set up here ... was a "sci-fi" movie shot here or has a sect set up their tents somewhere ...

On the net it says that the American artist Jack Pierson set up this lettering in the part of the Mojave Desert that locals call "Wonder Valley" in 2022. As a place known to those who have left the edge of civilization. That you have left civilization when you live on the absolute edge of civilization does not only exist in the Mojave Desert, it exists in many other places in the States - we have seen it ...

When driving through the Mojave Desert towards Los Angeles, you inevitably come across a section of Route 66. On this route, we found a particularly beautiful relic from the 1950s/1960s. A gas station with a sign and a motel, just like there used to be many of them, but today they are hardly to be found.

After four hours of driving, we finally "landed" in Las Vegas. Our hotel is the "Rio", a slightly older but still well-maintained resort. We pay $57 for one night here. $14 for the overnight stay in a huge room (on the VIP floor on the 20th floor) and $43 resort fee. Unbelievable ... on weekends, the room costs at least 10 to 15 times as much. But it is known that you can live super cheap during the week.

Arriving in the lobby of the "Rio", we had to check in. We have already noticed that the USA is no longer necessarily the country of services and customer service. No (specialized) personnel in supermarkets or other big stores ... almost like in good old Germany ... In short, we stood in line for at least half an hour until it was our turn. About 10 people ahead of us, three out of 10 counters open ...

When we finally got our turn, the mishap happened ... Thorsten, who had placed our cool box, filled with ice, sausages, cheese and butter, on his suitcase, the box slipped and crashed to the floor. The whole contents, ice, water, cheese, butter and sausages, ended up on the floor. Great, well done ... the young woman at the reception remained totally calm and immediately called a cleaning lady who cleaned everything up ... and continued with our check-in...

We also noticed that US citizens take an extremely long time to take care of their business. Nobody cares if you might be holding up the operation with constant questions and changes or simply because you feel like chatting a bit. We always compare this with the time it takes us to check in, for example, at a hotel or at the airport ...

And one thing that stood out on the previous trip and was brought back to our attention here at the hotel: the incredible self-confidence and courage to show yourself here as a young woman/girl, the young girls here in the casino, in the lobby, almost naked ... And let me tell you, most young girls here don't have a slim figure or "look good" - rather the opposite. We don't understand the male friends who let their girlfriends walk around like this. But apparently, that's a matter of taste ...

Our internet problem at the hotel led us to the Strip once again. The way from the Rio to the Strip was a bit "creepy", where you had to use a sidewalk where some homeless people had settled down for the night ... We didn't have any valuables with us, so not much could happen ...

Arriving on the Strip, we of course headed to the Bellagio with its famous fountains, which provide for many "oohs" and "aahs" every 10 minutes ... The choreography used to be better, always with changing music (sometimes classical, sometimes modern), but it's always a pleasure to see ...

What we noticed compared to before is that there are no longer countless Mexicans who snap their fingers on the sidewalk with cards as big as playing cards to attract men's attention to a fiery beauty. Today, the girls themselves go fishing for customers and walk conspicuously made-up and scantily dressed among the crowds, flirting with men ...

That's it for today, tomorrow we'll continue ...