Today has just been long and hard, so now I’m all grumpy and
tired.
I woke up at 4am to catch my flight. Check it was pretty
easy, my suitcase was within the weight limit with the only downside really
being that they couldn’t send my suitcase straight to Vegas. But I had a 3hr
stop over from when I landed in Los Angeles with AirTahitiNui and when I had to
catch my flight to Las Vegas so I figured it would be fine to get my suitcase
and check back in…
I had two children behind me during the 9hr flight -one of
which seemed determined to cry and whine the entire 9hrs. Looking back, I have
some begrudging respect for the little guy for keeping it up so long. 9hrs is
impressive.
The flight itself was fine, I had two seats to myself and
there were 4 english movies!
Then we got to LAX. Not one, not two, but THREE airbuses
landed at once. Want to know what that means? That means ridiculously long
queues. Immigration was just a fiasco I was queuing for over an hour. And then
I got pulled out to be questioned – why I was coming to the states, details of
when I’m leaving, plans while I’m here, who I know in the States etc. So that
was fun, and not at all intimidating and scary when sleep deprived.
After that I had to get my luggage, only to fin out my
terminal had been changed and I had to run in sweltering heat from Terminal 1
to 7. Yes 6 terminals. In boiling weather. I truly dread to think what I must
have looked like. The phrase ‘hot mess’ doesn’t even cover it.
I got there though, check in was weird, but then I came to
weighing my suitcase.
And somehow it’d magically gained half a kilo. I have no
idea how that’s possible but there it is. So I had to quickly open my suitcase
and grab something to lighten it… In case you couldn’t guess panic and sleep
deprivation isn’t the best combination and I ended up grabbing my trainers and
proceeding to have to walk around the airport holding them…
After that security went smoothly, I got pulled out again
but I’m used to that now. Then I spent the next hour looking for an adapter –
which should not be so hard to find in an airport! I did eventually get one
though (after checking 5 electronic shops) so then it was off to Vegas baby!
Las Vegas Airport was everything you would imagine, as soon
as you walk out there are rows and rows of slot machines – welcome to the gambling
capital of the world! I grabbed my luggage but when I went to the ATM my card
was acting up. I assumed it was just the ATMs at the airport and jumped in a
cab.
The Cab driver was… interesting, within around 30 seconds of
chatting he offered to sell me weed. That was my first taste of Vegas. When we
got to the hotel I pop my card in to pay the driver and it was declined. You
know that pit you get in your stomach when you know something bad is about to
happen? Yeah I got that. I tried running it through as ‘checking’, ‘debit’,
‘saving’, ‘cheque’ and ‘credit’… it wasn't having it.
I still wasn’t overly worried, there’s an ATM in the hotel
so I figure I’ll get the money out there.. Nope. Not having it. So I go over to
the desk and ask if my card is working there – nope. Luckily I had another card
which allowed me to get out the money to pay the driver.
But when I went back to use that card to pay for my second
night (you pay the first night when you book and the second when you arrive)
that card was declined. Long story short, both my banks blocked my cards
despite me specifically going into branch at Easter to give them a list of
countries to expect transactions in.
Thankfully I had the first night paid for, but I hadn’t
access to any of my money. And by now it was roughly 2am and I was getting
picked up for a tour at 6am, and if I couldn’t pay for the next night by 6am
when I left I’d have to check out of my room and sort it out when my tour
arrived back in Vegas at 10pm. Not ideal.
After persuading the hotel to let me use the phone (they
don’t normally allow that without a credit card, and I couldn’t get online
without a working card either) I embarked on the mammoth task of attempting to
get through to an international number on an internal hotel service phone.
Tears ensued. After attempting for over an hour I eventually got through to my
bank and sorted it out, but by then it was half 3 and I was so so
exhausted.
Not the best way to start my time in the USA!
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