Vegas

When you first arrive at your hotel in Vegas - the sights and sounds are unfamiliar. The first trip from the check in desk to the guest elevators is achieved by following the signs, that weave you the long way around the slots. The path you follow is carpeted in a plain pattern, so sub consciously you are pulled around the desired route. It takes a couple of trips before you become aware of the ploy - slip between the slots and head directly for you intended destination.

Day one you amble along the carpeted route taking in the sights and sounds. Day two you do your best to sidestep dawdlers and navigate the casino like a pro. Day three you're a snipers nightmare - as you dodge punters and slots to exit the battle field unharmed - sanity in tact.

The garish decor designed to stimulate your senses on day 1 - pain those same senses in the coming days.

The call of the slot machines, enticing you to play, the clink of clay chips as they hit the green baize, the whir of the roulette wheel spinning with the machine gun splatter as the ball finds its slot, the gentle thud of the dice hitting the padded backboard and the baize of the craps table - all of these sounds entice your senses when you first arrive. These same sounds become Chinese water torture in the twilight zone. By the day we checked out - we ducked and weaved through the casino - our mission to reach the exit in as short a time as possible, anxious to breathe fresh air and hear the laconic sounds of traffic.