Koyaanisqatsi II -- A Road Trip page 3 We crossed our first stateline into Nevada and into the heat. Driving up and down desert passes with nothing to see on any side. We knew it was bad when we saw signs reading "Turn Off Air Conditioners". It was 97° and it was only 7:30 AM. We made it in the end and pulled into Las Vegas around 8:30. We drove up the strip looking at all the signs and the glitz but numb to know what to think of it. We headed to the Sands for breakfast. We were still wearing our clothes from seeing Todd and we were dirty and wiped out from driving all night. Lucy felt fine. We checked the Tour Book and decided Circus Circus would be the cheapest place to stay so headed over there. After waiting in line about ½ hour, with a clown directing us we got a room and apparently were lucky to get it. The trouble was that we couldn't get in it until 2:00 -- about 4 hours away. Those were the longest 4 hours of the trip. We went to find our room so we could park the car at least -- we were put at the farthest corner of the Circus Circus complex because the whole place was full. We all changed our clothes in the car in the parking lot into shorts and t-shirts. Vacation gear. There was no shade at the pool and we didn't want to change into bathing suits in the car, so we began to roam around and try to use up the 4 hours. We ran into Lucy's friend Ricki from school and her family. We tried to explain our appearance and our bedraggledness to them -- they seemed a bit shocked by our grungies, but we thought we fit in pretty well with the rest of the Vegas gamblers, non-sleepers and tacky folks. We found a fast food roundabout in the Flamingo and rested up a bit. Jason and Barbara took turns taking gambling rounds/refresher walks around the casino and staying with Lucy. We started collecting condiment packages for sandwiches while camping later. We finally got our key and went back to our room only to find that the maid hadn't done it YET. She let us hang out while she made up the room, then we crashed for 2 or 3 hours -- woke up feeling almost completely refreshed and went out to do the town. and the minutes drag   time takes a cigarette, puts it in your mouth   cause I'm in trance   I can't imagine how this ever came to be   Viva Las Vegas We joined the zoo procession of people people people with kids kids kids in Circus Circus. We went to the buffet for dinner -- the food was OK, the selection was OK, the prices were OK, but it felt a little bit too much like cattle being herded off to the slaughterhouse to be fully enjoyable. We saw only one circus act -- they were always so mobbed by the time we knew they were starting that we couldn't get close. The one we saw had 3 flying hooker/showgirl types with a half-pound of makeup each hanging and swinging on quasi-carousel horses above the crowd. Simply marvelous. We tried a bit of small time gambling but one of us had to stay with Lucy and keep her moving. She was good about it -- pretty dazzled by the action and alarms and people and scantily clad waitresses. We headed back to our room and a really deep sleep. I've got to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the time (it can't get much worse)

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