While staying in Las Vegas, Nevada, I stayed at the  Flamingo Hotel. I have been to Las Vegas a few times previously and have seen most of the tourist sites, and I have stayed in lots of different hotels.

Las Vegas.

I only stayed here for two nights, so on my first evening, I walked along to the different hotels to see if I could see any shows that I could go and see.

Just along from the hotel was a ticket office selling cut-price tickets to shows that hadn't sold out. I saw that they were selling tickets to see Gladys Night in The Tropicana. I had always been a fan, so I bought a ticket. A $150 ticket only cost me $75, so I was delighted. They were selling tickets to see Garth Brooks for $250, and I would have bought one if I hadn't left the day before the show.

Gladys KnightI just walked around the following day, looking at some of the large hotels and casinos. It was the first time I remember going to a Las Vegas casino and not hearing the sounds of machines paying out. For some reason, the machines don't pay out cash anymore. If you win, they give you a ticket, which you must redeem at the cashier's office. It affected the atmosphere, and I much preferred it when you heard the machines paying out cold, hard cash.

Before seeing Gladys Night, I ate at the MGM Grand, which has an all-you-can-eat buffet. Feeling very full, I decided to walk along to the show. I was ushered into the showroom and shown to my seat when I arrived. I had a bit of fortune; the ticket I had been sold was in the front row and centre of the stage. The table I was seated at should have seated six, but I was the only person there. There was no one else in the front section of the theatre. The rest of the theatre was packed, but no one had bought any of the expensive seats for which I had paid half price. I ordered a couple of cocktails. They were two for one, and I settled down with them to watch the show.

I enjoyed the show with Gladys Knight singing some of her old songs from when she appeared with The Pips and some of her new material. Because I was the only person in the front row, Gladys Knight would often speak to me directly as I watched the show, and as she performed, it was almost like having a private show. Unlike Tom Jones, who I have also seen in Las Vegas, she didn't buy me a drink. I loved the show and felt happy to have got such a good seat with such a considerable discount. After the show, I returned to my Tropicana Hotel suite for a much-needed sleep.

I flew to San Francisco the next day as I had extended my holiday by a couple of nights. I had arranged to meet a cousin I didn't know anything about until a couple of days before this trip to America.