I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep. Just kept turning over in the bed for a couple of hours. I had fallen asleep quite late last night and had the alarm for 10 (checkout at 11).
Anyhow, so I took the opportunity and used the bathtub I had access to. Unfortunately, it’s not really as big as you would expect in the USA, so it could have been more comfortable, but it was nice anyway. I packed my bags, checked the weight, and put enough stuff in my overflow backpack.
Just before 11, I checked out and left my suitcase in their care. I had booked an Uber for 16:30, so I had a few hours to kill. I have come to the conclusion that I didn’t need this whole day; I could have flown out before lunch. Don’t get me wrong, it has been fun, the game, the show, the dam, but since I’m not into either gambling or drinking, much of the entertainment isn’t for me.
When I had checked out, I went to the front balcony of the Venetian, where it was a bit quieter, and I found wifi, so I could call Mom. We spoke for an hour and even got Dad on for the last bit. Nice to check in, make some plans for Christmas, and talk Swedish for once. After we hung up, I went to Denny’s for some lunch (I had skipped breakfast) and to use my coupon from the hotel.
It was a bit confusing whether there was a line or not, but after a few minutes, I was shown to a table. There were a lot of free tables, but many of them had dishes on them still, so maybe it was too few personnel that was the reason why there was a (short) wait to get a table. I ordered the sirloin steak with fries. It was as good as you could expect when it cost $20. The dessert was great though!
I paid the bill, used my coupon, and then left to look for somewhere to sit for a couple of hours. In the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort, I saw an ad for Paniq Room, the same logo for escape rooms as we have in Stockholm! I figured I could ask if any of their rooms were doable by a single player.
She gave a couple of suggestions and I chose the easiest one (funnier if I can complete it), Zombie Outbreak. They could start it at once, as soon as I paid and signed the waiver. I got in, watched two film sequences with rules and story, and then I began. I had to ask for a few hints, mostly because I couldn’t find the next puzzler. I finished with abour 5 minute left. One moment required four buttons, on three sides of a table, being pressed at the same time. The staff was prepared to come in and assist with this particular puzzle, but before they had the chance to enter, I had managed to press all four buttons with my hands and my thighs. They were quite impressed!
In fact, the manager was so impressed that she offered me a second room for free. I gladly accepted and did Casino Heist. This required two hints, and I made it out with about 12 minutes to spare.
Both rooms were pretty good; the second one didn’t have any padlocks. The staff was really friendly and impressed by my skills. Even though I’m fairly experienced (this was the 38th and 39th rooms I’ve done), it’s usually a bit tricky being alone, so these rooms weren’t the most complicated I’ve done.
This really “saved the day” after a crappy night and overall just waiting. I walked back to the hotel and grabbed my bag, and then to the pickup spot for the Uber, a bit early. I got picked up by Val, a very nice, retired man, and a table tennis player. His idol is J-O Waldner 🙂
At the airport, the bag drop was smooth, but security took some time. Seemed like the bottleneck was the X-ray for the bags. Every fifth bag or so had to be rescanned, and there was no queue once you got through the body scanner. Found my gate and asked about boarding, since I don’t have a seat. Instead, you have a number specifying in what order you board, and then it’s free seating. Even though the gate was at the far end of the pier, they had a couple of restaurants there, so I got some dinner while waiting for boarding.
After eating, I looked up how to get from the airport, and I had about the same situation as in Dallas; it’s a 45-minute drive and costs about $80 with Uber. Via public transit, it takes about an hour and costs $13.
The boarding process went pretty smoothly, except for the people who, in spite of the cabin crew repeatedly giving explicit instructions not to, put their smaller bags and coats in the upper bins. Some people had to look for space for the carry-on bag. Since I was number 26 on board in the first group, I got an aisle seat and my bag above me, neat!
The flight was uneventful, took just over an hour. It took some time to get my suitcase, but then on to the AirTrain, to a train station. Then a BART train into the city, followed by a bus ride for a few stops.
At the train station, I could just tap my credit card upon entry and exit. However, when I tried that on the bus, nothing happened (it turns out it was only for “Clipper cards”). So while sitting on the bus, riding without paying, I saw the URL sfmta.com, and there I found out it was another company that ran the buses. So, I downloaded an app, made an account, and after a couple of stops, I had a valid ticket. Phew!
I checked in at about 22:45, and remembered that I had booked a corner room, sweet!
