Viva Las Vegas!

Las Vegas turned out to be more than a Land of Casinos, as my Mom and I found out to our delight – the most enthralling shows, the world’s greatest monuments, the high-altitude roller coasters, the European medieval and Arabian castles, and guess what!! laws that actually let you drink on the streets (not while driving fortunately). And if that’s not enough, there are 24-hr ‘drive-through’ marriage windows! We saw a couple drive upto a low window of a small chapel behind which a priest read their vows to them. Sitting inside the car, they exchanged vows and kisses and drove off.

We stayed at ‘Circus Circus’, a hotel with its casino in the front under a huge circus tent. Our room on the 22nd floor had a breathtaking, spectacular view. We could clearly see the ‘Stratosphere Tower’ soaring 1,149 feet in the air. The 12-storey pod atop the tower featured a revolving restaurant and the world’s highest roller coaster. There were people lounging by the pool side or just walking up and down the streets, weaving in and out of casinos. All that noise or different kinds of sounds coming from below was a welcome change from the quiet life we were used to in Austin, Texas.

At 11:00 PM life had just begun. We headed down to the Circus casino. It was packed with people of all ages, cultures, shapes and sizes, all hoping that Lady Luck was on their side. There was a festive mood under the huge tent. My mom, entranced by the sounds of coins and chips, went excitedly from one slot machine to the next, from one roulette table to another. My luck was out for the night. So, after a few slot machines, a few rolls of dice, and a few dollars (more), we called it a day.

From the dazzle of Las Vegas the previous night, it was the grandeur of Hoover Dam. Rising more than 700 feet above the raging waters of the Colorado River, Hoover Dam looked magnificent. Time difference within the US states being an interesting concept to her, Mom decided she wanted to cross the dam, which had Nevada on one side and Arizona on the other with a difference of 1 hr. In the sweltering desert heat of 105(deg) F, we could walk only half the distance across that dam.

Back in Vegas, we strolled around, shopping and photographing casinos. Sauntering through the streets of Arabia in ‘Aladdin’s Castle’, we came across Arabian slaves dancing to the tune of Indian(!) music. In the ‘Venetian’, we went sailing down the waters of The Grand Canal. And just as we were heading out, we caught sight of -- Nicholas Cage, Arnold Swartz, Brad Pitt, Cher, Liz Taylor, the N-Sync!!! – they were all there. Well, for that matter, so were Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Diana and the Pope – all frozen in their most typical poses in Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.

Being avid Discovery Channel viewers, we eagerly walked into ‘Luxor’, the Great Pyramid with the Sphinx in front and a huge casino inside. The sculptures of ancient Egyptian Pharaohs and King Tut’s Tomb were fascinating and Mom thoroughly enjoyed her first 3-D horror show.

Las Vegas has the best entertainment shows. Lance Burton’s Magic Show with his disappearance and reappearance acts were just amazing. I think Mom was bowled over by his personality and charisma… and ofcourse his talent. I was mesmerized by the pipe-and-percussion music performed by the Blue Man Group (the three blue men in the Intel Ad). The last show was an adult show and the woman selling the tickets was emphatic in her claim that ‘Splash’ was the best show in Vegas. And it was! (one of the best, actually)… it was an enactment of all famous dance videos by an extremely talented troupe dressed like Madonna, Michael Jackson to name a few, and the chorus girls were topless! Not something we see everyday back home in India.

We lost our last nickel to the slot machines in the airport lounge. It was the best city I’ve ever seen – Viva Las Vegas!