Not so Sin City

After the slight detour to the Hoover Dam, which delayed us through the twilight hours, we continued on into the dark to the bright lights of Las Vegas. 

Ah Vegas. Sin City. The destination of many a wild dream and even wilder realities. What is there possibly left to say about this crazy city that hasn't already been said? And it might seem to some of you who know me, that maybe I'm not the best suited tourist to experience the thrills and spills of Las Vegas. 

For the uninitiated amongst you readers, I am a person who enjoys somewhat smaller-scale thrills. I'm not the all-night party princess, lining up shots with wild women, buying mind-altering substances from a penguin in a tuxedo, picking up dudes and whiskey at the bar or smoking cigars with the high-rollers at the tables. If those are the stories you're after, I suggest renting 'The Hangover' because my Vegas had none of that.

It was however, no less exciting in my eyes. 

Vegas for me was about variety. Variety in every sense of the word. These are my veritable highlights of Vegas... 

1) Food

Possibly first on many of my lists. You can find anything your taste buds desire in this town. (Except, I discovered in m&m's World, the superior crispy m&m. Apparently the USA is not ready for this taste sensation. My heart goes out to them in these hard times.) My personal favourite was the mighty buffet. Not the highest end of the dining scale, but I'm not a girl of expensive tastes. I just loved having such a spread. Nothing is as classy as a plate adorned with a spoonful each of mac 'n' cheese, oriental noodles, pizza, spicy veg and salad (my nod to healthy eating at the all-you-can-eat buffet). But the cherry on top was the dessert display. Such a selection, and all in miniature form. I was in heaven. A merging of two favourites. Everything looks more delicious if it's a quarter its normal size. You have not lived until you have attempted to shove a entire mini tiramisu into your mouth. (For the record, my attempt was successful. This isn't amateur hour.) 

2) The Bellagio fountains 

They are famous the world over. You've probably seen them in films or television shows. But nothing quite prepares you for the live experience. You stand there, jostling for your spot on the wall for the show, wondering what the big deal is with some water. You start to think that you're a tad old to be watching dancing fountains. And then every thought in your mind is drowned by the voracious jets of water shooting skywards before you. Even the smell of the water and the cool mist creeping towards you adds to the atmosphere. The movement of the water is so perfectly timed with the music that it is nothing short of magical. We were treated to 'Time to Say Goodbye' by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli. The sentiments of the song were magnified by the thundering water. Every beat is choreographed to tweak your emotions and by the time the final crescendo came, my heart was ready to burst out of my chest. I felt as though I'd been emotionally exhausted and uplifted simultaneously. That is the powerful beauty of simply water and music. 

3) V - The Ultimate Variety Show

After much debate, stemming from too much entertainment choice, we settled on getting tickets for the V show. This town was once built on the staple of the Variety show and so I felt I owed it to the ghosts of entertainers past to adhere to that tradition. What a show and what a spectacle. Within five minutes of taking my seat I was audibly gasping, and if I was a cartoon character my eyes would have been popping out on stalks. The first act of two men balancing on each other was astonishing. How one grown man can hold himself vertically, upside down, with his hand on another man's head, I'll never know! From then on the acts never let up on the action. Magicians, a contortionist making me peek out through the gaps in my fingers, high-speed drumming, an impressionist and two beautiful skaters swirling each other about on a platform the size of a trampette. I left the auditorium in exhilarated shock, and with a new dream to join the circus. 

4) Gambling 

Ok, so I indulged in one vice during my time in Sin City. But I still held on to my naturally prudent and mindful ethos. Dad went to roll with the big boys whilst my brother and I searched for a suitable place to lose our dollars. We bypassed the lure of 'The Sound of Music' slot machines (how do you solve a problem like gambling?) and found our holy grail of the 25c stake video roulette. Settling down to serious business, we carefully placed our chips. My investment of a whole $5 bill meant I was playing to win. Every time we reaped a profit on a spin, I would panic and shout "Collect! Collect!". Fortunately my brother is made of tougher stuff. He wasn't settling for that. We were to play on for greater gains. Unfortunately, we didn't play on for long. As soon as the single complimentary Bud arrived, (I didn't take up the free drink offer; I didn't want to be in the debt of the casino already) we had lost our initial stake. But we reinvested. After a long fought battle I walked away from the table (computer) with $1 more than I started with. Take that Las Vegas! 

Las Vegas is as crazy and colourful as all the stories paint it as. My experience there may not have been a neon-spattered abstract, but I like to think of it as the sky-high, vividly imaginative but fragile Chihuly piece that we admired at the Bellagio, and I enjoyed every colourful minute. Surely that's what matters. 

Now, what to blow that $1 on...