Ahhh Las Vegas. Never have I had so much trouble working out what I think of a place. In a nutshell, the bit of Las Vegas that everyone talks about is a series of giant hotels which have shops and casino's in them. That's all. But to say that neither gives any impression of the size of the place, nor the detail.
We stayed in a motel off Fremont St the first night we got there. The motel was right opposite Fremont St, the original strip that made Vegas famous years ago. As these old casino's knew they couldn't keep up with the new mega-hotel-combo places a few miles down the road on Las Vegas Blvd, they covered the street with a million smart light bulbs which play giant coloured animations to music every night.
The next three nights we checked into 'Aladdin' one of the multi-super-combo places on the strip where we stayed on the 24th floor. We spent the days wandering from Hotel to Hotel, going through the flashing, jangling casinos to the shops, shows, indoor canals, indoor rainstorms each casino-combo trying to out do the next.
A one third size Eiffel Tower? No Problem, it's by to the Arc DE'triumph. Mock Venice complete with singing gondoliers? Next on the right. White Tigers? Dolphins? A Giant Black Pyramid with a roof light visible from space? You want more chandeliers than the Queen? Dancing Fountains? Come this way. Las Vegas does its very best to put the BLING BLING into... er... Gamblingbling.
But somehow, for me, it didn't quite pull it off. Though the detail is intricate, the indoor sky is blue and changing to night according to the time and the stereotypes are in costume and pouring my drink, its still all just a facade. The only way I can describe it is if the big producers in Los Angeles made 'Southend: The Movie' and chose to make it the blockbuster of the summer. It'd be a big dumb film with lots of spectacle, good looking people, tourists and a vague storyline or theme.
I don't think I've used my brain at all since I came to Las Vegas. I found it hard at the beginning as I'll admit I'm one of life’s thinkers. I like thinking. I like problem solving, contemplating or reasoning out a situation. But there’s just nothing for my brain to do here! Its the physical version of a dumb blockbuster movie, designed to make as much money as possible. When I realised that, I tried to stop thinking about the place. When I did, I actually started to enjoy the spectacle a bit more.
Then one night we were walking out of 'The Venetian' with its red carpets and its michealangelo-esque painted ceilings, an old boy who looked to be in his 80's just keeled over and died as he reached the Taxi stand. I don't know if he died, I've never seen anyone die before but Mum has (she works in a hospital) and she said that's what it looked like. The casino paramedics sprang into action and were giving him CPR as we left in the taxi. I figured if all I had to bitch about this place is that its a bit dumb then I really am a lucky bastard. As we left in the taxi, a stretched Hummer pulled in opposite us with loads of buxom blondes whooping and cheering at passers-by as they hung out the windows and the sunroof. Yin and Yang in Vegas.
I went to the STAR TREK EXPERIENCE in the LV Hilton which is seriously bloody good! They have the permanent space to set up a whole 'sci-fi' zone of the casino. They have loads of big starships overhead and tons of props and costumes from all the series as well as a full size 'Quarks Bar and Promenade'. The highlight though was one bit where you get 'beamed out' by a bunch of Klingons as you prepare to get on a ride. You're in a small room, the safety video goes wonky, the lights go out, you get a blast of air in your face and suddenly the lights go on and you're on the main transporter deck of the Enterprise, a much larger and completely different room. I have no idea how they do it (well I have a couple of theories but that's all they are) there was no clear retraction points for the first set, I'm sure I didn't feel the floor move up or down or rotate. I'm impressed! The rest of it has you running around the Enterprise with a bunch of actors who really get into it. The only downside is that the simulator ride part is a bit dated, but then they're updating it all next spring for 'Borg Invasion 4:D!'
Soon enough, it was Mum, Dad and Vicki's time to leave. It really hit me how upset I was to see them go. I had a lump in my throat and everything. The last few weeks have been strange, though its been good being with the family, I feel like I reverted to the 'me' I was ten years ago. Instead of being my usual independent, outgoing, jovial self. I feel like I whinged about stuff which hasn't bothered me over the last 7 months and I went from leading myself around the world to 'following' Mum and Dad.
It's a major psychological shift from independence to being No.3 in a family of 4. Though I said similar stuff to Mum and Dad. The answer was always 'Well you don't have to stay with us - you can go and do your own thing.' Which is helpful, logical and completely the wrong solution. Family eh? As I left them at the Taxi stand at Aladdin, Mum said "See you at Christmas" I was already really missing them and she wasn't even slightly teary. She was when I left Heathrow, and when we met up again in San Francisco. I wasn't when I left or met up? Why am I now?
I checked into the USA Hostel about ten minutes walk down from Fremont street. Its in a slightly dodgy part of town and they did the usual thing of taking away my sleeping bag to prevent any bed bugs getting in. (I thought bed-bugs were just something you scare children with!) I was told that for $20 I could go on a 'drink-as-much-as-you-can stretched-limo tour of the strip and would also get free VIP admission into the Coyote Ugly bar and a dueling Piano Bar after. Obviously, I signed up. I spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with people in my dorm and playing (US rules) pool with people of various nationalities. It suddenly occurred to me that in the last couple of hours, I felt more at home than in the last 3 weeks with my family. A grey-green Jeep Cherokee drove past and for a spilt second I thought 'Ah they're back'. Then realised they were probably on the plane by now. See you at Christmas, gotta go, its my shot.
