Tour Diary - Day Fifteen
Jan. 11th, 2017 12:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
waitingmanWhat happens in Vegas...
Tuesday October 18 - Las Vegas
A late start to the day, meeting Chris in his slightly-larger-than-ours room not long after 10am, with the goal being brunch at Bouchons - a restaurant in the Venetian Casino/Resort, across the road from the Mirage, meaning Travis could park free there again. No stuff-up with the freeway this morning & plenty of parking when we arrived & off into the cruel & humid light of day. It must be said that Las Vegas just doesn't look as good during the day, with all the lights off. You notice the many holes in the ground where old Casinos once stood & nothing has replaced them, the people have a permanent look of 'morning after the night before' (even the off-duty staff) & people in costumes look more sad & desperate for attention, than alluring & tempting. It's also hot & humid, which was weird for us after all our time in the desert where, sure it had been hot, but zero humidity made it bearable. Then again, Las Vegas is full of people looking to let off steam. It's also full of fountains & water features
Not the Trevi Fountain, not in Rome &, unfortunately, no Anita Ekberg either
Siegfried, Roy & Star of the Show... who looks either bemused or hungry
As tacky as all these faux Egyptian & Graeco-Roman statues & fountains look - especially in daylight, you have to wonder what the real things back in Egypt, Rome & Athens looked like when they were shiny & new. I'm sure there were some more austere citizens who deplored the ostentatious display of wealth & hubris by various god-kings, emperors, tyrants & temples. It's only now, 2-3000 years later, that we think it's great art. Maybe we'll appreciate the Siegfried & Roy statue a bit more when their noses fall off
The Venetian is a cut above most of the other places on the Strip, with the exception maybe of the Bellagio. Marble tiles, walls, columns & a canal that runs both inside & out with singing gondoliers & an artificial sky inside that looked to be a few hours ahead of us - looked like late afternoon to me... Bouchons is a rather classy little establishment, with an outdoor balcony looking over a poolside terrace. The waitstaff are attentive &, in our guy's case, very free with their opinions about Vegas in general & their job in particular. Brave man... we could have been Mystery Shoppers. Oeufs Benedict for Chris & I - with a slab of smoked pork tenderloin masquerading as ham, a Croque Madame for Julia, with a side serving of the 3rd dish we liked the look of - a hash of smoked pork &... stuff. We made the right choice in only sampling that one.... Our first soy lattés for the trip & they were... okay, really. Good enough to have another one each anyway. All in all a good breakfast, soured only by the fact that, with conversion rate & tip, it cost $191.00AUS Eeep!!
Not in Venice
Not in Venice either...
Stomachs replete & wallets depleted, it's shopping time... Back to Travis & his air-conditioning & off to the Outlet Centre a little north of the Strip & only a couple of confusing missed turns. Parking was easy, the weather was turning warmer & there were bargains to be found, if you could get to them through the crowds. Handbags for Julia, a lighter material shirt for me to change into almost immediately & then some looking around for a while before we realised we were pretty much done with both the place & its crowds. Being in places like this really underscored how quiet & empty the last several days had been - this was the worst kind of immersion therapy... Back to Travis, back to the Excalibur & off along that walkway again to the Mandalay Bay Casino, where the SkyFall Lounge is on the 30th floor, accessed by an elevator that goes up the outside of the building. Nice view... if you're ready for it - even with tinted windows, the view & the sun burst upon you as you emerge from a concrete enclosure. Some sunset & Strip photos from the balcony, then down to the serious business of Happy Hour snacks & drinks. I very quickly decided that I wasn't going to pay US$18-50 for a scotch, so settled for a glass of 'Cabernet Justin'... origin unknown, varietal unknown, but tasted similar to a shiraz-cabernet blend. Final catch-up chat with Chris, then it was time for him to head to the airport - which we could see out of the window. It looked close, but I wouldn't fancy walking there. He promised to SMS when he got back to Seattle
From the SkyFall Lounge
For us, it was a walk back to the Luxor, where the Blue Man Group live. We were a little early, so spent some time exploring & photographing the Egyptian stylings of the place & checking out the souvenir shop before the crowds invade it at the end of the show. We had front-row centre seats, which put us in the 'poncho section' - clear plastic with a hood, that finished just short of my boots. Oh oh...
The show itself was similar to the one we saw in Sydney (twice!) a few years ago, with a few little differences, but still very funny, even if we were familiar with it. Which is why, when they invited a young woman to join them onstage, we knew what was coming... it was poncho time! When the mulched banana came spurting out, it hit both of us pretty heavily. Moreso Julia than I, she got it in her hair, face & on more clothing - I just had a bit on my arms , bottom of my jeans &... my boots!! One of them did offer us a cloth though... Then they pretended to shove a surgical camera down my throat. That happened to me in Sydney too, so I knew I could play up to it a bit - thrashing around & looking uncomfortable (Spoiler - it doesn't actually go down your throat... it's a video). The show finished in a burst of colour & a LOT of paper streamers & confetti, which stuck to the bits of banana we hadn't cleaned off, so we looked... well, it looked like we'd had a great time in Vegas, really. Julia couldn't wait to get back to our room to clean up & have a shower, so back to the Excalibur, shedding streamers along the way. Nobody looked twice, so I guess they're used to Blue Man Group casualties 'round here. I cleaned my jeans & boots, then we were ready to go & contribute some of our hard-earned to the MGM consortium
To cut a long story short (Too late!!), we started with $50 & ended the night with $45, having discovered that the actual poker machines - machines you can play 5-card stud on, are more fun & more generous than the mindless button-pushers with the flashy lights, graphics & sounds. Also, it helps if both of you play a machine - that way you get 2 free drinks instead of just one... we learned THAT pretty quickly!! Sure, it's not a great Vegas rags-to-riches story, but at least it's not the other way around either...
Tuesday October 18 - Las Vegas
A late start to the day, meeting Chris in his slightly-larger-than-ours room not long after 10am, with the goal being brunch at Bouchons - a restaurant in the Venetian Casino/Resort, across the road from the Mirage, meaning Travis could park free there again. No stuff-up with the freeway this morning & plenty of parking when we arrived & off into the cruel & humid light of day. It must be said that Las Vegas just doesn't look as good during the day, with all the lights off. You notice the many holes in the ground where old Casinos once stood & nothing has replaced them, the people have a permanent look of 'morning after the night before' (even the off-duty staff) & people in costumes look more sad & desperate for attention, than alluring & tempting. It's also hot & humid, which was weird for us after all our time in the desert where, sure it had been hot, but zero humidity made it bearable. Then again, Las Vegas is full of people looking to let off steam. It's also full of fountains & water features
Not the Trevi Fountain, not in Rome &, unfortunately, no Anita Ekberg either
Siegfried, Roy & Star of the Show... who looks either bemused or hungry
As tacky as all these faux Egyptian & Graeco-Roman statues & fountains look - especially in daylight, you have to wonder what the real things back in Egypt, Rome & Athens looked like when they were shiny & new. I'm sure there were some more austere citizens who deplored the ostentatious display of wealth & hubris by various god-kings, emperors, tyrants & temples. It's only now, 2-3000 years later, that we think it's great art. Maybe we'll appreciate the Siegfried & Roy statue a bit more when their noses fall off
The Venetian is a cut above most of the other places on the Strip, with the exception maybe of the Bellagio. Marble tiles, walls, columns & a canal that runs both inside & out with singing gondoliers & an artificial sky inside that looked to be a few hours ahead of us - looked like late afternoon to me... Bouchons is a rather classy little establishment, with an outdoor balcony looking over a poolside terrace. The waitstaff are attentive &, in our guy's case, very free with their opinions about Vegas in general & their job in particular. Brave man... we could have been Mystery Shoppers. Oeufs Benedict for Chris & I - with a slab of smoked pork tenderloin masquerading as ham, a Croque Madame for Julia, with a side serving of the 3rd dish we liked the look of - a hash of smoked pork &... stuff. We made the right choice in only sampling that one.... Our first soy lattés for the trip & they were... okay, really. Good enough to have another one each anyway. All in all a good breakfast, soured only by the fact that, with conversion rate & tip, it cost $191.00AUS Eeep!!
Not in Venice
Not in Venice either...
Stomachs replete & wallets depleted, it's shopping time... Back to Travis & his air-conditioning & off to the Outlet Centre a little north of the Strip & only a couple of confusing missed turns. Parking was easy, the weather was turning warmer & there were bargains to be found, if you could get to them through the crowds. Handbags for Julia, a lighter material shirt for me to change into almost immediately & then some looking around for a while before we realised we were pretty much done with both the place & its crowds. Being in places like this really underscored how quiet & empty the last several days had been - this was the worst kind of immersion therapy... Back to Travis, back to the Excalibur & off along that walkway again to the Mandalay Bay Casino, where the SkyFall Lounge is on the 30th floor, accessed by an elevator that goes up the outside of the building. Nice view... if you're ready for it - even with tinted windows, the view & the sun burst upon you as you emerge from a concrete enclosure. Some sunset & Strip photos from the balcony, then down to the serious business of Happy Hour snacks & drinks. I very quickly decided that I wasn't going to pay US$18-50 for a scotch, so settled for a glass of 'Cabernet Justin'... origin unknown, varietal unknown, but tasted similar to a shiraz-cabernet blend. Final catch-up chat with Chris, then it was time for him to head to the airport - which we could see out of the window. It looked close, but I wouldn't fancy walking there. He promised to SMS when he got back to Seattle
From the SkyFall Lounge
For us, it was a walk back to the Luxor, where the Blue Man Group live. We were a little early, so spent some time exploring & photographing the Egyptian stylings of the place & checking out the souvenir shop before the crowds invade it at the end of the show. We had front-row centre seats, which put us in the 'poncho section' - clear plastic with a hood, that finished just short of my boots. Oh oh...
The show itself was similar to the one we saw in Sydney (twice!) a few years ago, with a few little differences, but still very funny, even if we were familiar with it. Which is why, when they invited a young woman to join them onstage, we knew what was coming... it was poncho time! When the mulched banana came spurting out, it hit both of us pretty heavily. Moreso Julia than I, she got it in her hair, face & on more clothing - I just had a bit on my arms , bottom of my jeans &... my boots!! One of them did offer us a cloth though... Then they pretended to shove a surgical camera down my throat. That happened to me in Sydney too, so I knew I could play up to it a bit - thrashing around & looking uncomfortable (Spoiler - it doesn't actually go down your throat... it's a video). The show finished in a burst of colour & a LOT of paper streamers & confetti, which stuck to the bits of banana we hadn't cleaned off, so we looked... well, it looked like we'd had a great time in Vegas, really. Julia couldn't wait to get back to our room to clean up & have a shower, so back to the Excalibur, shedding streamers along the way. Nobody looked twice, so I guess they're used to Blue Man Group casualties 'round here. I cleaned my jeans & boots, then we were ready to go & contribute some of our hard-earned to the MGM consortium
To cut a long story short (Too late!!), we started with $50 & ended the night with $45, having discovered that the actual poker machines - machines you can play 5-card stud on, are more fun & more generous than the mindless button-pushers with the flashy lights, graphics & sounds. Also, it helps if both of you play a machine - that way you get 2 free drinks instead of just one... we learned THAT pretty quickly!! Sure, it's not a great Vegas rags-to-riches story, but at least it's not the other way around either...
