Sin City !

For me, traveling has never been about a checklist of activities that I must complete in a predefined order. Don’t get me wrong, I do obsess with planning, but well (at least I like to think) that I obsess just the right amount:) But my Vegas trip in so many ways was like a virgin journey for me. Virgin because:

(a) I have never been to Vegas before.

(b) I did NOT PLAN a single thing!

It was just me, my friends and the City and I figured that we’d somehow make some beautiful memories together. And make memories we did! .(tejal : stop gigging - that's memories! )To begin with, what a landing!!! Landing in Vegas at 11:50 pm on Friday Night was nothing short of a heart stopper. Beautiful Las Vegas Boulevard stretched out in front of us with all its lights and glimmer and suddenly the 6 hours of flight time seemed really worth it. There are few sights as beautiful as an aerial view of Vegas by night. I must admit, albeit grudgingly (cause every one knows I love New York City) that Vegas beat NY hands down and there was no denying that!

So there I was in this lovely, glitzy city in the middle of the dessert in the middle of the night … the excitement was beginning to build. Las Vegas Airport lived up to the City’s name, and is definitely one of the prettier airports I’ve seen. Tastefully built with billboards galore, showcasing everything that the city yonder had to offer us. Why, they even had slot machines right there in the airport! As if to say, “you know what you are here for, so let’s not waste any time and get right to the gambling!”

But I was there for much more than the gambling…
I was there to experience the Las Vegas night life…to watch the shows, to enjoy the fine cuisine and well maybe some ..ahem ..some (adult) entertainment as well ..;)

But before I could check out the city, some of the group had a quick trip planned to Grand Canyon. So we hired a van, crammed ourselves in (and believe me we were pretty badly crammed) and headed off to sunny Arizona. Despite the tight fit, the open 

road and the night sky and music kept us going. Not to forget our wonderful drivers Vishal, Naveen and Santosh without whom we wouldn’t have been going anywhere! So we crossed the Hoover Dam late at night and it looked really gorgeous in the night light. Then mostly I fell asleep and dreamt of the Grand Canyon that lay ahead.

Morning broke and everything looked perfect. We were six miles away from the Canyon and there was a chill in the air. The sky was a crisp blue and the sun shone brightly. So we freshened up and drove all the way to round to "Desert View" on the south rim of the canyon. What lay in front of us cannot be put in words. Something about natures magnificence always leaves me speechless. It would suffice to say that I was moved.

Desert view has this gorgeous castle that has been built of oddly shaped stones, that offers a panoramic view of

the south rim of the gorge. The Colorado river was way down below and from where I stood at 7000 feet appeared like a trickle. It was around 10 and the sun was way up in the sky, probably not the best time to view the Canyon. My guess is early morning or late evening the sun is likely to cast deep shadows over the canyon, making it look larger than life. Nonetheless, the view was still riveting and I stood for a while over the edge simply reveling in its magnificence. Back to the castle: it was built with Red Indian paintings over the walls and had a very pleasing feel to it. We hovered around the castle for a while peeping out from all the windows and taking in the beauty of the gorge and a billion years of existence.

I left the grand canyon feeling so much more alive and a couple of pounds lighter. The long drive back to Vegas was good. But by now we were really eager to get to Vegas and get the party started !

The first night we hit the Casinos at Stratosphere. It was there that Tejal introduced me to Marge A Rita. She was at once enticing and gorgeous, even if I say so my self. But unfortunately one gulp down and I have to say it was a disappointment. Maybe I’m just one of those gals who will never understand a cocktail ?! Which brings me to a very important question: Can beer lovers ever like Cocktails? Or Vice- versa? So far all evidence has proved to me that Cocktail Lovers and Beer lovers simply don’t mix (no pun intended). So maybe my tryst with Margarita was doomed to begin with! But all was not lost (except for the couple of bucks that I wasted on the drink), and my excitement about the day was not about to be dulled by a lousy margarita… so I hit the Casino Slot machine hoping to at least win back the money I just spent on the drink! Unfortunately not much luck there either… but it was fun for a while.

For some reason Vegas at night had conjured up images of drunken brawls and junkies and more: it being called Sin City and all. But what I found was quite the opposite. The only people around (at least on the Boulevard) were fascinated tourists (like myself) gaping wide mouthed as we looked up in total disbelief at the opulence and grandeur that is Vegas at night. The place was filled with the Average Joe (and his aunty) patiently pressing the slot machine buttons in the hope that the next one would bring in the big dollars. I was wrong about Vegas, it’s not about the money or the adult shows, it’s just a temporary escape. If life was a stark dull monotonous desert, then Vegas is an oasis, or at least a mirage!

My pick of the Hotel to be seen at would be Bellagio’s. By no means a fair assessment (I don’t even have a clue about what the hotel room charges are) but it was grand, to say the least. The interiors were done very tastefully, with something grandiose and opulent built at every corner. The Bellagio fountains are also quite a treat, and come absolutely free. Just stand at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard every 15 minutes and catch the fountain show....you won’t regret it( well maybe if you want to pee , then the sound of water wouldn't exactly be soothing ! ). So

me of the other hotels that are a must see are Paris, Caesars Palace and New York New York.

My pick of restaurant for the evening was the Valentino’s at The Venetian. And this one has been chosen not so much for the ambience or décor or even the service, but on the sole basis of the food alone. For as Jerome K Jerome mentions in his book “3 men in a boat”, “We are but veriest, sorriest slaves of out stomach”. And in this matter my stomach has passed judgment and who am I to argue.

I tried the Meatballs in Marinara Sauce, with a generous topping of parmesan cheese. This dish is probably apple pie for an Italian, but for the virgin Italian diner like me, it was a true delight. Tejal found something she liked too and that was a big plus point for the Restaurant.

Of course Santosh, just contended himself with our excellent company.:)

Maggiano’s (which Tejal informs me is a chain) did not do half as bad…The ambience was simply awesome, very old world Italian. And don’t we simply all love everything Italian! The Ravioli I ordered was just a wee bit too creamy for my taste buds but the ‘Reisling’, ah, that was something else! “Reisling” is this sweet white wine, very gentle on the taste buds and a good accompaniment to any meal. It really did the trick for me. I would highly recommend it with any meal .

Entertainment wise, Las Vegas has a lot of performance and Variety shows. And if you are lucky then maybe your favorite music artist or comedian may be in town. I checked out the Cirque Du Soliel. Literal English translation would mean “Sun Circus”. We caught “Mystere”, which is just one of their many shows. The music was brilliant and live, the costumes inspired, the feats awe inspiring, the ch

oreography perfect, and to top it all off, it was funny too! A great show and totally worth the 100 dollars we spent on it.

We also went for the ever so famous “Chippendale Show”, of which all I have to say is “what happened in Vegas stays in Vegas! “

And if you’re an adventure enthusiast, do not miss the rides on top the 1500 foot stratosphere tower. As luck would have it, we missed out on the rides, on account of fear of lightning. That Universe, I tell you, has some sort of vendetta against me. This would have been the perfect end to a perfect vacation. But as they say in the movies “Whatcha gonna do ?”

Despite the last minute disappointment about the rides at stratosphere, the Vegas trip had to be the best trip I had made in the US by far. Of course, while Vegas undoubtedly had a lot to do with it, the company for sure made all the difference. And for that I have to thank Tejal and Santosh, without whom, the trip would not have been half as awesome as it turned out!