The main purpose of the journey was to allow me to cross another item off my bucket list - seeing a staging of O, the water-based Cirque du Soleil show which is presented in a purpose-built theatre so it will never tour outside of Sin City. Since no cameras are allowed in the theatre, you'll have to take my word for it when I say it was the most amazing live performance I've ever seen. Truly. A mere five minutes into the show and we realized where it got its name - every few minutes we were saying "Oh!" and pointing at something different. Can't say that one aspect of the experience impressed me more than another. Still marvel that one trapeze artist was able to hold up another who lay across her feet - by using her feet alone! Then there were the three guys who dove in unison from a height far above any Olympic diving tower. It was so cool how different performers would appear and disappear via the pool (the bewildered scuba divers were a fun touch), and how so many things could be happening at one time that it was difficult to concentrate on just one thing. Aye, aye, aye but the clowns were a hoot! And the costumes, oh the costumes. And the music. It was all so very, very wonderful. Admit I cried when it was over. I didn't want it to end, even though the production lasted a good two-hours without an intermission. Well worth the trip, that was. ***Check out the Cirque du Soleil website for a preview, if you like. I think YouTube has some clips, too. Here's a sample of what you might find: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xael5b_cirque-du-soleil-o-time-warped_shortfilms
Note: Dude in the suit at the end of this is Penn from the Penn & Teller magic show ***
But we had time to explore some more of Las Vegas, as well.
An interesting aside: You don't need to pay to go to a stage show to marvel at the performances in Vegas. Many of the most entertaining sights are walking around all the time. Name a stereo-type, and it was there. From sugar daddies and their cling-ons to cougars on the prowl, from high-rollers and high-roller-wannabes to Elvis impersonators, we saw them all. And the range of dress was equally wide - from fur coats and leather jackets to cocktail dresses and silk pants that could only have been painted on. Very little, if anything, was left to the imagination.
We stayed at the Bellagio, and it turns out we could have spent the whole time there if we wanted.
Penny ensured we had a view of "Lake Bellagio". In addition to being a wonderful place from which to view the Strip, the room also afforded an excellent vantage point for taking in the fountain shows. These shows took place every 1/2 hour or every 15 min, depending on the time of day, and were synchronized to music that broadcast via the hotel station on our TV. Our favourites included the theme from "The Pink Panther" and the Andrea Bocelli/Sarah Brightman duet "Time to Say Goodbye". Of course, we enhanced the experience with a tipple or two of wine.
Of course, no trip to Vegas would be complete without a bit of gambling. I had thought it would be fun to take in a blackjack lesson at the casino, but Penny took it upon herself to coach me on the flight south. Really enjoyed the hand signals (ensure the cameras pick up your activity in case of dispute) and was quite amused by Penny's insistence that I had no right to win the hands that I did. Apparently I have much to learn when it comes to gambling. Even so, I somehow parlayed a $5 initial bit into a full 5-10min of play at a table (Penny, a far better player, lasted at least 15min). In the end, I lost the little bit that I won (about $10 + the initial $5 bid) but chalked it up to an entertainment cost. What I really enjoyed, much to my surprise, were the slot machines. No, I didn't play the blackjack slots, just the plain ol' slots. The machines have changed a great deal since I last played at Loews in Monte Carlo back in 1979 - the one-armed bandits were well named. Nope, no spinning fruit for this gal. Instead, I sought to strike it rich via other means.
Of course, we were in Vegas for a good time, but all that activity was rather tiring. Thankfully, the Bellagio had a spa. Penny took full advantage of the amenities and made it a true spa day. Sadly, due to the loss of so many lymph nodes and my otherwise general delicate self, I could not avail myself of the eucalyptus steam room, sauna, or whirlpools (although I did venture to do a quick dip in one warm whirlpool - it was too inviting!). In any case, we both had facials. I was surprised to find how a little hydration could make me look and feel so much better (camera-induced red-eye not withstanding).
We did manage to venture off the Bellagio property. Ceasar's Palace was located across the street and easily accessed via a foot bridge. If the Bellagio was over-the-top opulence, Ceasar's was down right garish. No wonder Cher was performing there. No, we didn't see her (or Barry Manilow, Celine Dion, or any other "headliner"). We did, however, see some of her costumes. Note that some came from her 2002 Farewell Tour. Me thinks I should have at least nine more years in my tour, don't you? If nothing else I can guarantee better fashion sense.
By the way, neither of us ventured into the Bellagio's gallery. At $15 entry fee, I opted to spend my money elsewhere. One of those places was the purchase of an original piece of fibre-related artwork. This was obtained at the Cosmopolitan Hotel via a vending machine that had dispensed cigarettes in a former life (check out www.artomat.org). For the lowly price of $5, one can purchase a piece of art which must fit inside a box the size of a cigarette pack. I thought seriously about the "hero" button that boasted "Bought Art", the altered photo slide, and the original painting on a piece of wood. But the fibre fiend in me opted for a Bad Boy Pincushion.
Oh, and the food. The food. How can you talk about Vegas without talking about food? We were only in town for two nights, so had limited opportunity to graze. Did, however, take in the Bellagio buffet on the first evening. There was a line up for the king crab legs but, since I prefer dungeness, I went for the smoked shellfish and salmon. The roast beef and lamb was sliced far too thick for my liking, but tasty if a tad on the rare side. Lots of salads, cooked veggies, sushi, and desserts besides to keep both my vegetarian dining companion and I happy. Penny insists the $5 all-you-can-drink champagne was the highlight, especially when she was offered it mixed with orange juice. I'm not a champagne lover, so passed. I did, however, suck up a very tasty cosmopolitan at its namesake hotel on the second evening. Turns out I could have sampled a different cosmopolitan recipe in each of the establishment's 10 bars. Instead, Penny and I enjoyed a delightful gourmet buffet at the Wicked Spoon restaurant in the Cosmopolitan. What we like most was the single-portion sizing of all the dishes - so nobody was digging around in the bowl/pan before you got there. The quality and preparation of the food was also superior to the Bellagio's buffet, in our opinion. Red wine-braised mushrooms; grilled calamari with saffron, celery and potato salad; gnocchi with lamb ragu and fresh goat cheese were but a few of the offerings.
All in all, it was a fun-filled couple of days.
One regret: I didn't get a picture of me with my friend Jim, a Las Vegas-based interior designer. He and I have talked via telephone for years but never met until this trip. Jim has been a great help during my cancer treatments, especially in the early days (sadly, he lost his dear wife Pilar to breast cancer before we "met" during an interview about a property he designed, so he has been very much a voice of experience). On the up side, we had a wonderful face-to-face chat while Penny took time out in the Bellagio's spa.
Would I go back to Vegas? Maybe. But next time I plan to have one of those Elvis wigs knitted up so I blend in with the crowd a bit more.
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