It was with trepidation that we flew to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA at a time when Canada is boycotting everything American. The flight, WestJet, was full and this assuaged our non compliance and happily joined in the applause as the plane hovered over the blinking multitudinous lights of Harry Reid International Airport for a smooth landing. A few hours earlier a Delta flight had flipped over at Toronto Pearson airport, Canada.

This February 2025 Las Vegas trip is after a gap of 9 years of last visit to United States in 2016.

Las Vegas … A first time visitor to this luminiferous pageant I sat glued to the car window for the short drive from the airport to Hotel Bellagio, the imposing luxury trademark in the centre of the STRIP or the Las Vegas Boulevard. As we await our turn to check-in, a long queue, as probably most tourists had the same idea of a Vegas break-in. I look around the lobby extending into the gaming areas of slot machines and roulette tables luring visitors into the den. Overhead is the stunning Fiori di Como, a display of 2000 hand blown glass flowers, a creation of artist Dale Chihuly. To me it looked a haphazard presentation of broken glass plates. 

Finally our turn came and probably guessing my irritableness the front-desk agent handed me a long stemmed single red rose. Later I would see many ladies strutting around with their roses.  The elevator to 7th Floor ( reasonable) followed by a nearly a mile long cavernous walk to our room. Talk about insensitivity for seniors. Eager for a hot cup of tea/coffee we were in for another surprise. No kettle, coffee/tea bags, whitener … a sacrilege as we Indians need our dose of tea/ coffee to get moving. Later learnt that most Vegas Casino hotels do not provide this free in room facility as they want you rattling the chips and slots or call room service.

Refreshed, tea forgotten, we stepped out for dinner and the first walk on the famous Strip or the Las Vegas Boulevard stretching between Sahara Avenue and “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign. The carnivalesque ambiance of street lights/floodlights, vehicles, people, cannabis smoke wafting from bushes and nooks and the much hyped dancing Bellagio fountains lightened up our mood as we joined the swirl of a restless crowd, families, singles, couples. I felt like the BLOB *Indistinguishable and merging in the crowd, following with least resistance the incessant prattle and moving feet. Cabo Wabo Cantina ( across from the hotel) was a welcome oasis with its music and Mexican menu, and Patio as a vantage point to people watch.

The long hours caught up and it was midnight when we called it a day.

Day 2 … A quick breakfast at the hotel’s Buffet Breakfast and we headed towards Caesars Palace (3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South), the first in our list of ‘Who is the Tallest ( humongous) amongst us’ hotels. We took the interconnected passageways by the shopping area of Bellagio and across the bridge and pathways towards the south end of Caesars Palace and lost our way trying to find the exit to the main road. Thankfully we did not venture inside Caesars with its cavernous gaming areas, celebrity-owned restaurants, The Forum Shops, an upscale spa and 7 swimming pools. 

Back on the STRIP or LVB we continue  our stroll towards the Mirage volcano, said to be on the demolishing list and to be replaced by HARD ROCK CASINO. Mirage was one of the initial casinos made famous by the likes of the Kardashians. The TRUMP looms ahead and on the other side is the WYNN/ ENCORE (across the Strip) with its Palazzo and Lake of Dreams and further down the VENETIAN HOTEL AND CASINO. Having lived in Hong Kong we were frequent visitors to Venetian Macau and taking the gondola ride in the original was not very tempting. It was a tough choice whether to venture inside or follow the afternoon crowds, tourists, regulars shaking off their casino/ show stupor. It was not push and shove but one had to manoeuvre one’s way through the human wave. Turning back, southward, we could see the pink ‘in your face’ flamingoes off the FLAMINGO, one of the oldest casinos of Las Vegas, ogling down at people. The pinkness is enough to distract pedestrians to step inside to explore the 4 acre wildlife sanctuary with its greenery, live Chilean flamingos, unique bird species and exotic fish.

Just a few steps away is the LINQ and the looming High Roller Observation Wheel and overhead the FlyLINQ zipline. Came across the HOP ON/HOP OFF BUS TOUR booth and and stood there in quueue deliberating whether to take Day/Night tour to learn the history of this city that never sleeps or move around on our own. The people in front were taking too long booking and paying and this decided for us to walk of. What little I read on Google is fascinating as now I could associate the name with locations the HARRAH’S, LINQ, CASINO ROYALE, CROMWELL etc . Learnt about the Deuce bus service, an all day pass at $ 8 per person for rides down the Strip north to south. Being seniors we paid $ 8 for two of us . The stop is right near Bellagio/ Cosmopolitan and it could not get more convenient than this.

THE ICONIC EIFFEL TOWER OF PARIS VEGAS AT NIGHT.

We were now near HORSESHOE Casino connected to PARIS LAS VEGAS hotel and casino with its looming iconic Eiffel Tower. By chance came across a hidden gem, a backlane alley, with the HIGH ROLLER looming above. The HIGH ROLLER, supposedly the largest observation wheel in the United States, is fitted with 28 transparent poles accommodating 40 passengers each. A must do attraction besides the gambling and show bingeing. The alley, connected to casinos such as Flamingo, Lino, O’Sheas etc. projects an arty old world charm with stores and places to dine, many Irish sounding names, a centre fountain for people to relax.  Stepped into this Mexican restaurant for brunch. Huge portions, pancakes size of plates, eggs and toast and coffee. A little expensive and not to my taste but filling. 

From here return to Bellagio for that long shower and a sound nap to gather my senses for the evening try at the slot machines of Bellagio. Afterall one cannot leave Vegas without playing at the machines. Lost a hand-full of $$$. Better luck next two days.

*The Blob is a 1958 American science fiction horror film directed by Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr. The film concerns a carnivorous amoeboidalalien that crashes to Earth from outer space inside a meteorite, landing near the small communities of Phoenixville and Downingtown, Pennsylvania. It envelops living beings, growing larger, becoming redder in color and more aggressive, eventually becoming larger than a building. (GOOGLE)

Spotted this poster in a Vegas airport loo… lends credibility to the description of LV as ‘ An eel of a city when you think you have it within your grasp it slips away to reveal a new facet.’ The glitz and glamour a facade for the misdemeanours and transgressions.

I was reminded of graffiti in the girls washrooms at Stanford University in the 1970s. One was…”how to score straight As….by being nice to professors’. Now the wordings sound juvenile, but, at that time coming from a small town in India, it was a ‘Haw’ moment for me.

TO BE CONTINUED