Unreal reality, really..!?

It was a ninety-minute flight from San Fransisco to Las Vegas. As the plane began its descent, I saw nothing but the desert, mountains and some dusty roads. Suddenly a suburb appeared nestled by dark asphalt roads. In the backyards I recognized swimming pools and palm trees. Then I saw the strip with its casinos and hotels. The first thing inside the airport were the slot machines. Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas!

Once I got settled in the Mirage, my home for the next days, I went to explore the hotel/casino. It felt like being in another world, so many rooms, restaurants, slot machines and table games under one roof.

Seventeen of the 25 biggest hotels in the world are located on the Las Vegas Strip (by the number of rooms). During my stay I visited many just for sightseeing. It was unreal to walk in short distances to places resembling Egypt, New York, Paris, Italy and more. I felt like being in a sort of Disneyland. Well-known ‘landmarks’ outdoors were the Eiffel tower, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Piazza San Marco with the Campanile, Rialto bridge and the Colosseum. Exploring those resorts was not always simple. The buildings are huge and a couple of times I couldn't find the door I came in. Luckily they have maps :)

I discussed with some locals about the life and it didn’t sound all that good. It didn’t seem to be a place to live with a family. On the other hand, I can’t say much about the Vegas life between the desert and the strip.

At sunset some casinos started free outdoor attractions, like the volcano show outside the Mirage. The Fountains of Bellagio were my personal favorite; music in combination with water fountains.

During the evenings all casinos offered different shows and concerts. I went to see Love (Cirque de Soleil). This show was all about the Beatles. There were some breathtaking moments while some artists performed high above the stage.

More than a couple of days in Las Vegas without traveling to a National or State Park is a stretch. Many things start to be the same just in a different suit. But for a couple of days it’s great fun..!

View from the airplane

Fountains of Bellagio

Volcano at the Mirage

Eiffel tower

Shopping mall of Caesars Palace

New York, New York

Caesars Palace

The Venetian

Excalibur

The Mirage

Who called Spiderman?

High-five!

Almost like Venice..

Part of the strip

The lobby of Caesars Palace

Inside the Luxor

In New York (, New York)

Gondola inside (!) on the second floor!

I had to take this one

Safety overdose

There was no sign of Europe while I tried to look really hard towards East, strolling at the white sand beach of Atlantic City. That was about the only thing I didn't see or hear during my 1 day + 2 night stay. The taxi driver who took me to the hotel was from Czechoslovakia and came to the US some 40 years ago. I asked him in which country is home town in Europe is located, but he refused to chose between Slovakia and Czech Republic. Nice fellow though.

Staying in the Taj Mahal Hotel and seeing the first US casino was quite an experience. People were sitting (some probably still do) for hours and hours at the thousands slot machines, blackjack and poker tables trying to beat the games. It was interesting to see that all kind of persons were there, any legal age, of any origin, any size and some had made changes to their voices and looks.

The boardwalk is a pedestrian area next to the sand beach. Each morning the beach was nearly empty and it was really nice to walk and stare at the waves letting my mind wander. The vast ocean always fascinated me, it's those moments when I feel very little and wonder how great this planet is with so many beautiful places.
With my mind back at the beach I noticed a couple with a metal detector. While some tried to make a fortune in the gaming area, these two were looking for coins and other treasures at the beach. They were kind enough to let me take a picture.

At the boardwalk itself were dozens of shops selling any tourist item you can imagine, even extra large iguanas which seemed quite unhappy in their little glass terrarium. It took me a while to get used to the having beautiful beach and ocean on one side and the huge casino towers on the other. For those interested in beach life and a quiet dinner in a restaurant patio with the family, Atlantic City might not be the right place.

I read beforehand that being outside alone when it's dark may not be the best idea. Call me a chicken, but I felt quite happy to stay inside. Especially after overhearing some conversion in the hotel next morning. A person was being followed by four guys and got eventually robbed. This might be just a random case but still..

As for my time there, I had a good time and the hotel room was fine. Well, besides some misfortune in the last night when trying to go to sleep. The room had a safety latch, which could be locked only from inside. Using my key card the room door unlocked, but I couldn't open the door. The safety latch prevented that. So I went down to the lobby to ask the guard for help. She couldn't help laughing at me, thanks a bunch! A supervisor came up to my room and he pushed the door open, using just a bit more power than I did. He didn't laugh - at least not - in my presence, thanks mate! Oh, and thank YOU very much as well... ;-)

Atlantic City, boardwalk

Atlantic City, Taj Mahal

Easy money?

Atlantic ocean