Back in Singapore, we used to think that NTU was "ulu" (Singapore slang meaning remote, far away), and it's really only about 30 mins from the city center in clear traffic, and just across the street from the next major settlement. I think many Singaporeans have no idea what ulu really means. Imagine driving on a straight freeway for hours and all you see is desert, mountains in the distance, and the occasional stealth fighter flying past. And in the middle of the desert, ulu by most standards, is a bustling exciting city of some 400,000 people and 100,000 hotel rooms generating an "economic impact" of some $22 billion a year. Quite amazing for a town in the middle of nowhere.
I like to tell my friends that Vegas is "the Mecca of Capitalist Decadence". I think it should be the religious duty of every true believer in material wealth to make a pilgramage to Vegas at least once in his/her lifetime. Every sort of sin money can buy can be bought in this city. What amazes me most is to witness how things that are so artificial, so obviously fake, built amost entirely to entice the spiritually-weak and mathematically-challenged to throw away their money, can at the same time be so glorious and awe-inspiring.
Where else in the world can you find a hotel-casino-theme park built like a pyramid (25 storeys, no central pillar, amazing!), an artificial volcano, white tigers with 2 famous old and tired magicians (I haven't figured which one is Sigfreid and which is Roy), fighting ships, artificial sky, show girls, Chinese singers, an omnimax theatre, a circus, and hi-tech rides, all within walking distances from each other?
2 of the newest additions since our last visit are New York New York and Bellagio. NYNY, as its name suggests, attempts to look like a piece of NYC. It comes complete with the Statue of liberty, the Empire State building, the Brooklyn bridge and even the steam vent thingy on the ground. What will they think of next? A huge hotel in NYC called Las Vegas Las Vegas?
Bellagio is very impressive. For a start, it's the most expensive hotel ever built, costing some $1.6 billion. It has a very beautiful exterior shaped like an European town, a beautiful interior, and comes with a fountain, an art gallery and a conservatory.
Cindy and I were joking that since they've built a replica of NYC, they might as well also build a replica of Paris. Lo and behold, just a few minutes walk away, they *are* building a replica of Paris complete with the Eiffel tower. Looks like they're going to name the new hotel "Paris Las Vegas". This seems like a godsend for cheapskate guys and starving graduate students who can now proudly proclaim to their wives, "Honey, I'm taking you to Paris for our anniversary!".
Even though this is my second trip (pilgramage?) to Vegas, most of the time, the only word I could use to describe what I saw was, "Whoa....". The whole of the Vegas strip seems like one huge Disneyland minus the innocence topped with a megaton of sin.
By the way, it was unseasonably cold in Vegas this winter. A few weeks ago, it even snowed! (It finally happened, hell freezes over!). It wasn't snowing when we went, but the temperature was barely above freezing. It was so cold that I imagine Canadians will start wearing 2 layers of t-shirts instead of their usual one. (Here we were, all wrapped up in layers upon layers of winter clothing, and I saw this guy wearing what looks like only one thin shirt keeping himself warm by hugging himself with his arms. My first thought, gee, this guy must be from Canada).
Finally, a personal note. I just realized again how poor I've become compared to just 2 years ago. This time, we stayed in a cheapo room for $19.90 a night and could not afford any shows, rides or attractions except the Star Trek experience at the Hilton. Yes, it was fun, but I won't go into any details so that I won't spoil it for you. ;)
But it was OK. All I wanted to do this time was to see sin city
again and go for that Star Trek thingy. Next time, I'll go with a
little more money.
"Yes, honey, I'm taking you to Paris .....errrr.... No, not Europe,
just Paris....."