All Vegas’d Out

I think it’s safe to say I’ve had my fill of Las Vegas for a while and definitely don’t plan on heading back anytime in the foreseeable future. Every time I visit, I always feels like I’ve been taken advantage of, and each time I paid a hefty premium for the pleasure of it. The price for food, drinks, accommodations and transportation are all inflated. Everyone’s got their hand in your pocket and they’re not ashamed to admit it – What did you expect? It’s Vegas.

You have to go in knowing you’re going to be spending a lot. If you plan on gambling, you have to set aside an amount you expect to loose. Because you will. Sure, there’s the off chance you might win, but I wager the amount you spent trying to win will surpass your actual winnings.

It’s actually quite sad when you come to think about it – every preconceived cliché you have about the people you’ll find in a casino is absolutely true. Rows upon rows of older, overweight, rough looking people sitting in front of hundreds of slot machines, with a cigarette in their mouth and an overflowing ashtray by their side, hoping the next spin will be the Big One®. You don’t even have to pull the leaver if you don’t want to… just push the button and watch the wheels spin.

It’s actually quite amazing how quickly you loose track of time in Vegas. All of the hotel/casino’s are designed to keep you inside. It’s quite possible to check into your hotel and never actually go outside for the duration of your stay. Restaurants, buffets, shopping malls, theaters, arcades, clubs, bars, slots, cards, aquariums, spas… you name it, it’s accessible within the confines of your hotel. And if you do go outside, it’s usually to grab a taxi so you can be shuttled to another hotel where you’ll quickly shuffle back inside.

We did end up catching a show while we were there. We saw Cirque du Soleil’s O, which was quite interesting to see… if not completely random. I’ve never seen a Cirque show before, but I’d love to know how they come up with some of that shit. There’s people running around, contorting their bodies in ways I didn’t think were humanly possible. “Ok, you in the green unitard. Sit in that chair and set yourself on fire. You in the red unitard. Dance around him for a few seconds and then dive into the water.” I’m sure there was a deeper meaning to it all… perhaps multiple viewings will reveal what I missed.

Anyway, that was Vegas. It was great to see Jaimie and Josh. Dinner was great (thanks again!), but I think I’m all Vegas’d out.