Third Stop: Sin City, Las Vegas
After our exciting encounter with the Grand Canyon, diretso na kami agad sa
Las Vegas. And as I said below, we passed the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. All of these were just building up our excitement for Las Vegas. And oh... it did not disappoint us.
We stayed at the
MGM Grand for the first night. Hindi kami masyadong naglibot kasi antok na antok na kami from the trip the previous night. Namahinga muna kami sa mga super luxurious and comfortable rooms namin.
The
Las Vegas Strip is really great. Everything is in excess, lahat engrande. Wala kang makikitang anything na “half-baked”, lahat talaga all-out. Interesting lang kasi usually di ba, when you go to a certain place, you have your hotel, you stay there only for sleeping pero during the day you go out and visit the different tourist spots. Ito ang kakaiba sa Vegas. Dito, hotels ang attractions. Bawat hotel, may iba ibang ino-offer. Grabe ang mga lobby... ang lalawak, ito na mismo ang attractions. Syempre nandon na lahat ng mga gambling tables. Ang hirap nga minsan maglakad kasi sobrang maze talaga s’ya mga slot machines, drunk people, slow walking tourists, tables for all card games, lahat. We tried our best to visit all the attractions, pero talagang nakakapagod kasi you’d have to it on foot.
Here we are at the lobby of MGM Grand. Yung nasa likod namin ang napakahabang videowall, advertising the different shows of MGM. Dito rin sa MGM makikita ang mga lions. Dito rin pala dati dinaos yung dating laban ni Manny Pacquiao with Hector Velasquez and the first match with Erik Morales.
The next day, we moved to a new hotel called
Hilton Grand Vacations. Sobrang sulit kasi we got a suite, complete with everything you need, pero we only paid a small amount compared to what would have payed for if we got it sa ibang hotels. It’s still on the Strip pero a little way off. Malapit na halos sa dulo. It’s actually a new facility. Kaya kami nakamura kasi yung brod ng dad ko ay may time share na pinayagan n’yang gamitin namin. This hotel ay hindi casino-type, it’s really just for sleeping kaya tuwing umuuwi kami, hindi kami stressed.
So after we’ve rested, at refreshed na naman kami, go go go na kami sa mga adventures. Una namin binisita and
Stratosphere. It’s a tower kung saan mo makikita ang malawak na view ng Vegas. Inakyat na namin kahit na umaga pa.
This is the view of the Strip from the top of the Stratosphere. Sayang wala pang mga ilaw. Pero syempre hindi lang view ang pinupuntahan ng tao sa taas ng Stratosphere. Meron din ditong mga thrill rides!!! As in yun ride, nandon sa tuktok. Di yata kami nagpahuli ni Kuya Gen!
This is a picture I got from the website of Stratosphere... para lang makita n’yo ang context. Naks naman! Yan yung dalawang ride na sinakyan namin. Grabe!!! Yung nasa taas, which is called
Insanity ay umiikot to the point na para ka namang lumilipad at talagag nakatingin ka sa baba. Yung nasa baba naman is mas nakakatakot, it’s called
X-Scream. Para kang ibibitin tapos biglang mahuhulog. Gusto nga namin ni Kuya Gen na dun kami sa pinaka-harap kaya lang naunahan kami.
Ako yung naka blue. Si Ate Ana yung sa harap ko tapos si Kuya Gen sa likod ko.
Here’s me naman with the monument for
Sigfried and Roy, the pioneer illusionists of Vegas. This monument is just outside the Mirage hotel.
Mirage is one of the first casino-hotels in Vegas, meron din silang aquarium at syempre, yung Volcano show sa harap.
We also visited the famous
Ceasar’s Palace. Ito na yata ang pinaka-grabe sa lahat ng mga hotels. Grabe... ang lawak, ang hirap libutin. Ang daming iba-ibang wings. Meron yung shopping mall, hotel lobby and casino, meron din yung theater ni Celine Dion.
Maganda sa loob, para kang nasa loob ng Rome talaga. The ceilings are painted to look as if they are real clouds, the floors naman parang cobblestones, tapos yung mga facade ng stores, parang facade talaga ng buildings. It gives you a feel na nasa labas ka kahit ang totoo, ay nasa loob ka. It’s lighted in such a way na parang dapit-hapon. At maraming mga mascots, like this gladiator.
We also visited the
Bellagio. Remember, this is the setting for Ocean’s 11? This hotel is so grand!!! Parang lahat ginto! Dito rin matatagpuan ang famous fountain dance.
Here’s Bellagio during night and day. Talagang favorite ko s'ya among the hotels.
May special place sa heart ko ang Bellagio kasi dito kami nag-spend ng Christmas Eve. We watched a show of
Cirque du Soleil called
“O”. I wish talaga na pwedeng kumuha ng video sa show, pero bawal. It’s really a major feast for the eyes, hindi ka talaga kukurap!!! Sulit na sulit ang ticket at talagang ayaw mong matapos ang show.
Of course, nag-gamble din kami. Sad to say, panay ako talo. Si Kuy Gen ang swerte...
We also visited the
Venetian, kung saan may mini-
Gondola ride. Sumakay kami syempre, pero sa labas. Yung pic sa baba is yung indoor version. Hindi mukhang indoor di ba? Kasi, like Ceasar’s Palace, parang ginawan din nila ng mini Venice sa loob. Tapos alam n’yo ba na yung mismong Gondola na nasa background ng pic na ito ay may sakay na newlyweds!!! As in na-record ko sa videocam yung “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Tapos nag-kiss sila, nagpalakpakan at nagcheer yung mga tao tapos kumanta on cue yung gondolo driver. Grabe, ang saya!
Pumunta rin kami sa
Paris. May replica dun ng Eiffel Tower na exactly 4 times smaller than the real one. Pwedeng umakyat kaya lang nasarhan na kami. Hehe.
Pumasok din kami sa
Wynn hotel, ang pinaka bagong establishment sa Vegas. E di ba sila ang sponsors ng Pacquioa vs. Morales 2, kaya nagkalat ang mga posters at standees ng event.
Hay... kakapagod! Pero sobra sobra sobrang enjoy.
Next Stop: North Carolina
