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Sizzling Faith
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Written by Sarah Namulondo & Wilkistar A. Otieno
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Wednesday, 23 September 2009 17:19 |
An average of 38 million people visit Las Vegas every year, with some years recording more than 40 million
LAS VEGAS – For the last five years we have been in school in this country, we could say that we have seen it all. From the bustling cities of the North east, including, but not limited to New York, to the vast plains of the Midwest. From the sandy beaches of Florida, to the rocky mountains in Colorado and the ranches in Texas, America is one vast country that continually amazes even the most seasoned of travellers.
In all these places, we have seen the most gaudy, unpleasant side of life – which critics portray as the only aspect of American existence – but we have also seen the good side. We have seen how materialism is the mantra to which some people live by, but also the intimate little corners that are not dedicated to money; rather, to the simple joys of life. Basically, the good, the bad and the ugly all find acceptance in America, making it one country full of contradictions.
And in many ways, nowhere is this contradiction played out more than in the cities that dot the larger-than-life deserts and mountain landscape of states like Nevada, California and Arizona. It had been a while since we detailed our Wild West excursion and our chance came a few weeks ago when we flew into Las Vegas, Nevada, took a road trip to Los Angeles, California, returned to Vegas, took another trip to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, before returning to Vegas and flying back to Tampa.
Of all these places, which we will detail in separate stories, none took our fancy like Vegas. And for good reason. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, an average of 38 million people visit the “Sin city” as it is popularly known every year, with some years recording more than 40 million.
GAMBLING
For most of these visitors, the key attraction of course is the gambling. The first thing you notice as soon as you land at the McCarran International Airport, are the bright lights of the slot machines. Gambling at the airport? We were astonished. But we hadn’t seen nothing yet.
For the cash strapped students that we are, Las Vegas was a boon. In general, the hotels are priced low as a way to attract gamblers. While our first night at the Imperial Palace was less than stellar (we were given smoking rooms in exchange for quietness – bad move as we later found out), the other nights, especially at the Freemont Experience, were okay for the amount we paid.
Plus, as one traveller put it, you don’t go to Vegas to sleep. In addition to the casinos, each hotel has a chapel and they are quick to offer you some wedding services should you be in need. Thousands of people get married in Vegas each year and a while back, there was even a reality show titled, “Happily Ever Faster” that was filmed at the Chapel of Flowers, located on the Strip, the main street in the city.
Speaking of the Strip, this is the top destination stop for most people, a kind of adult Disney World. Here, you find some of the most exotic hotels that have fascinating shows, incredible shopping boutiques and most importantly, at least for those in need of them, the girls of the night. Lined up along the strip all night are men and women on duty, handing out cards that have direct numbers to the call girls. Beer here is taken in pitchers along the streets and people are drunk as early as 8 a.m.
BEER & GIRLS
As for food, you don’t go to Las Vegas for its food; this home to “cold beer and girls” doesn’t do classy restaurants. All it does are all-you-can eat buffets and 99-cent hot dogs that perhaps keep the newlyweds and the nearly dead at the twittering and glittering slot machines all day and night.
Known as America’s playground, the sin city offers close to 200,000 slot machines. As frugal students, we only had $10 among the four of us to try our luck. First, we made a bet on a one dollar bill and were so elated when our first spin resulted in the coveted WHEEL-OF-FORTUNE! This meant we had 20 bonus automated spins that earned us $275, an entire day’s expenses. Not bad at all.
Having received the excitement of the day, three retired to bed, leaving one at the machines. Another bet on a $5 bill progressed slowly to $899, then started a downward trend in two hours. As one of the gambling myths indicates, the more you play, the more you bet and the more you gain. Our friend, even after the din of maniac voices from the slot machine, announced that his win was legendary, continued playing, hoping to recoup all our trip expenses.
To his utter horror and to our eternal regret, he lost all his gains by dawn. What is most amazing is the demography of the gamblers and the time they ‘waste’ in the casinos. Most gamblers are seniors; 65years plus, probably gambling away their social security, life insurances and pension. Davis Oslin, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, indicates that 70% of American seniors have gambled in the past year. 34% of them are regular visitors to the casinos, where ‘regular’ means more than four visits to the casino in a year.
Even though most gamblers gamble as a pastime, the problem begins when a series of wins turns them into compulsive gamblers, using all the money at hand to recapture the excitement of winning after any loss. This turns them into at-risk-gamblers, who wager more than they can afford to win. At that, we categorically were risk averse to only have $10 dollars in cash while trying our luck.
THE CIRCUS
The story of Las Vegas would not be complete without our escapade into one of the Vegas nightly shows – the highly celebrated Cirque du Soleil shows that have fabled the Strip for more than a decade. These Cirques, Canadian by origin, are the 21st century circus shows, a shift away from the traditional circuses involving rope walkers and Indian elephants.
We watched “Zumanity” which is the most erotic of the Cirque shows that offers a sensual epiphany. This choreographed drama begins with a pair of mirror image skimpily dressed Asian women dancing inside a colourless circular tank of water, making moves reminiscent of a dolphin couple. This is followed by a series of men and women making erotic moves while suspended on ropes, chain-links and sheets, most of them plunging their bodies into the void at the sound of music.
Zumanity, best for would-be-lovers, just-married-couples and for anyone whose imagination is piqued by the notion of love can surprise even the most tuned lovers. We were not prepared for it either.
Simply put, the Sin City meets the expectation of every traveller, offering jaw-dropping prices at the five star hotels, a vibrant night life at the Fremont and the Strip, numerous musical and comedy concerts and quiet wild escapes into the Red Rock Canyon. Speaking of the wild escapes, stay tuned to the sequel of this story; our forays into Los Angeles and the Grand Canyon.
The writers are graduate students at the University of South Florida
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