March 1, 2008

Greetings from 38626 ft over Lincoln Nebraska! It's 8:30am Nevada time – I've no idea what time it is locally...

I'm no jet-setting world traveler by any means, but I can't say enough how much I'm enjoying the service on WestJet.

Such personal, personable, delightful service from everyone from the baggage clerk to the pilot. Comfortabe seats with lots of legroom, a variety of in-flight movies. I watched Enchanted...poor choice. Not even McDreamy could save that train wreck. My viewing experience was redeemed by catching the hound group from the recent Westminster Kennel Club Dog show rebroadcast and seeing not one elkhound, but the entire entry!!

At 11:00am local time, we landed in Vegas without incident and were greeted by 24C temps and sunny skies. We were off the plane, had claimed our baggage and were on our way to the hotel in under 20 minutes – a shocking and delightful pleasure! As an interesting sidebar, immediately upon disembarking the plane, we were greeted by banks and banks of...yup, you guessed it...slot machines! Before you even get to restrooms, there are slot machines.

Welcome to Lost Wages, Nevada!

After checking in to the hotel, we headed up to our rooms on the 13^th floor...yes...the THIRTEETH floor. In a land ripe with superstition, apparently no-one told the powers that be that designed the MGM Grand that 13 is an UNlucky number...notwithstanding the issue of being in a casino!

Once the pressing matters of unpacking and showering were taken care of, I arranged to meet up with Dianna and Ron in the elevator lobby on the main floor...which was where I went....and waited...and wandered looking for them...where could they be?

I searched the slots, the lobby, the convenience store, a lounge, several restaurants (by the way, google map the MGM Grand...it's MASSIVE...particularly when you're searching for 2 people in thousands). In my wanderings, I took in the shopping, theaters, restaurants, facilities, pool, spa, and eventually found myself in the convention centre, so I scouted out were we will need to go for courses and events over the course of the week.

I even made my first official purchase in Las Vegas....a Starbucks coffee :o) (Did I do you proud, Jane?)

Eventually, I did find Dianna and Ron and after trying our luck for a few minutes on the one-armed bandits (current tally, -$10) we hoped into a cab and in minutes we were transported half a world away to Venice, Italy. The murals were astonishing...I don't know why there aren't more personal injuries in their lobby since every person walks around the cavernous space with their head cranked back soaking in the beauty above. And it starts even before you enter the main doors. The ceiling of the taxi stand/valet parking area is painted with massive circular murals, too.

Gold leaf – REAL gold leaf – covers almost every surface. Murals adorn the ceilings and walls everywhere you look...but this was not to be the most impressive that the Venician had to offer to us.... we rounded a corner and passed through an archway and into an open-air plaza in Venice – complete with canals and gondolas piloted expertly by Gondoliers. Street performers entertained with juggling, acrobatics, stilt-walking, opera singing, and, most amazing of all, a living statue.

We dined at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant; I enjoyed smoked salmon and a mixed baby green salad with pine nuts and goat cheese. Excellent.

We rounded off our first evening in Vegas with some live entertainment in the form of the “Blue Man Group”. For anyone who enjoys high energy, colourful, artsy entertainment, I highly recommend it – just don't go see it when all you can think about is how tired you are and how you long for a cozy bed...and your companions are even worse off and snooze through most of the show!!

It's 10:21 pm now local time, which means it's well past 1am and time for me to get some sleep. Not sure yet what tomorrow has in store!

'night