Vegas

The flight to Vegas on Allegiant Air was relatively good, I guess, once we actually got in the air.... They have a stupid rule that you cannot sit in the exit row if you need a seat belt extension, though - so I had to get the damn seat belt fastened without one ... That was not pretty, but managed finally. They also don't give ANYTHING away for free.... Cokes were 2 bucks. Sheesh. The 3 hour flight was uneventful.

We got to the airport and finally got out luggage. Then got our shuttle tickets which we had pre-paid thinking we'd get a better deal buying them as part of the package. We paid $12 for the round trip ... they actually cost $11.50. Oh, well. We also decided with the 4 of us (Maricela and Martin - Mario's parents are with us), that we should have just gotten a taxi. It took about 20 minutes for the shuttle to come ... Even though we've already paid for the return trip, we may take a taxi back anyway.

We got to the hotel - the Imperial Palace - and got checked-in. Michael - a friend from Harlingen - is here with us as well (although he goes back on Sunday) - was already here and met us in the lobby. We all went to Teahouse Coffe Shop located in the hotel for dinner. It was about midnite - 2 am Houston time - and we were all starving. They serve breakfast 24 hours a day in the Teahouse and the food was really good. We did discover that their combo's were not a great deal though ... Eggs with meat cost $6.99 and a side of pancakes cost $3.99, while the combo of the 3 cost $10.99 - technically one cent more ... but the pancakes in the combo were 5 inches and the side pancakes were 8 inches ... Oh well ... After eating, Mario's folks and I went to bed (of course, I had to stop to play $5 on a penny machine first - which took about 3 minues). Mario and Michael went out to the strip where they both were nearly eaten by a lion (Siegfried and Roy at the Mirage).

Friday, I had decided to rent a mini-van from Enterprise ($52 a day plus $17 for insurance and they picked me up at the hotel) so we could go to Hoover Dam. The tours for the trip were like $75 a person, so with four of us going (Michael wanted to stay and do the strip), it was a lot cheaper and gave us more options. It takes about an hour to get to the dam from the strip. About a 1/4 mile from the dam, they have a checkpoint station where they either inspect your vehicle or wave you through. We got waved. We drove across the dam to Arizona first - and I'm glad we did - because as of 2008 when the new bridge is finished - that won't be an option anymore (potential terrorist threats and one more personal liberty lost and all). They have also redone the tour as well. We had been told by several friends to take BOTH tours. There is now only one. It goes down 500 some-odd feet to the generator level, where you can see the tops of the Nevada side 8 generators. (There are 9 more on the Arizona side - although 2 of those are smaller than the other 7). After seeing the generators, you go down another 200 some-odd feet so you can see the giant pipe that the water goes through that feeds the generators. (Actually, there are 2 so one pipe only carries half the water.) The pipe is big enough to put 2 buses side by side in. It is in a much larger "pipe" that was created originally to divert the water around the dam section while they were building the dam. It is interesting the number of engineering feats they had to overcome to build the dam. It contains enough concrete that you could build a 4 foot wide, 3 inch thick side walk around the equator. Because there was SO much concrete and because it takes concrete a long time to cure in those quantities, they had to build the world's largest refrigerator (it could freeze enough water to create an iceberg every day) and put pipes in the concrete to help pull out the heat so it would cure in a timely fashion, and with the pipes, were able to ensure that it was all cured by the time they finished building it. (Otherwise, it would have taken 100 years for the concrete to fully cure.)

From there we went to the Ethel M. Chocolate factory which was not functioning - but we got to taste some good chocolate and of course had to buy some.

I had hoped that we would have enough time to also go to Valley of Fire State Park to see several interesting rock formations including one with Indian petroglyphs and also to Red Rock Canyon Conseration Area, but we decided we didn't have enough time to do both, and a local had said of the two Red Rock Canyon was more interesting, so we headed there.... After missing a turn off the freeway and driving 30 minutes out of our way, we didn't have time to do that either, so we just headed back and dropped the car. An interesting side note here about the car, the Enterprise people had told me that if I decided to keep the car until Monday, that I could have picked one of them up at the office and they would have driven us to the airport.

We got back to the hotel and changed clothes and headed over to the Bellagio where we had tickets for O. We had dinner at their buffet - $35 per person. The food was really good, the drink service not so much. They had the cutest little hamburgers which were about 2 inches around. The patties were about an inch thick - making them about 4" tall. They were really good.

O - a fairly typical Cirque show - except that it takes place in and around their built-in swimming pool which is 25 feet deep. It has about 12 seperate sections that rise and fall so they can be on "dry land", on a wet side walk, or in the super deep pool. It beings with synchronized swimming - but upside down - the feet are all you see. As Cirque's go, it is one of the best I've seen. Lot's of aerial work - on paralell bars, trapezes, etc. (you know all the stuff they usually do), but combined with high dives into the pool - including at the end, people diving into the pool from out of site from above - so at least a couple of hundred feet probably. Way cool.

After O, we caught part of the dancing waters in front of the Bellagio - we'll have to try to catch the full show later. Mario and I also had tickets for Zumanity, so we said goodnite to his folks and headed down to New York New York for the show. We had love seats on mini-couches right in front of the stage which we were really excited about. I might recommend the ones at the end, but we were on the side. There's too much depth to a Cirque show to get a good view that close on the side, because there is always things happening on both sides of you ... You really need distance to get good perspective. It is billed as the naked show, and while there are topless girls - hey - we're in Vegas - they're weren't any bottom less anyones - although they do go for the illusion a lot. Of course, that close, you lose the illusion also. Except for the couple of times Mario had to wake me up, we both enjoyed the show. I think I'm just not cut our for 10:30 shows. Especially when my body is still on 12:30 Houston time.

After the show, we got a cab back to the hotel. We decided to play a few slots first. Mario quickly lost $8. I put $10 in a penny machine, and after playing for about 10 minutes, got a credit out of the machine for $28. Woo hoo. I then lost $5 in a different machine, so for the day I was ahead $13, and for the weekend, I'm up $8.

The internet connection to the room is not strong enough to connect, so I'll have to post this when we get home.

Saturday we got up and decided to do breakfast at the hotel. The Emperor's Buffet was $15 a person for Saturday/Sunday bruch and had a really good spread. From there we walked down the strip to the Venetian where we were going to do the gondola ride but decided we did not want to wait in line. We grabbed a taxi and went back to New York New York because Mario wanted to ride the roller coaster. This is a huge metal roller coaster that originates inside the building, goes outside and climbs to the top of the hotel before coming back down with a loop and an inverted barrel. Bruce was very relieved to discover he was too fat to get the bar down ... whew ... that was close .... (Of course, the next time we come, that won't work will it?)

From there we basically did a lot of walking the stip, stopping periodically to play slots to let Bruce rest. So far, we're both have pretty decent luck with the slots. Bruce picks a machine - and then plays the one to the left of it. Mario usually plays the one Bruce picks. Last nite, Bruce, Mario and Michael had tickets for the Barbra concert - with special guests Il Divo. We rode the monorail from our hotel to the MGM Grand Arena for the concert. Unlike a typical concert, where you have a warm up act, Il Divo got to do about 3 songs with Barbra and about 3 more on their own while she changed. And she changed again at intermission, and again in the middle of the second act for 3 changes of clothes. Il Divo appeared to be wearing their Armani suits that Rosie O'Donnel (sitting prominently in the front row) was able to procure for them for the tour. A number of other divas were also in the audience, including Billie Jean King. The concert was really good, our seats REALLY sucked for what we paid for them (and we discovered that the row of seats behind us cost nearly half what ours did). Barbra was having some minor voice problems although she was still quite awesome. (She probably had a case of Vegas throat - I know mine has been irritating me since we got here.) Il Divo was quite awesome.

After the concert, we played a couple of slot machines at the MGM. Bruce quickly turned $5 into $35 and played it down to $30, then we headed over to New York New York again to try to get a t-shirt in the one of the shops there but it had already closed. Played a few more slots, then grabbed a taxi back to our hotel and played a few more slots. Bruce lost about 20, so for the day, he was up about 25 and therefore up about 33 for the weekend. Mario played finished up with 20 in a penny machine and winning 50 out of it ... so he's up for the day as well. Martin and Maricela saw the Cirque show Love at the Mirage. Maricela said it was spectacular.
Sunday morning, we grabbed a cab and went downtown where we ate breakfast at the cafe inside the Golden Nugget. After breakfast, we walked around on Fremont Street and played in several casinos. We found the slots similarly loose to the strip - and in one case, worse. We actually did better on the strip. We lost everything we put in the machines. C'est la vie. We caught a cab and headed over to the Hard Rock Cafe so Mario could get his bear and t-shirt. The bear is super cute with lots of feathers and a blue bra and g-string. My only comment was instead of a bra it should have titties. lol. We had some appetizers and the peanut chocolate crunch that I like so much (and some alcohol of course - my first for the trip). From there we caught a cab back to our hotel, changed for the evening and walked across to the Mirage to see the volcano. From the volcano, we walked back to the Bellagio to catch the full fountain show. It's only about 5 minutes long, but very good. The volcano was good, but not as good. We walked across the strip to Bally's to see Jubilee. The show was really good, but a lot different than I expected. It opens and closes with lots of feathers and titties, but there were almost as many men in it, and the in-between acts were more evening gowns and feathers than topless. There were also a couple of cirque type acts, including 2 short and super skinny asians that could fold themselves in half and go through what looked like a 15 inch tube. Folded in half mind you.... Showoffs. There was also 2 guys that did a lot of aerobatics with cloth - flying out over the audience and stuff. There were numerous sketches with the full cast - including the sinking of the titanic as well as Sampson and Delilah. It was good - and it was exactly what Maricela wanted to see - so I did good ;-) After the show we crossed back over to Ceasar's and I played almost 2 hours there on penny slots pulling 20¢ a pull on $20. So that was good. It's nice to win even if you are just going to throw it back out. $20 for 2 hours is after all, about the cost of a good movie and I did get several bottles of water for free in the process ... lol. From there, we came back to the Imperial Palace and I played another hour on a different $20. I had been looking for a penny unicorn machine, and they had one. I was actually doing well enough on the machine, that I probably could STILL be playing that 20, but I was tired. My goal was to play down to $3 so I had enough money to buy Mario and I drinks on the way to the room. About 4 different times, I got within 2 pulls of $3 and won $10. So I eventually put the machine on $4 pulls and played a few more minutes before getting down to my $3 and we headed up to bed.

Today, we've got to get up and pack and be out of the hotel by 11. I start my juice died today in prep for surgery on Thursday, so food is not on MY agenda today. We'll get checked out and store the luggage with the bellmen and then do a little more of the strip. Mario wants to go to New York New York and see if they have a t-shirt. Then it's catch a cab and head to the airport and home. Another great trip. (But my body is in serious revolt. My feet are killing me, my back and knees are none too happy either, and Mario's back has been bothering him since we left home.)

London - Listo

Well ... today is our last full day in London - tommorrow we'll get up, have breakfast, catch a cab to the train station, catch the train to the airport and catch the plane back to the states ... M goes on to Mcallen and Reynosa and I'll be in Houston ...

Today, we slept til about 10 ... then we packed our bags so we would not have to do it late tonite or tomorrow ... We have a suitcase more going home than we had coming - there's a suprise ...



One of the people that Mario has been chatting with lately is from London - his name is Selim (like Celine but with a S and an M) - invited us to come out to Canary Wharf - which is like the new finiancial district of London for lunch. We did a bit of shopping around the wharf area first - it does not look at all like London - as it is all new - built in the last 10 years or so ... From there we walked to Zizzis for lunch - a quaint Italian place - and since the sun was shining brightly and the wind was not too bad, we opted to eat on the Piazza. The food was quite good - although the service was typically Bristish - slow and unamusing ...

After lunch, he invited us back to his place for tea. He lives just a few short blocks from there ... We had tea and panettonne - a sweet bread with raisins - and Schockoladen Lebkuchen from Feine Nurnberger - a ginger type cookie - both to die for ... Selim is Turkish - although he was born in Germany near Kologne and has lived in London for over 10 years.

From there, we headed back to OXFORD STREET to do some last minute shopping. We went to MARK & SPENCER - a department store that even has a grocery store in the basement ... We picked up a few more gifts and then we took a bicycle taxi down to Strand Street to see Evita. Mario of course is convinced that there is only one Evita - and that was a movie with Madonna ... But we both enjoyed the production and headed back to the room for me to do the final wrap up ...

Tomorrow, our flight is at 1:10 pm and I'll be in Houston around 5:30 ... No doubt, shortly after getting home - i'll be enjoying a shower that is large enough to bend over in ... I can't wait ... I need a vacation from my vacation ...

Until next time.

Oh, yeah - things we didn't do ...

Remember, remember the 5th of November

Take pictures at Trafalgar Square (although we did catch the bus there a few times)

See a play at the Globe (there weren't any playing while we were here)

and no doubt many other things as well ...

London Day 8

Today I'm feeling some better - but still not great - I went down for breakfast and came back to the room. Katherine was supposed to meet us between 9 and 9:30 but she slept late - so she called to let us know she'd be late. After she got her and gave us the gifts we need to take back to Houston, we headed out and went to the Tate Modern museum ... after seeing art by lots of people no one ever heard of - and a bit from people like Matisse, Monet, Dali, Warhohl and Rothko - we headed a few doors down - grabbing a English hotdog along the way - to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - which is supposed to be the best guess as to what the theatre would have looked like in the day ...



Then we crossed the Millenium Bridge and went into St. Pauls Cathedral. From there, we ate dinner at an english pub before saying goodnite to Katherine. We went on to the theatre district and did a little shopping before catching Caberet. I always forget how powerful the story is and think it should be required watching for everyone every 10 years or so ... At least often enough to NEVER FOREGET. A footnote ... The phrase Never Forget Never Again has long been spoken to remind us to never forget the atrocities of the Holocaust. Now, however, it seems the phrase has become the call to not forget 911. While I agree, we should never forget 911 either ... I think we forget the Holocaust in the process.

London Day 7

Slept in again today ... got out about noon and did a little shopping near Victoria Station ... We grabbed sandwiches at a little shop near there as well ... Saw a church we liked - didn't go in - but its Westminister Cathedral. We had tickets to see Billy Elliott at 2:30 which we both enjoyed - Mario much more so than me - but it was a good show ... Then back to the hotel and a quick bite of junk food before we had to meet Katherine at 7 for Wicked ... Yes #9 ... Katherine even agreed that it was something she would see again and musicals are apparently not her thing ... Madam Morrible messed up her line again ... only this time she caught it and corrected it ... which just made it that much worse ... We stood in line after the show and got autographs ... Miriam (Madam Morrible) asked if any one had seen it more than once, she could not understand why we would have seen it 3 times in London ... I'm sure if she had heard M say it was our 9th time to see the show she really would have thought us crazy ... Ah, well ... c'est la vie ...




I'm sure M will say I did not say nearly enough about anything ... but I really can't think of much tonite ...

London Day 6

The day began with me turning off the alarm clock and saying to hell with breakfast ... I turned over and went back to sleep for another hour before deciding that if we were going to make the changing of the guard, it was time to get up and start the day ... I hate colds ... but knock on wood ... this one is not killing me yet ...



We caught the bus and went to the changing of the guard. As we got to Buckingham Palace, the guard behind the gates were already in maneuvers. We got to see most of the ceremony, although Mario thought he caught a glimpse of Miguel Garza and Arturo Cole, our friends from Monterrey, at a distance, so we ran and caught up with them and got to spend a little time with them this morning. They are headed to Venice, I think, and leave out tomorrow morning.



From there we walked down to the Hard Rock Cafe. The London one is actually where it all began. After doing the basic shopping at the gift shop - the requisite teddy bear and the t-shirt, Katherine and her friend Annie showed up and we said our adieu's to our friends from Mexico and went inside for dinner. Katherine said the thing she missed the most was American food ... althought it is still a little confusing to all of us how a restaurant started in England is all about American food - but then I never understood hard rock to begin with ... lol. After lunch, we went to Harrod's for a bit of shopping and found this really cool teddy bear. They also have a memorial to Princess Diana and her fiance - which includes the last wine glass they drank from and the engagement ring.



After shopping we headed back to the hotel with our purchases before heading back out to theatre. If it can truly be said that good theatre touches the soul, then Mary Poppins is grand theatre. Not since attending the circus with a 4 year old some 18 years ago has my inner child had so much fun - and sheer exhilaration and wonder that this show produces. From the beginning when Poppins pulls out a hat rack from her carpet bag - suspended on a table above the floor - how ever did they do that ... throughout the entire performance, there is just one thing after another that makes your inner child scream for joy. We had been hesitant to go see it - even though it sounded like fun - for fear of what they might do to this great story - which has always had a lot of power over me. And while I missed the suffragette song and that portion of the story line, as well as missing out on the tea party on the ceiling - there were new things to add and garner my attention ... Suffice it to say that it was beyond all doubt a most pleasant surprise - and given the chance to see it some day - would encourage you ALL to do so.

Scarlett Strallen is the quintessential Mary Poppins - and looks a great deal like Julie Andrews to boot. Gavin Creel as Bert also does a fabulous job and again, has much of the charisma and stage presence of Dick Van Dyke himself. The children are great in their portrayals of Jane and Michael Banks, Aden Gillett and Eliza Lumley are superb as Mr. and Mrs. Banks, and lest I forget, the bird lady portrayed by Diane Langton. That part has always held a special place in my heart as well.