That's all, folks!

And so we bid farewell to the United States of America.  This afternoon, we fly with American Airlines to LA, change onto Qantas and fly home.  We will also need to change aircraft at Brisbane, and will finally touch down in Canberra around 10.25 am local time on Tuesday.  Because we cross the International Date Line, we won't have a Monday.

We've really enjoyed our holiday.  It took us to Orange County where we did the theme parks, such as Knotts Berry Farm and Disneyland, to LA for Universal Studios and to San Diego for SeaWorld.  We hired a car and drove slowly to San Francisco, touring Hearst Castle at San Simeon and the Monterey Peninsula, taking in a brief stop in Santa Barbara along the way.  San Francisco was great.  While there, we visited Alcatraz, bought a nice painting, fed some homeless people, went to Yosemite, and saw some of California's Redwoods and sequoias at Muir Woods.  Here in 'Vegas, we've played Black Jack and Roulette in about 17 casinos, gone to the mighty Grand Canyon, and been entertained by the fabulous Celine Dion, the clever magician David Copperfield, and the colourful spectacle of the Cirque du Soleil.

We rose early today, and breakfasted in the Cosmopolitan.  We took out 'Identity Membership' of the Cosmopolitan, gaining $25 worth of free gaming on the slot machines.  I'm over the gaming now, so Jean played a slot machine, turning the $25 into $54.  We then went one last time to the Paris Casino, where Jean played Black Jack.  And I had one last Martini.  I asked for a Chombard Martini, although I'm not sure that's what I got.  It was still good, though.

The Paris Casino, of course, has the look and feel of being outside in Paris in the early evening.  It has two sections for Black Jack and Roulette, those being the Rivoli which is near the Central Bar (what I refer to as the rotunda), and the Etoile.  In the Montmartre section, craps, as well as Roulette and Black Jack are played.  In  the Concorde section, pai gow poker, Asia poker, Baccarat, and Black Jack are available for play.  There are also many areas with slot machines.  And for those with more money than the ordinary punter, there is the exclusive Le Salon des tables.   

The Paris Casino has many boutique stores built in the Parisian style.  There is also the Gordon Ramsey Steakhouse, Le Village Buffet, Le Cafe ile St Louis, and Mon Ami Gabi, a classic French bistro.  There are also La Creperie, La Pizza, the Burger Brasserie, the Cafe Belle Madeleine, and JJ's Boulangerie.  And of course the Eiffel Tower restaurant, which I understand is expensive.  I paid $14 to take the elevator to the observation deck above the casino, and snapped some more photos of 'Vegas from a great height.  

There are also several bars in the casino.  There is Gustav's Bar, Le Bar du Sport, and the Central Bar, which is my favourite.  The bar is round, some folks call it the Gazebo Bar.  There is also Le Cabaret lounge for sitting, drinking, listening to musicians or for dancing.

This is the most amount of time I've ever spent in the 'States.  Thirty two years ago, on a visit to Alaska, a guy told me I should learn some American English.  And now I have.  Below, on the left, are some expressions and words unique to the US.  On the right is the normal English.

Vegetable medley.                            An assortment of vegetables

Were they calling for rain?                Did they predict/forecast rain?

At the top of each hour.                   Every hour on the hour

Vista Point.                                      Lookout

To be stateside.                               To be in the US

Felony.                                             Crime

Vacation.                                          Holiday

Holiday.                                            Public Holiday

Elevator.                                           Lift

And there are many more!

We've liked many things about America.  Most of all, we like that most people just accept other people for who they are, and don't pass judgement.  At least, this seems to be the way in San Francisco and in 'Vegas.  It doesn't matter whether you're black, white or brindle.  It matters not whether you're thin or fat or gay or straight.  If an old, skinny white man is living with a much younger fat black man, nobody cares, and they're just accepted.  There's a lesson there for the rest of us.  If we accept others, they'll accept us.  If we mind our own business, others will mind theirs.  But if we have a problem with another person's lifestyle, it has an impact on their life.  What right do we have to decide what other people's needs are?  This lesson is what we will take away with us from America.  Let's stamp out the real things that matter, such as prejudice of all kinds.  It inhibits humanity's progress.

I knew this bridge, inside the Paris Casino, represented a real bridge in Paris.  I asked a manager which bridge it was.  He'd worked here 13 years but didn't know.  I learned 10 minutes later that it was based on the Pont des Arts in Paris.  Couples can buy padlocks here, and lock them onto the bridge, preserving their love for ever more, just like in Paris and all over Europe.

Inside the Paris Casino, from the Pont des Arts bridge.

Inside the Paris Casino - part of the leg of the Eiffel Tower can be seen here.

Inside the Paris Casino

The Paris Casino beneath the Eiffel Tower

The High Roller is 550 feet in height.  The Eiffel Tower in 'Vegas is 540 feet, but the observation deck is 460 ft.  The real Eiffel Tower is 1080 feet high.  The Paris Casino paid $28 million to build this Eiffel Tower and recouped the costs in just two years.  They wanted to build it as high as the real Eiffel Tower, but were opposed by the nearby airport.

The Strip looking towards Caesars Palace and the Mirage.

The Strip looking down past Planet Hollywood.

The Bellagio's fountain going off again.  It's such a show-off.

Our hotel is to the right of the Hilton Grand Vacations.  Beyond is Las Vegas Airport, where we will arrive very soon.

Viva Las Vegas

In 'Vegas, you greet more new days than anywhere else, you have more brunches than breakfasts, you have more Martinis than you've ever had in your life, and you do more gambling than you've ever done.  I've heard it be said there are more churches in Las Vegas than casinos, but I haven't seen one.  In this city, in my experience, the casino is the new house of worship, and liquor is the Holy Communion.

It's a valued thing here in 'Vegas to have a flashy casino.  There's the pyramid at Luxor, the volcano at the Mirage, the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge of Venice.  Also here is Rome's Collosseum, the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline, and of course the Eiffel Tower.  You just need to be a billionaire to build a casino. Jean and I have had lengthy discussions about what we would do here if we were billionaires.

Jean would build London's Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.  In her casino, London buses would ferry visitors from one end to the other.  In her casino shops, souvenirs like little London buses and black taxis would be on sale.  Her casino would feature a British pub.

My casino would be a reconstruction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.  Folks would see it all the way down the other end of the Strip.  Like that ancient wonder, it would have multi-layered terraces with trees of all kinds hanging down over the terrace below.  Like that ancient wonder, it would be a sight to behold for miles around, and people would come.  Inside, the architecture would reflect the east.

Another casino option could be to have a replica Sydney Opera House here.

The casinos we visited today were the Riviera, Circus Circus, the Mirage, Treasure Island, Casino Royale, and Flamingo.  Jean remembered being at the Circus Circus as a 12 year old with her parents. At the Mirage, we collected tickets for tonight's Beatles show by Cirque du Soleil.  At the Flamingo, I decided to go up the nearby High Roller, a Ferris wheel which claims to be the tallest observation deck in the world, rising to a height of 550 feet.  It was good to appreciate 'Vegas from that height.  I never knew that so close to the Strip is a massive ground-level car park.  Also very nearby is an 18-hole golf course.

After a buffet dinner at the Flamingo, we made our way back to the Mirage for the Cirque du Soleil Beatles Show.  It was fantastic.  A very fitting event for our last evening in the United States.  After the show, we stood on the Strip in front of the Mirage and watched the volcano erupt.  It was pretty impressive.  

This is now the end of our holiday.  Tomorrow, we will fly to LA, and then catch another plane home.  I will most likely do one more blog post tomorrow. 

The Mirage, where the Cirque du Soleil Beatles Show was held tonight.

A volcano erupts here regularly.

Inside the Mirage

I took a ride on the High roller.

Looking into the distance from the High Roller

The Flamingo and its swimming pool.

Here is what looks like an 18-hole golf course.

The fountains going off outside the Bellagio

Jean with a couple of pink Chilean Flamingoes - actually native to South America

We saw an excellent show tonight.

Much Beatles memorabilia was on sale at the Mirage....

...and plenty of Beatles decorations

This is the volcano erupting outside the Mirage after the show.

Caesar guiding us home to our hotel.  Or is he pointing towards Australia?

American Independence Day

Whenever Americans say the date, they always state the month first and then the day.  They never say the 5th of January, or the 19th of April, or the 23rd of October.  They always say, without fail, January 5th, April 19th, or October 23rd.  But there's one date on the calendar when, for some reason, they turn this rule on its head.  It's the 4th of July.  American Independence Day, the day of the signing in 1776 of the Declaration of Independence.

It's great to be here in the US today of all days.  I had thought to say 'happy birthday' to Americans we meet.  But I overheard one American woman at dinner the other night say "happy fourth" to someone she knew.  So, I've followed suit.  "Happy fourth!", I've said to some folks, and the instant reply comes: "Happy fourth!"

There are noticeably more people in town now, given the 4th of July long weekend.  The crowds have swelled somewhat, and the number of $10 minimum bet tables are fewer.  The $5 tables are virtually non-existent.  Martinis and all other drinks, though, are still free if you're at the gaming tables.  If you don't want to gamble, but instead just sit in the bar in the rotunda (at the Paris Casino) or admire the fancy layout, just hang near a table and pretend you're gambling.  Then, holler a waitress, and say "Make mine a Martini, please".  Then, when the Martini arrives, slip the waitress a $1 tip, and just disappear again.  The waitress either doesn't notice you're not gambling or doesn't care.  She's running off to get or deliver the next lot of drinks.  She's probably earning a minimum of $60 an hour in tips anyway.  The croupiers at the tables never notice.  They're focusing on the playing cards being dealt, or the chips on the table, or where the roulette wheel ball lands.  No one cares.  Sometimes someone orders an expensive cocktail, but before it arrives, they cash in their chips and take 'em elsewhere.  The cocktail arrives and no one claims it.  The person who wanted it will just ask for another wherever they've gone.

This morning, we had a buffet breakfast in Le Village Buffet at the Paris Casino.  Shortly, thereafter, we watched Germany defeat France in the World Cup.  We then popped over to the Cosmopolitan Casino for coffee, where I knew I could get lactose-free milk in my coffee.  There, we started to watch the Brazil v Colombia game.  A Black Jack table was opening up, so we decided to play.  I popped to the 'restroom' quickly, and returned to find Jean completely surrounded by six young, Indian women madly  engrossed in Black Jack and the free cocktails.  They'd not long arrived and loved 'Vegas.  Eventually, I got to play too.  As we left the Cosmopolitan, we spotted some idiot bringing his dog into the casino.  I said maybe the dog wants to play 'Black Jack Russell'!

After that, we returned to the Paris Casino.  I had a required Martini-free day yesterday, but that was yesterday.  However, I'm taking it easy.  The other night, I was drinking Cosmo-Martinis.  I'm now imbibing another kind, with raspberry in it.  So sweet, and so moorish.  I had thought to say 'shaken, not stirred', but I reckon they probably hear that one all the time.

The above and the following six pictures depict Le Village Buffet in the Paris Casino.

The rotunda, where I relax over free Martinis while I write my blog...

The glamourous lobby of the Paris Casino.

After dinner, we proceeded to the roof of the Marriott's Grand Chateau to watch the fireworks.  They were due to commence at 9pm.  On the horizon in all directions, fireworks were being let off in the far flung corners of Las Vegas.  Just not on the Strip.  The minutes ticked by with nothing happening.  Many American hotel guests were camped out with us waiting.  Finally, after 9.15 pm, the fireworks limped into action, erupting above the Caesars Palace Casino.  They were a bit of a let down really, there being no comparison with the fireworks in Sydney at New Year's Eve.

We returned to the Paris Casino.  Jean did quite well on the roulette table in the Etoile section.  She lost a little on Black Jack, and a little more on the chocolate wheel (Big Six).

I had a grand total of six Martinis today.  Two days ago, I felt quite affected by approximately five Martinis.  But tonight I was fine.  That seems to be the secret.  Have an even number of Martinis!  And I discovered French Cosmo Martinis!  A waitress brought me a Martini, but she thought I might like to try one with champagne in it too.  So, I was walking round with two Martinis at once!  Even better!

Jean and I on the roof of the Marriott's Grand Chateau watching the 4th of July fireworks

The 4th of July fireworks, 2014.

David Copperfield's Magic Show

We were entertained for an hour and a half by the great David Copperfield, magician and illusionist.  

Copperfield had ducks going into one box and coming out of others.  He blew air into a pale blue balloon, then into a black balloon which was inside the pale blue balloon.  Tying them both up, he then stared at the balloons and magically made the black balloon burst inside the blue balloon without exploding the latter.  He magically made an old life-size car appear.  He grabbed an Aussie girl from Perth, twisted a napkin until it became the shape of a rose.  The napkin rose then burst into flames and he now had a real red rose for her.  He magically moved audience members, selected at random, from one spot to many metres away.  And, through very random selection methods, he took a woman on stage who chose a word randomly from many dozens of different words on little signs dangling from the ceiling.  The word she chose was 'trust'.  All audience members wore David Copperfield Magic Show wrist bands, which, when ultraviolet light was shone in the room, highlighted the word 'trust' on our wrist bands.

But there were a couple of really amazing things that happened.  He showed us a box that was padlocked.  Copperfield told the story of his old grandad, who had always wanted to win the lottery so he could buy some old model car, but who died never having achieved this dream.  "Let's help him win the lottery,", said Copperfield.  So, he got people in the audience to toss certain objects randomly across the audience.  This was done three times.  The three people who caught the objects were asked to stand up.  They were each asked to pick two numbers between 1 and 50.  Copperfield wrote the numbers on a screen.  He then unlocked the padlocked box and pulled out two rusty old car number plates.  He dusted them down.  On the car number plates were six numbers - the very numbers selected by the three individuals previously!

Another time, he asked everyone in the audience to send an email to him so an email could be immediately sent back.  What time is it right now?  8.15 pm.  OK, put your phones away.  He then pulled a rolled up poster out of a box.  He unrolled it, attached it to a frame, and hung it above the stage with the audience able to see only the reverse of the poster.  Then, a very random selection method, involving an object being thrown about the room, brought a lady to the stage.  Her name?  Renate.  Husband's name?  Ken.  What dream destination does she have?  Bora Bora.  When would she like to go?  Maybe in five years.

Renate was asked to think of a famous person and write his name down on a piece of butchers paper.  Famous person.....okay, she wrote 'ABE LINCOLN'.  This was shown to the audience.  The poster that had previously been rolled up in the box but now hung above the stage was pulled down and shown to the audience.  It was a picture of that great American President, Abraham Lincoln himself!

But wait, there's more...  We took a closer look at the face of Abraham Lincoln.  A big screen zoomed in closer to Lincoln's face.  There were words on Lincoln's face. The words, repeated many times, said: "My name is Renate.  My husband's name is Ken.  We would like to go to Bora Bora in maybe five years."

But wait, there's more...  Remember that email?  Go into your emails...an email was sent to each audience member.  When was it sent?  Back at 8.15 pm before Renate came to the stage.  Open the attachment.  And there in the attachment is.....an image of the poster of Abraham Lincoln with the following words on his face: "My name is Renate.  My husband's name is Ken.  We would like to go to Bora Bora in maybe five years."

Jean and I cannot access the Internet outside the Marriott's Grand Chateau, our hotel, so we neither sent nor received an email.  But I asked the lady sitting near us if I could see her email attachment, received from Copperfield.  Sure enough, there was the image of Lincoln on the screen of her phone.  I zoomed in to find those words "My name is Renate.  My husband's name is Ken.  We would like to go to Bora Bora in maybe five years."  The email was received back at 8.15 pm.

The evening finale was the disappearance of 10 people.  A frame dangled above the stage, nothing under it, behind nor above, verified by people selected randomly.  Inside the frame was a floor with 10 empty chairs.  Ten more people were selected randomly to sit on the chairs.  The whole frame was then covered by a sheet.  The sheet was removed, and the 10 chairs were empty again.  Look up the back everybody!  We turn around, and, lo and behold, there are the 10 folks standing up the back, smiling and waving.

Good night, everybody!

Casino heaven

Yesterday, we looked at several casinos - the MGM, New York New York, Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay.  At the MGM, we collected our tickets to see the David Copperfield Magic Show.  Copperfield's magic tricks are astounding.  New York New York is such a good casino they named it twice.  The layout within is kind of New Yorkish.  There's a pub there called the Nine Fine Irishmen.  Outside, on the Strip, there's a large Statue of Liberty with a giant New York skyline.  Excalibur is, on the outside, in the style of a fairy tale castle.  Luxor is designed on the Egyptian theme.  The casino is within an impressive pyramid.  Outside stands a tall sphinx.  Inside are various Egyptian objects - pharoahs, cats, and other pieces.  They've even gone to the effort of inscribing hieroglyphic symbols into the walls inside and outside the Luxor hotel.  The Mandalay was nothing special.  The casino area reminded me of the Tweed Heads Bowling Club - OK, it had some fish tanks.

A tram has been built that connects three casinos - the Mandalay, the Excalibur and the Luxor - and is free of charge for users.  It's in the casinos' best interests to have this system as it brings people conveniently to their premises.

We had an early dinner, and then returned to the MGM for the David Copperfield Magic Show.  After the show, we returned to the Paris Casino.  The latter is our favourite.  We love the layout.  It's just like being in Paris.  Boutique stores and souvenir shops are adorned with merchandise selling the Paris concept.  Miniature Eiffel Towers, Eiffel Towers that are actually drink bottles, 'Paris' on t-shirts, ash trays, decks of cards, dice, and, like the nearby roulette and Black Jack tables, a host of other cute goodies designed to make your wallet thinner.  You simply have to buy these goodies.  After all, you're in Paris, right?

The Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline

The Excalibur Casino

Luxor.  The Casino and hotel are all inside the pyramid.

Outside the pyramid is the Sphinx.

Inside, the visitor is welcomed by various Egyptian artefacts.

In the lobby inside the Luxor.

The Paris Casino by day

The Paris Casino by night

The gaming area in the Paris Casino has the look and feel of being outside, with the ceiling painted to resemble a sky.  At back, to the right of the lights, is part of one of the legs of the Eiffel Tower.

To the right of the woman with the spindly legs is a man in a blue shirt.  Between them, you can just make out Jean's head.  They are playing roulette.  In the evening, the minimum bet on the table rose from $5 to $10, but Jean was allowed to continue with $5 bets as she'd arrived before the change.

Part of the layout inside the Paris Casino, resembling a Paris street.

The rotunda, where I've sometimes relaxed over a drink.

The 'outdoor' cafe inside the Paris Casino.

Celine Dion and the Martinis

Last night, we went to see Celine Dion at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on the Strip.  She was fantastic.  Her voice is one of the best in the industry, so clear, so penetrating.  She entertained the audience throughout the show, which lasted for two hours from 7.30 pm.

Celine sang all her hits.  Fairly early on she launched into The Power of Love, which I used to hear regularly on the radio where I worked 20 years ago.  She was backed up by other musicians and singers.  One young African American, who performed with her briefly, also had a great voice.  The stage was flexible and the sets changed constantly.  Celine herself changed her dress five times.  Four of them stretched to the floor, and she showed a bit of leg through those star-studded outfits.

Celine actually showed a little more.  She surprised us when video images were displayed of her in intimate moments with her children.  And her much older husband.  While these displayed, the gentle, French-Canadian Celine sang her heart out.  A star takes a risk sharing their children with the wider world.  But she did this.  I think it really endeared her to the audience.  

The show had all its special effects, flashy lights, glitz and illusions.  At one moment, the curtain lifted to show Celine centre-stage in outfit number four singing yet another song.  On the two large auditorium walls left and right of the stage, screens displayed her image as she sang.  But it was all an illusion.  The three images of Celine were pre-recorded.  The real Celine emerged from the back of the lower-level audience, walking slowly towards the stage, singing and touching people as she moved forward.  While the real Celine sang a few notes, the pre-recorded images paused and waited for the real one to finish.  Then, the Celine images resumed, while the real Celine paused, greeting people in the front rows.  Soon, the three images of Celine plus the real one hit the notes together, becoming a charming, simultaneous Celine Dion quartet.

I said already that Celine Dion has a clear, penetrating voice.  Her ability to hit the really high notes and still sound magnificent commands awe and respect.  She does this in the Power of Love.  And her finale was, you guessed it, Titanic.  As she sings this greatest of her hits, you think of Jack and Rose, played by Leo da Caprio and Kate Winslet.  In your mind's eye, you see them on the ship's deck when the sun sets on Titanic for the last time..14th April 1912.  In this song, Celine's high voice almost hits the very stars in the sky that chilly night, above a ship sailing towards promise and glory, but above an ocean whose agenda was more sinister. 

For more than a century, the world has been captivated by the story of Titanic.  For more than 20 years, fans the world over have been captivated by Celine Dion.  She will continue to win hearts in the years ahead, I have no doubt.

We saw Celine Dion at Caesars Palace.

Inside the Colosseum, where Celine Dion sang

The stage where Celine Dion sang - you could pay $200 extra to meet Celine in person.  We didn't.

After the show, Jean and I returned to Paris.  That is, we returned to the Paris Casino.  Being gluten-intolerant, I shouldn't really have beer.  I had been drinking gin n' tonic, but I thought these were a bit boring.  I'd never had a Martini before, so I ordered one from the waitress.  Here in 'Vegas, if you're at a gaming table, drinks are free.  You just slip the waitress a $1 tip.  My first Martini tasted great.  I really didn't feel affected.  It was like lolly water, really.  "I'll have another Martini, please!", I often said to the waitress last night.  I had about four or five free Martinis.  Finally, Jean said I shouldn't have any more.  This turned out to be very good advice.  I'll say one thing though.  If you want to avoid hangovers, just drink Martinis!