There is nothing much coming out of my brain right now but I
know I have to break the silence. It’s been nine months since the devastating
Haiyan exited the Philippines and the country still needs our prayers and
support. On the other hand, my own reality took over since the super typhoon. Gladly
enough, the year of the horse kicked off with better opportunities,
compensating for the hardships 2013 brought.
Recently, I took a short vacation with my husband, and for
the first time, without worrying about the
job I left behind. You fill in the blanks.
Why Gamble Fun Away?
Nothing grand but there is nothing better than hitting the
road early in the morning to beat the highway rush to – Vegas. The early drive
was just the beginning of fun. OK. What’s fun about driving in the desert or
counting Joshua trees? Well, call me corny but the 6-hour-drive, away from the normalcy
of our lives, was just what we needed to start our 10th year wedding
anniversary. By the way, for
ultimate vacation experience, we left our DSLR’s at home.
We don’t go to Vegas to gamble, believe it or not. We just
want to ensure that we have fun. We
don’t go there for the heat either, who does? During the day, Vegas is … OK, stay
in door. For starter, we stayed at Royal Resort. I was thrilled to see the
charming lobby with actually no casinos! Can you believe? Even better, across
the street is – Ross! A light bulb just lit up. I do need a sundress!
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| Royal Resort Poolside, Thanks to: https://mymotels.com/propertyimages/258708/royal_resort_photo5_las_vegas_nv_unitedstates.jpg |
We held it up ‘til close to dinner to make it all worth it.
Fiesta Filipina on Jones Blvd and 33rd serves traditional day-to-day
Filipino dishes. My favorite is their lechon kawali while my husband always
goes for the barbeque. Affordable dinner plus free a teleserye airing on cable
television made the experience more like a trip back home to the Philippines.
Wishing for Zen
Adjacent to the restaurant was a spa, a zen in an oasis.
That’s what we just needed! I think I self-hypnotized myself with that zen in
mind, the receptionist didn’t have to speak English to explain their
services. I opted for a
deep-tissue massage. Bad idea, especially when you already have a Thai masseuse.
First off, my feisty attendant stripped the sheet off of me. What the heck? I
was shocked as I covered my top with my two hands while she was explaining to
me to use the towel instead. Oh, I see.
I forgave her although she didn’t say sorry. I let her do her job. Here
comes the - deep-tissue massage. I
am Asian but I have not had a Kung-Fu Panda kneading my back. Imagine. I went
out of that place sore and the outdoor heat even at sundown didn’t help. Right
when we got to our place, I plunged straight into pool. Whoa, the water was as
warm as the summer breeze at 8pm in Vegas, not the cooling off I was expecting.
The jetted tub across looked - torture!
It was not all the terrible as I am recounting the
experience because I got a kick out
of it. I didn’t need Tylenol PM for the night, I was over and out without
further ado. Zzzen at last!
Vegas’s Center of
Attraction
We stayed out of the strip because it’s really not the main attraction
in Vegas. It’s actually the –
Vegas Temple. First thing first: to the beacon of light in the City of Glitz.  |
| Thanks to: https://www.lds.org/bc/content/church/temples/las-vegas-nevada/images/las-vegas-nevada-808x480-CWD_100714_JAnderson.jpg |
Cirque du Soleil LOVE
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| Credits to: http://vegasfamilyevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/LOVE-by-Cirque-du-Soleil-Valentine-Day-Giveaway.jpg |
You know Cirque … the last thing my husband would husband to
choose to see. But hey wait, it’s the Beatles! We got a good compromise. For him, the best part was the --
Volkswagen Beetle! How predictable! It was volley of visuals and surprisingly
not much of stunts for a cirque. The
Cirque Du Soleil construal of the evolution of the Beatles in dance, mime,
effects and props, cultural icons, ornate costumes was like a salad bowl of intriguing,
multicolored fruits from the – tropics. There were a few times during the show
where I had to focus somewhere else, observing the technological automation of
the platforms and the mechanism of the pulleys. The Mirage Theater alone was
quite a fascination to me. The show was fantastic but I am not sure if I really
liked it. I like some of the acts and of course the dancing and but some were
just too bizarre. The little kids with the blank faces were kind of creepy and
the walking boots were cool but there was something eerie to it. It’s all a
combination of Wow, cool, Wow, weird, cool, wow, okay, weird, why. Oh, I was
too dizzy to clap at the end of the show and that’s probably I didn’t hear much
of an applause from audience either. Well, it was quite an experience. I am
glad my husband took me to LOVE Cirque du Soleil, but it’s not all we needed.
The Hoover Dam
We know what a dam is, a big concrete barrier for water
reservoir as source of hydroelectric power. So, what so different about the Hoover
Dam? Well first off, it is really
colossal! It’s one of the biggest man-made structures in the world and one of
the world’s largest producers of hydroelectric power.
 |
| thanks to my android phone |
Constructed in the during the depression, the dam was
constructed to prevent flooding as
well as provide much-needed irrigation and hydroelectric power to arid regions
of states like California and Arizona. Just imagine how much of attraction it
was for thousands of men who lost their jobs during the depression. The influx of workers turned the quiet
town of Vegas to a bustling city.
Hubby was quite surprised to see I was enjoying the dam
tour.
Crepes Expectation
and a Walk at the Botanical Garden
We went to crepe heaven and had breakfast for lunch. We were
offered a drink as if it was the best part of the meal and perhaps more
expensive than my 9-dollar crepe with my usual strawberry banana filling. We
had apple juice and we’re good, off to our next destination – Bellagio.
 | |
| my crepe plate |
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| Hubby's plate |
Grand at no cost, the scene was spetacular. Directly off
Bellagio’s front desk is the elaborate botanical garden display. This is when I
wish I had my DSLR, but cellphone also worked.
Botanical Garden
|
| especially taken with daughter in mind. She loves horses! |
Oh wait, how I can miss the gelato. Vivido is a Gelato heaven!
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| Vivido Gelato on 1000 S Rampart Blvd |
Saving the Best for Last – Seafood City.
I am just surprised that they didn’t much this time. I didn’t
see the Barrio Fiesta Bagoong Sweet flavor! And, no UFC banana ketchup and no UFC sweet chili sauce! The
mangoes are the best – $9/box! When we went home, I realized that it’s from
Mexico. But … they are still
yummy!
Cutting this short ...
Call me corny, but the 6-hour-drive back to Salt Lake put a grand finale to our 10th year wedding anniversary celebration.
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| 12 years ago |
Las Vegas Nevada Temple. (n.d.). Retrieved September 7,
2014, from http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/lasvegas/
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