Thursday, March 15, 2007

Lunch on a patio, Mystere at the Bellagio, dinner at a 24-hour cafe -- we are kicking the ass of Vegas

Another great day in Vegas. I know it's a cliche, but it really is a dry heat. There is zero humidity in the air, so the warmth is so comfortable. Every day feels like a perfect summer night.

Jeff and I partook in the MGM Grand Buffet again for breakfast. We're probably going to keep going here for the rest of the week as it's fast, easy, and affordable. I stayed up really late last night blogging so I was a little rough around the edges today, but it's nothing that another late night can't cure.

It was a quiet morning at the office as we all had our heads down working through some client issues. The funny thing is that our company actually shipped the same office furniture that is in the Toronto office (desks, chairs, couches, coffee table, etc.) down here, so when we are inside and working, it feels just like we're back at the mother ship. Except with a nicer view.

At lunch, Cameron took us to a microbrewery across the street from the office. We sat outside on the patio under an umbrella, sipped icy drinks, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun. I could really get used to this.

Cameron doesn't have any connections with the
Mystere show by Cirque du Soleil, so we bought our own tickets and went to the early (7PM) show. We took the monorail all the way from the MGM Grand to TI (aka Treasure Island). Apparently, TI used to be a very family-friendly place, but it is trying to re-brand itself with a sexier image. So, now it's become 'TI' and the old pirate display has been replaced by a 'Sirens' show.

Mystere was a spectacular. I've seen three other Cirque du Soleil productions (
Varekai, Corteo, and Alegria) and I think this is almost my very favourite one (I'm still partial to Varekai). Even after seeing all those other Cirque shows, Mystere still took my breath away and sent chills through me. The circus acts in this show were incredible. The 'hand-to-hand' act with two impossibly buff men doing stands and contortions while supporting the other's entire body weight was unbelievable. I'm trying to describe the others, but it really is something you need to see. I can't recommend this show enough to anyone who is planning on going to Vegas.

After the show we headed to the
Bellagio with the intention of going to dinner at Olives, which is a Todd English restaurant with a view of the fountains. Apparently a lot of other people had the same idea because we couldn't get near the place. Instead we walked out front and watched the fountain show up close. Again, it was so beautiful, although I preferred yesterday's aria to the Frank Sinatra that they played tonight. In any case, it was amazing. I videotaped (is there a new word for this yet?) the whole thing and I had wanted to upload it to YouTube so that you could all see it, but the file is too big. I'll see if I can figure something out. Check this space later.

We ended up walking all the way back to MGM Grand to find some food. By this time it was 10:15PM and all the restaurants were closing except for the 24-hour cafe. Poor Jeff was about to faint from starvation. We both had huge sandwiches and fries and I had a very strong vodka and soda. This was Marcelo and my drink when we were in India. I didn't even start drinking it until after I had finished eating and it still went right to my head. I'm such a lightweight.

Well, the most exciting news is that we managed to get tickets to see
O tomorrow! I am so excited! We tried to go today, but it was completely sold out. I think I snagged the last two tickets for tomorrow night's late show (10:30PM). I can't wait. I'll blog all about it as soon as I get back to my room. Goodnight all.

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