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For this current month we are lucky enough to have Amit Hathirmani tell us about a holiday he took in Las Vegas in the US two years ago.  Amit is a Madrid citizen who after a successful spell in the UK where he obtained his university degree and began his professional life came to Madrid through his company almost ten years ago.

Good Morning Amit, before we start, many thanks for your kind cooperation in this interview, tell us a bit of when travelled to Las Vegas, with whom etc.

Hi, I went to Las Vegas in the summer of 2008.  I went with five friends from my University who were also my flatmates during this time so we are all very close friends.  The reason being that one of my friends from university was getting married and decided to hold his stag do in Las Vegas so we all decided to go along.  We went for a week and it was a memorable holiday with plenty of amazing memories.  I flew from Madrid via Miami where I took a connecting flight to Las Vegas with Bluejet, a low cost american airline for domestic flights.

Upon arriving, what strikes you first of Las Vegas?

This was in fact my second visit to Las Vegas.  I had being there previously in 2007 where I went on a road trip with some friends throughout several cities in the U.S. including Vegas.  The first thing that strikes you out about this town is how it literally, it is in the middle of nowhere, you are in the middle of this massive desert surrounded by sand and rock and within it you find this oasis of shiny lights.  upon arriving we were unsure at first what lied ahead of us, when we first saw the glimmering lights aprrocahing us we thought it would be a petrol station only to be pleasantly surprised to realise we were entering Las Vegas. When travelling by road its highly recommended to plan your trip so as to arrive by dusk so that you get to enjoy the full effect of the growing darkness that surrounds Las Vegas whilst the lights start to glimmer.  This time upon arriving at night by plane I got to enjoy the aerial view of the city lightning up for the upcoming evening and it’s quite a mesmerising view.  From the plane window you can spot Vegas as a tiny shiny spot in the middle of this huge vast space and as you approach the city you can start to recognise The Strip which is its main street and the famous hotels and casinos that lie along it.  One final thing that caught my eye upon landing was that in the airport itself you have slot machines in luggage claiming area.  The city wants you to start gambling straight away even whilst waiting for your suitcase to arrive on the conveyor belt.

What do you remember most fondly of Las Vegas?

One of the anecdotes that we always reminisce is of having met Scott McKinley, a PR in Vegas.  Before leaving I approached an internet social network (Small World) and contacted him explaining that we were going to be a group of bankers wanting to have fun and we would appreciate if we could help us out by pointing out which places should we go to.  Scott obviously was enthusiastic about the idea and turned out to be a great host for us taking us to a great club and not having to queue or anything.  Another memory that stands out is seeing face to face several celebrities like Mike Tyson or Paris Hilton, regarding the former, his whole entourage is particularly striking, he always seems to be surrounded by bystanders, fans and women obviously; he’s almost like a walking circus with picturesque characters orbiting round him.  I also remember noticing a tourist walking round one of the casinos with a plastic replica of an electric guitar filled with icy margarita and drinking straight from there through a straw, we liked it so much we decided to buy one each. One day whilst sun bathing at a swimming pool an attractive woman came by us and flashed us with such nonchalance that none of us could even think of what to say or do before she was gone smiling.

Vegas is full of fantastic places to go out for a drink.  From the terrace of the Venetian Hotel you can enjoy a beer watching the Strip with all its lights and bristling movement.  This hotel in particular is inspired in Venice and has an artifial lake within wich you can move in a gondola.

One of the most special sights you can enjoy in Vegas is to watch the dancing fountains outside Bellagio Hotel with the water fountains moving in sync with whatever music is being played at that moment.

How would you personally describe Las Vegas to someone who hasn’t being there?

Las Vegas is a consumerism temple, the city was built and designed with one end; and that’s whoever you are, when you come here, you have a great time whilst emptying your pockets and you leave just as happy.  Everything is grandiose and flashy with huge colourful lights everywhere, but its also a bit ostentatious bordering on trashy and kitsch.  For example as I mentioned before the inside the Venetian Hotel which is inspired in Venice, you can move from different locations of its artifical lake with a gondola.  The MGM Hotel has a caged lion inside.  The New York Hotel has a Russian Mountain inside which is meant to imitate the New York Stock Exchange. 

Accommodation in Las Vegas is very affordable and there are no mini bars in the rooms; they want to ensure that their lodgers have as much disposable money as possible for the casinos, the whole stay can be carried out within the confinements of your hotel, each hotel has its own casino, its own shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars and clubs. 

Would you go there again?

I have already being there twice, this year another friend from university who is getting married and also wants to hold this stag do in Vegas so I might go though I haven’t made up my mind yet.  I believe in a near future I might go again.

 

Where else would you like to travel next?

There are two places which I have barely being to, one of them being Africa (Kenya, Morocco), and then there’s also travelling more to Asia (Japan, China or Thailand).  I yearn for new experiences and to visit places remotely different to what I already know.  I am very interested in trying different types of cuisine and if possible wander away from the crowded touristic areas and merge more with the local crowd, eat where they eat and go to the places the like to go in their free time. 

With this we conclude this month’s travelling corner section, once again many thanks for your kind collaboration and sharing this experience with us.