LAS VEGAS

   DAY 1:

When  reading  Arthur  Hailey’s ‘  Airport”  as  an adolescent,  I  would  never imagine  that  I would  once  myself  appear in the focus of such ironic circumstances and moreover,  that the scene of action would be on other place than, one of the  airports in Illinois,  this time the O’Hare International airport in Chicago.

  …Weather forecast for December 15,  despite the heavy snow and severe wind, had predicted “favorable” conditions for the flight. I  had checked in and had several minutes (that  later turned into hours) before the flight, so  I decided to have a refreshing cup of coffee  reviewing my holiday plans for the upcoming  several days that I had managed to make  out from my busy schedule.

  Las Vegas… a city that has an appeal  so frustratingly unfathomable for people that are unaware of its secrets. I  had anticipated  this journey for a long time with most serious  preparation and eagerness.

  In a few more hours I would be on the scene of the Phantom of the Opera  and David Copper field’s  miracles, I would be watching Le Reve and admiring the stunning light  and sound effects of the Blue Men show. I had taken care of the tickets long in advance, on the internet. By the way, that is what I would recommend to everyone, otherwise standing in the line for the tickets just before the show is sure to leave you excommunicated from the “ myth” of the Phantom.

  Chicago-Las Vegas flight on US airways will be delayed for an indefinite time… This single message from the endless myriad of airport  announcements was referring to me. I recalled  the scene from Hailey’s Airport and smiled at the semblance of circumstances. Realizing that the airport and carrier staff were doing their best to deal with the bad weather conditions and the situation at the airport, I decided not to appeared before the information counter, and looked around…

  Just like me, Collin had “ scratched out” a few days off to visit the capital of world hedonism,  surprisingly with no more than a thousand US  dollars in his pocket. Five minutes later we had made friends and in ten more minutes we  were enveloped by a pack of other passengers  from the delayed flights who were watching  spellbound the smooth movements of Collin’s  miraculous fingers. Before the boarding there were five such “ Origami’s” formed.

   After a “brief” seven-hour waiting (that were easily whiled away thanks to Collin and his “Origami’s”) we were on board exchanging some cost-cutting solutions  on how to “conquer”  Las Vegas without spending a lot.

 Cheap  Las Vegas

 Perhaps the best way to begin to understand Las Vegas is to  see it firsthand. If you've never been to Las Vegas, plan a jaunt immediately. Not enough  cash to party like the casino whales?  No worries.  You can still have a decent time on a guppy’s  budget. After all, in this  desert mirage, the suggestion  of wealth is  often just  a fallacy  supported by “ comps.” We’d like to take in as much as we can without  maxing our accounts and suffering a vacation hangover when it’s all over. So here are some easy ways to cut expenses when visiting Las Vegas. We’ll look at cutting costs without sacrificing the  fun factor. 

  All amounts are listed in U. S. dollars.

 Cheap rooms in Vegas

Hotel  accommodations  in Las Vegas  are an easy way to either spend a fortune or save a  bundle. Considering our mission, we’re obviously shooting for the latter. Think about it: You really just need a place to crash and wash up. That doesn't  necessarily  mean that you’ll end up in a sleazy roach motel with hourly rates. When you research airfare or hotels  on the major  discount travel websites, consider lodging around Carranza International Airport, Fremont Street ( the old-school, downtown casino area),  at the north end of the Strip, or off the Strip altogether.

You’ll still be close to the big attractions,  and a few extra steps can mean big savings.
                                                                                                                         DAY:2