My New Profession: Tour Guide

Since I became a Las Vegas citizen, I frequently find myself giving tours to my friends that come to visit.  It’s such a great joy to see my friends and show them my new adopted city.  I like to show them that Las Vegas is more than the Strip, which is all they know.  The main stop is always my home because everyone wants to know where I live.  Like I live in the Taj Majal.  Ha, ha!  So, when I plan my excursion, I know my home is a main attraction and I make it my first stop.  

I remember that when I decided to move to Las Vegas, someone told me:  “Delma, when you live in Las Vegas, you never say ‘mi casa, tu casa’ because people will come to Vegas and use your home as a hotel.”

Well, that hasn’t been my situation.  When my friends tell me they will be in Las Vegas, they have already made a reservation at a hotel or timeshare.  So, my job is more like a tour guide.  And I still feel like a tourist myself!  I still haven’t seen it all and I want it that way for a while.  I guess, once you’ve seen it all, it will become less exciting.  Hmm, I don’t think that will ever happen in Las Vegas.

So, this past week, I had one of my best girlfriends from CA staying in LV for 4 days.  It was her mini-vacation, she stayed at her timeshare, which was a cute one bedroom apartment.  We had some fun days catching up and having a little entertainment.  We hadn’t seen each other since I moved to LV.  During that time, she lost weight and I gained weight.  It’s all the buffets fault!  

I just had one concern.  I was broke since my tenant had not paid the rent.  So I was going to be at the mercy of a credit card.  I also  used my local discounts and free venues to entertain my friend.  She is very easy to please, not like me.  She also came to get some much needed rest, so she didn’t want anything too hectic.

On Monday, I gave her the traditional tour of my home, my neighborhood, showed her the places I go to, the things I do, etc.  Then I treated her for lunch at one of the Station Casinos.

On Tuesday, I used my House Seats membership to take my amiga to see the Divas, Frank Marino show, which I had heard so much about, but hadn’t seen yet.  For those who don’t know, this is a show of impersonators. 

First of all, the show was at the Imperial Palace, a hotel that I had never seen nor knew of its existence.  Now I know why.  It’s an old hotel on the Strip and it’s towards the back with bigger hotels on each side, so it’s hard to see.  They are renovating the hotel (it’s about time!), so there was a lot of construction going on and detours to get to the main entrance.  The hotel is old and smells old.  However, this hotel was packed!  I wonder why there were so many people in that hotel.  Maybe it’s cheap, I don’t know. 

We wanted to have dinner, but didn’t have too much time before the show, so we decided to stay in the hotel and find a place to eat there.  None of the restaurant choices were appealing to me, so I suggested Hash House a Go Go.  Well, you know this place, one order is good for two.  The food was excellent, as usual, and we both had good portions of food to take home in spite of having ordered just one entry.  

Then the show.  I had heard so much about this show that I had high expectations.  I didn’t like it.  The hotel is old, the show is old.  After seeing so many hi tech shows in Las Vegas, this one was totally non-hi tech.  Until this show, I always got front seat when I went to see a show through House Seats, but this time that I was with my girlfriend, we got a table towards the back of the showroom. 

You must see the face of the impersonators, otherwise it’s not much fun.  We couldn’t see their faces close enough from the table we were assigned.  This is easily resolved by having a couple of big screens on each side of the showroom.  They badly need a couple of big screens, if nothing else.  I didn’t like the dancers either.  I found them mediocre.  Except for one.  A blond guy with a punkie hairstyle stood out from the other dancers throughout the whole show.  For me, he was the only professional dancer.  The rest, they just learned a choreography.   He caught my attention to the point that at times I looked more at his dancing than at the impersonator.

My girlfriend said she liked the show.  I don’t know if she really did or if she was just being polite.  For me, it was “ok” only because I didn’t pay any money for it. 

On Wednesday we went to Freemont Street because, although she had been to LV many times, she never went to Freemont Street.  Oh yes, she wanted to have the Freemont experience.

We had dinner at the Golden Nugget and went to the buffet.  Good buffet and we stuffed ourselves.  Then we went to explore the F experience.  She loved it, so I was happy. 

Then I took her to the Venetian to see Il Carnevale.  To my disappointment, il carnevale I saw with her was half of the show I saw last month. Fewer performers, shorter show, lacked energy, nothing like my experience in June. 

After that, I drove back to her timeshare ready to say the sad goodbye.  She was leaving the next day and I was unable to take her to the airport due to a previous engagement. 

I had a good time with my girlfriend.  Except for our lunch the first day, she insisted in paying for all our meals.  When I got home and took my purse from the back seat of my car, I saw an envelope on the floor with my name on it.  I stepped into my kitchen, sat on my small dining table and opened up the envelope.  It was a thank you card from my girlfriend with a beautiful message and $100 dollars!  Then I started to cry.    

Showing hospitality to our friends doesn’t need to be paid.  That’s what friends are for.  I do it out from my heart.  What can I say:  I’m honored to have a good ‘amiga’ like Esther.  

Ribs on top of garlic mash potatoes with greens and carrots

Attacking the ribs at a retro Hash House a Go Go

This is Frank Marino.  Isn't he, I mean she, beautiful?

Me and "Tina Turner"

The best dancer

And he was so sweet and down to earth.

Pearls of Wisdom

Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.

"Creativity is intelligence having fun."  Albert Einstein

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

It takes only one person to change your life...you.

"Act as if you were already happy and that will tend to make you happy." - Dale Carnegie

A person can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.

I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.

"Don't wish it were easier.  Wish you were better."  Jim Rohn

"A man with no imaginations has no wings."  Muhammad Ali

"Don't let someone else's opinion of you become your reality." - Les Brown

A Little Humor: Thank God I am a Woman

Lord, we thank you for…!!!

We are perfect. We don't go bald, we celebrate one international day and one national, we can sit cross-legged without pain, we use both pink and blue, always know that our son is ours. We have priority on a shipwreck, a sex strike gets us anything, we do not pay the bill. We are the first hostage to be released. The age does not diminish our sexual performance, we can be aroused without anyone noticing, we can make love as many times a day we want, if men cheat on us, we are victims bretrayed, if we cheat on men, they are #*@#. We can sleep with a friend without being called lesbians, we can pay attention to several things at once. A woman ambassador is the Ambassador. Ambassador’s husband, what the heck is he? President’s wife is the First Lady: husband of the President, what the heck is he? If we decide to do men work, we are pioneers. If a man decides to do women work, he is gay. AND FINALLY: regardless of how much it hurts, we can do EVERYTHING that men can do. **Ah! AND WITH HIGH HEELS!







Contributor:  Maria Camiletti

Lunch at Mt. Charleston

F i n a l l y, today I went to Mt. Charleston. The “must see” place in Las Vegas that never appealed to me. The reason being is because I hate cold weather and snow. Mt. Charleston is the place to go skiing during the winter or people just go to see the beautiful snow scenery. It’s about a 45 minute drive from LV and the temperature is usually 20 degrees cooler.

But Mother Nature played a trick on me. This past week in Las Vegas we had temperatures ranging between 110 and 114 degrees. However, the last two days it was raining and I read that there were possibilities of rain and thunderstorms in Mt. Charleston. If it had been up to me I would’ve canceled, but this was something planned weeks ago and I didn’t want to let my people down.

I could not believe my bad luck. I had envisioned this visit today having a nice lunch seating at a table outdoors. It was all the opposite.

We were going to have lunch at The Resort on Mt. Charleston. About 15 minutes before getting to the resort, it started to rain. By the time we arrived to the resort, it was hailing. I don’t mind the rain, in fact, I love the rain in the summer, but this weather was something else. But, at least, it was not cold. That would’ve totally ruined my day.

Lunch was a disaster. Because of the rain, obviously we had to have lunch indoors. That was a great turn off for me because that was exactly what I didn’t want. I didn’t go all the way to Mt. Charleston to have lunch indoors. But we have no control over weather, so I knew I had to deal with it. A band was playing very LOUD. It was very hard to hear each other at the table. I was not impressed with anything on the menu, so I ordered something simple: pizza. Precious heavens - the worst pizza ever!

I have a problem. When I am unhappy, it shows. It’s very hard for me to put a happy face if that doesn’t come from within. The people at my table knew that I was not happy, from my part, I was doing my best to be civil.

We were there for hours and the rain was non-stop. But when we were leaving, rain stopped and sun was coming out.

This was not my day. Some days are good, some days not so good. Some outings are fun, some not.

Ok, so now I’ve been to Mt. Charleston. I have no plans of going back. First and last visit.

Traveling through food: Ethiopian

When we can’t take a plane to travel around the world or to our favorite destination, we can always travel through food. I LOVE exploring ethnic restaurants and trying culture cuisines. And Las Vegas, with its international cuisine marketplace, makes it so easy for me.

Most of you know that I am adventurous, but I confess that when it comes to eating strange or exotic food, this picky eater scores low.

That’s not to say that I don’t try. All the opposite. In fact, ethnic dining has been a lifestyle for many, many years. In California I belonged to a group that exclusively attended ethnic restaurants on a monthly basis.

If I go to an ethnic restaurant and I don’t like the food, no problem. As long as I didn’t spend a fortune on my meal, I see that as my gain, not a loss of money or time. I’m happy to know that I got to know the restaurant and it gives me the authority to say that I don’t like that food. To me that’s better than saying you haven’t tried that food or you “think” you don’t like it. And, of course, there are always exceptions to the rules. I know that there are certain bizarre dishes that I will never have the courage to try. I leave that to Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern. They are pleased to do the job for us.

Ok, today was the turn for Ethiopian food. First time for me.

Before I continue, watch this video to see what Ethiopian food is all about.




The above video is an accurate illustration of our experience today. Maybe we were more talkative and louder. And I am desperate to report that I liked the food.

We ordered three platters, which we shared among the group. When the food was placed on the table, it looked good, it smelled good and I was ready for the attack.

Not on the top of my favorite food list, but I liked it, had a good time, a new experience, and there will a second time. My kind of dining adventure.

Chocolate Fountain - B e l l a g i o

A couple of weeks ago, I sent an email to my friends telling them to look forward to my post about the Chocolate Festival & Pastry Show at the Venetian on July 7. Right after sending the email I was devastated to learn that the discount code that I was given to buy a VIP ticket for $30 was sold out. That left me with only two options: pay $75 for the VIP ticket or $45 regular admission. I opted for none.

So here I am, feeling guilty for not fulfilling my promise.

There is nothing in Las Vegas today that I could write about to make it up to you. Nothing can match the Chocolate Festival and Pastry Show at the Venetian.

So this is the best I can do. Not a festival, but it has chocolate. A lot of chocolate. It’s the Chocolate Fountain at the Bellagio.

This is a spectacular glass fountain displaying melted series of chocolate cascades. It’s an impressive work of art.

The fountain’s full height is 27-feet, but only 14-feet can be seen within the shop. This is the tallest chocolate fountain in the world.

Two tons of melted dark, milk and white chocolate circulates inside the sculpture.

The designer of this beauty is Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Philippe Maury, who has created chocolate sculptures for years. He states that each of the chocolates behaves very different, so he had to be aware of that in the design, which made it very challenging. You don’t have to be an expert in calculus to know the detailed work and engineering that took to create this fountain.

Last but not least, the patisserie has beautiful and enticing pastries, fine cakes and chocolate sculptures.

Select some music and enjoy the pictures.

Ok, this is it. Friends, I tried.

Las Vegas Shrimps Are Going Green

Since my previous post was about lobster, I decided to continue in the same line of crustaceans and talk today about shrimps - Las Vegas shrimps.

A peculiar thing about some of the shrimp we eat in Las Vegas is that it’s grown in Las Vegas.  Grown in a farm.  IN A FARM?  Growing shrimps in the desert?  That was my reaction when I first learned about this fact.

As anyone can imagine, Las Vegas is a major consumer of shrimps with its numerous hotels and myriad of restaurants. Visitors and locals eat 22 million pounds of shrimps annually.

But there’s a problem with shrimp.  Shrimp is known for being the dirtiest of all seafood.  I have seen it many times in the lists of fish you should never eat.  Most shrimp is pulled by fishermen from polluted waters.  So, now that I have killed your appetite for shrimps, I have some good news and bad news.

I’ll start with the good news.

Last year a fish farm called Blue Oasis Shrimp Farm opened in North Las Vegas.  It’s about 30 miles from the Strip.  This is a state-of-the art $5 million operation.   At this farm the shrimps are harvested in tanks.  The water in the tanks in which the shrimp are grown is constantly recycling.  The shrimps are fed with algae and seafood protein.  These shrimps are 100% all natural.  Blue Oasis is expecting to grow half million pounds of shrimps a year.

These shrimps are being served at 17 high-end restaurants on the Strip.  Two of the hotels serving these shrimps are Mandalay Bay and Hard Rock Café.  They can also be bought at Albertson’s by the pound.

But what about the taste?  I cannot attest to that because I have not tried them yet.  But I can assume that if they are being served at high-end restaurants in Las Vegas, the product has to be good.  I do know that Executive Chef Mike Minor at Border Grill, Mandalay Bay, liked them.

I’m not crazy about shrimps, but once in a while I enjoy eating a jumbo shrimp cocktail from the Gulf Coast served with a glass of wine. Well, that was before the oil spill, anyway.  I'm curious to try these shrimps.  I need to put one of these restaurants on my To Go List.  I think another Vegas mantra is in place:  what’s grown in Vegas, must be eaten in Vegas.  I admit that when I first heard about this, I was skeptical.  But now, I’m ready for the shellfish adventure.

Okay, now the bad news.

The bad news is that 90% of the shrimp eaten in Las Vegas come from China and Southeast Asia.  These shrimps are full of preservatives and they are frozen before they are shipped.  By the time these frozen shrimps arrive to their destination, they are a little tough and chewy.  The shrimps from Blue Oasis are never frozen so they are fresh. 

The second bad news is that to eat these farmraised shrimps I would imagine comes with a price tag.  I say that because, so far, only high-end restaurants on the Strip are serving the shrimp.  I think that I will wait until they are sold at Rubio’s (just kidding, this is the cheapo in me).

Go green!  Now you can do so by eating organic shrimps with no chemicals, no antibiotics, no pesticides or preservatives and mercury free. Cool!

Dozens of tanks filled with 50,000 shrimp each

Blue Oasis recycles all the water in its self-cleaning tanks

Algae Food