Global Wandering

Wynn Hotel Fountain via Cell Phone

I just got back from a few days in Las Vegas. I hadn’t been there in six years. The city is noticeably busier, particularly the taxi lines. I won't be the first to point out Las Vegas is one giant amusement park with scaled replicas of New York, Paris, Venice, etc. While this appeals to many visitors, I prefer the authentic and original. I stayed at the Venetian, a multi-million dollar knockoff of Venice. The room was comfortable, but the hotel seemed to be trying too hard to be luxurious. Imitators rarely succeed.

On the other hand, the Wynn Hotel is incredibly original. The colors were rich and beautiful and the outside fountain and light show spectacular. I find it ironic the tile mosaics on the Wynn’s lobby floor was more creative then the mosaics on the outside of the Venetian, which I believe is suppose to be a replica of the Doge's Palace. Except that the real Doge’s Palace is stunning in its detail, which is evident even in the poor quality cell phone photo below from my 2004 visit. Detail is what makes something authentic. Everyone can do bold brush strokes, but it’s the fine lines that distinguish masterpieces. The Venetian was missing the details. Even the water in the fake canals was the wrong color.

Doge's Palace, Venice via Cell Phone

Wynn Hotel Mosaic Floor via Cell Phone

I wandered the floors of the casinos in somewhat of a stupor. All those flashing lights and ringing bells. The games confuse me. I don’t seem to be wired for gambling. I think I lost too much money playing childhood carnival games. One too many of the rings I tossed trying to win a stuffed animal failed to encircle the target. For me, the joy of the occasional slot machine win doesn’t compensate for the pinprick of persistent losses.

Yet for others, there must be some appeal. Why else would 39 million people have visited Las Vegas in the past year?