The Great Traveler

My friend Monica had told me earlier in the day that getting a hotel in Las Vegas for New Year’s Eve would be tough. Her friends had called around and there was nothing available. Its alright, I thought, we would find something. While, USAhostels was able to accommodate us, we would have to be in a dormitory room and share it with 4 other people at the rate of $40/person. Not terrible for a once in a lifetime chance to see Vegas at its craziest point. The local paper had an article this morning showing the going rates for tonight’s extravagant events. At the top of the list was Caesar’s Palace at $1000 for a single night ….. Yea, $40 will do just fine.

Previously, I had balked at the notion of paying $100 for a new year’s eve party as is common in many big cities. I would make an exception today, as I realized that clubs here had become very popular especially on the 31st. Little did I realize how expensive these clubs had become. Pure was charging $250 for the chance to party with Pamela Anderson, while Paris Hilton’s party mates would pay an even heftier $275. The day prior, we had stopped by the MGM club, Tabu, and put our names on the guest list, enabling us to get down with our bad selves for a mere $100/person as opposed to $150. Of course, as we arrived there at 10pm on New Year’s Eve and got in the VIP line, they proceeded to say they had never heard of us, and our names were no where on the list. We considered leaving based off pure anger, but where would we go? They closed Las Vegas Boulevard, so no taxis could take us anywhere and it would have been a huge pain to proceed to another hotel and find another club on foot. We ended up getting in the back of the line with everyone else and grudgingly paying the $150 a pop. While I’m sure all clubs in Vegas play this game because they realize 90% of people won’t leave regardless of what happens, Tabu gets a big thumbs down in my book.

We partied and drank champagne till midnight and as I seem to do every new year’s eve, I realized how lucky my life has been. I’ve done more in my 28 years than most people do their entire lives. The experiences I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been - its all been a tremendous ride. What more could a person ask for out of life?

The walk back was long and cold and Las Vegas Boulevard wasn’t open till about 3 am. We stopped in one hotel after another to rest our feet and warm our bodies. The night had been fun. The adventure, however, was just beginning.