I kissed David Copperfield!

Andy and I after one of the shows

We didn’t specifically plan to be in Vegas on my birthday.  It was only after we had drawn up our itinerary that we saw how things coincided.  Interestingly, I celebrated my 13th birthday in Vegas too – back then with my parents and brother and sister.  My dad had taken us on our first overseas trip, and Las Vegas (and the Grand Canyon) was one of the stops.  So, 20 years down the line, I was celebrating my birth again, this time with Andy.

Our hotel, the Venetian

And Andy really spoiled me.   Our humble abode for the weekend was the Venetian Hotel – a replica of Venice and its landmarks.  (This is a common theme on the Strip, with other hotels including “New York, New York” “Paris”, “Monte Carlo” etc.)  Our evenings were spent watching fabulous Cirque du Soliel shows, and enjoying fine dining.

Re-enacting my moment with David. (We couldn't take pictures during the show.)

Of course no trip to Vegas would be complete without a bit of magic and David Copperfield.  Just as the show started, I joked with Andy, saying that I’m going to volunteer if I can.  There were a couple of occasions when he called up members of the audience to participate in his acts, but alas, I was not picked.  I was becoming disheartened.  His show was approaching the end, when David stated walking down the isles.  I held my breath….and… he picked me!  Okay, the act was no death defying stunt, but I was chuffed the same.  The trick was to fold a piece of paper (which I had to check and verify first) into a little origami bird.  Then he made the bird fly in front of me!  I strained my eyes to see a string, but true’s bob I didn’t see anything.  He then folded the paper into an origami rose, and abracadabra turned it into a real rose for my keepsake.  And finally, I got to kiss him of the cheek!  At 54, he still has a way with the ladies.  When I returned to my seat, a little flustered, I quickly assured Andy that he was still the only one who could work real magic on me.

The birthday girl with her birthday present

Las Vegas is a city in a category of it’s own. Quite something to behold!  Disney Land for adults if you will.  While gambling has been the traditional draw card, it is so much more than that, excelling in entertainment in every way possible.  The statistics are mind blowing: 37 million people visited the city last year.  The hotels are massive, boasting 8 of the top 10 largest hotels in the world!  And each hotel is a resort on it’s own, with many restaurants, bars, shops, pools etc.  The Strip (along which the main hotels are situated) is constantly teaming with people 24 hours.  It’s mind boggling!

But three nights in the Entertainment Capital of the World was enough.  While we were waiting outside our hotel for the airport shuttle I noticed the Venetian Bridge replica not far off.  Our cab driver of the previous day had mentioned that local legend has it that any couple that kisses under that bridge will remain in love forever.  I grabbed Andy’s hand and we ran towards it.  Like giggling teenagers, we animatedly kissed under the bridge.  A nice end to a special birthday weekend I would say!