Las Vegas & Me

Las Vegas has been touted as the most popular city in the World. 

My first visit to this city happened when I was a bachelor in 2005, aged 25. Needless to say, at that age and time of my life, it was mind-boggling. Just walking along the Strip was mesmerizing. So many dazzling lights, glamorous people all around - it was a like different world altogether. So fascinating and fabulous. And I remember thinking how they made this Oasis in the middle of a desert, almost like a Black Hole where every one lands up for a party, conference or an event.

My second visit was with my wife in 2009. I wanted her to experience the same state of "mesmerization" that I felt, and indeed, it took her breath away too. She wanted to see each and every casino on the Strip, so I remember running from one to the other, exhausted, taking pics!

My third visit was with my wife and daughter in 2012 but this was not a trip for Vegas. The city just happened to come in transit on our way back from the National Parks of Utah back to our the then home in Irvine, CA. So, we ended up on a night halt, did not walk much on the Strip with the toddler but visited some kid friendly casino for some nice magic tricks and games.

My fourth visit was again with my wife and daughter in 2016, and again, it was in-transit, this time to Antelope Canyon. However, we spent the first and last night/day of the vacation in Vegas and we did end up showing some of the Strip's nice casinos to the daughter - like the Bellagio fountain, Eiffel Tower, etc. 

My fifth visit was alone, this year, 2023. This was, for the first time, not a vacation. It was a Business trip to attend a conference and give a presentation. I was put up in The Venetian. Such lavishness and grandeur. I thanked my stars for such an opportunity. After the conference, in the evening, we colleagues ventured out on the Strip only for a short stroll but headed back soon enough, since we had had enough of it.

And by that time, I mean, so many things - the stench & clouded smoke on the pavement, of either the drugs or the cigar smoke I know not which; the hoardings with semi-nude people admiring body parts, drunk girls on limos not even conscious of where they were heading to, people begging on pavements for money to drink or get drugged out, etc..

At that moment, my whole image of this 'Fabulous Las Vegas' fell right flat on the ground. This literally was Hell on Earth, where Human Consciousness was at its lowest ebb ever. People smoking, drinking, getting drugged out and I guess all in pursuit of happiness whereas they were all eventually downgrading themselves to stoops of stupidity. This is the place where body parts are glorified 100x as if that is the Ultimate Joy for Human Beings. This reminded me of a scene in the movie Idiocracy where there is a theatre of humans watching a big screen which is showing only the human ass for the entire duration of the movie and all are laughing like zombies! Such low state of human consciousness, indeed! And it is no less in any casinos - one can see zombies putting coins after coins into slot machines and just punching again and again...! I almost felt pity for those who stayed here, came here...!

It was not hard for me to compare this place to so many sacred places in India where I could literally feel my aura, my subtle body getting cleansed especially in Mantralaya after the dip in Tunga river or in Tirumala after the dip in Swamipushkarni, listening to Vedic hymns, seeing the sun rise. One could feel the purity in such places, one could feel one getting purified just being in such places. It was like Human Consciousness getting elevated! Now, that is the feeling of Heaven. Such an opposite, appalling experience in Vegas!

And this whole U-turn of my emotions in just 5 visits spanning less than 2 decades. The city had remained the same, its vibes, the energy, the genre of tourists, etc. from 2005 till 2023, maybe more casinos but my perception of what the city had to offer had changed completely...