Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a city in the desert. The place is arid, barren and inhospitable, where only the hardiest creature survive. You can’t set aside grass and twigs to let it rot to fertilize the soil because the air is dry. Fallen leaves just darken, curl and be blown by the wind to litter the surroundings. All organic matter dries up and gets brittle. Rainfall is a rarity. There is no moisture. In fact the place is so dry it turns the air electric. Touch any metal: door knobs, spoons, and windowsills, and expect to get charged. Water is precious here sourced hundreds of miles away to Lake Mead, which is threatened to dry up. The winds howl constantly. It’s very hot during the day and very cold at night. It’s a wonder how the city came to be. So how did it become?

Here’s the story: WWII saw the rise and fall of military giants. The lessons of war changed the way countries see each other, and war itself has attained a commercial status. There was a race for a more advanced and sophisticated war material and paraphernalia. Countries having the resources to develop it did so clandestinely, and Las Vegas’ isolation was key reason to make it a military test hub, shielded away from the eyes of the world.

With the military coming are adult entertainment and gambling. To be socially acceptable, the gambling was renamed gaming. The UFO, science fiction’s cream pie was a decoy to steer away interest and suspicion on military tests in the area. So a cause for concern became a source of wonder, entertainment and maybe of fearful delight for aliens and other life forms. So the military came, then ordinary people, and they keep coming.

The end of WWII signals the beginning of the cold war. The initial “success” of the atomic bomb was a cause to rejoice, then it becomes a scare, then a power tool. Hence, the country’s fixation for further development of more advanced military power and equipment. But many other countries are doing it too, each one capable of, God forbid, starting a nuclear holocaust. So there will be no WWIII because humanity knows it will destroy the planet and every life in it.

Today Las Vegas is a huge magnet that draws tourists in. On a clear day, you see them coming in planeloads. I tell you it’s busy up there, the smoke trails stitch the skies. But there are no more military tests, no more UFO yarns, only loads of entertainment and fun. It’s a city of light and more; of abundance and indulgence; of extravagance and reckless abandon. Yes it empties your pockets but you go home full of magical spells and excitement only Las Vegas can offer.

They say it’s a city to die for. And if you haven’t been to Vegas, you haven’t lived at all….
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An alternative way to travel or part of your travel itinerary is joining a workcamp from a few days to three weeks depending on the project duration and description. It’s a fun way to know a place and it’s people (anywhere in the world) and it doesn’t cost much. For workcamps in the USA contact VFP. Book a cheap flight to Las Vegas and remember to always travel light.