Las Vegas｜City of Glitz and Glamour 💫

Vegas was the final stop of my U.S. trip. Just as advertised — this city was built for tourists. It's also a window into America's soul: gambling, sex, sports events, and endless shows — all running like a well-oiled machine. Right after landing, I saw dozens of slot machines at the gate — colorful and flashy. I watched for a bit, like pachinko in Japan, and wondered what's so addictive. Surely many have lost fortunes here. I always think: why not just buy a machine and play at home? My travel buddy and I visited Hoover Dam. Once we left the city, we drove through the Nevada desert — nothing but wilderness on both sides.💕💕 On this U.S. trip, I met several cool travel buddies. Ironically, in Europe where backpacking is huge, I often walked alone. Hoover Dam was a Great Depression-era project (1930s).❤️👌 In 1931, Nevada legalized gambling, and Vegas exploded. For decades, the mafia deeply infiltrated casino operations — bloody turf wars ensued. Even in The Godfather, the Corleone family saw Vegas as their backup plan. Walking the Strip, surrounded by luxury casinos and hotels, I saw sex flyers scattered everywhere — even pasted on lampposts.😘💕 LED-ad trucks flashed signs with blonde models and captions like "Girls direct to you — call xxxxx." Food and lodging in Vegas aren't overly expensive by U.S. standards, but the exploitation is unsettling. The entire city — the casinos, the rules — were built by the clever to ensnare the rest. Many get trapped like flies in a spider's web, living in a dream of glamour woven by others. The moment you lose everything, you wake up. I watched often but didn’t dare play. Some games were easy to understand, others not so much. During my days in Vegas, I only saw one cheap show: $28 mind-reading / mentalism magic in an intimate venue, performed by a tall French magician. I’ve always been intrigued by magic, and his show runs twice daily.😊😁 Honestly, it was fascinating — but I know magicians have their routines down pat, lines memorized, ready for any surprise. Having dabbled in magic myself, I know performances follow a script: when to laugh, when to build suspense. Often, the real show ends long before the reveal.❤️👌 Because it felt so formulaic, it didn’t blow me away. I considered a day tour to a national park, but without a travel buddy, I passed. Didn’t go inside the Sphere either — U2 tickets were $98. A friend said the visuals inside are stunning, but after watching clips online, I decided to skip it. #USA ##LasVegasEats #VegasFood #JapaneseBBQ