I had a nap. Why am I so tired?
I hate this aging.
Perhaps I should just value that being tired caused me to choose a late night walk into this wild party rather than a stalk of the Saturday night poor poker players. I know that I am gambling too much time away and missing these other sensual wonders of Vegas.
I had also thought that I wanted to be on the strip on weekend nights to take advantage of the soft tourist poker games. Well, I have decided very differently. This new Downtown is really a blast on Saturday night.
I was smart on this walk. I brought my camera. But I left my wallet in the room and just took twenty bucks in case I wanted something. That way in these shoulder to shoulder crowds I did not have to keep my hand on my wallet, and I did not worry that my pocket might get picked while I had both hands on the camera.
I worked my way up toward El Cortez on the Gold Spike street. It was full of people and a safe walk and not the sketchy walk I remembered from other trips. Just delightful to see people taking back the streets. Imagine how fine it will be if this back street becomes easy to visit.
Inside the Gold Spike I saw the action. The dealers were young and dressed in casual but delightfully revealing outfits that made when fun to watch. Young girls out and about are often dressed in outfits that resemble the hooker clothes of decades back, but these dealers had other more interesting looks. I don't mind watching the lacy, sexy hooker look, but wholesome sensuality is just delightful. I can't be young again, but I move in and around crowds of young people. Unlike many of my generation I like young crowds very much.
I saw a line for the eating area, and felt that this new Gold Spike is becoming a success.
Most of the players at the blackjack tables were a young, upscale looking group. It is so different from the old days when the players would be derelicts and I might be the only one playing blackjack who had all his own teeth.
Most of the players at the blackjack tables were a young, upscale looking group. It is so different from the old days when the players would be derelicts and I might be the only one playing blackjack who had all his own teeth.
Vegas Streats was in the El Cortez main entrance corridor where the next day it would be quiet except for the soft sounds of piped in music. This is right across the street from the main El Cortez entrance.
It collected a few hundred young people drawn by the party atmosphere, the great truck food, the free music, and the displays of art.
It is not as large or complex as a street festival in one of our Northern cities, but I found it interesting and delightful.
The art was almost cartoonish. Full of bright colors and wierd shapes.
Much of it depicted horror fantasy, but in a colorful attractive way.
Much of it depicted horror fantasy, but in a colorful attractive way.
However my favorite piece was of a beautiful naked woman viewed from the side with no erotic quality, just grace and beauty. She had long flowing hair that was three times the size of her body, and in her hair were small colorful owls. I loved this and almost bought the print. Perhaps I will yet.
This piece and others might easily have been at a grateful dead concert in the sixties. Here were colors and a new art style. It was clear everything was in the same genre and that I knew nothing about it. It seemed a blending of hippie art and the art of horror comics. I much prefer art that celebrates sensual beauty to that which warps realityh in cool but disturbing ways, but none of this was turnoff.
The music too intrigued me. There was a band with a huge young Black rapper who rapped messages I could not understand, but that did not seem angry.
He was backed up with guitars and when his rap portion of a song ended there would be a section of mellow song by Rusty. Rusty sang in a sweet voice and played an old acoustic guitar. He might have been playing in an old Donovan style. It was great musical collage and absolutely fun to watch.
He was backed up with guitars and when his rap portion of a song ended there would be a section of mellow song by Rusty. Rusty sang in a sweet voice and played an old acoustic guitar. He might have been playing in an old Donovan style. It was great musical collage and absolutely fun to watch.
The crowds were shoulder to shoulder. I only saw one other old guy and had was clearly taking professional photographs.
I liked seeing this new truck cuisine.
The snowcones looked luscious, but I had already eaten my fill of stuff for the day.
This gourmet truck food is sweeping the nation.
On my walk back to Fremont, I passed the new video game bar and the lines were a block long to get inside.
Again these are all very young people. Next to it the coffee house was a mellow island of quiet in the middle of the party. One older fellow had his computer out and was working on some project. At the bar young people were having coffee and talking.
And on the next corner was the new Hookah Lounge. I looked in. It looked like something from a Coleridge hangout.
And on the next corner was the new Hookah Lounge. I looked in. It looked like something from a Coleridge hangout.
Just down the street Hennysee's and all those places were hopping. A band played and a wholesome but shapely young girl danced in a hopping sort of fashion. She was fun to watch. The music was older rock.
Neonopolis is very sad except I can't help thinking it will not be too long before that is hopping as well. Fremont East is a new and youth focused invention. It is very exciting and hopeful.
The lines for the zip ride were long. I guess it is a success. I don't think I like it much. I find the metal structure taking up too much of the Experience room even if it is places now in an unused section.
Still, I can't really evaluate it fairly. My one zip ride was through the Costa Rican canopy of trees with ten places to land and hook up again. It cost about what this one little ride costs.
Down another block was a country band on one of the Fremont stages.
A pretty young blond girl sang, "Bobby McGee" in perfect Janice Joplin voice.
The lead man was dressed in jeans with lots of rips.
The lead man was dressed in jeans with lots of rips.
He called all the birthday and anniversary people to the front for free Hawaiian lai and beads. Here is Bob who was 62 today.
Farther down another band played music I remember in a folky rock manner.
Folks were dancing and one young girl invited me out to dance a bit. She was being sweet to this old guy. It felt great to be moving easily to music and be in the midst of crowds of people in party mood.
I loved this mix of music. I liked that none of it was so hard rock that it turned me off. I also could not help comparing it to the music of the Rio pool where what I guess they think represents Brazilian drums blasts out very uninteresting rhythms in two areas and does not coordinate them so that swimming in the middle was so incredibly unpleasant that I'd have gone for an earlier nap if I did not know that the basic beat could be heard in my room, over and over, like jungle drums in old Tarzan movies.
I know that by now I am supposed to want to go home again. I have been on the road now for almost a month and in Vegas for thirteen of my fifteen days. Still, I wish I could stay a while longer. There are some things at home I am primed to enjoy, but I will miss the fun of this place.
downtown fish
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