Mon 23rd Oct
Monday in Washington was predicted to be cool and cloudy so we had timed our visit to perfection with our three days being filled with glorious sunshine, cloudless skies and mid to high 20 degree temperatures. Our flight left Ronald Reagan airport at 8.30am and so we had an early start with the journey being fairly uneventful, which was a good thing, and we arrived into the V’dara hotel by about 11am.
The room we had booked offered a view of the Bellagio fountain and we were pleased to find we’d been placed on a high floor at level 53. We weren’t pleased to find the spartan nature of the room though; there was a kitchenette with cook top and microwave but no kettle, tea, coffee, cutlery or bowls etc and the bathroom was similarly sparse on inclusions. We’d stayed at this hotel before and had a totally different experience so this was rather disappointing. When I called down to ask for the possibility of a kettle they informed me they were all out of kettles. So I improvised with a saucepan which was asked for and received.
We headed out a bit later on for a walk through the Bellagio and down a short part of The Strip but it was over 30 degrees and, given the time shift, I wanted to rest a bit before our evening show. Our 7pm show was going to be like a 10pm start for us and I didn’t want to fall asleep mid-show.
The Mat Franco magician show was on at a nearby hotel, the Linq, but with the heat and my shoes we caught a taxi to cover the mile journey. When we arrived at the Linq we it was like we’d been transported to another land so different were the patrons in this area. Think bad Bali and you’d be close. We had a drink and a bite to eat before heading in to the show and when we were shown to our seats we found they were front row; Mark was not pleased. At this point, a rather large and jovial beer swilling American sitting next to us leaned over to Mark and growled…‘you know we’re gonna get picked on dontcha’. This just made the whole Rooty Hill RSL experience complete and we were rather unsure just what we’d got ourselves into! I’d heard Mat Franco was discovered on ‘America’s Got Talent’ and won the 9th season of this series, and was reportedly the ‘up and coming David Copperfield’. I just couldn’t see David Coppefield at the Linq though! Anyway, we were pleasantly surprised to find the show most entertaining and for Mat Franco to be one engaging and gifted performer and were glad we experienced his show. I just think he deserves a bit better then the Linq. And, by the way, Mark didn’t get picked on but I did; it was rather minor though, I just had to give my name and choose a left or right hand holding packet noodles.
