The Travels of International Bagpiper Roddy the Piper continue, this time to Las Vegas, Nevada.
The first thing you notice stepping off the plane is how hot and heavy the air is. Then you realise how crisp the air in Scotland is. That’s always nice to come back to.
I’ve landed in Las Vegas at night and it’s 31 degrees. Airport air-con makes me forget that for a while as I collect my luggage. But as I exit and flag a taxi, I’m reminded of the heat pretty quickly.
This is the 8th time I’ve been to Vegas, but I don’t think I’ll ever get over the feeling that it’s like some strange other world. From the taxi ride to the hotel on the strip, we pass one-hundred foot tall LED screens, giant neon signs, fountains blasting water so high it hurts your neck to see the top. And, of course, the monuments to famous monuments: the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, the Venice Canals.
It’s madness. A metropolis in the middle of the desert. An oasis, perhaps. It’s overwhelming, sure – but exciting as hell.
I’m back in Vegas with Visit Scotland for IMEX America, the world’s biggest meetings expo. There are people from all over the world here for the next few days looking to arrange destinations for conferences and events. Basically, it’s a giant trade show. All of the major players in Scottish hospitality are there.
I’m there to entertain! To provide a little taste of the many things Scotland has to offer. Dressed the part of international bagpiper, I perform a haggis address to a wild and furry little haggis. I host a whisky tasting. I played small pipes, and blasted out some ceilidh tunes on the big pipes.
I even treated the guests of the Cosmopolitan Hotel to a tune from the balcony of my room (see below).
And once all of the work was out of the way for the day, we were treated to Las Vegas’ famous (infamous?) evening enertainment. A true sensory overload. Bizarrely, it’s never gets dark unless they want it to. Every situation is closely managed. Your attention is directed, controlled, pointed towards the fun. Light shows, thumping music, dancers, acrobats and circus performers – and much, much more. But here I choose to invoke the old saying which I believe (hope) is also legally binding: what happens in Vegas…
Until next year.
Thanks to Visit Scotland, SITE Scotland, IMEX
