11th Anniversary in Las Vegas Continues Some More!

That first day was so long, two posts were needed. I wasn't even giving all the minor details. All that excitement meant that we didn't wake up until nearly 11 AM! Sure I woke up a few times starting at 8 AM, but those blackout window coverings keep one sleepy. Even when I finally rolled out of bed around 10:50 AM, it felt as though it was the middle of the night.

Our lovely friends from work (Melissa, Natalie, and Fany) gave us an Earl of Sandwich gift card for our anniversary. The sandwich shop was in our hotel, so convenient. These sandwich locations are rare compared to Taco Bell. If you come across one, get in line and order Eric's favorite, The Full Montague or mine, the Hawaiian. While most people were gorging themselves at a buffet, we sat down to our tasty sandwiches. Right next to the eating area was a Sex in the City slot machine that I kept saying I would play, and never did.

We must have forgotten about ole Carrie Bradshaw and her fancy shoes because we were headed for Bellagio. Although I agreed with him, Eric wanted to not miss the flower display at Bellagio. For those not in the know, the conservatory that houses the spectacular display changes with the seasons. This hotel is also home to my favorite show in Las Vegas, "O" by Cirque du Soleil.

The display area was literally bombarded with tulips! There were tulips of every shade! The whole room was themed to what Eric called "Spring in Holland". At the back area there is a huge windmill that is a grand sight! The aroma of the flowers sweetly lingers in the air as it arrests your thoughts from ever wanting to leave that conservatory. I looked over at Eric and could tell he was in heaven, that made me happy. It is extremely rare when we have flowers in our home, but I may consider it more often. I hope the photos give at least a feeling of how impressive this is.

Before our Cirque du Soleil tour for Zarkana, at the Aria, we had just enough time to pass through The Cosmopolitan Hotel. We immediately knew we wanted to stay at this hotel because it's pretty fabulous! This hotel has elegance, great design all while staying hip for a younger crowd. Later in the day we discovered the casino area has a DJ that loudly plays excellent music. It really gave the place a lot of excitement. And something Eric pointed out were these cool, draped off areas that hold the slot machines, very intimate looking. The Cosmopolitan has the Chandelier Bar and it is covered by this massive crystal display. It is very overwhelming! Please take a look at these few shots from the hotel.

Left side shows the Chandelier Bar. Photo below will show what it looks like from above.

What an eye catcher!!

A good friend of ours worked on the Cirque show Iris and her friend would be giving us the tour. He oversees the Hair and Make-up for Zarkana. Right away we took the elevator into the backstage area and were in the wig room. There we found wigs in various states of production. Some wigs being set with rollers while others had been worn and needed to be brushed out. Although it was our second backstage tour of a Cirque show, it's always impressive to see the detail up close. And, some of the wigs read as a different color while onstage. There was a pink wig that appeared white under the stage lighting. It really is those little details that a viewer doesn't put to thought as we enjoy the show.

One of the female singer's costumes worn during the Spider Web/Trapeze act. She sings while upside down.

During the rest of our time backstage we visited a few training areas, quick change locations, and we went in the wings of the stage. While we were on the stage the trapeze act was rehearsing. Lean, muscle men were flying about! It was exciting to see what they can do with their strength. We witnessed one guy jump, with hardly any effort, from a platform to one above him. It happened so quickly that it was executed like a cat! And, on our way back to the Hair and Make-up office we quickly met the show's singer Paul Bisson. He is a friendly guy and I wasn't expecting that at all. Paul had also been the lead singer in another Cirque show we have seen, Corteo.

To show the amount of product they have back there, I wish I had asked to take a photo. The answer seemed to be an obvious "No", so I didn't ask. They had so many cremes, eye liners, blushes, and tons of eye lashes. I don't know anything about make-up, but seeing their stash all at once was crazy. Eric and I were also shown an overview of a make-up application. Although I know Eric secretly wanted to be "done up", we were shown via slides. Our guide said it could take up until 1.5 hours when done correctly.

Our time backstage won't ever be forgotten. We saw another group where they looked so underwhelmed. I can say Eric and I are very thankful for the time taken by our guide Mark. He certainly wasn't gaining anything by giving his time. Since our tour was done, we had an evening to get ready for. Food, drinks, water shows, and people watching were headed our way. If you will stick with us, we will see you here back soon for more of the trip.

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