Bruised clouds stacked up. They crouched over the mountains, clung to them, sucking on their peaks. Then they let loose, and moved across the plane like on a chessboard. They were heading for our direction.
With the clouds came the wind. Sand whirls rose along the road. A thick layer of brown dust formed on the windshield of our rented Ford. We kept driving. Knowing that we were still an hour away from our destination.
Then up from the valley it came: an ultraviolet burst that illuminated the sky for a second. I turned off the radio. The fun was officially over. Fat raindrops began slapping against the windshield. We stopped talking, concentrating on the road, already slickened by the drizzle.
I thought I saw a golden shimmer ahead and took out my camera. But the spot soon shifted into a different light. I wanted to capture everything but I couldn’t capture anything. Everything is a shadow. Here, more than anywhere. It’s like trying to comprehend what doesn’t want to be comprehended.
So we kept driving. Through dirty roads. In awe. Feeling small. Tiny, like a sand corn in the huge clockwork of the world. We kept driving. Up and down. Up and down.
And suddenly, in the heart of nowhere, a city rose like a late cherry blossom. We knew it shouldn’t be there but there it was, in all its glory. Shimmering lights as far as the eye could see.
We still couldn’t grasp how quick the storm rolled in and out again. This was new territory for us. We got parachuted into a different dimension. Another planet? Perhaps.
An hour later… we stood on the top of the world. Feeling shaky. The desert winds agitated the tower’s crown. We could feel the rumble beneath our feet.
For the first time, I understood how far humans will go to realize a rich man’s dream. Their foolishness, as well as their craziness. Don Quixote in the modern world: still fighting for freedom and for their unspeakable truths.
Parts of us wanted to join in the joy, the craziness. So we abandoned ourselves to the city. Deliberately loosing ourselves, sinking in, hovering between her legs, to become one with her… Las Vegas.
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18 Responses
Go Wander Wild
I loved reading about this post. Your descriptions really made it come alive for me. Happy travels!
Sandy N Vyjay
I loved reading this post, every word of it. What an awesome way to present Las Vegas. I am sure if Las Vegas had a heart, it would have melted on reading your post. The spectacular and dramatic narrative had my attention riveted throughout. Las Vegas is indeed in may ways a classic example of Man’s greed, hunger, ambition, or dreams, call it what you may.
Mei and Kerstin
Thank you for your kind words, Sandy! 😊
CHELSEA MESSINA
My friend and I did a road trip to Utah from Las Vegas – on the drive back it was just PITCH BLACK everywhere you looked. We were the only ones on the highway for miles with little to no light the whole way. Then boom! Vegas.
Mei and Kerstin
Yes, when you drive into Vegas at nighttime, it’s always so surreal when suddenly you see all the lights out of nowhere after driving in the dark for hours! 😁
Jamie Italiane
The desert around Las Vegas is definitely a different world- and its rains can be crazy.
Mei and Kerstin
Yes, and yet, we love that desert a lot. 😉
millionmilermom
What a beautifully written piece. I definitely know the feeling of being out in the middle of the desert and then, poof, this illuminated city pops up!
Mei and Kerstin
Thank you! 🙏🏻 😊 Do you live somewhere close to the desert? We can’t wait to see the desert again!
millionmilermom
Not super close but we seem to pass through on our way to other places!
Mei and Kerstin
Did you mean Las Vegas? 🤔
Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions
I’m guessing rain is fairly unusual for this part of the US? The prospect of a storm in the middle of the desert would be enough to make me nervous! It must’ve been quite the experience driving in as I’m sure most visitors fly. Despite living on the west coast for almost a decade, I have not yet been to Las Vegas. It’s definitely on my list of American cities that I need to see!
Mei and Kerstin
Oh I had no idea that most visitors fly into Vegas. Maybe because we always travel to Vegas from L.A., and it’s only a 4hrs drive.
Umiko
I wonder if everyone has the same feeling on their first visit to Vegas. I know I do. There’s something about the city.
Linda (LD Holland)
What a mesmerizing way to start a blog post! I felt the sand swirling and was waiting for rain! That feeling of watching a storm overtake you on the open road is one I can live without. And then you hit Vegas and it looks like you moved to another planet. Such a contrast when you move from the wide open spaces to Vegas.
Mei and Kerstin
Thank you, I’m glad my story could make you feel what we experienced. ☺️
Danik the Explorer
I actually felt like I was there with you guys whilst reading this. I truly know this feeling and its an amazing one, once to get to a destination with an amazing landscape, the sun setting and some factors in play like the dust. That must have been one great sight to see Las Vegas at night from above. I haven’t reached the city yet but it is on my list. 🙂 Beautifully written.
Mei and Kerstin
Thank you! Las Vegas is a quite intriguing city. Even for those who don’t like gambling (we definitely don’t), it’s worth seeing Vegas at least once in a lifetime.