Foto: The casinos of Las Vegas (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
United_States - We drive to Las Vegas via the highway. On both sides, a dry desert landscape stretches out, with small bushes dotting the sandy rocky ground. By late afternoon, the Las Vegas skyline appears. It is strange that such a large city exists in the middle of the desert. I see tall buildings, and from afar, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, and a Disney-like hotel. I am unsure where to look as we turn onto the Strip, Las Vegas’ main street, lined with hotels and casinos. Our hotel, Monte Carlo, is also on the Strip. We park and check in, joining a long line at the reception. I count more than twenty counters, about half staffed. Our room is on the 14th floor of the 30-plus-story hotel. Everything here is enormous, including a shopping center below with stores like Starbucks, and of course, a huge casino. To reach the Strip, we walk through the casino, over 100 meters of slot machines, gaming tables, and roulette. Even the bar allows gambling. We play a small game, each putting a dollar in a slot machine. On the first try, it rings, and we win over $20. The second machine yields a smaller prize, about three euros. Further attempts to win more fail. We take our winnings and head onto the Strip, overwhelmed by lights and sounds vying for attention. People hand out coupons for hotels, casinos, and even paid services. A huge motorcycle sticks out of the Harley Davidson club. In front of the Bellagio, fountains perform a choreographed ballet every fifteen minutes, 1,200 fountains moving to music. Across the street, bars and restaurants occupy a small version of the Eiffel Tower. At the New York Hotel, the American city atmosphere is recreated. We end the evening with a drink at our hotel casino bar. I lie in bed, reflecting on the bizarre city that is Las Vegas.
Empire State Building
United_States - Anyone visiting New York for the first time cannot ignore the Empire State Building. This skyscraper on the corner of 34th Street and 5th Avenue towers over the Big Apple. Entering the building at street level, I realize that it also houses regular office ...
Key West in Florida
United_States - Key West is an island in the Florida Straits. It is the southernmost point of the Florida Keys, about 150 km from Cuba. The island measures roughly 6.4 km long and 3.2 km wide. One of its main attractions is a concrete replica of a buoy at the corner ...
The Hawaiian Islands
United_States - The islands are volcanic in origin, located on a so-called hotspot where magma rises from the Earth’s interior as lava. As the crust moves over the hotspot, a chain of islands formed from west to east, with the oldest, extinct volcanoes in the west ...
The Statue of Liberty in New York
United_States - The Statue of Liberty is a monument located in New York Harbor. It stands as a symbol of welcome—not just for tourists but also for Americans themselves. The statue is 93 meters tall and weighs 225 tons. The nose is 1 meter long, the eyes have a circumference ...
The White House in Washington DC
United_States - The White House is the official residence of every U.S. president except George Washington. Its location near the Mall was chosen in 1790 by President Washington and Pierre L’Enfant, the architect of the capital’s master plan. Washington temporarily ...