We were both super excited about seeing this show. Rob and I are big Cirque fans. Rob, being a DJ, is really into the music. I enjoy some of the soundtracks, but not all of them.
My favourite is Alegria. It was also my first (and still favourite) Cirque show. But Ka, is my second favourite soundtrack. Rob had bought the album last year and I listened to it a lot on the computer.
So, already knowing the music, and already loving the music and having watched an episode of CSI that featured the show, had really whet our appetite and we were very pumped about seeing it.
We valeted ( is that even a word?
) the car at MGM because I was in those nasty heels again.
MGM, by the way, gets high marks for their valet system. Not only is everything marked and easy to find, it was the only place where they rushed around to open my door first, both dropping off and picking up, completely ignoring Rob until I was safely in or out of the vehicle.
Classy.
We found our way to the Ka theatre and proceeded into the store as per usual. Rob found all the soundtracks from all the Vegas Cirque shows right there as well as a nice t-shirt. He asked me if I had wanted anything and normally I say no. But I remembered how much I loved the music and how cool this show looked from the few clips and videos I had seen of it so I opted for a nice little red t-shirt for $30.
All the doormen were dressed up (kind of like savages with warrior paint etc.) and were in character. Another awesome hint how good this show is going to be! The guy who took my ticket said "Ooooooh, you're so SHINY!!!"
They were taking pictures to sell to you later for $20 (no thanks!) so we asked a fine young English couple to take our picture for us (free!) and then chatted with them about Criss Angel’s new show at the Luxor, which from what I’ve read is horrendous.
Ok, so not the best picture...but it was free!
Then we entered the theatre.
Wow.
Wow, wow!
Ok, how cool was this theatre!!!! It was huge, and to the sides were these set pieces that were reminiscent of Mad Max combined with The Matrix . They were like rafters in a gigantic factory of some kind. And then the stage…wow!! Instead of the stage being there, it was a huge open dungenous (ok, so I made that word up!) pit filled with smoke/fog and every 30 seconds or so, a huge flame burst out from beneath.
Ok, this is going to be AWESOME!!!!!!!!
Rob and I were like two little kids vibrating excitedly in our seats. We couldn’t wait for it to start! There were a few guys walking around (in character) mingling with the audience. We were told that we couldn’t take pictures of the theatre, which I thought was ******** because you can take pictures at every show BEFORE the show, just not during the show.
So we were good little audience members.
For awhile.
After about 20 minutes and hundreds of flash pictures later, I whipped out the camera and snuck a few photos. Ok, I wasn’t really bad, I didn’t use a flash but I did snap a couple of pics. They didn’t turn out that well, but they are clear enough (after some photoshopping) to give you an idea of how cool this theatre was.
Great balls of fire!
Finally, the show began.
The stage (s) was soooo cool! I don’t want to give too much away but they were no ordinary stages!
So, it began…they actually TELL you what the story is about.
Weird.
All the Cirque shows we’ve seen give you an idea of the story but leave it open for you to interpret yourself, which I think is awesome because everyone takes away something different from it.
Ok.
More story….
And more story.
The amazing acrobatics and feats of skill are going to start any minute now…
any minute …now.
Yup.
Waiting.
Patiently waiting.
Hmmm.
This is not looking good.
But it’s gonna get REALLY good soon, I can just feel it.
Oh, wait…here comes something cool!!
Yeah, that was cool!
Cool sequence over.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
{drool}
Sorry, that was just me taking a quick nap.
Ok, it’s over an hour into the show now. It’s not looking too good.
Here come these huge cool poles…and some… big fat….. giant fake …..snakes…ehrm.
What???????
Excuse me?
Did we enter the right theatre??? Maybe we took a left when we should have gone right.
Ok, the last 10 minutes was pretty darn cool.
And then it was over.
Really?
That was Ka?
Ok, where’s the cameras???
We’ve been punked, right? Oh please tell me Ashton Kutcher is somewhere around here laughing his butt off.
Hmm. No Ashton?
Oooooook.
That’s not what I was expecting.
If I was going to see a play….alright. But this is Cirque Du Soleil people!!!
Well Rob enjoyed it a little more than I did. Even though he was giving me that “look” for the first hour (the “what-the-heck-is-this-crap” look) he did really enjoy the ending so I guess that helped.
Me? Not so much.
Not at all, actually.
Not my cup of tea.
I’m pretty sure that a lot of people felt that way because while the applause at the end was present, it was rather lacklustre.
The other shows all got standing ovations by the entire theatre but I don’t think anyone was standing at the end of Ka.
Oh well, at least we got to see it. I was grateful for that. And Rob enjoyed the end, so not all was lost.
I just wanted to get back to the valet to see if they would open my door again LOL!
And they did.
Classy.
Ok, back into comfy clothes, we headed for the Burger Bar at Mandalay Place. I had been wanting to try the Kobe Beef burger ever since I read their menu online months ago.
This place was always packed! Didn’t matter what time of day it was, there was always a dozen or so people waiting for a table. I requested a booth, of course and we waited about 15 minutes to get one.
I liked these booths, they had really high backs for privacy and little tv’s in each one.
Rob was responding to some emails so I kept busy by watching an episode of Friends, the one where Chandler and Joey get the big screen TV and leather recliners LOL! I really miss that show!
We both decided to order the Kobe burgers and I got a side of fat fries while Rob chose the sweet potato fries.
Here’s another case of knowing that I am in the USA. When ordering a burger, they ask you how you would like it cooked.
I remember the first time I ordered a burger in a restaurant in the US. She asked me how I would like that….I replied “cooked!” LOL!
In Canada, you don’t get a choice. They cook it all the way through. Not charred but no pink in the middle. Undercooked meat is extremely dangerous. Ground meat in particular is a huge breeding ground for e-coli.
I really have to watch what I eat because I have Lupus. My immune system is not as strong as other people’s and so I am more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria.
So when she asked me how I wanted my burger cooked I requested that they cook it well done so that there’s no pink in the middle.
Unfortunately, it is a very dark restaurant and it was a lot pinker than I thought it was. Looking at the picture now, I totally should have sent it back but it really didn’t look that pink in the restaurant.
It was absolutely delicious!!!!!!!! It just melted in my mouth! It was the most tender meat I have ever tasted! And this was the American Kobe Beef, not as good as the Japanese Kobe beef so I can only imagine what that tastes like! Apparently, the cattle that produce the Japanese Kobe beef are fed sake and beer and are massaged daily!
Ahem, anyway…the burger was amazing and the fries were soooo good too! I washed it down with a couple of diet-pepsi’s and was completely satisfied!
The cheque was $51 plus tip but it was worth every penny!
Just before our burgers came, Rob ran next door to the Chocolate Swan and picked us up dessert! He got us a piece of Peanut Butter cheesecake and a few chocolates for himself.
After dinner we went back to the room and had some dessert in bed. I wasn’t really impressed with the cheesecake, again. It was way too soft and creamy.
But I was still on a food high from my burger!
Unfortunately, that high didn’t last too long and I went from a high high to a very low low, real fast fast.
See all that pink??? 
Finger licking good!
Desserts!
I know some people would prefer to butter it themselves but not me! By the time the toast gets to me and I open those frozen little packs of butter or margarine, my toast is stone cold and trying to spread anything on there is rather near impossible! Toast is meant to be buttered as soon as it comes out of the toaster or oven, so that the butter melts over it. 
That was probably the best breakfast I have ever had, followed closely by the Breakfast with Pooh and Friends at the Wilderness Lodge, which, sadly, is not longer offered. 
Rob tried getting them for me last Christmas but they were all sold out. There’s only a few stores here in Calgary that actually sell them so they aren’t easy to find. So after wanting them for so long, I decided to save up for them and get them in Vegas. I figured they might be a little cheaper there and easier to find.
You just made my night, seriously. Cass, you are not going to believe this, but my husband was there on business last week, at the same time! His conference was at the MGM Grand, from the 12th to the 16th. He loved the hotel, but hated the casinos, it was too smoky smelling for him, not his cup of tea. He thought the hotels were very cool though. He was too beat to do anything at night, the conference took everything out of him. I hated him being gone! I'll die if I see him in any of your pictures! Oh I can't wait for more, please don't make us wait!
I got through day 1 and will be reading day 2 tomorrow. 
Finally I just walked up to one of the places and asked for a soda. They gave me a cup and charged me $3.77!!! 
That's more expensive than Disney!!!!!! 
