USA PART 60 : DOWNTOWN LV AND MIRAGE VALCANO

ALHAMDULILLAH

Aku berkesempatan menerokai Down Town LV atau Old Town yang pada ku agak lenggang dan sunyi jugak sebenarnya berbanding Las Vegas Strip yang sentiasa sibuk dan gemerlapan dan limpahan lampu neon. Terkenang aku masa mula2 dulu lepas arwah ayah ku bersara dan kami pulang ke kampung di mana arwah ayah membina sebuah rumah di atas tapak tanah bahagian ibu ku yang diberikan oleh arwah datuk . 

Masa tu keadaan begitu aman , damai dan tenteram di kampung . Jalan raya dah ada depan rumah, tapi nak jumpa kereta jarang sekali , apatah lagi deruman motorsikal . Kebanyakkan penduduk kampung khasnya dan penduduk Muar amnya ketika itu lebih selesa berbasikal macam kat Amterdam Belanda pula gayanya.

Tapi yang paling nostagia ialah setiap pagi pasti ada sebuah kereta lembu yang ditarik oleh dua ekor lembu balau pasti melalui hadapan rumah menunjukkan bahawa ketika itu suasana kekampung begitu terasa ketika itu.

Masa tu Muar boleh dikira bandar pencen dan "mati" di sebelah malamnya. Namun keadaan sekarang hampir 20-30 tahun dahulu berubah dengan drastiknya. Akibat pembangunan, jika dulu tidur malam begitu selesa dan dingin hingga perlu pakai selimut kerana banyak pokok2 menaungi bumi, sekarang tidur malam kalau tak bukak kipas 2-3 bijik, rimasnya mengalah tidur kat dalam oven. 

Bunyi deruman motor pula depan rumah pula berdentum prengggg prengggg prennnnng tak kira pukul 2,3,4 pagi menyebabkan tiada lagi bagi ku ketenangan kerana semua telah berubah mengikut peredaran masa . 

Aku menyusuri dan mula meninggalkan Down Town LV untuk ke The Mirage pula menyaksikan kepandaian akal fikiran yang diberikan oleh Allah S.W.T menggunakan teknogi terkini dalam menghasilkan satu bentuk hiburan pada ku yang agak mengiburkan jugak iaitu The Valcano.

stesyen keretapi yg lenggang

jalan yang lenggang

mulai sibuk apabila memasuki new town

Sedikit info tentang
Mirage Volcano

3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: (702) 791-7111, (800) 963-9634
 Location: Outside the Mirage hotel-casino located on the Strip between Flamingo and Spring Mountain Road.

Details Hours of operation: The Volcano plays nightly every hour on the hour from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Cost: Free.
Payment options: Not applicable.
Reservations: Not necessary.
Location: Outside the Mirage hotel-casino located on the Strip between Flamingo and Spring Mountain Road. Age/Height/Weight restrictions: None.


Review
The Volcano at The Mirage is igniting Las Vegas once again. Since its opening in 1989, the volcano has been one of most popular attractions on the Strip. In 1996, the volcano added new water, lighting and sound effects. Today, the volcano is looking - and sounding - better than ever thanks to a $25 million redesign, which reopened to the public on Dec. 8, 2008. WET, the company responsible for The Fountains of Bellagio, led the design team for the volcano. The volcano includes two volcano systems, a lagoon and fire shooters that shoot flame on demand.

These massive fireballs are capable of shooting more than 12 feet into the air. It also features waterfalls with surrounding pools including fire and smoke effects. "The Mirage Volcano is the only complimentary attraction on The Strip that combines fire with music and choreography," said Scott Sibella, president and COO of the Mirage. "The Mirage Volcano combines the two to create an intense display, both beautiful and thrilling at the same time." Thanks to WET's state- of-the-art computer system, visitors are able to watch the massive fireballs move to the rhythm. "Using our software VirtualWET, I am able to visually compose the activities of the volcano," Bonnie Thompson, designer and choreographer for WET explained.

"That information is then downloaded to our panels that control the fountain and plays according to schedule. Most people don't realize that we can control the movements of the fire and water to create a unique and one-of-a- kind show." Thompson's vision for the volcano's fireball choreography comes from her fascination by the overall history of the volcano and the culture surrounding it. "I was inspired by tribal dance and cultures surrounding volcano activity," she said. "After visiting with Mickey Hart and Zakir [Hussain] in the recording studio, I gained a true understanding of how I could manipulate the actions of the volcano in accordance with the music." One of the most exciting highlights of the volcano is its hypnotic music score. Hart, the legendary Grateful Dead drummer, and Indian music composer Zakir Hussain worked together to create and perform a soundtrack exclusively for the volcano.

During the composing process, the two studied legends, myths and history about volcanoes. As a result, they incorporated instruments from around the world. The musical masterpiece infuses chants, percussion and other tribal elements. "Zakir and I studied the science of volcanoes," Hart explained. "We took our time, found out what they should sound like, what they shouldn't be like, and got the spirit of the volcano." For these composers, the importance of music stems from a deeper, sacred level. The Mirage ignites the Strip's new flame. "It's about spirituality," Hart emphasized.

"Volcanoes are scary, but they also appeal to the spirit world. We tried to get that spiritual content to it." He continued: "Music is invisible, it's mysterious and it has innate, inert energies that we have yet to explore. That's what music does, that's what it'll always do." In addition to the intense music score, the volcano's sound recordings come from actual eruptions. The volcano's state-of-the-art sound sonic sound system allows the audience to actually feel the rumble. "We have the greatest sound system around this beautiful lagoon," Hart said. "Without this delivery system, [it] could not have been possible." To gain a full appreciation of the volcano's spectacular sights and sounds, patrons walking by the Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip are in luck.

"The best view of the volcano show is right in front of The Mirage on The Strip," Sibella advised. "Nothing beats being right there - up close - where you can feel the heat of the fl ames and hear the pulsating soundtrack." "You're in the middle of the volcano without actually getting hurt!" Hart exclaimed. "[It's] as real as you can be without experiencing the ash." For those who arrive early enough to stand in front, the volcano actually gets quite toasty: "The volcano gets hot enough that you can feel the fire on your face," Thompson said.

Guests staying at The Mirage can experience a top-notch aerial view of the attraction. "Essentially any of the rooms which face The Strip on the fourteenth floor or higher will have a fabulous birds-eye view of our new attraction," said Sibella. Fiery choreography, water and music have never come together like this before. "This is nature with choreography," said WET designer Jim Doyle. "It's going to make you want to dance. You'll definitely be warm." -- Review by Jeannie Borbe

sumber http://www.vegas.com/attractions/on_the_strip/volcano.html

ALHAMDULILLAH

Selamat sampai ke The Mirage untuk menyaksikan sendiri  Mirage Valcano yang sering menjadi tumpuan pengunjung di waktu malam. Memang sebagai tarikan kepada pengunjung dan juga bagi menggalakan sektor pelancongan di LV, setiap hotel dan resort mereka pasti ada suatu tarikan yang istimewa dengan keunikkan sendiri untuk dipertontonkan kepada para pengunjung dan pelancong.

Kalau The Vientiene dengan tarikan ala2 kota Venice di dalamnya, Ceasers Palace pula dengan seni bina ala2 kota Rome , The Mirage juga tidak ketinggalan dengan persembahan The Valcano .

Ramai jugak pelancong malam tu yang rata2 aku tengok berbangsa cina . Suasana pula dingin dan nyaman tapi takdalah sampai mengigil dan asyik nak bese je hehehe

Tepat jam 9 malam , dengan diiringi muzik maka bermulalah pertunjukan The Valcano sedikit demi sedikit dari letusan kecil api dan lava yang mengalir dicelahan rekahan batu memecah kepekatan malam .

Memang kehangatan The Valcano tak dapat aku gambarkan melalui foto kerana keseluruhan tasik yang mengandungi sebuah gunung berapi buatan meletuskan muntahan api dan larva sambil diiringi muzik latar yang membuatkan kita berdebar2 dan seakan2 kita sendiri mengalaminya kerana kehangatan haba dan larva yang meletus dapat dirasakan di muka kita ketika itu.

Harap kalian enjoy dgn foto2 yang sempat aku rakamkan di Valcano Mirage ni . Sebenarnya mood aku nak menulis tengah takda ni walaupun banyak foto2 dan cerita2 masa aku kat US tak habis lagi.

Beberapa persiapan terakhir tak siap lagi sementara kerja2 banyak yang melambak tak settel , kalau nak kira sampai mati dah masuk lubang kubur pun semua kerja tak habis hehehe

Kalau mati dan masuk lubang kubur pun nak kena jawab soalan2 cepu emas pula , Allahuakhbar.

Namun aku pasti tinggalkan semua kerja2 yang tak selesai tu kerana misi aku 2-3 hari lagi ni lebih penting dari segala2nya .......

Moga Allah S.W.T mempermudahkan segala-galanya
Insyallah