Sunday, October 07, 2007 Las Vegas Diary: A ‘Sherpa’ in the car
LAS VEGAS - A red Nissan pick-up hummed quietly along Russel Road in this bustling city. It was 9:10 a.m., traffic was light, and I was in the driver’s seat of the four-wheeled, stick shift contraption.
I was on my way to the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for Day 2 of my journey to cover the Pacquiao-Barrera redux.
I made a wrong turn at Jones St and got lost quickly in a maze of cross streets. But I found my way without losing too much ground, and gas. A Sherpa guide would have been proud.
I sauntered around the Mandalay Bay for a while, people watching, and looking for celebrities that might have been game for an interview. There were none of those creatures, so far.
I went to the media center at 10:30 to surf the Web and glance at my articles at sunstar.com.ph.
Lunch was served for credentialed writers at 11:00 am. It wasn’t gourmet food, but it was absolutely free.
And like my sportswriting bretheren, I went to the arena to attend the official weigh-in at 2:30 pm, which was open to the world.
Without much fanfare, the hoopla ended when both protagonists checked in at 130 pounds, although Manny visibly had problems, while Barrera appeared like he could tackle a marathon.
After making drafts of my articles for today’s issue, I retreated in the not-so-quiet comfort of a Denny’s Restaurant along Las VegasBlvd., a 10-minute drive from Mandalay Bay.
Famished, I feasted on my favorite — chicken wings drenched with lemon juice and bath in Tabasco sauce.
The Tabasco sauce made me so hot I felt like Brad Pitt.
With a bulging tummy, I crawled back to the trusted Nissan and drove to the Mandalay Bay.
What followed next was a series of meetings with powerful and famous people.
And just like that, Day 2 of my Vegas sojourn came to pass. (Homer D. Sayson)
