The Venetian is a beautiful hotel, with disappointing canals packed full of 10,000 Conventioneers.  St.  Marks square lacks a McDonalds, as it should.  Unfortunately, canals just don't have a lot of charm when they are only a foot deep.

Venice is a stunningly beautiful city, with gorgeous canals packed full of 100,000 Americans on their two weeks vacations.  St.  Marks square prominently features a McDonalds.

Bellagio is the most expensive hotel on the strip.  Its highlights include fantastic mixed drinks and Cirque du Soleil "O", and a nice fountain out front. "O" is by far the most spectacular show I have ever seen.

Bellagio is a quaint little town on the edge of Lake Como.  It's highlights include a great view of Lake Como, a great view of the Alps and a great liquor store where one can pick up a supply of wine or Grappa.  However, there is no way this town can compare with the magic of "O"

There is the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triumph.  The food was mediocre and our waiter was a bit annoying.

There is the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triumph.  The food was great and everyone is a bit annoying.

You have to make fun of the French.

The casino has the Statue of Liberty, which the city and state of New York lack (the Statue of Liberty is sadly found in New Jersey).  There also is a pretty good pastrami on rye that can be found in one of the casino restaurants.

It lacks the internationally known symbol of liberty and freedom.  Fortunately, it more than makes up for it with an infinite variety of good food, nightlife that continues into the morning, and the Hogs & Heifers bar.

Slot machine that will take your money, and a wildly boring mall selling gap clothing.

Con-men (and women) that will take your money and a wildly exotic Bazaar selling camels legs and goat heads along with carpets and jeweled mirrors.

It's a pretty cool hotel - a stylish shiny black pyramid with a huge beam of light shooting out of it, up into the sky.  As you drive over the ridge, coming into Vegas, the hotel is one of the first things that catches your eye.

Luxor Egypt is probably the most Vegas like of the World sites.  It's certainly full of tourists and touristy things.  There are museums, shows, felucca rides, carriage rides, etc. 

But I've got to give it some credit.  As the sun sets, the Luxor Temple right along the Nile is magical.

I don't have a lot to say about the Mandalay Bay because it's not very exciting.  It has a vaguely tropical theme, but it doesn't look like they put much effort into it.  The hotel has one cool restaurant where waitresses have to perform almost aerobatic stunts to retrieve bottles of wine.  The hotel hosts big boxing matches on occasion.  Other than that, I've found nothing of interest.  It's not a bad place, it's just that the other recently built hotels are much more impressive.

The bus arrives at 6 o'clock in the morning.  Trees line the streets.  There is a lovely lake beside the town.  60 monks in orange robes walk across the street in a line.  It's a beautiful peaceful place.  Unfortunately, it's not Mandalay. 

We get back on the bus and drive 4 more hours to hot, ugly, miserable Mandalay.  Mandalay is hot year round.  The would-be open sewers are covered only by a bit of concrete.  Mosquitoes breed by the millions.  The tourist sites simply aren't worth seeing.  The fort is unattractive and empty.  The view from Mandalay hill is hazy and unexciting.  There are nice pagodas, but pagodas in neighboring cities are bigger and better.  The Mustache Brothers are the local comedians.  They're famous because two of the three brothers spent 7 years in prison for making fun of the government - unfortunately, as comedian they're not particularly funny.  The most exciting thing in town is Nylon Ice Cream Shop.  It's not particular exciting either, but at least the ice cream combats the heat a bit. 

A lot of parallels between these two.  They're both uninspiring and neither can compare against more impressive neighbors.  Mandalay Bay is unexciting - but that's better than Mandalay, which is unexciting and miserable. 

Long white, sand beaches.  Great parties.  Beautiful, fun, people. 

Honestly, I've never been in the hotel, but no hotel can compare with Rio de Janeiro.