Strelnik: Loose in Las Vegas! Part 1 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

strelnik · #1 03-31-2011, 08:12 PM

I was seconded to go to Las vegas to attend four days of very boring meetings, for which I had to spend three days preparing.

I packed light and got on the plane, and spent the three hour flight talking to a very nice 25 year old nurse. We chatted and chatted after the flight as well, all the way through baggage claim. Then her sister came to pick her up.

I got my bag and made my way to the spot where the hotel shuttle bus would pick me up.

The shuttle arrived a few minutes later, and would wait there for 15 minutes in the event that other passengers were coming. In the meantime, I talked to the driver a little. I found out he couldn't speak much English, so we continued the conversation in Spanish, revealing some interesting things. His name was Evelio and he came from Cuba was an escapee from the mid 1990s, one of the "boat people." I told him about some of my activities in venezuela and Mexico, then the conversation went to various thoings and I asked him if there were any spots where I could get a good cup of coffee, Cuban or South American style.

Evelio knew of a place two blocks off the standard route and we set off, since no one else had shown up to get a ride.

We parked his shuttle bus in a strip mall parking lot and went into nthis very clean-looking bakery where all the baked goods were described in Spanish, sliced up in bite-sized pieces.

We chatted with the lady who owned the place, who had lost track of Evelio in second grade when they attended the same primary school in La Havana and met him in Florida, twelve years later! She had decided to try her luck with a bakery and coffee shop which was holding its own in the Spanish community.

Evelio and I chatted with Ipolita, (that's her name, very classical) and she made us EXCELLENT Cuban-style strong coffee without any rum in it. It was terrific.

We talked a little more, then things stopped for a minute, because......

The fruit carrier came in.

Let me explain.

Ipolita's daughter, 20 years old, came in.

I call her "the fruit carrier" because she was carrying the healthiest set of melons in a tight black T shirt that I have seen in some time....

On top of that, what a poetic first name.

Proserpina. Straight out of a Greek classic.

We chatted with Proserpina and Evelio brought up the age-old rivalry that exists between Cubans, Venezuelans and Argentinians.

Each believes they speak the true, pure version of Spanish, especially the Argentinians.

Each believes they grow and make the best coffee and I have to say, it's a tight race for first between the Cubans and the Venezolanos.

Each believes they have the prettiest women, and again, a toss-up between the Cubans and the Venezuelans.

Evelio told Proserpina that she could easily win a beauty contest when competing against Venezuelan girls. She smiled and....

When her mother left the room for a minute UP came the T shirt!

for just a second!

She just smiled and quickly pulled it back down. When her mother came back, she said her good byes and left.

Evelio and I said good bye to her mom, we got back in the bus and came to the hotel.

Evelio dropped me off with my bag and said in Spanish " Thank you for the coffee and the adventure! Next time you come to town, find me and we will do more!"

And off he went.

In the meantime, I checked into the hotel, went across the street to get some fruit and granola bars, and unpacked.

Proserpina....yummmmmm

End of Installment 1

layback40 · #2 03-31-2011, 08:43 PM

Great story. Waiting for part 2 !!
Does Nik get lucky with the nurse or the fruit carrier ???

MTI · #3 03-31-2011, 08:45 PM

Well, there goes the Las Vegas vistor's bureau's tag line . . .

engatwork · #4 03-31-2011, 09:08 PM

Where's the pics?

suginami · #5 03-31-2011, 09:34 PM

oooooh man! You can't leave us hanging. Where' part II?

Skid Row Joe · #6 03-31-2011, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engatwork

Where's the pics?

Yeah, without pictures - it didn't necessarily happen.

strelnik · #7 03-31-2011, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

Yeah, without pictures - it didn't necessarily happen.

Maybe I will stop at the coffee shop on Saturday, if popular demand dictates it.....

Skid Row Joe · #8 03-31-2011, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strelnik

Maybe I will stop at the coffee shop on Saturday, if popular demand dictates it.....

Hey, I hung out in the Starbucks on west Flamingo in Las Vegas in January, for the free WiFi up from the Palms, and saw some awesome sights - if ya know what I mean? I wasn't there for the overpriced coffee either.

We're like hungry dogs - you've got to feed us during petting and storytime.

strelnik · #9 03-31-2011, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

We're like hungry dogs - you've got to feed us during petting and storytime.

Patience, Grasshopper, patience

Edward Wyatt · #10 03-31-2011, 11:42 PM

Call me a nut, but one of my stops would have to be the Pawnstars pawnshop.

Txjake · #11 04-01-2011, 10:42 AM

To all non-believers, this is surely proof that there is a God and he wants us to be happy........

MTI · #12 04-01-2011, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Txjake

To all non-believers, this is surely proof that there is a God and he wants us to be happy........

Yes, the names of various deities are frequently invoked there . . .

cmac2012 · #13 04-01-2011, 04:32 PM

Yeah right, when he actually gets together with Prosperina, he should get out his camera and tell her he needs something to show his buddies what a hottie he met up with.

PaulC · #14 04-01-2011, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strelnik

I was seconded to go to Las vegas to attend four days of very boring meetings, for which I had to spend three days preparing.

I packed light and got on the plane, and spent the three hour flight talking to a very nice 25 year old nurse. We chatted and chatted after the flight as well, all the way through baggage claim. Then her sister came to pick her up.

I got my bag and made my way to the spot where the hotel shuttle bus would pick me up.

The shuttle arrived a few minutes later, and would wait there for 15 minutes in the event that other passengers were coming. In the meantime, I talked to the driver a little. I found out he couldn't speak much English, so we continued the conversation in Spanish, revealing some interesting things. His name was Evelio and he came from Cuba was an escapee from the mid 1990s, one of the "boat people." I told him about some of my activities in venezuela and Mexico, then the conversation went to various thoings and I asked him if there were any spots where I could get a good cup of coffee, Cuban or South American style.

Evelio knew of a place two blocks off the standard route and we set off, since no one else had shown up to get a ride.

We parked his shuttle bus in a strip mall parking lot and went into nthis very clean-looking bakery where all the baked goods were described in Spanish, sliced up in bite-sized pieces.

We chatted with the lady who owned the place, who had lost track of Evelio in second grade when they attended the same primary school in La Havana and met him in Florida, twelve years later! She had decided to try her luck with a bakery and coffee shop which was holding its own in the Spanish community.

Evelio and I chatted with Ipolita, (that's her name, very classical) and she made us EXCELLENT Cuban-style strong coffee without any rum in it. It was terrific.

We talked a little more, then things stopped for a minute, because......

The fruit carrier came in.

Let me explain.

Ipolita's daughter, 20 years old, came in.

I call her "the fruit carrier" because she was carrying the healthiest set of melons in a tight black T shirt that I have seen in some time....

On top of that, what a poetic first name.

Proserpina. Straight out of a Greek classic.

We chatted with Proserpina and Evelio brought up the age-old rivalry that exists between Cubans, Venezuelans and Argentinians.

Each believes they speak the true, pure version of Spanish, especially the Argentinians.

Each believes they grow and make the best coffee and I have to say, it's a tight race for first between the Cubans and the Venezolanos.

Each believes they have the prettiest women, and again, a toss-up between the Cubans and the Venezuelans.

Evelio told Proserpina that she could easily win a beauty contest when competing against Venezuelan girls. She smiled and....

When her mother left the room for a minute UP came the T shirt!

for just a second!

She just smiled and quickly pulled it back down. When her mother came back, she said her good byes and left.

Evelio and I said good bye to her mom, we got back in the bus and came to the hotel.

Evelio dropped me off with my bag and said in Spanish " Thank you for the coffee and the adventure! Next time you come to town, find me and we will do more!"

And off he went.

In the meantime, I checked into the hotel, went across the street to get some fruit and granola bars, and unpacked.

Proserpina....yummmmmm

End of Installment 1

There's a thousand pretty women waitin' out there

And they're all livin' devil may care...

TheDon · #15 04-01-2011, 11:23 PM

Awesome