LAS VEGAS — The Airbus 320 departed promptly at 6:50 a.m. Chicago time. Amid overcast skies and some light fog, the jet was supposed to fly the 1,415 miles in three hours and 40 minutes. I was tucked in seat 26-D, one of the 126 passengers of United Airlines flight 1551.
Just 10 minutes shy of its expected arrival, the plane landed at McCarran International airport at about 8:44 a.m. Las Vegas time. I then checked-in at the Excalibur hotel, which is just right across the street from the MGM Grand along Las Vegas blvd.
With my luggage safely ensconced at Room 11253, I zigzagged my way to the lobby, straight inside the waiting doors of a yellow cab. With the Wynn just an $11 ride from Excalibur, I put on hold my rental reservation for a sports utility vehicle, a $75-a-day luxury.
The final pre-fight press conference was about to start when I weaved my way around a jungle of chairs and tables at the Mouton ballroom of The Wynn. Salven Lagumbay of CDN ushered me to a spot directly in front of the main podium.
I barged in a table already occupied by sportswriters Recah Trinidad (PDI), Abac Cordero (Philstar), Nick Giongco (Manila Bulletin) and promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud, who greeted me with the genial enthusiasm of an old friend.
Food was abundantly in excess, but I chose to nourish myself with just a salad, fried potatoes and a harmless cube of chocolate cake. Servers dressed in power black suits hovered around the tables. I winked at one of them and he came scurrying, before filling my cup with steaming black coffee.
At around 1:40 p.m., just as the press conference was winding down, I climbed the podium, and with the help of Wakee, I had a chitchat and photo-op with PacMan. Someone from Top Rank facilitated my handshake and photo-op with El Terrible.
With my digital camera left behind in Chicago, Salven came to my rescue. He proved adept at these photo sessions, very patient with our poses, flashing all the way.
Salven and I left the Wynn at around 2:15 pm. Ram Navales, a nephew of retired police colonel Dodie Navales, gave us a ride to Walgreens, where our pictures were developed. Ram, recently married and now a Las Vegan, is an avid Pacquiao fan who came to the presscon.
While the photo technician worked on Salven films, we crossed the street at Stardust and settled in the bar of the dimly-lit Starlight lounge. I had the usual Rum and Coke, while Salven struggled with one Heineken.
Somewhere between my second and fourth glass, dyAB called and so I yapped on-air at Arangkada with Leo Lastimosa.
The pictures turned out to be a splendid work of art. I happily let my Visa card take care of the $19.98 developing fees. With the pix in hand, I treated Salven to sumptuous dinner at Bally’s, where he is staying.
For $18.95 each, we feasted on clams, salmon, shrimp, fried chicken and stir fry noodles. We were so full we left no room for dessert.
At around 5:42 p.m., the irresistible June Rabin of Y101 called while I was in the middle of wiping out a bowl of shrimp cocktail. June is a superstar deejay, whose intrusion I didn’t mind as I gladly reported live at Cebu’s top FM station.
It was 7:15 when I left for Kinko’s to e-mail pictures to Sun.Star. At around 8:30 p.m. I was in my room, pecking my stories for the day. I don’t know what time it was, but all I remember at around 1 a.m. was zzzzzz. (HDS)
