Advertisement
Published: January 13th 2011
...started the day out in Los Angeles after a good nights sleep for the patient. Only woke once for pain meds at 1.30 am and then went straight down again...
Up at 7am and decision time... what to do! Travel agent is on New Zealand time, travel insurance is in Singapore (we think) so co-ordinating contact and planning is proving just a little difficult. Big ups to the travel agent, Fiona, she is doing an awesome job to help out. Situation is that the boy still ain;t up to travelling and both the doctor and the travel insurance people are advising against travelling for another couple of days and on top of that he is still in some discomfort. Decision made - we simply cannot travel.
Having said that it will be frosty day in hell before I stay another night in a Westin Hotel...thieving p*&^%s! Appreciate that they are a hotel chain catering more to corporate groups and clientelle but even so... we know never to use the hotel phones but as for some reason the cell phones would not get out from the hotel and we were in something of an emergency situation had no option but to use them to liaise with travel insurance company. Bill this morning for phone calls was $270.00US, 5 of which had not connected but each charged at $33.53 each. Had a discussion with the front desk and got these removed but the call that did connect for 15 minutes was billed at $85.00US. Also first place that does not have internet availability so had to pay for that, admittedly was only $13.00 but regardless. There is so much more I hated about the Westin but there is a time and place for that...not here.
Decision made, now 7.30 am, need to vacate Westin by midday and we have nowhere to go and no means of getting there. Gotta love the internet. Alamo rentals, old friends now, sorted us a car from LAX and booked into the Homewood Studio apartments down towards San Diego by 9.00 am. Sandy finalised packing and I jumped a shuttle to LAX, where I jumped another shuttle to the rental car company, collected another car...torn between a Dodge Charger and a Chrysler Malibu and ended up going with the Chrysler as it has a bigger boot and we need it now. Did want the Charger and did 'test' drive it around the lot before going back for the chrysler. With guidance from Yoda or some other supernatural force actually managed to find my way back to the hotel where collected the kids, better half and luggage...laid a patch on the forecourt of the Westin and gave it the bird as drove away... well, I did symbollically by thinking about doing it.
Sandy had directions to Homewood Studios sorted and a few minutes later on some freeway heading south. Reubs saw the 'Hollywood' sign on the hill in the distance...scratch one more off his bucket list...and kept moving south. Great weather, nice drive with some good scenery on the 110 mile drive. Looked at the Pacific from the other side for a change.
Directions written by Sandy worked brilliantly, but recording a left hand turn as a right hand turn did cause a minor set back at the end but easily resolved. Reubs had had real agony again as we drove over some hills and the atmosphere changed so first call was to find more medical attention. Got set up in Homewood Studios about 2 pm and soon after on our way to a nearby hospital, Scripps. Spent an hour or so getting registered and set up and then an hour or so later got seen by a doctor. Fantastic hospital, great staff and took real confidence from their efforts and advice. In short ear infection clearing, but sinuses an issue as also infected and this is where his pain is coming from. This however is not a bar to air travel so we have been cleared to travel and with advice on how to deal with the sinus issues. And only cost $100...absolutely stoked with the service here.
Reubs brighter and wanted food so ended up in a food court in a flash shopping centre that may have been in La Jolla...but I really don;t know. Kids had dinner about 7.30 pm alongside an ice hockey rink where there was a game on in full swing...bit of humour and they loved it. Caitlin thought it was hilarious...so did I when they started some hand bag swinging...
Now back in our new accomodation and waiting for further contact from our travel insurers with some solutions or options. There is nothing else we can do now. Kids sound asleep and fingers crossed that they both sleep through. This a far better set up and is actually considerably cheaper than the Westin even far better appointed and much larger wth more beds and a kitchenette and living room etc... and free internet and parking etc.. will get some indication soon hopefully of how long we are here before can get flights so will start planning some stuff for while we are here... someone told the kids about Legoland...thank you Craig! But there is clearly plenty of other things to do here and we will not waste the days.
...and in summary that is how we spent our 20th wedding anniversary! Romantic dinner with the better half was at a foodcourt alongside an ice hockey game and was an average Indian dish of some sort... what a trooper she is!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.077s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 13; qc: 23; dbt: 0.042s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1mb
Richard King
non-member comment
Mexicali!!!
Only one must-do when in San Diego, drive a few minutes over the border in Tijuana and experience some Mexican culture, and leather accessory shopping (remember to barter). Oh..San Diego Zoo is world famous too..