August 9 to August 12, 2011. Arrival + TORONTO tennis.

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Enjoying the flight time was the hardest thing! 22 hours with transfers, then running around organising banking and car rental with 60KG of bags to carry. I arrived off the plane in Chicago at 6:20pm but did not leave in the car until 9:30pm. It was hot, humid, and i am sure i was wreaking odour. I was extremely exhausted by the time i finally arrived at the hotel in Naperville after 10pm. The airport bus and shuttle drivers were excellent. They would help with all your luggage and seemed very happy to do so.

I got underway, but trying to tell yourself to drive on the right side of the road, and i do mean the right side, not the left, was just not working. Some idiot was up the wrong side of the road coming straight for me, then i realised the idiot was me. I picked it up proper(English slang) after a short time, which was good, but i still keep reaching over the wrong shoulder for the seat belt, and sometimes i activate the window wipers instead of the indicators, and vice versa. I get some strange looks let me tell you, when i do it.

The first thing i noticed is the oddly strategic placement of hand sanitiser machines. They are everywhere!

First night at the hotel was very good. I had budget accommodation but the reception crew were very friendly and helpful and it made all the difference. I had to have a beer, and a bite to eat, and i find this hot dog joint not too far away. Thats another strange thing! It was a drive thru, and a classy place to eat, but i have come to realise that no matter the restaurant, at least in the US, there is always a drive thru as well. Drive thru's for banking, information and various other things are very common all over the US, i was soon to find.

Unfortunately, i was so tired and excited, that i forgot to take my camera with me, and i wish i had because it was a very AMERICAN dining experience i wish now i had thought to share with everyone.

I had an early morning start if i was to arrive in Toronto with some time to spare for sight-seeing. I realised i had no idea how to pack luggage for foreign adventures, but it would have to be a work-in-progress thing, which it was.

I booked all my hotel stays in advance through expedia, and made sure i always had free parking, wifi, and buffet or continental breakfast included. i think i did well to not pay more than USD100 for any of my overnight stays. The drive to Toronto was long, and trying to get through Chicago without speeding was impossible. They drive FAST! Its a case of match their speed or get the heck out of the way. It was far too much stress to keep changing lanes all of the time, so i just went with the flow.

I stayed at a hotel called the Monte Carlo Inn, and it was niiice. For the price i did not expect all that much, but it was 4 stars at least, for me, and only 15 mins on the ETR into downtown Toronto, and the Rogers Cup tennis. I arrived in time to catch the evening session, and got to see the Clijsters V Peng match. Unfortunately Clijsters had a leg complaint, and i think it was early in the second set when it became too much, and she had to withdraw. Got lots of pictures, and had the first chance to relax and enjoy my time, so i was pretty happy.

I had a full day at the tennis on the 10th, and got to see Sam Stosur on court. Jarka, Sharapova, Ana, Kirilenko, the Williams sisters and many others were there on the practice courts when they were not playing. The top 25 women players in the world had all come to Toronto, so it was much more like a grand slam than a regular season tournament. I tried my hand at serving with the speed machine, and i was pleasantly surprised to see some crappy serving on my part still reaching 160kmh. I'd always thought my serve was very good, but that definitely confirms it. I even won a model car for my attempts. I am not sure what the model car was supposed to represent, but it was cool anyway. The tennis was great, the atmosphere was better, seeing and meeting the players was excellent. Its the first time i have attended a tennis tournament, and i have to say they hit the ball a lot harder and faster than it appears on TV. It's scary how good they are, but i suppose it should be expected.

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