Holidays in Orlando

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Wednesday 21st Dec - Jacksonville to Orlando

Deciding to skip breakfast turned out to be a big mistake as we didn't get to eat until 6pm at Dennys yet again. The Megabus stop was in the middle of nowhere in Jacksonville. We had a surreal conversation with a young 20 odd year old German girl at the local bus stop who thought it was so brave that we'd quit our jobs and couldn't understand how we could afford to just go travelling. This wasn't the first or last time we had such a conversation. People seem to think we're back living in the 1930s which is a little bizarre.

Orlando was even hotter and I felt more like a proper backpacker walking down the street in shorts, tee shirt and flip flops. After a nice sweaty walk we hit lucky and booked into the Rosen Inn on International Drive which turned out to be a good place to stay at 50 bucks a night.

Thursday 22nd Dec - Orlando

Having checked in last night we were sent to the concierge's desk for our welcome pack which turned out to be getting signed up for yet another time share pitch dressed up as "Vacation Ownership". We received an $80 discount off our Universal tickets for the priviledge. Thursday turned out to be a very quiet day. After our 3rd day in a row at Denny's we realised we'd had enough. Sitting by the pool gave me a chance to make a start on one of the books I'd been lugging round for the last 4 weeks, "Chasing Che" by Patrick Symms. The story of an American journalist following in the footsteps of Ernesto Guevara and Alberto Granado nearly 50 years after their epic trip after which Che wrote the Motorcyle Diaries adventures. I'm nearly half way through this excellent book now and have quickly come to realise that I write like a child in comparison to the highly educated and travelled literatist, doctor, marxist guerilla.

Friday 23rd Dec - Orlando

A 6.45am alarm call and it almost felt as if I was back at work again but the similarity ended shortly after the alarm went off. Today was time share pitch followed by Universal. Nearly 3 hours after arriving at the Resort Golf Club and we had our Universal tickets. Selling time share must be one of the worst jobs going and I'd rather be an estate agent than do that job. At least then you'd be selling something that's real and not an apparent con. After telling the American lady who'd been pitching us for nearly 2 hours that we weren't interested, we were handed over to a youngish Puerto Rican woman who gave us the hard sell resulting in us almost having to swear at her to get her to call it a day. Universal was packed in what is supposed to be the off season. We experienced Terminator, ET, MIB, Jaws, The Mummy and Disaster rides come shows in what is most definitely a one off park. Getting in at around 8pm and we were whacked out after a full day in the sun.

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Photos

Loews Portafino Universal
Riding our vespa's