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Published: March 30th 2008
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Houston city fountains
Not a very tourist friendly place, no internet cafes, public phones few and far between and a huge city with no people! Unites States
Houston - Well after being excited about getting here for the country concert and ice hockey and space centre, caught bus and train and walked to hostel and then got there 2pm after 3 hours journey from airport to be told I can’t check in until 5pm - thanks for telling me that on the net! Otherwise, I quite like Houston, mix of Africans, Latino and Cowboys living in leafy suburbs and heaps of sport. Locals will have a chat to you on train which isn’t big city attitude and generally friendly. I feel safe walking around albeit lonely because weird thing is there are no pedestrians even though footpaths everywhere. Not even downtown which I just thought was Saturday but locals tell me it’s always which is weird. Also, public transport is meant to be bad, I thought it was great, but I am staying near only metro line available and buses apparently can’t be trusted.
Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show - great, different to our rodeos, extra events I saw are, calf scramble (bunch of kids and bunch of calves and you catch it you keep it), chariot races, and 4 man horse team separating catching and
Houston Rodeo
Buttttt.... they did have the Livestock and Rodeo show while I was there which was awesome! branding a steer. Had a turkey leg that could’ve been from an ostrich, and there was a bbq on a semi trailer! Partied in the Astrodome which was built in 60’s and first had fake turf which is where we get the name Astroturf from the Houston Astro team who played there.
Houston Museum Area - had a lazy day and sussed out which museums to go to and it turned out the Health and Childrens Museum seemed the best. Spent all day at Health Museum though, learned about DNA and all bits of human body as well as saw a cow eye dissection and heart dissection which were both cool and gross.
Houston Aeros Ice Hockey - paid for a good seat and then the stadium was only ¼ full, good game where guys only woke up 3-0 down and came back to only lose 4-2 but exciting last period.
Houston Space Centre - after a scary ride out with a lady driver who didn’t know where she was going and had to keep getting passengers to give her directions. But then a great day, other than being ‘spring break’ and having a hundred children and heaps of queuing,
Houston Rodeo
And weird events like the calf scramble, catch a calf and it's yours! but I was lucky and got done all that I wanted basically. A tour through Mission Control, seeing Saturn V rocket which is 363 feet tall/long and when built in the 60’s was highest structure in Florida, and Neutral Buoyancy Lab (which is huge pool and closest thing to zero gravity they have), theatres, moon rocks, spacecraft and mockups.
Los Angeles - again, have to talk about flight. I am just about over my fear of flying, well at least as close as anyone shit scared of flying can get. Buuuuttttttt, when the teenage girl beside me was checking her phone the whole flight I ended up asking her if it was a phone, she casually replied yes and I said she had to turn it off because it could make us crash and I didn’t want to crash today! So, made it safely and met an old friend and had dinner down at Hermosa Beach which was lovely, too short a time to catch up but hey, that is going to be life for me in a couple of weeks.
Fiji
Nadi - pronounced and sometimes spelt Nandi. Can I start with the flight again. Well this time,
Houston
And only in America do you need a semi to tow the BBQ! not really the flight, slept ok throughout night and watched beautiful sunrise and then finally lost my luggage! After all my travels though, this would have to be the best time to lose it, only a day from home. Got few dollars to spend for essentials and didn’t even spend it all. So, planning the day in Nadi turned into shopping half day, then resting the ave and having a dinner cruise with dance and culture show including fire dances and flame throwing and traditional dinner which was nice. Locals here remind me of Africa - Bula all the time, how are you, where you from, buy something from me But at the same time, genuinely friendly and want to be my boyfriend or husband or just simply and directly have a fun time. Was shocked also at the amount of Indian people here, mostly running shops and businesses.
Australia!
Finally home and it was exciting to see homeland for first time in 12 months. Then exciting to see G’day Welcome to Queensland and idioms poster of Australia with cobber, mate, Johnno, Davo, dunny etc etc. Glad to be home! Oh then though, missed flight to Townsville, got
Houston Rodeo
But then, if the turkeys are this big maybe they do! one hour later, which was then delayed another 45 mins - felt like I was never going to get home at one stage! Finally made it to meet family and literally new additions at airport.
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