Advertisement
Published: June 14th 2006
My Ride
My ride for the start of the trip of my life...Wow - what a strange few days... From stressing my ar5e off, to trying to get everything packed to saying goodbye to people (without it really kicking-in how long it will be) to suddenly being on a plane following the sun, staying awake for over 24 hours...
Really screwed with my head! Still not really kicked in! I was up at 7am. Then after a goodbye (trying to hold back the upset) I leave the UK on a Boeing 747 at 12pm. I fly 6000 thousand miles, watch three movies and land at 2pm... LOL Damn timezone crap - really messes with my head!
The flight alone was amazing though! The food was very good, so were the film/TV choices, but the best bit by far was the views. It was mostly clear blue skys for the 11 hour flight - all in the midday sun! I saw so many amazing views! I could see for hundreds of miles, 3 miles up travelling at 500+ mph! Flying over built up areas you would be lucky to see even a coach (like a speck of dust!).
Occasionally a plane would fly past in the opposite direction - WOW!!! Never
Ice n 'bergs...
Although you can't see the detail in these photos, the ice sheets forming up and the icebergs were amazing! seen something move so fast - a combined head-on speed of over 1000mph!!! Buckle up!! LOL
The terrain below at 3 miles up was amazing! The colours, patterns, apparent textures, always changing. One of the best highlights was flying over the coast of Greenland. I saw icebergs, white tips and then the huge turquoise underwater parts. Then the ice sheets. First broken up in tiny pieces - looking like polystyrene balls, collecting together like after a broken beanbag! But as we progressed, forming up, to finally create a constant surface of amazing shapes, created by the breaking and reforming of the ice. Was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen... And it was just frozen water... Always the best - the simple things!
I watched the ice fields for ages. And then came the coast of Canada and America - huge expanses of flat land dived up into huge grids for agricultural plots. Makes you realise just how huge Canada and the US is!
We then flew over Mount Rushmoor (didn't get to see the Presidents' heads wrong side of the plane) and then the Rocky Mountain range. Then Arizona and Nervada desert. Again
Ice sheets!
The way the ice sheets had broken up and formed again created an amazing pattern! amazing landscapes from that height! At one point we went over a huge lake being used by boats - the white wakes created looked like tiny sperm (like you see under microscope) it is the only way to describe it - you will see when I upload the pics!
We then flew past Vegas - it is a HUGE city in the middle of arrid desert and mountains! I felt like grabbing a parachute and jumping - but I would have to wait another 6 hours to get there!!
I landed at LA airport at 3pm local time, which was actually 11pm my body clock time.. And it started to show...
I first went and bought some Oakley sunglasses for about 40 pounds - rather than 90 in the UK! And as I went to pay I was asked for my ID... Passport... In plastic wallet.. Left on a chair in arrivals as I tied my shoe laces! DOH!!! (Well actual F********CK!!!!) Ran my arse off to get to the seat and find a guy going through my folder to find out who I was - thank fully... Or was it...? (Hear later...)
Back to buying
Lake with sperm in it...
This was the lake with boats creating white wakes that from 30,000 feet looked like sperm under a microscope - maybe you had to be there! ;-) nice new Oakleys! And then into a bar for my first experience of the American bad service... Sat at a bar far too long without any service.. And maybe it was the tiredness, but decided "F*ck it!" and walked out.
Next bar was being served by nice Cuban guy - good friendly service. Definately an abassor for the immigrants case! And it seemed that way though out my experience of the US!
Mind you met some really nice Americans too. Two nice guys in the bar - were flying to London and didn't know the tipping procedure... In the US they tip everyone for everything! Let them know the score and chatted for a few beers. Got some tips from one of them about some people in Hawaii. Ended up feeling pretty p1ssed! Think it was the lack of sleep! Still very much day light after being awake for soo long!
Then finally got my flight to Vegas at 6.30pm local time. Flew close to the strip - less/smaller than I expected (this was before I tried walking it!!!). Got in to Vegas airport about 8pm, walked out to get a bus and BAM! The heat (no
Vegas Strip
Las Vegas' strip - I would be down there walking it in the 40C heat tomorrow... a bus) hit me, even at that time of day it was sooo hot!
Tried to get a shuttle bus (with my snowboard bag) and suffered the crap service again... Starting to hate the US already... Thought I might have to get a stretch limo to get my stuff to the hostel!! How ironic -paying 50 pounds for 3 nights, being really frugal & then arriving in a stretch limo for one person!!! LOL Luckily got a cab - forgot how HUGE cars are in the US!
Got to the hostel 8pm - for me it was 4am. Chceked in. Seemed nice enough - pool, hot tub, nice people. Shared a room with 5 other guys and shared one bathroom. Stayed up chatting and drinking around the pool & hot-tub to lots of Irish & Scots. Finally went to bed 2am local time (refused the offer of going to the Strip with the Scottish guys). So went to bed 10am UK time, after being awake for 27 hours - feeling pretty 'harcore' LOL Apparently I am 30 next year!! All in the mind!! LOL
Anyway have to go to tell them to turn the music down so I can go to bed now - kidding - off for another beer and letting someone else use this PC - been typing this up for about an hour!!
Missing everyone!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.04s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 7; qc: 26; dbt: 0.0211s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Wendy Bunning
non-member comment
Sounds great!!
Glad you had a great flight xx