Gremlin's Tall Stories

The day off on Friday isn’t… and I find myself leaving the office around 5pm on Friday afternoon, hadn’t packed yet, but at least I had sorted all the errands.

Dinner with family after a little packing, and I continue packing. Finish packing, shower etc, and I’m crawling into bed at 1am. Alarm rings far too soon at 2.30am. Changed into flight clothes, and since I made excellent time to the airport, arrived earlier than I needed. Flight departed just after 6am, but I was checked in by 3.30am with all the stores (and departures) closed. Doh, could have slept more.

Since I started packing, something had been gnawing at me… I was forgetting something, and I hate the feeling. Even when I do remember something, I keep thinking there is something else. On the way to the airport, I realise I have completely forgotten about some NZ stickers I had made for the bike. I figured it would mark me as a tourist (along with the NZ plate) but the benefits would outweigh the negatives. Once the duty free shops opened, it was hardly a worry. I picked up a couple for $2 each…

First time ever, as I was going through customs, I was double checked by a security officer, who wanted to feel me up with a paddle. A cramped puddle jump across to Sydney, but the Qantas 737-800 had screens in the back of every seat, so watched a movie and played with the flight info, some music etc. Breakfast was served, some nice cereal and yoghurt. Landing in Sydney, I was pulled again from the line up going through baggage scans… I’m starting to wonder if it was the black top, black jeans and close cropped hair… I was profiled somehow, I reckon.

Up to the Qantas Transfer Desk, where I’m abruptly told that they do not do United Airlines transfers (even though the flight was a Qantas-United codeshare). Ring the airline with the phone and number on the wall. No number for United, just “go to departure gate”. Unfortunately, it’s 8am and my flight doesn’t leave until 1.50pm, so there are no United staff on the gate and it’s a Canadian flight. I settle down to read an ebook, figuring I’ll wait until the gate opens, then figure it out from there. Before 12pm I hear my name being read out that I need to go to the Transfer Desk.

Across the terminal I go again, in excess of 1km, down to Transfers, only to be told, no, we don’t do United, but there is a 2nd Transfer Desk within 100m of where I had been sitting for hours. Crap…. Back across the terminal again and I arrive out of breath and the desk is closed…

Aussies huh? I go back to the gate again and it’s been transformed into a United check-in. Shoes off, bag checked and they finally provide me a boarding pass. A little more relaxed I hunt down some grub as I’m hungry again and end up chatting to a fair dinkum aussie bloke while we wait to be served. Going back to the gate was a laugh. My hands are full with a drink bottle and two plates containing food, I’d only seen the security guys a few minutes before, but they still wanted to see all the documents again, so I somehow managed it, only putting down my drink.

Watched a baggage handler fail at putting a container into our plane while boarding, the United 767 is old… only the handful of screens around the cabin. An old middle-eastern woman proves difficult, not understanding a word of English, but she had been loaded into the aisle seat while a woman and I are trying to get in. It takes a few minutes but we finally get her up (with mutterings of Allah) and we’re seated. Figuring this would be a pain in the arse during the flight, I mention it to the steward who says they will sort. I’m offered a middle emergency exit seat 2 rows ahead, and climb over the seats to get out… didn’t want to go through the problems with the woman again.

The flight, in a nutshell, is damn boring. 13 hours in a metal tube. “Dinner” is served an hour or so into the flight around 3pm and consisted of chicken with barbeque sauce. Mmm, I’ve had much better chicken before. Of course, in the USA it’s now evening. I recline and manage a few hours sleep, much to my relief. Then I watch a bit of a movie, try to sleep, yay, half the flight is gone. Ok… now what do I do for the other half? It passes painfully slowly, but I’m very happy to have the emergency exit seat, allowing me to stretch out. In the normal rows, my knees are hard against the seat in front, which isn’t comfortable for many hours.

A little more ebook reading, more trying to sleep, I think I snatch an hour. Finally, breakfast is served, fruit and yoghurt and comes with sugar and pepper packets?? The cutlery is specially designed to be anti-stab, and that includes things like grapes… The Qantas cutlery was actually surprisingly robust.

Finally we descend to LAX. I’m quickly off the plane and conversely, my luggage took it’s sweet time. Customs takes my finger prints, picture etc, but the final baggage check just takes the boarding pass, didn’t look at the luggage. Was surprised at that. I question an LAX info person, who shows me where to wait for my hotel shuttle, which despite their website saying ring us, they come past regularly. A bit of panic waiting wondering if I kept missing it, but it finally appears, and an easy drop off to the hotel down the road.

The LA Bike show is on, so a quick shower, feel much better and for the first time in my life, I grab a taxi. Long Beach would be over an hour away by public transport and LA is much like Auckland that most use cars to get everywhere. I want to get there ASAP to look at the show, so a taxi is my best option. I mention I also need a sim, so he takes me there first, switches off the meter while waiting and then takes me to the coast. US$64 ish for the ride, but you’re supposed to tip for everything here, so because he had been so helpful, I round it to $80.

My first very interesting taste of the US. While in T-Mobile, the guy helping me says he’s deaf in one ear because of shooting guns, hence he’s struggling to hear what I say. Says, you should definitely wear hearing protection… I haven’t fired a gun ever!? He checks if I’m here alone, and I confirm, so he advises that Pine Ave is best, usually after 11.30pm, but don’t start any fights as the cops are checking… I’m busy thinking… wow, these Americans sure are a new experience. I’m already being advised of the best places for hookers and I’ve been in the country for about 3 hours!

At Long Beach I search around the coast, trying to find the transport across to the wharf, but the “free” Aquabus was $1, and he couldn’t break a 20. At least the cabbie could break a 100. More hunting and walking and I eventually find the C Circuit, called Passport, which is free. Entry to the show is $20 and includes access to the Queen Mary. I was glad I hadn’t chucked my pocket knife into my backpack yet, as I was body patted and the bag searched. Weapons are evidently more common here than in NZ.

The bike show wasn’t as big as I expected, but customising bikes is extremely common. Most of the displays were for custom houses, showing what they could do. Yes, there were girls, and I got some pics for you. One or two weren’t bad, one was very fake… Also, too many older ladies thinking they could wear very little… urgh It’s summer, and it seems all the girls are wearing little clothes… some shouldn’t…

I go over to the Queen Mary, and spend an hour or two looking over the boat. They are doing the best they can to restore her to her former glory, and it’s quite an amazing effort. They have even built a room around the remaining propeller (including the underwater part) to showcase her remaining propeller. The sheer size makes looking around a long job.

Using the Passport again, I check with the driver about finding the metro lines, blue and green, which will take me back close to the hotel. I enjoy using the public transport when on holiday, where possible. First attempt to buy my $1.50 ticket fails, I admit to a person I’m a tourist, but he can’t make my $20 note work either. Must be a dud. I walk up a street, finding a 7Eleven, and I’m hungry again, so it’s good timing. Most of the drinks are weird names, but I find some stuff I know is Ok to eat.

Back to the train, more success at buying a ticket. Train lurches and rattles along the tracks laid in the centre of the streets, but seems every popular. You pay $1.50 when you get on, and how long you stay on is up to you. If you have to change line, you can, just pay another $1.50. Day passes available at $6. I needed two lines, so it cost me $3 to get back to the hotel, very economical. Buying the second ticket was also a failure. The machine wasn’t reading notes. A girl advises some cops below, who say they will inform the authorities. Of course, it doesn’t help in this situation. Get caught without a ticket, and you can be finded up to $250 and/or 40 odd hours of community service. I could chance it, but decide not to. I go onto the platform (which I shouldn’t unless I have a ticket, but go down the otherside to another machine, which does take my note.

More lurching down the tracks, even down the middle of the freeway, but the cars were a little quicker. The train did make a horrible whistling noise at certain speeds, which got annoying quickly enough in my short usage. Had my second beggar on the train system... I got used to not having it while in NZ. Looking at a paper map (gosh, they still have uses) I estimated where I should get off, and did so correctly. However, I used the wrong stop, going one too far, then made it worse by walking in the wrong direction when I finally got to the street I needed.

At least a couple of unnecessary kilometres, and returned to the hotel a bit puffed. I’m used to parking right outside where I need to be, which requires minimal walking I convinced myself it was good for me, and spend the last couple of hours writing this up and checking emails. The mobile still hasn’t connected to T-Mobile yet, and while the guy said it would be instant, he said he had also seen it take 24 hours, so we’ll have to wait and see.

I’ve uploaded 6 of the best pics, the rest can be found at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/K8jaVQcRkoEHxXyJ8

Tomorrow I might see if I can find more of the group I’m supposed to ride with… I haven’t seen one yet, including the one I’m sharing a room with.

Update: After posting this blog, I went off to get some dinner from one of the 3 restaurants on-site. Mariposas is open 5am-1am. A huge plate of food for $16.50 (including a tip) plus cheesecake desert. How convenient eh?