OTR
I’m on the road – specifically, on a bench at the San Jose airport which seems to be the only spot next to an electrical outlet in the whole place. (Wouldn’t you think? In the heart of Silicon fucking Valley?) I’m here in the interval before the 4:05 shuttle to Monterey.
Anybody else on the road? Or just out for a walk? Tell us stories of your travels.
I’m staying put here in Marina near Monterey.
Not this week, but last week I was in Las Vegas on business. Glad to be back in Seattle, even if it is cold. Safe travels!
The shuttle (which I’m now on) is going to be letting someone out in Marina.
I hate buses and planes, but I love trains. Maybe because trains have that space in the middle, where you face each other. I don’t know. Put me on a bus or plane and I’m very much needing to Get Off NOW after a few hours. Trains, I’m all “oh, are we there?”
The best trip I ever took was to Rome, Florence and Venice. I am normally a very anxious person and I get VERY STRESSED planning the best route if I have to go from one side of my city to the other; there, I was “today we will travel to Galileo’s house, we’ll work it out.” It probably helped that every where I looked there was a Michelangelo or Giotto or the tomb of Augustus.
I love trains too, like crazy.
I’m at destination, Cooper’s house near Monterey. A tough job but someone has to do it.
Trains are the best. Even with the silly Amtrak system here, I still love them. I wish that it were as easy in the USA to travel from city to city via train without even giving it much thought, but it is what it is. A nice train trip down to Seattle on a saturday morning, a day in the city, and then a comfy trip back up along the coast — heaven.
All of my travels today were dream travels. A dream trip to Oaxaca. A dream trip to the Canary Islands. You know how it is when you are dream traveling. You can eat dinner at home and pet the dogs and cats!
No travels today. Deskbound – marking exams.
This post of Ophelia’s has a side link to a discussion of LAX.*
I believe that at LAX they maintain a 24/7 round-the-clock antidecrappification team on constant alert to make sure the shithouse standards are fully maintained. And having read all the comments there*, and having been through the dubious joy of the Sydney-LAX trip twice, I can say with certainty “no story out of the bounds of credibility”. And as far as my travelling is concened, “never again!” Let me emphasise that: never fucking ever fucking ever fucking ever fucking ever fucking ever fucking ever again.
BUT my last entry to the US was a delight, being from Canada into Alaska by bus: point of entry a customs post near the headwaters of the Yukon River. The bus stops, the US Customs man gets on. “Everyone please hold up your passports. OK. Seems to me you’ve all got one…. Enjoy Alaska. Have a good day.” And off he gets. Total time elapsed to check the whole busload of foreigners without once leaving the front door step: no more than 30 seconds.
So my advice is, when travelling to the US, first go into Canada at an airport with a good reputation. Then by road to the border with Alaska. Then on to Anchorage. The domestic flights south to the Lower 48 are a breeze I am told. (Possibly even true for Anchorage-LA, though I would want watertight, rock-solid verification and infallible Euclidean proof before I would chance that.)
Footnote: we flew across next from Anchorage to Tokyo, and then home to Oz. And JAL is the best and friendliest do-anything-for-you airline in the world. (Free complimentary plug there….)
In my limited experience.
*http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/03/my-opinion-of-la-international-airport/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freethoughtblogs%2Fbutterfliesandwheels+%28FTB%3A+Butterflies+and+Wheels%29
When I’ve travelled by train, the workers are very pleasant, the train cars are clean, and there are such nice amenities like proper tables and electric outlets. Walking is fairly easy because the movements are predictable. It’s a good mode of transport for people with health issues.
I hadn’t thought of that aspect, Samantha. That’s a really good point, and another reason to expand train service in general (both regional as well as local light rail).