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Flying to the Other Side of the World...
What's the longest plane ride you've ever taken nonstop?
Los Angeles to Sydney has to be right up there. Ours was
a little over 14 hours, but the strangest thing is we left on
a Thursday and landed on a Saturday. I'm finding it very
strange to be a day ahead of my friends and family in the
US.
Like right now, it's 10:00 Wednesday night but 4:00
on Tuesday morning at my daughter's house in Colorado.
If I'm ahead by a day, why do I feel like I'm always behind?
I guess it's like learning a new language...until you get the
hang of it, you first think in your native language and then
translate it to the new language in your head before you speak
it. Eventually you actually can think in the new language.
Anyway, that's what I'm hoping. Thank God for the internet,
though, because I just downloaded a widget off of Yahoo
Widgets that puts clocks on my desktop for any big city in
the world! Just like in those fancy banks. So far I have Denver
and London (for all the UK friends I'm making on my social
networks) and I'm thinking about Perth since it's on the total
opposite side of the Australian continent. Cuts down on brain
damage, ya know?
Want to Super-size That?
Our flight was typical...crowded, noisy (a baby close by...
good practice for testing my patience since my grandchild
is due in June:) and LONG! They offered me five more inches
leg room as we checked in for just an additional $188.00.
I felt like I was at McDonalds (Would you like to supersize
that?) If you haven't flown in a while, wait 'til you see first class!
It blew me away! Now that's flying in comfort...
I'm NOT complaining though. The flight was smooth, landed
early and to watch my first sunrise on the other side of the world
was INSPIRATIONAL! Customs and Immigration was surprisingly
laid back...probably because Joe is an Australian (not like the
USA when Joe was turned back in Atlanta, GA.in 1981.
Haven't heard that story? It was an eye-opening American doozie!).
Unlike the last time I flew to Sydney 28 years ago, all of our
luggage made it, although the box we had to pack and send
because of our overweight suitcases (Watch part 2) was busting
at the seams. Nothing lost, however, that we know of.
Vices are Expensive in Australia...Monetarily and Psychologically.
Unintentionally, we got sidetracked by the Duty Free Store when
their 2 for sale on liquor (grog as they call it here) caught our eye.
It was the very pleasant sales woman that sealed the deal, convincing
us of the great bargains we were getting. As it turned out, it WAS a
good deal as liquor (especially American imported liquor) is VERY
expensive here.
Just as an FYI, cigarettes are expensive too. One pays dearly to
indulge in the vices here! (You should see the pictures
hey have on the cigarette packs!...warning of horrible diseases as
well as SHOWING pictures of them...totally gross!) I was surprised
to see small scale gambling as well, once again with warnings of
of the horrible affects of gambling addiction. (They make it hard to
feel good about vices here;-D)
Getting Lost... Easy to do In Sydney!
Getting a car to rent at the airport was fast and easy...Budget
priced (hah) and unlimited mileage. It was a perfect car to get
lost in Sydney for a couple of hours before we found the beach
we were looking for...Bondi Beach which was the first place my
hubby jumped into an ocean...EVER and so it brought up fond
memories for him. It now brings up fond memories for me!
Come back for part 4 as we'll take you on a tour of the 6th
sexiest beach in the world!
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