I realised that I had not seen one person smile in LA yet. I feel so shagged out that I almost want to come home. However, the English stiff upper lip prevails and I get a cab out to the airport for my domestic flight to San Jose. The cabbie was cool and very friendly. …
Monthly archives: June 2006
Flying to San José
We fly in a cool looking American Eagle jet. Flying over the rough, red West Coast is really special. The plane swoops and soars like a real bird and we get a great view of the mountains and the desert. There is a big fat blob next to me and I am jammed against the …
Immigration (part 2)
I get VIP treatment again by immigration on the way to my San José flight. As I am filed through, my ticket is checked. There is a special code on it: SSSS, which is highlighted in yellow and initialled by the first immigration officer. I am rushed into the middle of a special queue. Shoes …
Downtown LA
I left the Biltmore Hotel to go and get some breakfast. I was tired and felt a bit wobbly and very hungry. After the twenty five minute wait for a cup of coffee in the hotel, I thought it would be easier to go out for breakfast and get a feel for this part of …
The Biltmore Hotel
For looks, one of the grandest hotels I’ve stayed in. For service, definitely the worst. The Biltmore Hotel is a 1920’s Neoclassical style building. It looks a little austere on the outside, but inside are intricate carved stone and wood pillars and panels. Painted and stained glass ceilings, which give a sumptuous warm feel. The …
Landing in LA
Landing in LA Woohoooooooo!
I’m in Santa Cruz
Out of the panoramic windows of my Catherine’s house, all I can see is an estuary full of cormorants and pelicans, the beach, a lighthouse and this big golden thing in the sky called the California sun. It is foggy in this shot. Santa Cruz gets a fog in the early morning and evening as …
San José airport
I get a good vibe at San José airport. People wearing smiles, and meeting Catherine and the laid back Sani, mellows me. I no longer feel like flying back to the UK, and get a really nice buzzy feeling about the coming days of my trip. That feeling proves not unfounded. The two men in …
Lost my phone in El Segundo
I exit the airport a bit spaced out. I sit outside and have a cigarette in the muggy evening atmosphere. Smelling jet fuel and looking at planes taking off. I decide to give Catherine a call, but I can’t find my phone. I’m shaking my head at the thought of having left it in immigrations. …
LAX
We land in a foggy LA. On my walk down to immigration, I get questioned by an immigration officer: “Who are you with?” “I’m on my own” “On your own? Who’s that?” Pointing to my guitar shaped flight case. “That? That is a guitar…” “That’s a guitar?” “Yes, that is a guitar…” “What are you …
Over Canada
We cross Canada. Winnipeg. I think of Kari Wynn. Winnie. Hottest girl at my Secondary school. I used to sit behind her in the coxed fours on the Thames on a Thursday afternoon. She has, or maybe had the best bum ever. The benchmark bum. The bottom line. Whatever, it was beautiful, as was the …
Fantastic Plastic
I find my airline meal under a load of fantastic plastic sculptures that makes up the packaging. However, I am unable to eat the food as after I have removed the packaging, my fork, even with my arm fully extended, is unable to reach over this landfill nightmare in my lap to the plate. Instead …
Stupid Bitch
The stupid bitch in the seat in front of me is moaning like a stupid pin head. She whacks the seat down hard into the reclining position, spilling my wine. I join the drinks party by the rear emergency door. Every now and then a hostess comes by with the drinks tray. It’s almost like …
I’m off
I’m on the plane. Miles to destination: 5448 Flying time: 10hrs 12 mins Estimated arrival time: 18:50 (LA time) We are 20 minutes late and not off the ground. Who cares? We swing into the starting block. Phoom! Go the jets and we bounce forward. Aelerons hard down. The grasses on the verge flatten and …