In the last 4 days, Cara and I have had two almost sleepless nights. One when traveling to the UK, and one when traveling to The Netherlands. We are now in Europe, however and enjoying it a lot. Amsterdam is such a pretty city! If we haven't been updating you all on our adventures it is just because we have been catching up on valuable sleep.
Today we ride the train to Bruges in Belgium! Yay!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Delays!
Damned American airlines! And by that I mean United Airlines (and American, and US Airways). It seems pre-ordained that all internal American flights will be delayed.
Today we were taking a 45 minute fight from Newark in New Jersey to Washington DC. We were then going to wait a little more than an hour and fly from Washington DC to London where we would be met by my family. However our plane was delayed. At first it was delayed to leave at 8:25PM instead of 6:59PM, and it looked like we might make it. Then it was delayed until 9:00, then 9:55 and finally 10:30PM. We finally got into Washington Dulles Airport at around quarter to midnight. Our international flight to London had already left 2 hours before that. So we have now been booked into the 9:45 PM flight tomorrow, thus stranding us in DC for 24 hours. Right now we are in the Sheraton near the airport, and it is nearly 2AM.
Goodnight.
P.S. Here are a couple of photos:
Cara at a Hockey Game (Pittsburgh vs Florida, in Florida).
Me and Cara at Staten Island attempting to get a shot of us with the NY skyline and statue of liberty in the background but failing because the sun was too bright and the weather was too good. How can you possibly cancel and delay flights due to weather like this.
Me and some kind of Ankylosaurus.
Hopefully we don't get delayed too much tomorrow.
Today we were taking a 45 minute fight from Newark in New Jersey to Washington DC. We were then going to wait a little more than an hour and fly from Washington DC to London where we would be met by my family. However our plane was delayed. At first it was delayed to leave at 8:25PM instead of 6:59PM, and it looked like we might make it. Then it was delayed until 9:00, then 9:55 and finally 10:30PM. We finally got into Washington Dulles Airport at around quarter to midnight. Our international flight to London had already left 2 hours before that. So we have now been booked into the 9:45 PM flight tomorrow, thus stranding us in DC for 24 hours. Right now we are in the Sheraton near the airport, and it is nearly 2AM.
Goodnight.
P.S. Here are a couple of photos:
Cara at a Hockey Game (Pittsburgh vs Florida, in Florida).
Me and Cara at Staten Island attempting to get a shot of us with the NY skyline and statue of liberty in the background but failing because the sun was too bright and the weather was too good. How can you possibly cancel and delay flights due to weather like this.
Me and some kind of Ankylosaurus.
Hopefully we don't get delayed too much tomorrow.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Celebrities
Last time I was in America I went to two NBA games in Miami, and I saw Enrique Iglesias, Anna Kournikova and Tara Reid at the games. Since we were going to 3 NBA games and 3 NHL games I felt sure that we would spot a ton of celebrities. Especially at the two games in New York.
At Oakland I saw no celebrities.
At San Jose I saw no celebrities.
At Orlando and Fort Lauderdale I saw no celebrities.
At the New York Knicks game I expected to see director Spike Lee, as he is famed for having courtside Knicks tickets and going to every game. He wasn't there. Who was? They flashed up a New York Rangers player in the crowd (Henrik Lundqvist I think), and then a couple of NY Giants players (Sean O'Hara and some other guy). Not exactly star studded. Later in the game they showed Chaz Palminteri! Woo! Biggest star we had seen at a game yet. I think he might have been the cop in The Usual Suspects.
And then they flashed up Kim Kardashian, who became famous for being in a sex tape, and then became a reality TV star.
We had some celebrities, but they weren't exactly A-List. I mean, Jack Nicholson always sits courtside at Lakers games. It doesn't matter that the Knicks suck, surely Al Pacino shoulda been there.
(The Knicks game, by the way was a massive blow-out and was not very entertaining at all. They were down by 25 within the first 7 minutes or so, and they ended up losing by about 30. It was cool to be at MSG though.)
Then at the ice hockey, the Rangers game at Madison Square Gardens we finally got someone who is somewhat famous. Someone who you could bill as the star of a film and not have it bomb (maybe). It was Gerard Butler, star of such films as 300. Yay!
Also, did I mention that I spotted the guy from Psych in Vegas sporting a beard and a cap?
(And the Rangers game was incredibly good. They were in eigth place, but needed this win to cement their position in the playoffs. They were playing Philadelphia, a team a few spots higher than them. And it was a super close game all-game. The crowd really got into it, and so did Me and Cara, chanting "Lets Go Rangers", and "Flyers Suck!", and "Hen-Rik", and "Goal!". It was fun to be part of a dumb mob. Probably the most fun sports experience of the trip.)
At Oakland I saw no celebrities.
At San Jose I saw no celebrities.
At Orlando and Fort Lauderdale I saw no celebrities.
At the New York Knicks game I expected to see director Spike Lee, as he is famed for having courtside Knicks tickets and going to every game. He wasn't there. Who was? They flashed up a New York Rangers player in the crowd (Henrik Lundqvist I think), and then a couple of NY Giants players (Sean O'Hara and some other guy). Not exactly star studded. Later in the game they showed Chaz Palminteri! Woo! Biggest star we had seen at a game yet. I think he might have been the cop in The Usual Suspects.
And then they flashed up Kim Kardashian, who became famous for being in a sex tape, and then became a reality TV star.
We had some celebrities, but they weren't exactly A-List. I mean, Jack Nicholson always sits courtside at Lakers games. It doesn't matter that the Knicks suck, surely Al Pacino shoulda been there.
(The Knicks game, by the way was a massive blow-out and was not very entertaining at all. They were down by 25 within the first 7 minutes or so, and they ended up losing by about 30. It was cool to be at MSG though.)
Then at the ice hockey, the Rangers game at Madison Square Gardens we finally got someone who is somewhat famous. Someone who you could bill as the star of a film and not have it bomb (maybe). It was Gerard Butler, star of such films as 300. Yay!
Also, did I mention that I spotted the guy from Psych in Vegas sporting a beard and a cap?
(And the Rangers game was incredibly good. They were in eigth place, but needed this win to cement their position in the playoffs. They were playing Philadelphia, a team a few spots higher than them. And it was a super close game all-game. The crowd really got into it, and so did Me and Cara, chanting "Lets Go Rangers", and "Flyers Suck!", and "Hen-Rik", and "Goal!". It was fun to be part of a dumb mob. Probably the most fun sports experience of the trip.)
Thursday, April 9, 2009
New York
We have been very busy here in New York. I will list our activities as I can't be bothered with detail. Sleep beckons:
- New York Knicks Game (at Madison Square Gardens)
- New York Rangers Game (at Madison Square Gardens)
- Greenwich Village
- Washington Square Park
- Staten Island Ferry (goes right past The Statue of Liberty)
- We went up to "The Top of The Rock" at the Rockefeller Center (it gives a better view than the Empire State Building, because you can see the Empire State Building.).
- We went to the American Museum of Natural History (I saw dinosaurs).
- We went to the NBA Store, the NHL store, the Nintendo Store, and a bunch of others.
- Times Square
- World Trade Center Ground Zero.
- Wall St. (we just randomly explored and happened to find it!)
We still need to do:
- Central Park
- Madison Square Garden Tour
- Broadway Show
- Letterman Theatre
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, New York Annex
I tried to get Stand-by tickets to a taping of Letterman and they are on Hiatus for the week that we are here. This sucks cause free comedian/band/famous people would have been sweet.
- New York Knicks Game (at Madison Square Gardens)
- New York Rangers Game (at Madison Square Gardens)
- Greenwich Village
- Washington Square Park
- Staten Island Ferry (goes right past The Statue of Liberty)
- We went up to "The Top of The Rock" at the Rockefeller Center (it gives a better view than the Empire State Building, because you can see the Empire State Building.).
- We went to the American Museum of Natural History (I saw dinosaurs).
- We went to the NBA Store, the NHL store, the Nintendo Store, and a bunch of others.
- Times Square
- World Trade Center Ground Zero.
- Wall St. (we just randomly explored and happened to find it!)
We still need to do:
- Central Park
- Madison Square Garden Tour
- Broadway Show
- Letterman Theatre
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, New York Annex
I tried to get Stand-by tickets to a taping of Letterman and they are on Hiatus for the week that we are here. This sucks cause free comedian/band/famous people would have been sweet.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Philadelphia Airport
The plan today was to get up at 3AM, head to Fort Lauderdale Airport, catch a 3 hour flight to Philly, wait for 3 hours, and then fly for half an hour and get to New York at 1PM. This would have given us a lazy afternoon to acclimatise ourselves with the city before going out for dinner.
Instead we got into Philly almost an hour early at 8:10AM. We were ahead of schedule! But then the pilot told us that they were experiencing delays at Philly airport and we had to wait on the tarmac for about half an hour. Then we got into the airport, and after waiting for about 3 hours we saw that our flight was delayed. After a few more hours we saw that our flight was canceled. We managed to get to transferred to another flight, which was leaving at 4:45PM, and we were flying in a tiny propeller plane! We finally made it to our hotel at around 7:30PM. Suffice to say we explored Philadelphia Terminal pretty well in that time.
We also started watching It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia on DVD while in Philly. It was pre-ordained!
Now I am pretty tired! Tomorrow we explore New York!
Instead we got into Philly almost an hour early at 8:10AM. We were ahead of schedule! But then the pilot told us that they were experiencing delays at Philly airport and we had to wait on the tarmac for about half an hour. Then we got into the airport, and after waiting for about 3 hours we saw that our flight was delayed. After a few more hours we saw that our flight was canceled. We managed to get to transferred to another flight, which was leaving at 4:45PM, and we were flying in a tiny propeller plane! We finally made it to our hotel at around 7:30PM. Suffice to say we explored Philadelphia Terminal pretty well in that time.
We also started watching It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia on DVD while in Philly. It was pre-ordained!
Now I am pretty tired! Tomorrow we explore New York!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Firsts!
Yesterday Cara and I drove down to the Florida Keys. Man that takes longer than I remember!
- I had my first lobster. It was delicious.
- I swam at a northern hemisphere beach for the first time (it may have been the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico.
- I ate at a Pirate themed restaurant (in the heart of old-school pirate territory) for the first time.
- Cara went into a Walmart for the first time.
It was a big day!
- I had my first lobster. It was delicious.
- I swam at a northern hemisphere beach for the first time (it may have been the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico.
- I ate at a Pirate themed restaurant (in the heart of old-school pirate territory) for the first time.
- Cara went into a Walmart for the first time.
It was a big day!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Lovely Morning
Miami has been relaxing and great, especially every morning. Me and Cara wake up at Kristian's house in Miami and we have lazily had breakfast and relaxed.
Yesterday we left the house at about 1PM, and went to the Everglades Safari Park. We saw a ton of Gators, took an airboat ride, saw a gator show and saw some alligator exhibits. Cara held a baby alligator called Snappy, I did not as I value my fingers:
Then we headed to a Mall where I bought Knicks tickts and a Kevin Durant Jersey, and Cara got a Jaromir Jagr Jersey. We then played Boom Blox with Kristian and Adriana before heading to South Beach for Dinner. We ate at a pasta place, and it was quite tasty! We then sampled the nightlife at a club called Mangos where we tried to dance until the wee hours (but there wasn't a lot of room to dance).
Our Disney adventure was also amazing. I finally got to go to the EPCOT center at Disney, which was always one of my dreams as a little kid. Here is me close to EPCOT (standing underneath):
And here is me farther away:
Me and Rafiki:
We went and saw a pre-season baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox at Disney. Here is our view:
We really enjoyed Disney a lot, but we were glad when it was finally done, because it meant that we would not be walking quite so much for a while. We picked up our rental car from the Doubletree resort at Disney (after a 45 minute wait for service), and then we drove our little Ford Focus to the Kennedy Space Center! However I had only written directions on how to get to the Sapce Center from the major highways, and not how to get to the major highways from Disney, so we spent a little bit of time "exploring" Orlando.
The Kennedy Space Center was just as amazing as I remembered it from my last visit, but they had now added an International Space Station experience that I didn't see last time. Here is me with a Saturn V rocket (the kind they used for the Apollo missions):
And Cara:
And here is a Space Shuttle sitting at launch platform 39A, all ready to be launched:
After enjoying the space center we sped down Florida's Turnpike towards Miami where we were greeted by Kristian and Adriana. They have been very gracious hosts.
Today Cara and I had planned to head down to the Florida Keys, but we slept in a little too much, and so instead we went to the Miami Seaquarium and South Beach. At the Seaquarium we saw Turtles, Sharks, Iguanas, Macaws, Octopi, Fish, Plesiosaur fossils, Seals and Sea-lions. There were also a couple of shows with animal trainers, dolphins and a Killer Whale. That was awesome. Lolita the Whale made some big splashes, and it was cool.
Tomorrow we will get up early and head to the Keys, followed by Fort Lauderdale and New York! Tonight we are staying in and Adriana is cooking us a traditional Peruvian meal! Woo!
Yesterday we left the house at about 1PM, and went to the Everglades Safari Park. We saw a ton of Gators, took an airboat ride, saw a gator show and saw some alligator exhibits. Cara held a baby alligator called Snappy, I did not as I value my fingers:
Then we headed to a Mall where I bought Knicks tickts and a Kevin Durant Jersey, and Cara got a Jaromir Jagr Jersey. We then played Boom Blox with Kristian and Adriana before heading to South Beach for Dinner. We ate at a pasta place, and it was quite tasty! We then sampled the nightlife at a club called Mangos where we tried to dance until the wee hours (but there wasn't a lot of room to dance).
Our Disney adventure was also amazing. I finally got to go to the EPCOT center at Disney, which was always one of my dreams as a little kid. Here is me close to EPCOT (standing underneath):
And here is me farther away:
Me and Rafiki:
We went and saw a pre-season baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox at Disney. Here is our view:
We really enjoyed Disney a lot, but we were glad when it was finally done, because it meant that we would not be walking quite so much for a while. We picked up our rental car from the Doubletree resort at Disney (after a 45 minute wait for service), and then we drove our little Ford Focus to the Kennedy Space Center! However I had only written directions on how to get to the Sapce Center from the major highways, and not how to get to the major highways from Disney, so we spent a little bit of time "exploring" Orlando.
The Kennedy Space Center was just as amazing as I remembered it from my last visit, but they had now added an International Space Station experience that I didn't see last time. Here is me with a Saturn V rocket (the kind they used for the Apollo missions):
And Cara:
And here is a Space Shuttle sitting at launch platform 39A, all ready to be launched:
After enjoying the space center we sped down Florida's Turnpike towards Miami where we were greeted by Kristian and Adriana. They have been very gracious hosts.
Today Cara and I had planned to head down to the Florida Keys, but we slept in a little too much, and so instead we went to the Miami Seaquarium and South Beach. At the Seaquarium we saw Turtles, Sharks, Iguanas, Macaws, Octopi, Fish, Plesiosaur fossils, Seals and Sea-lions. There were also a couple of shows with animal trainers, dolphins and a Killer Whale. That was awesome. Lolita the Whale made some big splashes, and it was cool.
Tomorrow we will get up early and head to the Keys, followed by Fort Lauderdale and New York! Tonight we are staying in and Adriana is cooking us a traditional Peruvian meal! Woo!
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