Tagtransit

Day 7: To the Air

We got up about 7:30 and took the shuttle to the airport. It was only about 20 minutes and 6$. It’s nice the Venetian contracted with the operator. An Auntie Annie pretzel and one last spin on the slots later (won 2.75) we were on our way to San Francisco.

De-boarding the Ted flight was a unique experience. There was no mad rush to get off. It went quietly and orderly. BART was no problem into the Powell station. Some walking uphill later and we settled into the small room before exploring a small bit of chinatown. E was delighted with the soup noodles with roast duck and everything else was great as well. I had thought we just picked a random place but was told that the sign is the meats hanging in the window and not hidden away in the kitchen in embarrassment.

On the way to chinatown we discovered a coin laundry so we stuck the last weeks stuff in there and waited at the complementary napa wine tasting in the hotel lobby. The red was nice during the wash cycle, and the white during the dry. The lobby is very cozy with the christmas tree, warm victorian stylings, and a fireplace. Then it was bed … at … 7:30.

Day 1: Japan to Las Vegas

So we got up on Saturday and packed before heading off to Narita airport. There is some new “EZcheckin” system around now that is not quite easy. You have to scan your passport into a machine and stuff prints out behind the counter while the screen says to wait for an agent who doesn’t actually come without asking.

The flight went pretty great since we got two seats together without others in the row. The only isssues were the flight was long and there was a screaming child most of the time. The veggie food was a bit like mush barley that was grainy. There was no tv in the seats on this United flight and the one way way in front actually didn’t work.

We had a transit of about 6 hours in LAX and got a bit lost trying to get out of the airport to do something for the time and ended out wandering the gates for most of the time. They had a half-decent burrito place. It was packed there with so many people waiting to go away for family Christmas … something like 50 people waiting on standby everywhere. The staff were quite rudeish and finally got on the speaker and said “LOOK PEOPLE every place with water in Hawaii is covered with families, friends, lovers, co-workers, and dog walkers and you asking me about getting on this flight are not going to work … so STOP asking. We’ll call you. I’m also leaving and don’t even think about asking the next person either.”

We finally got off on a small plane for the less than hour flight to Vegas. Sitting next to us was an Air Force guy in uniform who kept touching eveything and looking shocked that his phone … yes, his phone … didn’t work (never having been near an aeroplane). He told the flight attendant he didn’t want anything to drink but when I ordered a giner ale he beckoned me to answer an urgent question: “I don’t understand the drink you ordered.” He then got one and liked it. He apologized that he was out of it because of the unexpectedly huge 2 hour time difference between Texas and California.

We got here and were bombarded with overpowering rose scented gaudyness. The suite is great though with a nice view (pix later). For dinner we went over to the Hilton which is falling apart and had Benihana. It was the only time I’ve ever had a bad meal there and we were sitting with some high school wrestling guys and their coach. That was okay until a huge group of heathers converged upon the place and chattered boomingly in that way that only that type is capable of. On the way back we got to experience the Strip covered with guys and gals pushing prostitute flyers in your face. Got to get a 7 dollar bottle of water downstairs before turning in after the very long day.