The US Trip and all the travels

Starting of the year 2009, I’ve been travels quite a lot; by a lot I mean seriously lots. As such, I had almost 20 flights in less than a month. However, from all the travels some has special memories.

One of them is the US trip (June 8^th – 24^th)

My holiday itinerary starts with an early flight to Singapore at 6.15 am from Jakarta, we’re a group of eight, and they are my grandma, my uncle’s fams (his wife and their kids).

Everything was as good and subtle as it planned, until we had to rush to the next flight and my cousin had to smoke somewhere and long story one of my cousin was missing when we supposed to board to Tokyo and we missed that flight. Really, at that time I don’t even able to get pissed because everyone already so pissed. Fortunately, after a very long discussion with the Singapore Airline crew, we can transfer to the next flight which is the next day and we stay over Singapore that night.

FYI we decided to leave our luggage at the airport so imagine I have nothing to wear for tomorrow and I have to buy new clothes and since ours are promotion ticket we have to buy the whole new ticket return (lucky we can just pay the fee which is US$ 150/head) better than buy the new one but still.

The next day we’re finally heading off to LA, the flight to Narita, Tokyo was 9.40 am. We’re telling my cousin thousand times where the exact gate and time so the yesterday incident would never happen ever again. That was a six hours flight and I spend most of it watching movies. Then we transfer to another flight and LA here I come ….. (a long long flight).

DAY 1

Arriving at LAX airport, my cousin who supposed to graduate in a few days picked us up and after an hour drive we got to Irvine, where he and my aunt live. I was so sleepy and jet lag however I need to stay awake to suit with the local time. We head off to a Korean mall and have lunch and drop all the luggages. My aunt asked me to join her to pick up her daughter (one of my American cousin) from child care and looking around some more. Nice town and scenery, lots of hills and the weather were pretty chilly (it supposes to be summer). At dinner time my uncle have a bbq welcome party for us, there were lots of foods - fillet mignon and steaks and we went to the yoghurt place called Yogurtland (yummy) and then home and sleep.

DAY 2

We spent the whole day shopping at the Cabazon (branded factory outlet) this place is definitely heaven on earth. I bought several bags and accessories and went home with a huge smile on my face. Today we have breakfast in a place called iHop (the best pancake in town, but I choose burger instead) and a really nice Japanese ramen for dinner.

DAY 3

We went to Universal Studio in LA, riding all the rides with funny story; we went to the amusement thingy named House of Horror, the ads say “you’ll get really close with the scary creature GET READY!!!)

And I was so surprised when the 1^st thing was a white monster that run and hit us, I was screaming and my cousin accidentally farted. We were laughed so hard and too bad for the white monster, the people must be wondering who the F is farting !!! and then we went for a little shopping and taking pictures and we continue to Beverly Hills and straight home.

DAY 4

Marvin’s Graduation (congratulations to my cousin) you finally made it. I met and old online friend and the graduation itself kinda remind me of mine a year ago. My cousin has a banquet at night in a nice restaurant named “Little Italian” nice food and meets some of his friends.

DAY 5 – 6

4 hours driving to Las Vegas, it’s really a nice place with all the lights on the street.

All the hotels, Venetian, Caesar Pallace, Bellagio, Paris, buffet, casinos, I will definitely come back here someday.

We stayed at Trumph Hotel (nice and quite since it a bit further from the main road).

Day 7 - 8

Around 9 am, we’re driving back to Irvine coz we have a late flight that night to Orlando. We had breakfast at McDonalds and that time I was starting to hate junk food so much. I miss “pecel” back home. To get to Orlando we had three flights, first stop at Charlotte then Phoenix, and Orlando. Each flights around 4 hours, 6 hours and 1 hour. Orlando was really hot and it 4 hours in advance than LA. Imagine we haven’t got quite sleep and straight to the Hotel and Disneyland. Finally, my dream since I were a child came true – my first time on Disneyland and meet Mickey Mouse.

A really hot afternoon followed by a sudden thunderstorm, too bad I didn’t take any picture at the magic kingdom while wearing the micky mouse raincoat. Funny story: at the 3D movies one of my cousins, the little one want to pee during the session, I was so stress when he said” I want to pee NOW!!!” There’s nothing I could do but hand in a half full of bottled water and the next thing I won’t say it here, but I’m sorry for the cleaning guy (im so sorry). The incident still continue with the kids that keep doing number 2 all the way in Disneyland, why why why? Anyway lots of cool rides there, I wish all my friends were there it would be so much fun. Someday I come back here.

DAY 9

A short flight to Washington DC, before I could finally enjoy a night in New York. It was a rainy season when I got there. We stayed at Centre Loop Hotel in Manhattan, it close by the Times Square and very crowded. I feel like I’m in the movie with all the NY routines. 1^st day in NYC - Empire State Building.

DAY 10 – 11

Bronx and Brooklyn (find a cab to get there is harder than I thought, we had lunch at a steakhouse (my cousin has to book 5 months earlier) I forgot the name of the restaurant and it is the best steak I ever had.

• Soho (I found a cute hippies shop)
• Saks Fifth Avenue
• Liberty Tower
• Museum of Natural History.

That’s pretty much about NYC

DAY 12 - 13

Chicago, it kinda reminds me of Sydney; the weather, surroundings, suburbs. It nice stays in a calmer place after spent 3 days with bunch of kids in NY. We went to lots of museums there and aquarium (where I see the real Anaconda) and been in the real US submarine that used during the war. We tried the best pizza, from the thinnest up to the thickest and it was real nice.

Day 14 – 15

Back to Irvine, then the next day back to Indonesia (another long flight back home).

Overall, the trip was fun since it is my first trip in States and again it’s free. However, the schedule was too packed and tiring, we visit to many states in a little time. But then, again it is a great experience with all the new stuff for me- driving on the other side of the road, so many coins with different values, using different measures, new people and places. Someday I’ll come back here hopefully with my lovely friends or boyfriend or husband or even better with my very own family.

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Ps: I bought small owl stuff in Japan (during the stopover) here is the pic