California Trip 2001

California USA
Como Estas (how are you)

My Family Bev, Rachel and Tamra, along with Chris and Ngaire made sure that I did get on a plane at Christchurch. New Zealand At the airport we struck the repercussion of the receivership of Ansett NZ. The place was in turmoil and I have never seen the airport so full. Rachel and Tamra schemed up a final farewell for me by both giving me a cuddle which turned into a full blown wedgie in front of all the waiting passengers. I went up the escalator as fast as I could to get away from them.

Auckland International was also in chaos. The United Airlines place was full to over flowing and my pre arranged seat at the rear by the toilets was snapped up by someone else. I ended up with w window seat sitting next to an anti social who only wanted to read and sleep. This posed a wee problem for him as I was trying to keep up my fluids and exercise my legs. I held on not wanting to piss him off for an hour or so, but nature called and re reluctantly woke and shifted. Others who had travelled on had said that United Airlines is renown for its poor food, I found the tucker OK and the service efficient and friendly.

When I did finally feel like sleep it was very hard to achieve. The blow up pillow worked well, but I chilled off and tossed and turned. Its not just the 12 hours in the air that needs consideration, its all the pre and post flight stuff that is taxing.

I was pleased that I had sussed out LAX prior to landing.
As I flew in it all appeared as if on the Web pages that I had looked up prior to leaving. Customs was a disappointment as I was through in a tick, they were only looking for Poms with Foot and Mouth virus on their feet. My link flight which took me to San Diego was departing from another terminal and I surprised myself at being able to give directions to some other lost sole as to where to go next.

My nephew, Paul was true to his word and I was grateful to hear his voice calling “Uncle Alvin” at San Diego Airport. Paul has modified his Toyota ling Cab Ute to what I term an off road beach buggy. Big wheels, all stripped out and strengthened with modified everything, Christ it’s a sight.
Some of you will remember a Big Buggy the Scenicland Motors had on display about Xmas time, well his vehicle is very similar. Paul is part of a club that charges about in the desert on weekends and I’m sure I’ll have an opportunity to drive it when we go to Las Vegas. My first mistake was to head for the drivers door, wrong side. We took off out the car park. I was reaching for the brake and clutch and looking to my right to give way, all wrong.

What an experience charging down the big freeway four and five abreast. The all seemed to get out of the way of this monster of a truck. North and South and East is definitely West according to my internal compass. I remember I was bamboozled at the Equator when Bev and I went to Singapore a couple of years ago, and I’m sure I’ll have trouble getting orientated here.

Given that I had travelled 24 hours non stop, it was time for some rest. I settled down on my bed after a shower, and slept for 8 hours. Awoke about 2 hours then slept again for another 8 hours.
Doris, my sister Adie’s, husbands mother, is a wonderful host and made me feel at home and comfortable right from the start. Doris had been out to NZ about 27 years ago when Adie had her first baby, Paul. That was the first and only time I had met her, but had talked to her on several occasions on the computer and the phone.

Paul has work this week until Thursday when he commences leave for three weeks.
He and I will be off to Las Vegas Thursday for two nights, then I fly to Florida on Sunday.
Doris has shown me the sights around Oceanside, taken me shopping for clothing and generally kept me well entertained and occupied. I found the clothing here in the stores we went to is of a much higher quality that at home. Doris was encouraging me to get some brighter clothing than I am used to. White trousers, pink shirts stuff. You wont know me or wont want to know me. Anyway I don’t stand out in a crowd and it’s a new challenge for a country hick like me. I’m in the process of meeting the neighbours and friends here and will spend sometime at the Coast checking out what needs checking out

I wonder what will happen next

Adios for now
Aldo
04 21 01


Las Vegas Update

30.04.01

My last update found me preparing to depart for Las Vegas. My nephew Paul is the manager of a dispatch warehouse, providing goods wholesale to the building industry. There seemed to be about twenty people on the staff at his work. The company covers the area north of San Diego, nearly up to Los Angles and inland to the mountains.
When Paul was a driver, coming up through the ranks, he would call in here to Doris’s and pick my father Len up to do the deliveries. Len loved that and what a great way to see the area. I’m starting to find my way around here now.

Several jobs needed attending to around 2430 Skylark drive prior to departure, one including the lawn mowing. This is one job that I am skilled at, Tamra and I had mowed thousands of bloody lawns over the last five years. All the neighbours from across the street were watching as I tried to start the mower. I flooded the thing first off. After several dozen tugs it burst into life. I set the mower for height and commenced.

Back home on a hot day you often come across a barkers nest ( Dog Shit ) which when hit with a lawn mower explodes into dust and charges up your nose. Over her it is different, I spotted what I thought was dog shit, the consistency looked OK to make the passage past the blades and on into the catcher without too much hassle, I was wrong. Squirrel shit which is dehydrated is very deceptive, it is much more pungent and explosive. Next time I’ll whip around with a shovel first.

Las Vegas is about 5 hours drive from here. Once we were on the freeway we rolled along at 70 to 75 MPH, up to 4 abreast. Generally trucks, semis and slow drivers with loads are well over on the right of the left lane of traffic. The carriage ways are separated from the opposing traffic by a barrier and often about 30 meters. Sometimes I didn’t even see them, on reflection it is probably because I was looking for them on to the right, wrong, they should be away to the left.

It is a big climb and a hard pull for the beach buggy most of the way through the mountains. To give you an idea of the terrain, it is more like the Mackenzie country. Central Otago New Zealand
The City of Los Angeles has become too crowded and the San Bernardino Valley, which is inland a bit, has become the industrial heart of California. Factories everywhere, mega development going on here in all directions.

We drove past the Roy Rogers Museum which would have been interesting as he was an old favourite cowboy of mine growing up as a kid in Reefton. Doris reminded me that Roy had Trigger stuffed
( Taxidermy )when Trigger died, he may have been in the Museum, I’ll never know, nice old Palomino.

As I mentioned in previous email the approach to Las Vegas is something to behold. At the boarder between California and Nevada there are two Casinos hoping to get some gambling trade. They have added attractions like Roller Coasters and Big Billboards that offer specials and low priced meals etc with the idea of pulling the punters and the real addicts in off the Freeway. The lights and signage of these enterprises are a stark contrast to the blackness of the desert night sky. I was impressed with that.

Las Vegas is a further 1.5 hours drive from the boarder and you can see a string of red tail lights ahead and a stream of headlights approaching. Without exaggeration, which I’m prone to do from time to time, you can see this procession for about 20 miles, especially when you crest a hill and look down into the MESA,(cowboy term for paddock).

One of the Casinos, the Luxor which is in the shape of a pyramid, has a massive spotlight that points directly out of the apex of the pyramid skyward. This can be seen against the red glow emitted by the city proper. They tell me that the space station up there can see the strobe. Paul turned off the freeway early to give me the best view of the Las Vegas strip.
Each Casino, which takes up a whole block of about 30 acres, sometimes 60 acres, has its own theme, Egypt, Rome, Aladdin, Treasure Island, Italian etc. The outside of the casino’s are spectacular, lights and hoarding eliminating the night sky.

The Italian Casino known as Balargios has a 5 acre lake in front. Each half hour there is a fountain display set to music. The show lasts only one piece of music, say about 4 minutes, but very moving. I thought they were clever buggers to think of that.

Paul wanted to give his “Uncle Alvin” a special treat and shouted me and him two night in the 5 star Aladdin Casino and resort (I sent around the web page for those who can look it up).
This building is about one year old and right up to the top of the scale when it comes to service and presentation.

Our beach buggy covered in desert dust and butterfly shit pulled into reception amongst the highly polished stretch limos and other assorted top flight conveyances, rollers, caddies VIP vans etc.
Paul was super confident and signed over the Valet. This is a service where men in green suits and yellow pants politely take your car away into secure storage. Paul wanted to have a beer so no more driving and thought that normal parking in the Casino may allow for some rat to rip off the tyres or super doper shockies on the Buggy.

Our rooms had two double beds, a bath big enough for two, and free internet with the computer in the room, hence my short updates. I wont go into describing the gambling rooms, enough to say mega options here. All the bells and whistles.

One room I went into had pokies with a minimum roll being $500.00, that’s over $1200.00 NZ a pull.
Paul was at a table playing roulette when a bloke sat down next to him and had a thousand dollar bet, lost it in one spin of the wheel, he, the bloke, got up and walked on getting more out of his pocket to plunder. I seen some happy people who had just let out a yell of delight and I seen the sad people. Their choice.

Breakfast and lunch at the Mandalay Bay Resort was tops. This was followed by my previously described ride from hell on the Roller Coaster outside New York Casino. When I typed up the story about my ride, sweat rolled out of my armpits and my adrenaline glands gave another wee pump.

The Hoover Dam and Lake Mead is about 60 miles out of Las Vegas. At midday the temp was up in the 90 f. we sucked on water all the way out and found that there were several thousand Englishmen out there in the Midday sun with us. What a construction. My little camera had trouble getting it into the viewfinder. I haven’t developed the films yet and anticipate that the size and grandeur of the site is hard to capture.

Well is back to California today then off to Chicago tomorrow
Do drop me a note and let me know if you don’t want to receive my ramblings

I wonder what will happen next.

The Lone Rangers Buddy
signing off