SYDNEY to LOS ANGELES to NEW YORK – start spreading the news!
Saturday – Today I fly out for the next great adventure – New York and the Eastern states of the USA at the best time of year – AUTUMN – or what the yanks call ‘Fall’. It is going to be a bit chilly for sure but all those wonderful colours on the trees will be exquisite.
I am up early and the Sydney morning is clear with lovely blue skies. Checking the train schedule earlier in the week, I discovered that there will be track work on the Airport Line this weekend – there is always bloody track work on this line – how bad can those lines really be?
Plan 2 has gone into effect – Stuart and Mitchell will drive me to the airport so we load up the Cruiser with my bag and carry-on camera bag and off we go. The airport is busy – come to think of it it is always busy no matter what time of day it is. To avoid the hefty parking fee they are just going to drop me off at the ‘Departures Only 5 minute parking’ and on arrival we see everyone else must have the same idea. We do find a parking spot at the end of the line which is a bit of a walk to the entrance doors but as I will be sitting down for around 16 hours straight I don’t mind the walk. Goodbye cuddles and I am on my way.
Up to check-in, my one and only checked in bag is well and truly under the limit weighing in at 12kg (I am allowed 2 bags at 23kgs each) and then it is time for brekky. What better way to start the day of my adventure than the tried and true Travelling Trio Maccas bacon and cheese muffin and coffee. This is enjoyed while looking at all the planes landing and taking off for places all over the world. The excitement is building! Now that my tummy is happy it is time to hit the Duty Free. My supply of Poeme perfume is low – then it is time to find the GST refund area. Deciding against taking my laptop, I have bought a Samsung tablet for the trip so I get the GST back on it. The area is packed but you can fill out a form, put it in an envelope and throw it into the special box and – hey presto – the money will be put into my account. OK by me but I have to now fight like a salmon going upstream to get out of this place.
Time to head for Gate 9 and wait to board at 10.15am. I just love sitting watching the carry on at the airport. Planes coming and going, taxi-ing to their allotted terminal – baggage and catering trucks racing around. This is not a picture of my plane, mine is a 747 (my favourite plane) but it is obscured by another walkway. I will try and get a photo in Los Angeles. The skies are brilliant blue and outside it looks like a typical Sydney day – but I am heading into cold weather – I can hardly wait.
Boarding time and as usual I have booked a window seat – 52A – there is a spare seat beside me and a lady in the aisle seat. I keep my fingers and toes crossed that this is how it will stay. First thing to do – yep you guessed it – turn on the Flight Screen Path of course! Now don’t start rolling your eyes; I do realise that we are not moving yet but they still have some useless information for me to record.
Distance to LAX – 12075 km; Local time in LAX – 5.34pm; Flight time to LAX – 12.55 hours. LAX or Los Angeles for the uneducated is first stop – then onto New York. I can feel myself shaking with excitement just at the thought of it.
The seat beside me remains free and finally the doors close, we back out of the terminal and head for the runway. Such a long drive but finally we are at the head of the queue – the engines start to rev faster and faster – my pulses are racing and here we go – smoothly up and away over the beautiful Sydney landscape. Love it – love it – love it! We are 15 minutes late but that is not a worry – and as soon as we hit a reasonable distance in the air the Flight Screen is on again!
Altitude – 2968m and still climbing; Outside Temp – 4 C; Distance travelled – 116km – Ground speed – 779/kmh.
Mandatory photos out the window – the blue sky goes on forever and some tiny fluffy wisps of clouds that we saw on take off are now far behind or below us. On go the new noise-cancelling headphones – they do get rid of most of the noise but there is still a bit of a low hum.
Captain’s announcement at 12.30pm – ‘Welcome aboard QF107 to New York via Los Angeles – for those on the left side you will be able to see Lord Howe Island. I must have blinked because I didn’t see it. We are cruising at 29,000 feet and will reach 39,000 during the flight. We hope you enjoy your time with us. I will be back with more updates later in the flight’. How nice – but it is time for serious business – lunch.
Chicken Waldorf Salad – Citrus Fruit – Fig and Honey Panacotta. I must admit I don’t have a problem with this. To top it off, a small bottle of Aussie Sem Blanc – what more could I want? The food is delicious and even though I am in Economy Cattle Class I act as if I am in First, as I slurp away at the Vitamin G.
Time for more flight details as we head North East. Distance to LAX – 10371km; Local time LAX – 7.28pm; Ground speed – 1001 km/h; Altitude 9448m; Outside air temp -41C; Distance travelled – 1733km; Time travelled – 1.5 hours; Local time Sydney – 1.29pm. OK that should hold you for a while – it is now time to relax but before I do – coffee.
More looking out the window at sky – we are heading into night so the sun starts to go down on the wing – maybe time for a movie? I choose Candelabra – this is the story of Liberace (played by Michael Douglas) and his lover Scott Thorston. Was a bit dubious but I didn’t fancy anything else that was on and I really don’t give a rats what Liberace did in his private life – I just loved watching him perform on the stage. I went to see him about 40 years ago in Sydney and he was fabulous.
When the movie is over – time for more flight details before I try to settle down.
Distance travelled – 3961km; Ground speed – 931kmh; Altitude – 10058m. Outside temp is -37c – just a tad chilly; Distance to LAX – 8128km; Local time LAX – 9.45pm; Local time SYD – 3.50pm. Ready to snooze – but more food. A mushroom and cheese pizza accompanied by orange juice. This was very nice and no sooner is that eaten, the crew bring around mango Weiss bars which are mango flavoured ice cream. After devouring all of this I wait for a few minutes and then deciding that there is no more food coming, I decide to try and get some sleep.
Waking up – not long to go before brekky – I choose the ‘Healthy Option’ which is muesli, fruit, juice, muffin and coffee. I will not bore the pants off you with more flight details – it is sufficient to say that we are nearly at LAX.
The lady in the aisle seat comes from Seattle and is leaving us in LAX. She has been out in OZ because the house she owns was greatly damaged by renters and practically burnt to the ground. She has to try and sort everything out which is hard when you are 10,000 km away on the other side of the world. I really do feel sorry for her. She says she will most probably have to go back in a month or so.
Back to the trip – a nice uneventful landing and here I am at LAX.
Next is an episode of fitness that would have an Olympian sweating. Off the plane – through Express Customs – collect the bag – through Quarantine and Customs again – through to re-check the bag and then off to Gate 132 but of course I have to go through the ‘we want to make sure you are not a terrorist’ security check – off comes the belt, shoes and anything else metal.
Step into the air chamber where everything is clear except for my bracelet which is still on my wrist and which is firmly inspected by a rather imposing security guard.
I manage to get this photo of my plane in Los Angeles. It’s a wonder I was not apprehended by the local con
stabulary for taking photos in an airport, but I escape to live another day. Another long walk to the gate but it is only a short wait to board.
Can anyone please answer this question – why is it that as we are getting on the same plane – we all have the same seats – except for those who have joined us for this part of the flight – but those who have been with me since Sydney start pushing and shoving everyone as if they will loose their seat. Ho hum. I take my time and colour me so surprised, my seat is still there along with space in the overhead storage. This time however there is a lady in the middle seat along with another in the aisle – bummer! The plane is chockers. In the air again – another 4 hours before we arrive in the Big Apple.
Listen to some music – record some more flight details and then we are served a light lunch – Cold Roast Beef with Potato Salad. Was OK – but I think I have been fed and watered enough – there is no more room left. The outside air temperature has plummeted to -58C and with that thought I pull up the blanket and grab a bit more sleep.
When I awake we have 32 minutes before we arrive at JFK so time to start tidying up. Of course, more photos out the window as we fly over New York. Keep looking out for Lady Liberty but no such luck. Another smooth landing and off to collect my bag and do all the customary stuff.
Kylie and Tyler have already arrived from Oregon and are waiting for me. We have decided to get a hire car to our hotel instead of fighting our way through the public transport system. I think we all still remember the nightmare that was ‘From Heathrow to London by Train!” The traffic is enormously crazy but the driver is very good although sometimes he shows signs of crazy.
We arrive at our accommodation for the night – The Jane Hotel. We discovered this place on the web and not only is it right across the road from The Hudson River, it is full of character. Starting off as a Seaman’s home – the hotel was used to house some of the Titanic survivors until the end of the inquiry.
HISTORY LESSON : (the first of many) RMS Titanic was a British liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to NY. The sinking of Titanic caused the deaths of more than 1,500 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in modern history.
Checking in, the staff are great and are dressed in period costume of those early days, they even wear those little round caps but not tonight! Kylie and Tyler have been upgraded to the Captain’s Cabin which has its own private bathroom – I am still in the standard cabin and have to use the community bathroom. We are only here for one night so I am not worried.
After unpacking a bit we decide its time for Dinner which is surprising considering how much food I have eaten on the plane! Much discussion on where to eat but we decide on the close option, the restaurant at the hotel – Cafe Gitane – very French Moroccan type place. I order Bruschetta on Baguette toast and Dukkar, which is an Egyptian blend of ground nuts, spices and sesame seeds with dipping bread and olive oil and of course the customary glass of wine. Yummo to say the least! It doesn’t look much quantity wise – but it was so filling.
After sitting for a while just enjoying the atmosphere and the realisation that we are here at the start of our holiday we decide to take a walk along the Hudson River.
It is not really cold – so it is pleasant walking along and looking at New York by night. It is also a good time to try out some night photography. This is the view from across the road from The Jane. As I do not have my tripod with me the tops of railings and any other bit of stable ground come in handy.
There are a few people walking so we do not feel alone. After about and hour or so we head back to the hotel as it is an early start tomorrow – we have to get to the station for our train to Philadelphia. I have a shower in the Captain’s Cabin and then hit the sheets.
Highlight of the day : wondering who from the Titanic slept in my room!