coming to you from 34,000 ft. Also maps are not the territory as I am reminded over and over again. I finally realized I could use the internet I bought for the longest (10 hours, plus or minus) leg of the trip and then when I was attempting to get google maps to work on my phone via moderately crappy wireless, I realized I could in fact use my laptop, and pop up a map of roughly where we were. I realized this about an hour ago, so I guessed at Lake Michigan (definitely correct), the Mississippi River (quite probably correct), and sundry other landmarks (mad guessing on my part, there are zero landmarks between Minnesota and Great Salt Lake), but I finally got smart when I thought we were near Great Salt Lake and I found it! And have been tracking our progress ever since. We basically followed Rt 80 west. I am hoping they have the course laid in for the trackless ocean, but they seem pretty confident so I have faith. We have gone clean over San Francisco and Oakland, and are headed into the blue, at 2:30 pm EDT. It is 8:30 am Hawaii time. I am suspended between the two and making no decisions except to drink more water.
My seat mate is silent and probably sleeping. the seats are vastly more comfortable than on the shorter hop to Dulles. I was deposited at the far end of the D gates, and I was hoping since I was headed to C4 that they would count down from the center, but in fact they counted down contiguously from Gate C1 to C30, and then D1 – 30. So I think I got my aerobics in making my connection. Next time, I pack less. All the meds, none of the clothes. Honestly – Hawaii = t-shirts and shorts, what was I thinking??
The captain challenged us to calculate the point in time that we were half way to Hawai’i, and I did a very nice set of Time, Rate, Distance calculations, then second guessed myself because the seat back display is in miles and the captain gave everything in nautical miles, but I think I came pretty close. (addenda: I was off by 6min 30 sec – the competition was FIERCE) In the adrenaline surge of getting half way, I kind of forgot there was another half to go. I’ll save this and add more later.
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From sea level, at 5:30pm local Honolulu time. I am not only in a completely different ocean, I am also completely turned around and very very tired.
I made it to the hotel, managed to wheedle a room from the kind individual at the desk when they said said they didn’t have any ready yet, and set off with a much lighter back pack to find lunch, the ocean, and scope places for later. I managed all three, and I am back in my hotel with my legs quivering from all the sitting followed by all the walking, along with, I think, all the staying up. I put my feet into the Pacific. I shall do better tomorrow, like, frex, swim.
I’m in the most touristy possible section of the city, there are scantily clad people speaking multiple languages aiming at the beach in one way or another in every direction.
I have paints, and I want to sit and stare at some things. I might also see if I can find a tour all the way around the island by bus or something fun.
excelsior!
Lee Thomson 