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Welcome to Florida 5/23/2014 9:50:57 PM
Every Journey holds a memory , and what you may experience and feel becomes your book, your story and Word First Publishing can ‘Let the world share it with you’
Travelling Air New Zealand was a Kiwi pleasure with the most accommodating staff and a service with a smile not forgetting our wonderful kiwi wine. The flight from Auckland to Florida took in total around 19 hours. The first stop San Francisco airport. Some 17 years since my trip to the US and still the serious welcome ‘How long do you intend to stay here ma’am?’ As if everyone wants to stay in America. I would think to myself ‘As short as possible so I can return to my beautiful home in land of the big white cloud’ I replied. My stay at the airport was very short but I did stay to sample some fish and chips which were so overcooked that I’m sure if I had dentures they would have cracked on the first bite. Not the service I remembered some 17 years ago where people were pleasing people all the time it was the land of golden opportunity. I guess things never stay the same.
Time seemed to move by quite slowly during my airport stay as the tourists never stopped to say ‘hi’. l when I stopped them to ask the time. Oddly enough no clocks in the airport and my watch’s battery had died and so did the time as I headed off to Orlando. The United Airlines flight took around six hours. The plane seemed to be older than my skin but not as young as my heart, service was the tiniest overhead TV, and I tasted my first American wine that was so acidic it almost burnt a hole in my throat. I already missed my New Zealand wines and our Kiwi airline service that came with a smile.
I landed in Orlando around midnight, at least no customs to clear and headed down to the car rental desk. I picked up my ticket and walked a short distance to my car ‘That’s not a car that’s a bus!’ I remarked as they pointed out a large black six seater car. ‘Can I down size sir?’ I knew my small 5’ stature would never be able to see out of the window and I was a little apprehensive about the right hand drive on the mega sized roads especially in the dark.
Thank goodness for the I -phone and google maps. I had no idea where I was going to ‘Make a left’ it would tell me, I did and suddenly it would yell at me ‘Re-route, Re-Route’ I did, and eventually I would find myself on the four lane toll road which was wider than the western motorway here in Auckland. ‘Which lane do I take?’ I spoke to the GSM but it couldn’t answer me. I made numerous stops to pay the toll and could never get close enough to hand pay the guard. I don’t know how many times I unbelted and walked out of the car to pay the man at every stop. He would pass me a ticket ‘what do I do with this?. I asked as I was not prepared for the Yankie transport system and I could read the toll guard’s face as if to say ‘Stupid Brit’ I remember passing by the large signs welcome to Orlando Florida. Then I headed out to Kissimere and the Silver Lake Resort. It was pitch black at the cross roads and the glowing red lights across the road were very distant as the vast roads had no line markings. I prayed I would make to the other side. I found a 7/11 store to buy some food and set off on a narrow winding road to the resort. Bright lights were approaching me from the distance and then -suddenly, the tooting of a horn. “What is that idiot tooting at?’ I asked myself when I realised I was driving on the wrong side of the road ‘Shit’ and I swerved quickly to the right side. This tourist couldn’t tell left from right.
Checked in to the resort with friendly faces and made my way to the 10th block of apartments. To the 4th floor and a place half size of my house. A welcome from the night security guard ‘Ola’ and a Mexican smile as he opened the door. The kitchen had every bit of electrical gear that you would find in Noel Leaming’s. The bed, the size of my dining room. I guess the only thing missing was the old man who opted to stay home and relax with a glass his New Zealand wine on the deck under the kiwi sun and blue skies. ‘he’s not stupid’ I would say. Still, nothing better than to jump into the huge spa , and soak in natural bubbles. Soaking in the New Zealand time and with a Bacardi and coke I celebrated being 16 hours younger.
A good few hours of sleep in the satin feel of white cotton- sheets, and I ventured down to the poolside by 12 noon to find the tourists sunbathing in the mild Florida sunshine, and what better things to do than join in the family games of Bingo by the poolside and the Yankie dialect of number calling. ‘Have a good day y’all and welcome to the Silver Lake resort y’all’…..
