POST-TRAVEL FEELINGS AND OLD DIARIES

2005 I traveled around in USA. Back then, I was not a blogger yet, in this sense, but I wrote some feelings about my trip in a diary format. I e-mailed my greetings to some people, and fortunately I found most of them in my gmail account.

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6th June 2005, New York, NY



Hello All and God Bless America!


Believe it or not, it took me almost 3 days to find a proper Internet
cafe here in New York.
So, I arrived to the states the 4th June as planned.. though I almost missed the flight in Arlanda for the first plane from Landvetter was about 2 hours on delay.

But I made it and after watching 3 movies in the biggest aeroplane I've been on, we landed to the Newark Airport, NJ. The "feds" took my fingerprints and photo, so I better watch out my doings here from now on. Otherwise
passing the customs was surprisingly fast.

After I arrived to the hostel, (which is on a perfect location by the way, right next to the Times Square and few blocks from Central Park) I went directly to the nearest subway station and purchased myself a 7 day all-around metrocard for $24 and
started to explore. And been exploring since.

It has been really hot here. Yesterday the highest temperature I saw was +32 Celcius. It was still near 30 C when I left from Central Park at 7 PM yesterday. But I hope that to continue, hotter the better.
I haven't felt any jetlag yet. I expect it to hit me soon if it does at all.

It's now my 3rd day here and tomorrow it's time to go somewhere else. I might return here in the end of my holiday though, just because this whole city itself is so 'totally awesome, you know, like, totally', absurd and fascinating. I love New York!

Well, it's time to go to do some more exploring now! And get some lunch. Maybe again to eat something in Chinatown. Or, perhaps, I should I try the SubWay of New York?


Hear You,

-Keijo


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8th June 2005



Hello and Sunshine to All!


Which means that I'm in the Golden State, the Dreamplace, California now. Arrived here yesterday. Weather has turned from the humid North-East to hot and dry South-West.

The rental Avis car was at the Long Beach airport as it supposed to be, and hiring it went without any problems.
The car is really ugly Ford Focus one, they offered me other more expensives too though, but must watch my budget! It has all the functions I need anyway so that is just fine for me.

I would've been totally lost in the LA traffic if my friend wouldn't have come to see me at the airport. I'm staying at her place now, that is near San Bernardino, about an hour drive from LA to east. I'm having kind of 'day off' on my vacation now and have now some extra time to write some mails also.

What we did in the very evening, was to check some of the essentials such as Hollywood sign and Walk of Fame. Also visiting some famous record shop and checking out some outdoor live funky concert was in the program.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do next, but tomorrow I'm going to head to north, west, east or south.


Hear you,

-Keijo


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12th June 2005


Hello alla!

There and back again. I did my first grand roadtrip here, to San Francisco. I spent there a couple of days, and the city is again one of those kinds that I could easily move to live in. I came back 'home' just 2 hours ago, and it's 3 am.

I drove all the way up there with scenery roads 1 and 101. Definitely the 2nd best views that I have seen in my life. Other side you see Pacific ocean and coastline, other side you have mountains. The drive takes from 10 hours to 15, depending on the breaks of course. (Yeah, I am surprised in how fine drivingshape I am!). On the way up there, I stopped by in Santa Barbara, Solvang and San Luis Obispo.

In SF, I saw of course all the essentials again.. but didn't bother to take the ferry to Alcatraz. Saw it only from distance. But as in SF everybody should and must, is to do some clubbing! I saw 4 bands for price $10. Totally worth it.

Little trivia: One U.S.Gallon of gasoline costs around $2.30-$2.50. Fast calculation gives half price compared to Scandinavia?

Well, it's really late... must sleep in some strenght and tomorrow will probly go see Universal Studios.



Hear you,

-Keijo


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20th June 2005



The Most Sceneric State : ARIZONA!!!



Red rocks so beautiful.

But first to Nevada:

Las Vegas was hmmm. interesting for like a day. For the poor = me, it doesn't offer so much, and since gambling isn't my thing (spent like 5 bucks to it...), it got a bit boring place the very next day. But it's now seen and well.. gotta love the weather there, especially at night time.

Utah:

Only 2 overnights there, but gave something out anyway. The hostel was propably the best one I've been at so far.
Kind of luxury for a little money in a small town, nothing bad to say about the state really.. very friendly people, law on alcohol same with Sweden.. Utah Rocks!

Arizona:

Most sceneric and beautiful state .. so far. Of course, went for the Grand Canyon, which took the breath away. I spent easily one day hiking aroud it. But. The red rocks and red mountains and/or forests, everywhere you drive, gives you the continuous feeling as you're IN a Western movie. But I still didn't see any real cactuses! Other yes, but those with 'arms', none! Also, the most friendly folks!

On the way back, drove about 30 miles by the historical Route 66. Passed, among others, such places as 'Bagdad' and 'Klondyke'. !!!!

Miles on the car so far approx. 4000. Soon must return the car and take another direction. Write more from somewhere in the near future,


Hear you,

-Keijo


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24th June 2005, Fort Lauderdale, Florida



Hauskaa Juhannusta kaikille!


I heard that it's time for the midsummer party now... I don't know if it's today or if it was yesterday or whatever. But the best greetings from Florida, the Sunshine State! Which isn't too true at the moment, it's rain season here, so we have had some thunderstorms, yet not any hurricanes. But luckily of all that, not so many tourists either! Gotta love the beaches here, hot sand (fortunately has been raining mainly at night, very humid and yet sun also other times) and the waves are not as rough as
they were in Pacific.

I arrived here 3 days ago, and I got a limousine ride to my hostel from the airport! The thing is, this Airport Shuttle -company promises maximum 30 minute waiting before leaving, and since I was so early (night flight, i was around 5.30am at the airport), I was the only one and they decided to give me a private ride for $12 to the door of my hostel. Not a bad deal!
'everything fine, sir?', 'you're not too hot, sir?, maybe some more air condition, sir?' Real pro limo driver with suit and everything. Had to give a nice tip to him.

Hostel is called, how originally, 'Fort Lauderdale Beach Hostel'. Really cozy place, again yet another plus for USA hostels, and only 100 meters from the beach. I rented a bicycle for one day, went driving along the coast way, otherwise been mainly on
the beach, swimming.

Tomorrow I've thought of traveling with Greyhound! Gonna see how that works out. I have been thinking that listening some real live Jazz in New Orleans would be good, propably will take a Greyhound bus there.. though it's going to be like 20 hours sitting in the bus.


Now this Chilean guy seems to want a revenge match in chess... I beat him 2-1 so far, with three really even matches.



Write more soonish,

have a good time, hear you


-Keijo



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28th June 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana




New Orleans, Baby, Yeah!


This is my final stop before returning to New York tomorrow. A month is so little time for travel. Time's running out already!
Would be nice to have at least 1 week more in every place where I've been at (excluding Las Vegas... 2 days was more than enough!!).

I arrived here a couple of days ago by Greyhound. It was alright service really, only minus goes for the reboarding system: Every passenger have to step out from the bus at some places, meaning that when traveling at night time, must wake up several times and the pause is just long enough to wake up completely.

I'm staying at India House Backpackers Hostel. Really cozy place, once again.. and it has a POOL!! $17 per night.
History lesson:
- This hostel used to be a bordello like some decades ago.
- Bourbon street is the only street in the USA where people are
allowed to drink on the street. This isn't anything special or new
for Europeans though...
- According to Lonely Planet, New Orleans is rated as
the number two on criminal rate in the US. I don't know which is
number one. I still haven't seen any violence on my trip though,
but wouldn't enter to Louis Armstrong Park at night time.

New Orleans. This goes once again to like top 3 places on my trip. I dunno.. every place has something that makes it all so great! Here, it's the atmosphere I guess. Jazz. Cemetaries with some voodoo spirit.


Next time you hear from me, I'm most likely back home from my trip. Damn! 1 month is way too little time!!!



Well,
Hear you,


-Keijo