travel dot zip
well, here is the dot zip version of the 11-day stroll in the estados unidos.
each day has a full page story but i do not want to bore you with the details so these little teasers will be enough idea of what went wrong and... what went wrong :)
uno - hueves - dieceseis
changi airport terminal 2 having a sh*tty night with PAL.
delayed, delayed, delayed. what more? delayed.
dos - spilling over to viernes - diecesiete ( Singapore / Manila Time)
still in changi airport having a wide-awake nightmare with PAL.
arrived Manila that morning , the sh*tty night to day continues.
as much as i wanted to understand the inconvenience, i did not see any of their attempts of improving the situation. *sad*
*currently writing a loooong love letter to PAL*
dos y medya - viernes (still!) - diecesiete (LA Time)
arrived in LA at 8am , breezed through immigration and customs. everyone was surprised why we only had back packs each? i don't understand why they can't understand. seriously, we only have a week and why should we be lugging around with big bags?
Wing Wing finally met us after an hour of people watching at LAX.
had our first american meal for the trip at ..eng eng eng..
JOLLIBEE!!
note to Jollibee Singapore: just because we cannot have you does not mean we give up, we go find a way to eat Chicken Joy even if it's in LA :P
after lunch went to North Hills to see Ate Gina & Kuya Manting where they took us to the food trucks of Granada Hills!
The whole 3-4 block stretch was covered with food trucks, each with a taste of their own. We tried to taste everything. yes we tried, but not enough space in our tummies , we realized.
the best part of it all, was the surprise guest who arrived that night, of course unexpectedly.
i guess everyone got surprised but i was the most embarrassing one :) haha
tres - sabado - dieceotso
early morning out with cousins to the Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Walk and Beverly Hills Drive. we didn't make it to Santa Monica Pier but there is still next time :) the mono pod stick we brought was very popular during the trip!
cuatro - dominggo - diecenueve
did not even sleep, went straight to the airport the next morning to catch the flight to Orlando. On board Virgin America, service was good compared to the lousy flights we had a couple of days ago. Em liked the fact that he has his own monitor to play around with, use internet and order food.
upon arriving Orlando, Ate Belle and Aki were ecstatic waiting at arrivals. another surprise was boiling up.
we reached Melbourne an hour after and pulled out a *SURPRISE!!* on Mommy Flor & Daddy Jonah - who were at first confused but pleasantly surprised :)
cinco- lunes -a biente
we attacked st augustine in florida the next morning. went climbing up the famous light house, checking out the museum and visiting the alligators and a gazillion of birds the whole day.
in the evening we went ghost hunting in the streets.
too bad the ghosts were a no-show.
seiz - martes - biente uno
woke up in st augustine's holiday inn and after a quick room breakfast, headed out to castillo de san marcos, the oldest fort in the US made of amazing coquina. it was the first time i have heard of such material. in fact most of st augustine's shops and buildings were made out of it.
coquina refers to mostly a pack of seashells, corals and other sea minerals bonded together by the sea, sand, weather and time to form one solid rock, strong enough to act as a foundation of a structure.
after dabbling with history the whole morning, we went to orlando premium outlets where we spent the rest of the afternoon on retail-therapy.
siete - miyerkules - biente dos
the most awaited day has finally come.we headed to Kennedy Space Center the next morning, with big smiles on our faces.
first off was the bus trip to see where the rockets are assembled - in a huge single story building! and passed by launch pads 39A & 39B.
then we went inside to the launch control center where the original computer consoles and "jackets" of the engineers are found. they use these equipment during the Apollo programs.
after that went to the Apollo/Saturn V center where original rockets and spacesuits and what nots were displayed.
best part was on the shuttle launch experience where we get to feel how it is to explore space!
it was the highlight of the trip i guess, for me and em. before we only dreamed about it but now we have lifted it off our bucket list :)
later that evening we went out with Paul & Lucy - Ate Belle & Aki's friends for a dinner in Taco City, then played Shuffleboard at Side Pocket - where i noticed the old juke box was replaced with a big Ipod-looking machine. :P
ocho - hueves - biente tres
alligator day! went to camp holly to look for allies lurking in st.john's river. amazing fact, st john's river goes from south to north. huh!?
in the afternoon went to ron jon's surf shop and cocoa beach.
saw lotsa surfer dudes.
nueve - viernes - biente cuatro
last minute shopping at ross' to prep for our flight to jfk in the evening. another adventure awaits!
dies - sabado - biente cinco
new york. once our feet sat foot (!) on the cold airport tube, em and i both felt anxious.
one, we didn't have any hotel - that means we were supposed to sleep only somewhere around the corners of the airport. two, we don't know how to go to the city. three - weather is not very cooperative. and a side note - all the people there are very suspicious looking with jacket hood on their heads.
we went to deposit our luggage in the arrival area and went up to the T4 departure area where a sea of sleeping bodies flanked on the floor, bags propped up as pillows - all waiting for their next flight. we finally found the perfect spot where we can lie down and we spent the rest of the night there. after a few discreet arguments on some of the plans that didn't work out, em and i finally agreed that since this is our last leg of the trip together, we might as well make the most of it. although really tired and worn out, we had to push through.
after a few zzz's and winks, at 6am, when it was safe enough to take the subway, we bought metro cards at the Jamaica train station and headed to manhattan.
down the subway, it was not a really pleasant experience. the subway was dark, smelly, dirty and a flickering lamp was nearby - it was spooky, just like in the movies :)
we tried hard to blend in and not look like tourists as some guys were really grumpy looking that morning.
when we got off the subway, it got worse. it was raining and it felt like below 10 degrees C. we had to put on our jackets and find the nearest open diner where we can get some heat.
applebee's it was.
after a hot brekkie, we met our tour guide that morning - who was a bit late - and i was suspecting he was blaming the weather for it.
"yesterday the sun was out, it's weird that today feels like 6 degrees C". that was what he was mumbling about, as he raised his crooked tour stick, fixing his brolly unto his pink dora the explorer back pack , yet the brolly sticks out from it.
after the interesting tour through major touristy sites, we headed out to Starbucks to get some wi-fi and some heat. there we waited for kristian, em's friend who took his half day off from work just to bring us around.
the next few hours we walked through wind, rain, cold weather, renovated shops and buildings, homeless beings and then had a bit of snacks at the famous shake shack, where finding a place to sit feels just like fighting for dear life :)
later that evening we boarded a yellow cab and headed to the other island in brooklyn where we checked out the glorious veins' gig that evening. it was not bad at all, everyone was enjoying the event.
then finally, it was time to head back to the airport.
it was one packed day in the big apple, but we did enjoy every bit of it.
once - dominggo - biente seiz
as usual we looked for a corner in T4's departure terminal and slept the rest of the time off.
by 5am, we checked in to prep for our flight back home.
JFK 8AM: went boarding via virgin atlantic for Heathrow Airport in London.
arrived there at 7PM (local time) and our connecting flight to Singapore was was a bit delayed - our ETD 8PM flight was moved to 10PM, well, just enough time to have dinner and shop around London (lol) -- airport lang.
and yeah, we were on board the A380 via. our first time.
big and comfy! i would always recommend SQ for long flights especially on return when you're all tired and that, because even if you are booked on economy class, the service and comfort is still up to par, all worth what you're paying for.
Arrival - Monday evening
we arrived Singapore the next day, Monday evening- really tired, jet lagged and sleepy.
the most sleep and rest we've had during the trip was only on flights up in the air.
sure it was really crazy to pull off an 11-day US trip , where most of our relatives protested on :P.
yeah well, technically it was a 9-day trip as more or less 48 hours were spent flying. hehe.
nevertheless, it was possible and fun.
and i would do it over again :)
-k
los angeles, california 16 may 2013
melbourne, florida, 19 may 2013
st augustine, florida, 21 may 2013
orlando, florida, 21 may 2013
merritt island, florida, 22 may 2013
new york, new york 24 may 2013
london heathrow airport, 26 may 2013
each day has a full page story but i do not want to bore you with the details so these little teasers will be enough idea of what went wrong and... what went wrong :)
 |
| before the misadventure |
changi airport terminal 2 having a sh*tty night with PAL.
delayed, delayed, delayed. what more? delayed.
dos - spilling over to viernes - diecesiete ( Singapore / Manila Time)
still in changi airport having a wide-awake nightmare with PAL.
arrived Manila that morning , the sh*tty night to day continues.
as much as i wanted to understand the inconvenience, i did not see any of their attempts of improving the situation. *sad*
*currently writing a loooong love letter to PAL*
dos y medya - viernes (still!) - diecesiete (LA Time)
 |
| emem and wingwing (hehe dobol2x) |
Wing Wing finally met us after an hour of people watching at LAX.
had our first american meal for the trip at ..eng eng eng..
JOLLIBEE!!
 |
| the bee and us |
note to Jollibee Singapore: just because we cannot have you does not mean we give up, we go find a way to eat Chicken Joy even if it's in LA :P
 |
| ate gina and kuya manting's furry child - Joey welcomed us |
The whole 3-4 block stretch was covered with food trucks, each with a taste of their own. We tried to taste everything. yes we tried, but not enough space in our tummies , we realized.
 |
| the ladies had yummy grilled cheese for starters |
 |
| we got hooked on the prawn ceviche |
i guess everyone got surprised but i was the most embarrassing one :) haha
 |
| the surprise and the surprised me |
early morning out with cousins to the Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Walk and Beverly Hills Drive. we didn't make it to Santa Monica Pier but there is still next time :) the mono pod stick we brought was very popular during the trip!
 |
| the mysterious golf club |
cuatro - dominggo - diecenueve
did not even sleep, went straight to the airport the next morning to catch the flight to Orlando. On board Virgin America, service was good compared to the lousy flights we had a couple of days ago. Em liked the fact that he has his own monitor to play around with, use internet and order food.
upon arriving Orlando, Ate Belle and Aki were ecstatic waiting at arrivals. another surprise was boiling up.
 |
| bro and sis reunited in Orlando |
 |
| st augustine lighthouse built in 1800s |
cinco- lunes -a biente
we attacked st augustine in florida the next morning. went climbing up the famous light house, checking out the museum and visiting the alligators and a gazillion of birds the whole day.
in the evening we went ghost hunting in the streets.
too bad the ghosts were a no-show.
seiz - martes - biente uno
woke up in st augustine's holiday inn and after a quick room breakfast, headed out to castillo de san marcos, the oldest fort in the US made of amazing coquina. it was the first time i have heard of such material. in fact most of st augustine's shops and buildings were made out of it.
 |
| at the fort facing the enemy |
after dabbling with history the whole morning, we went to orlando premium outlets where we spent the rest of the afternoon on retail-therapy.
siete - miyerkules - biente dos
the most awaited day has finally come.we headed to Kennedy Space Center the next morning, with big smiles on our faces.
 |
| jurrasic park tour guide..not! |
 |
| launch control center |
first off was the bus trip to see where the rockets are assembled - in a huge single story building! and passed by launch pads 39A & 39B.
 |
| me in ecstatic mode |
 |
| i got to touch a moon rock! |
after that went to the Apollo/Saturn V center where original rockets and spacesuits and what nots were displayed.
best part was on the shuttle launch experience where we get to feel how it is to explore space!
it was the highlight of the trip i guess, for me and em. before we only dreamed about it but now we have lifted it off our bucket list :)
later that evening we went out with Paul & Lucy - Ate Belle & Aki's friends for a dinner in Taco City, then played Shuffleboard at Side Pocket - where i noticed the old juke box was replaced with a big Ipod-looking machine. :P
 |
| trying to play fair hehe |
ocho - hueves - biente tres
 |
| airboat ride! |
in the afternoon went to ron jon's surf shop and cocoa beach.
saw lotsa surfer dudes.
nueve - viernes - biente cuatro
last minute shopping at ross' to prep for our flight to jfk in the evening. another adventure awaits!
dies - sabado - biente cinco
new york. once our feet sat foot (!) on the cold airport tube, em and i both felt anxious.
 |
| of course, times square! |
 |
| he is finally here |
 |
| em and the flat iron building |
we went to deposit our luggage in the arrival area and went up to the T4 departure area where a sea of sleeping bodies flanked on the floor, bags propped up as pillows - all waiting for their next flight. we finally found the perfect spot where we can lie down and we spent the rest of the night there. after a few discreet arguments on some of the plans that didn't work out, em and i finally agreed that since this is our last leg of the trip together, we might as well make the most of it. although really tired and worn out, we had to push through.
 |
| no standing ! ngee. |
 |
| around manhattan |
down the subway, it was not a really pleasant experience. the subway was dark, smelly, dirty and a flickering lamp was nearby - it was spooky, just like in the movies :)
 |
| lower manhattan |
when we got off the subway, it got worse. it was raining and it felt like below 10 degrees C. we had to put on our jackets and find the nearest open diner where we can get some heat.
applebee's it was.
after a hot brekkie, we met our tour guide that morning - who was a bit late - and i was suspecting he was blaming the weather for it.
 |
| our einstein-danny d v- dora guide |
after the interesting tour through major touristy sites, we headed out to Starbucks to get some wi-fi and some heat. there we waited for kristian, em's friend who took his half day off from work just to bring us around.
 |
| shake shacked! |
 |
| em and me |
 |
| watery eyes, swollen feet, frozen hands l |
later that evening we boarded a yellow cab and headed to the other island in brooklyn where we checked out the glorious veins' gig that evening. it was not bad at all, everyone was enjoying the event.
then finally, it was time to head back to the airport.
it was one packed day in the big apple, but we did enjoy every bit of it.
once - dominggo - biente seiz
as usual we looked for a corner in T4's departure terminal and slept the rest of the time off.
 |
| on board A380, yey! |
JFK 8AM: went boarding via virgin atlantic for Heathrow Airport in London.
arrived there at 7PM (local time) and our connecting flight to Singapore was was a bit delayed - our ETD 8PM flight was moved to 10PM, well, just enough time to have dinner and shop around London (lol) -- airport lang.
and yeah, we were on board the A380 via. our first time.
big and comfy! i would always recommend SQ for long flights especially on return when you're all tired and that, because even if you are booked on economy class, the service and comfort is still up to par, all worth what you're paying for.
Arrival - Monday evening
we arrived Singapore the next day, Monday evening- really tired, jet lagged and sleepy.
the most sleep and rest we've had during the trip was only on flights up in the air.
sure it was really crazy to pull off an 11-day US trip , where most of our relatives protested on :P.
yeah well, technically it was a 9-day trip as more or less 48 hours were spent flying. hehe.
nevertheless, it was possible and fun.
and i would do it over again :)
-k
los angeles, california 16 may 2013
melbourne, florida, 19 may 2013
st augustine, florida, 21 may 2013
orlando, florida, 21 may 2013
merritt island, florida, 22 may 2013
new york, new york 24 may 2013
london heathrow airport, 26 may 2013
life on the run...
ReplyDeletei can totally relate, living on a suitcase (i mean backpack for u, dora lol)
let's figure a trip together next time...mine is usually 3-5 days :-)
oh well, ive had 9 days around 5 (+1 stop over) states in Oz...
if it's free then i am so On!
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