The Australian eagles have landed!! After a gruelling 24 hours of awakedness (not sure if the fleeting two hours of sleep really counted), we arrived in sunny San Fran. As a newcomer to the USA, I was a little afraid of customs in LA, but no dramas occurred. Hundreds of people queued to get their fingerprints done (four fingers on the right, right thumb, and then the other hand), plus a photo which we assume was to record a picture of our eyeballs. Customs was easy and even though I had snack chocolate with us, we were allowed through. Woo hoo and welcome to the USA!
The flight was ok, but I just couldn't get to sleep. A bit cramped, but the food was ok and so was the entertainment. I watched Wall Street: Money never sleeps (Ok, but I thought it would've been a bit more exciting) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (great, but it's cruel to end a movie in the middle of the action!) and Gulliver's Travels (hilariously ridiculous). Talked to a few people who said the shopping in the USA is cheap! Yay!
We checked in for our LA to SFO flight and waited in the crowded domestic departures lounge with iPod sudoku and a large Coke (1185 mL - we passed on the endless refills). Then we were on the plane - free drinks, but I slept through most of the flight (one hour and twenty minutes). Sunny San Fran! We caught a hotel shuttle and I marvelled at how like the movies the highways, cars and buildings are.
Hotel Adelaide were true to the reviews on Hostelworld and stuffed up our booking so we were put into a 6-bed mixed dorm instead of a 4-bed. Ah well. I was a little afraid of my bed though - on the bottom bunk, but at exactly mattress level was an open window, with no bars, and a drop of four stories... Luckily I didn't move around too much in my sleep - not sure how insurance would go with me falling out of a hostel window our first night!!
After a much needed shower, chicken burrito and nap, we were ready to meet up with our friend Pat. He was in town for work, randomly of course, from Connecticut. Of course this was going to happen, after all our random meetings across Europe last year! I had my first Bud Light at the bar where we had dinner. Not a lot of flavour, but very easy to drink! Will and I had a bite of Pat's Reuben Sandwich - our first taste of that corned beef, sauerkraut and cheese on rye bread goodness. We played it safe with a burger and BLT, and the potato skins were awesome. We ate too much. Need to make sure this doesn't happen to often or we may need new jeans!
Speaking of jeans, we passed many iconic shops on our way to dinner - Macy's, Barney's and Saks Fifth Avenue. Some familiar shops too - Merrell, Nine West and an Ugg shop bigger than the one in Melbourne Central. I know we brought heaps of clothes over... but I might need some more :)
Off to explore the city today, once we check into our actual room. Pictures and more posts to come!!
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