#LAX Airport Transfer

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[blacktowncarla]

Black Label Towncar Airport Transfers

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR CHAUFFEURED BLACK CAR AIRPORT TRANSFER:

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[sgiandubh]

He's been in Los Angeles since Tuesday. Work friend saw him in Malubu Tuesday night. She said he was with a couple people no mention of Caitriona.

Dear Tuesday Anon,

I am sorry to pop your balloon here, but I'd be reserved on this. It could fit, but barely.

You all know I am terrible with timelines, but here is my take on things:

Sunday 28th, red carpet in Ostende, Belgium. Afterparty, etc. Perhaps not the best idea to pop in a car all'alba/at daybreak for an almost 5 hour ride to Paris.

Monday 29th, not much. We can speculate, but I would need an Advil. Most probably on this way to Paris. I doubt the Eurostar (the train formerly known as Thalys) was worth a Brussels detour and, while they used to have an Ostende-Paris direct link, it was dropped off around 2015. Why take a 90 minutes' detour (119 km!) to get to the Bruxelles Midi Train Station and hop on the Paris direct Eurostar link for the 90 minute ride, when you could only add (roughly) an hour by car and leave directly from Ostende?

I am immediately having visions of the horrendously impractical hullaballoo at Bruxelles Midi and to me, it's a firm no. @margareth-lv 's guess of a direct car trip is the most logical one and I am sticking with it. Paris pic was posted on Wednesday morning and he was staying at the Hôtel Lutétia, as I heavily hinted in my post (it used to be the Nazi Abwehr/Military Intelligence HQ during World War II). Probably one of the corner suites (angle of rue de Sèvres and Boulevard Raspail), hotel has a very good seafood restaurant, too.

Everything fits: the outside view, the reel/story angle. On my screenshot, x marks the spot on the map and the arrow, the outside view of the corner suites. I should know, it was my playground, many moons ago:

It is possible the reel was taken Monday evening upon arrival, but for being intimately familiar with Parisian nights, my best bet is on Tuesday morning, very early (jogging? leaving?). Just an intuition, and I could be wrong and I am ready to correct and edit, as we go.

We then assume a direct CDG-LAX flight. Since it's not possible to check past flight schedules, we work with a random February Tuesday. First and Business class yield different results (Shipper Mum, a former airline executive, helped me with those over the phone: hi, mum!).

Traveling First Class (very possible, damn expensive, but money is no object and Frequent Flyer mileage - always redeemable):

Traveling Business Class (reasonably possible and two more options):

Factoring in arrival/border/luggage procedures and city/airport, then airport/city transfers, it's not impossible, but to any normal human being who was Batman only on stage (even very fit)... a bit of a stretch.

This is my take on your info. Please don't take it personally (or at least try). I simply think he might have arrived in LA yesterday, Thursday, when the Los Feliz pic was taken, with his luggage in tow.

But you know what, Tuesday Anon? One thing I am sure of, is that this is exactly what he wants us to do, right now. Cue in the Yellow Ski Outfitgate, for fun. Schuss on top - that was a blatant von Trapp latergram and my mind immediately pictured a sidesmile.

At any rate, don't be a stranger. I answered you with all the care and caution in the world. And thank you, whoever you are. It was a fun phone call to Bucharest and Mom, who is laughing like a drain and told me I was probably bonkers.

[thai-hunter-win]

Welcome Home, Daddy!

Win had been having contractions since the night before, it kept him up for most of the night but he played it off with Gio as Braxton Hicks and the excitement of finally getting to see Miles again after so long. They waited for their lover at the airport and during the wait his water broke during one of his many bathroom breaks, a fact he didn't share with Gio since he figured he had time. He was wrong, of course, as he felt their son drop lower into the birth canal the longer they waited for Miles' plane to land. When the plane finally let the passengers off, Win was rocking back and forth on his feet, the urge to push becoming a bit overwhelming but he hid it well from his husband. He gave into the urge every now and then, subtly bearing down and using his rocking on his toes as a cover for what he was really doing, telling Gio it helped ease his aching back. When Miles finally showed up, he could feel the top of their son's head pushing past the folds of his temporary cookie and he knew they weren't making it out of the airport lobby without their son in their arms. The other man pulled Gio and Win into a tight hug and kiss, telling then both how much he missed them. "I missed you more, Hia." He says kissing him back as he felt a contraction hit that was too painful to hide as their son's head pressed painfully against the hole of his temporary cookie causing him to wince. "Your son wants to meet you too, it seems. Because he's coming. Now."

Miles had been waiting for months to finally finalize his move to Los Angeles to be with his lovers, choosing to wait until his Parabatai's wedding to surprise his platonic soulmate with both the transfer and the two year relationship he shared with Win and Gio. It had been a while since he saw his lovers, Win unable to portsl due to how far along in his pregnancy he was, so he was very excited to see his loves again. He had plans to propose at the wedding but wanted the chance to settle in a bit with Win and Gio before surprising Max. They said they would wait for him at LAX and they were the first sight be saw when he came out of the gate. He wasted no time making his way over to them and bringing them both into a heated kiss. "God I've missed you both so much." He says before his eyes widened at what Win said. "What? Now? We need to get you to a doctor!" He says with wide eyes.

[kaiyonohime]

Safely in the US. I have many, many comments to make about the issues with the airline industry.

First, Jetstar Japan does not allow babies to use car seats on their plans. At all. And the baby seatbelt that I was given to use was broken. That should NEVER have happened.

Second, American airlines conveniently forgot to load the baby meals on an international flight. I had snacks, but nothing as solid as a meal. Also, as a 183cm tall woman, I know for sure I can't evacuate from the economy section in case of an emergency. Nor could I even brace. The source allowed is now so little that my baby spent half the flight entertaining himself by using his feet to screw with his screen. And my stroller was destroyed, which is even more fucking awful.

Third, LAX. Burn it down and start over somewhere else, there is no saving it.

Fourth, put the smoking areas away from just outside the doors in Denver. No one likes smelling smoke while waiting for their ride.

Fifth, all American airports need baby strollers with luggage area. Japan has them for free, just get them. Also, child play areas. If the kid burns off steam before the flight everyone will be happy.

On Wednesday I get to see if we can make a thirty minute transfer that American booked. I really hope so.

[iasmelaion]

I don't care enough about this to make my own poll(s), but I feel that worst airports poll should have been separated into Worst Airports for Arrivals, Worst Airports for Departures, and Worst Airports for Connections, because these are all very different things. Like, I voted for LAX because the Arrivals experience sucks so much ass, and also because it's pretty hideous and the traffic situation is awful. But tbh I've never really had any problems with domestic or international departures from LAX. Like, you can get dropped off at your terminal, and from there it's pretty straightforward, and I've never spent more than 20 minutes or so getting through security. I've never had delays of more than an hour or so there either.

Arrivals though...UGH. Just a heinous experience all around. Total fuckin' chaos once you exit the terminal and attempt to figure out where the fuck you should go, if you're not being picked up by someone, and if you ARE being picked up by someone, still stressful thanks to the traffic and the exhaust fumes. If you're using rideshare, you either need to walk your ass to the whole separate parking lot for rideshare, or take the shuttle. There's multiple shuttles and buses for cheaper public transport but since the Metro extension isn't finished yet, the many options are confusing. Godspeed if you've parked in another parking lot: you will have to navigate the confusing signage to figure out where the hell your shuttle pick up spot is. If you parked in the economy lot, they helpfully tell you to follow the pink signs, however, MULTIPLE shuttles use these stops so you have to make sure you're getting on the right bus. The whole experience manages to feel grimy too. And of course, the horseshoe layout means that if you miss an exit/stop, you will have to ride ALL THE WAY AROUND again.

Literally the worst arrivals experience. Especially compared to all the European airports I've been to where the arrivals experience is basically less than 30 mins at customs, baggage claim, then walk right out to an easy to spot taxi stand or the airport transfer guy holding up a sign with my name on it.

Also, a special fuck you to Frankfurt for its particular awfulness for connections! The closest I have ever come to missing a flight is thanks to Frankfurt having TWO people at customs, for a line of HUNDREDS, and only after an increasingly stressful 30-40 minutes of waiting in that line, did someone finally bother to be like, "so hey, whose connecting flight is leaving basically now?" and skip us to a separate, shorter line, after which we had to RUN to make it to our gate, which was naturally ALL THE WAY AT THE OTHER END OF THE AIRPORT, and we arrived on the plane wheezing and sweaty, mere minutes before they closed the gate and departed. That flight was AT LEAST a third empty, presumably because so many other people did not make it through Frankfurt's gamut of trials.

Istanbul Airport can also be terrible for connections because it is ENORMOUS but tbf if you're flying Turkish Air they will help you out with fast lanes and such through customs, though they also had the MOST bafflingly thorough security at the gate. Like, AFTER customs and security to get to the right terminal, there was a whole new round of security at the gate itself, which involved another passport and boarding pass check, and then OPENING UP OUR CARRYONS for physical inspection by security people. No idea if this is normal for flights going to the US there, it did not happen the first time I flew from Istanbul back to the US.

Shoutout to connecting through Dublin though: even this past weekend when we were stuck on the plane for 40 mins because of a problem with the airbridge, we still made our connecting flight with a few minutes to spare thanks to all Aer Lingus flights flying out of Terminal 2 and USA preclearance being speedy and straightforward.

My favorite airport remains ONT though. So small, so calm, so usually (comparatively) empty. A very chill arrivals and departure experience. Not many great food options though iirc. Alas I do not fly into or out of it anymore now that I live in LA. I live less than 30 mins from LAX, so even though it sucks, I always fly into and out of it now.

[hellsbellschime]

So I know mentioned that I have weirdly bad luck a few days ago, and although this happened on Sunday and I just didn't have the energy to chronicle it until now, it is such a hilariously on-point example that I'm a Murphy's law magnet that I can't not share.

So, I went to Las Vegas with my cousin last week and generally had a good time, aside from the fact that I'm pretty sure I broke a bone in my foot and/or toe the day he arrived in California to hang before we left, which obviously made traveling in general or doing a lot of fun shit way more difficult (and I'm finally going to go see a doctor about it tomorrow or Thursday so fingers crossed they don't tell me anything terrible).

Sunday was the day I left, and because I have a Priority Pass I left the hotel at like 4:30am so I could go grab a free breakfast at the airport lounge before I go. I get there, do this automated ordering thing, get a confirmation number and everything, and it says that it should be ready in 15 minutes or less. Because I'm dumb and don't recall that everything that can go wrong for me will go wrong, I don't note when I made the order, and eventually realize it has been 30 minutes at least and it's basically time for me to go. I track down an employee and ask WTF, and they're like oh yeah we got no order and we can't give you anything to go, sorry. Which already had me annoyed, but whatever, it's a flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, it's 7am and it'd be bizarre if I wasn't home by 10am.

So I get on the plane, fly home, everything seems to be fine. I arrive, text my mom that I've landed, go down and collect my luggage, and wait. And wait. And wait and wait. Eventually calling her like 10 times during that hour to see what the eff is going on.

After waiting in the terminal for about an hour, I decide to go start looking for her, as I'm guessing she must have forgotten her phone, and to be fair, I did tell her that it would be one of two terminals that I would land in. So I walk to the other terminal, no dice. I know she'll be driving my new EV, so I think hey, maybe I should check out the EV parking areas to see if she's even here. I do that, no dice. I do a few laps in the airport again, still no luck. All of this on an injured effing foot mind you.

By the time I have gone through all this rigmarole, it has legitimately killed another hour of waiting (LAX is fucking huge if you didn't know). At this point I am legitimately starting to get concerned, and I think hey, my car is brand new and all tech-equipped, maybe I can do something with that and at least see if the car is parked at my house, at the airport, or en route somewhere else.

So although I hadn't signed up for the service yet because my car is legit brand new, I text OnStar to see if there is any assistance they can give me. They eventually tell me to get on a call and I do, and because I haven't actually signed up for anything they ask me a series of questions to figure out how they can track down my shit. They ultimately ask me for my VIN which I surprisingly do have because I at least signed up for the Chevy app on my phone, and they're like oh this VIN (on my brand new car that has been owned by no one else mind you) has a registered OnStar account to some guy name Frank who I've never heard of in my life. I'm like okay, maybe the zero in my VIN number is actually an O, so they try that and are like nope there's nothing here it's definitely the Frank account or whatnot, but we can't help you either way.

But thankfully, they at least offer to transfer me to someone who works at Chevy to see if they can do something about it as well. They ping me over to them and we essentially go through the exact same process again, down to them telling me that some dude named Frank has an account under my VIN and that ultimately there is nothing that they can do. They're basically like, eh, call the cops or you're SOL.

At this point another hour plus has gone by and my concern and frustration is through the roof, and I'm basically like well I could call the cops, but if I know my mom, she's just blowing me off or screwed something up rather than it being an emergency. So I decide that I should find a way home by myself, and I better figure it out fast because my phone battery is now at like 20%. Lyft, Uber, and cabs were too much, but there is an express bus from LAX to Union Station that runs often and it's sorta in the direction of my house, so I download that app, buy a one way ticket, and wait for the bus to show up.

In case it wasn't obvious, I have also been incessantly calling my mom this entire time, but once I have bought my ticket and am waiting, despite the fact that I have called 30+ times to no avail and I landed at 8 and it is now 10 to noon, she FINALLY picks up the phone, very clearly just waking up from sleep. Unsurprisingly I am a tsunami of rage and basically say okay cool, glad you're okay, already figured out how to get home, gotta go, don't want to deal with your shit at the moment.

So I take the bus to Union Station and then take the metro rail toward my house (which sidenote, 10/10 recommend LA metro rail, even if the train isn't the cleanest holy shit the views were actually spectacular, it was super fast, and I legit regretted never having taken the train in the city before then). The station in my town is like 2 miles from my house, I ask my mom to pick me up, she says yes, and once again I'm sitting outside at 1pm in 100+ degree heat, waiting with very little shade. After waiting for like 20 minutes I'm like hey, do I want to sit here waiting forever again or should I start walking? So I start walking home with luggage in tow, and tell her that I'm starting to walk home so if she finds me she finds me and if not I'll be there when I get there.

I, no joke, make it 1.6 out of the 2 miles before she actually arrives. I tell her to GTFO of the driver's seat so I can drive home and immediately start charging my now nearly-dead phone, I hop in, and immediately see that the battery gauge on the car is flashing on "low" and the battery is low enough that it is minimizing the actual propulsion of the car. Thankfully we are right next to the DC fast charging stations near my house, so I immediately turn into the parking lot. Not so thankfully but entirely as usual, there are three cars in line waiting before me. I tell my mom to once again GTFO and go into the nearby mall so I can wait, and because the battery is so low, I lower all of the windows and turn the car off, once again waiting in 100+ degree heat.

It takes 20-25 minutes for me to get to the front of the line, and because Electrify America charging stations are garbage, I get the actual charger to connect to my car but the card reader is not working. I call EA assistance to pay on my almost dead phone, and as I am giving her my card info, the call starts breaking up hardcore. It disconnects, but thankfully the agent calls me back and finishes the transaction so the car can start charging the battery that now literally has 3% power and I can also start charging my phone.

At this point I am so hot and sweaty that my hair is literally wet, and I'm like A. I'm dying and B. I actually probably need to rehydrate for my own safety, so I go into the mall and get a large Honeydew smoothie and large watermelon slush to bring myself back to life. I go back to the car because at this point I am beyond exhausted, my foot is killing, and I am dying to go home because I have been up since 4:30am and expected to be home 7 hours earlier, so once the car is just half charged I finally bail.

I go home, pass tf out, and wake up a few hours later with sunburns on both of my forearms.

So, if you were ever wondering what I meant when I said that I have genuinely weirdly, bizarrely bad luck, now you know.

[thealphabetter]

1/28/23

Flight TN (Air Tahiti) 101 has stopped in Papeete for a layover on the way to Auckland. 

Last night, I departed from SFO, and transferred planes at LAX.

I will spend a moment in Papeete before boarding a flight again, toward New Zealand, and the date line.

Once in Auckland, I will make my way to the harbor, to board the Majestic Princess. 

The scheduled departure of the boat was delayed by three hours, to 10 P.M., due to weather conditions. 

There is a fair chance of rain on most of the days that I could check the forecast for in New Zealand and Australia. 

On the way here, I watched Elvis, read some of Doctor Zhivago, and listened to downloads. 

1/29/23

Arrival in Auckland is met with transportation to the Auckland harbor. 

It takes very little delay to gather myself after the flight and the change in time. 

Many of the arriving flights had been delayed or rescheduled, according to signage at the airport, due to the flooding of the runway.

I board the Majestic Princess, unpack, shower, and tour the ship’s amenities. This includes a trip to the bar, and the consumption of four Long Island Iced Teas. Shortly after, I am able to sleep, after I last woke in California, on the 27th.

1/30/23

It was past midnight when I woke up and noticed that the ship was in motion. I laid awake for a moment before deciding upon staying conscious. I ordered a veggie burger and an Americano, walked to the deck to see the ship’s wake, and then to the other side of the boat, to stop by the casino. It was closed.

The ship would broadcast the NFC Championship at 9 A.M. in the morning, after my breakfast. As the game went through the first quarter, I watched the ship turn into its port in Tauranga. I watched the game from a hot tub until half-time, at which point I changed clothes and ate on the deck, until the third quarter of the game. 

It was about a half-mile walk to the trails, the name of the mountain (a.k.a. Mount Maunganui or “The Mount”) that overlooks the peninsula and harbor of Tauranga. I hiked up one side, and saw some sheep along the way. I walked down another trail that led me to the other side of the Tauranga peninsula. 

I walked alongside the beach, into a mini-peninsula off the main beach. I did some window-shopping through the mid-peninsula before finding myself near the boat. It was simpler to board again, eat again, and fall asleep for a while. When I woke up, in the evening I ordered five plates of food to the room, and finished the meal while watching Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. 

It was early enough, when the movie was over, to get drinks at the bar, and check out the Freddie Mercury tribute concert at the Princess Theater. 

1/31/23

The day was highlighted by a scheduled trip to the Hobbiton movie set, the filming location for the setting of the Shire in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies. 

Before I left the ship for the drive to the set, I watched the beginning of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, until the moment right before Bilbo decides to embark on the journey with the dwarves. 

The set is located on a farm, past a range of mountains when traveling from Tauranga. 

The tour began highlighting areas where specific scenes from the movies were shot, and the discussion of camera techniques used in the movie. Different areas on the set were sized proportionally, to make any character appear larger or smaller in respect to it. 

I could recognize these settings, and took many photos. The tour went around the set, and ended near the Green Dragon Inn, where I was served, by our tour guide, Calen, a cup of ale.

The drive to and from the set took about an hour and 15 minutes each way. The driver discussed major exports of the area, including timber, kiwi fruit, and dairy products. I recognized the Zespri brand name as we passed by the office building for the kiwi fruit company. 

Return to the ship was followed by a meal and the next hour of the first Hobbit movie. I then went to the indoor pool for what was around two hours. Patrick McCullough performed in the Princess Theater in the evening. 

2/1/23

The journey’s first full day at sea would consist of traveling from Tauranga to Wellington. It started early, with breakfast, but with little other activity until my visit to the casino. My initial $20 AUD transfer was gone in just a few spins. I waited to eat at Alfredo’s, where I would eat three times throughout the day. I resumed gambling, maintaining a bank for the slots while losing at the tables. I eventually hit a slots bonus that brought me to $280 AUD, after I had put in $140 AUD in total. 

I watched the Maori ambassador’s presentation on traditions and mythology in the Princess Theater. This was followed by my next visit to Alfredo;’s, in the ship’s atrium. It was in the atrium that I then participated in a Haka dance with the ambassadors. Crew members began to set up a champagne waterfall, which I watched through, nearly to its completion. At 6:30 P.M., the officers of the ship were introduced at the waterfall ceremony. I took a glass of champagne from a nearby server and sat at Alfredo’s again. I began watching Alien: Covenant, but not to its conclusion, before the night ended. 

There was a musical performance in the Princess Theater. I found it happening after participating in the guessing contest for the weight of a pig-sculpture in the art studio. 

2/2/23

I have found myself waking up early, as was the case today. Upon arrival  in Wellington, I am ready to explore the city. The bus takes me near the cable car, which runs up a hill to the botanical gardens. These gardens run towards the side and down the hill, and included native NZ species of flora, and more - a herb garden, rose garden, and greenhouse with a pond full of guppies. The downhill trail ends back near the parliament building, which I detoured around. I walked closer to the harbor-coastline area to the Maritime Museum. There were a few objects of interest there. A walk along the coastline took me to the Te Papa Museum, which exhibited nature-science, a NZ WWI display, abstract art, traditional Maori pieces and more. The bus to the ship gathered passengers right behind the museum. Back on the boat, I took a moment to decide whether to watch the movie being shown on the deck, Dakota, before changing, and watching it from a hot tub. I met two, from Korea, in the tub.

I went to the atrium, alternated alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks three times, for six drinks total, before getting two Americanos saturated with brown sugar. The live music was okay. I watched the rest of Alien: Covenant and slept. 

2/3/23

Another early day started at 5:30 A.M., until the hills around our destination port appeared around us at breakfast. The timing would allow for a load of laundry to be completed while the ship docked. In Port Shakespeare, shuttle buses took cruise-ship passengers to the town of Picton. A primary glimpse into the ocean water, from the Picton harbor beach, was very red - what I understood to be red algae. I kept walking for what was at least 2.5 hours round-trip. 

It began to rain, most heavily when I decided to turn around, at the viewpoint on the trail labeled as the viewpoint for Queen Charlotte’s Sound. My shoes were a little moist, as was my passport, when I ended up back at the harbor. The couple I had met the day prior offered a pint of beer, which I drank rather quickly, before asking where I could get some soda. There was a nearby sandwich and soda shop. I stopped by, and walked through the street full of souvenir shops and restaurants, before ending up at a store, where I bought a bottle of Lawson’s Dry Hills Reserve Pinot Noir. Ideally, I would have gone on some sort of wine tour, but I did not. I was allowed to bring the wine back on board the boat. 

The ship leaves Queen Charlotte Sound and turns right, to navigate southward on the southern island. It is picturesque, and I combine sightseeing from the lido deck with drinks from Alex and Whinn at the atrium’s Vines bar. 

2/4/23

The ship docked in Lyttleton harbor, and I was in the initial queue to go ashore. Shuttles awaited for the journey into Lyttelton or Christchurch. Notes from my booked tour instructed me to board for Lyttelton and transfer in the port-city. 

The tour bus went north around Governor’s Bay before taking the road over the mountain range that divides Christchurch from Lyttelton. Descent into Christchurch gave way to a view of the mountain-park for mountain bikers and zip-liners, and a more distant picture of Christchurch and New Zealand’s Alps. A stop was made for this moment, to observe. 

Scottie, the tour guide, drove onto the streets of Christchurch while beginning to explain the effect of the hundreds of earthquakes that struck the city between 2010 and 2012. 70% of the city was rebuilt since that time, into the present day, in which the city has been reopened to cruise-ship passengers for its first year since. A wall of names downtown commemorates those lost. 

Free time in the city would consist of walking by that memorial and along the river. This was followed by a few moments at the botanical gardens. There is much evidence of the effect that the earthquakes had still. In the more suburban areas, less so, as the “red zone” now delineates the area in which construction cannot take place due to risks, in the event of another earthquake. This zone was quite large, and took up most of the trip on our way to the beach in Brighton. 

A few more winding roads through the jagged peninsulas wold lead to the port-city where we landed. I had a moment to stop at Eruption Brewing to down a lager on the deck. 

There was a moment in the evening, at the Vines bar, as I read the next pages of Zhivago. This was followed by another moment, as I looked out the window to see three animals, apparently, jumping through the ship’s wake. I could identify the animal in the third instance as a penguin. 

I kept drinking and eating, watched Morbius on the pool deck, and checked out the late-night dance in the atrium before calling it a night. 

2/5/23

The ship docked at Port Chalmers in the early morning.

Upon entering the port-city, I walked through the main city street, up through a path by the Presbyterian Church, and to a garden that house a lookout over the harbor, the dock, and city hall. Buses were ready to take passengers to the city of Dunedin. The city center is an octagon-shaped block with a road for buses going horizontally through. It was pretty early in the morning, on a Sunday, and I would need to walk the same path twice t be there for various sites’ hours of operation. These sites included the rail station, the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, and the Chinese Garden. I visited three churches, the First Church of Otago, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the St. Joseph Cathedral. I attended mass at St. Paul’s until the communal prayers, then walked to the St. Joseph Cathedral, just before communal prayers. 

I walked back to the octagon, and had fish and chips at a place called Social Club. This was followed by a visit to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. This would conclude my visit to the city, as buses to the ship departed from the octagon. 

I stayed wake into the early hours of the next morning, as the DJ took over the atrium/dance floor per usual. Midnight marked the arrival of my birthday.

2/6/23 - 2/8/23

It was a rather late night, the previous night. 

Three days were spent to cross the Tasman Sea, into Australia. 

I dined at the Crown Grill for my birthday festivities. The next day’s dinner would be in the Symphony Dining Room. On the next, dinner was at the Harmony Restaurant. The food at all three locations on the ship was delectable. 

My stateroom is located near the front of the ship, which can apparently rock with the waves, as the ship presses forward. The movement could have been worse, but it did not go unnoticed. We were quite close to Tasmania on the night before we got there, and the going was pretty easy, much of the early morning consisting of cruising through the bay and into the Hobart port. 

2/9/23

Dawn arrives as the ship arrives in the port of Hobart. I watched the ship dock in the morning light. The groups for excursions into Tasmania are assembled in the Princess Theater. Several groups prepare to board buses to the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. I had looked into this excursion for an opportunity to see Tasmanian Devils. This was the first instance in which I had done so. There were several species native to Australia there as well, an abundance of kangaroos, some emus, birds, etc. We were bussed back towards the ship, stopping by the bridge for a photo-op across the bay from Hobart. 

The bus dropped us off at the port, there was still about six hours to walk through the city. I started west, towards the other side of the port, and out into the respective peninsula. The University of Tasmania is located there, and a little further is a residential area in which I found a hotel bar that poured me a Cascade, a native Tasmanian beer. The path would lead back towards but past the ship, through downtown Hobart past various athletics facilities, through a fallen soldiers’ memorial, to a track meet in progress. This path continued through to the botanical gardens. I would check the time to be back on the boat, stopping by the war memorial, the ANZAC eye. 

The Hobart Brewing Co. is located right next to the port, and I stop for a flavored beer. 

2/10/23

The last day of the cruise is a day at sea, between Tasmania and Sydney. It is a fairly good moment. I found myself on the deck at times, in the atrium as the choir sang Oklahoma!, and dining in the Allegro Dining Room that evening. I had barramundi. The Noordam cruises alongside us, I observed, as the evening continued. 

2/11/23

We arrived in the port of Sydney at around 5 A.M. I am ready to leave with my disembarkation group at 8 A.M. It’s a pretty good feeling, sunrise over the Sydney Opera House. I am not feeling any fatigue. The deal I booked online was a bus pass/hostel package, with plenty of distance to cover up the east coast of Australia. Accommodations are about a mile inland, near Town Hall. I dropped off my bags at the Nomads Hostel location and begin my first day of two in Sydney. Proceeding east past Town Hall is the ANZAC War Memorial and the botanical gardens. Along the path northward is the Art Gallery of New South Wales, made up of two separate buildings. There are a few nice pieces there, I’m not sure I recognized any in particular, maybe some artists here and there. I continued north through the gardens and past the Opera House again, towards the Sydney Harbor Bridge. At this moment in the day, I do not have any time constraints, but the walk over the bridge and back to the hostel took about 2 hours. It’s at this moment that I get ready to attend the performance of La Boheme at the opera house. This preparation includes the consumption of Somersby cider and jalapeño poppers at the hostel bar. 

2/12/23

I made the route out to take for the second and last planned day in Sydney. It was through to the west via train to to the Olympic park, and then after a walk through it, a ferry ride back to the quay. It was a pretty lengthy trek. The bus left at 7 P.M., which left me some time to visit Bondi Beach, walk around there, and take the bus and subway back to the city center where I had left my bags, and where the Greyhound bus would depart from. 

2/13/23

The bus ride has taken about 19 hours to Brisbane. This area of Australia is made up of national parks and Eucalyptus forests. I looked out the window for a good while until it was overwhelmingly dark outside, at which point I watched the last two episodes of the National Treasure series on my phone. Traffic increased as we approached the city of Brisbane. The Super Bowl was occurring, and I listened in. When I arrived, I walked to the Nomads hostel, and left my bags there before check-in at 3 P.M. The central business district is pretty nice, and it is fairly hot outside - I stopped by Starbucks for a refresher and an ice-water. The city is built alongside a river, and there’s a smaller arts part of the city as well on the other side of the river from the business district. This evening walk included three museums, a cozy park, and a ferris-wheel ride. I got a ticket for an evening concert - classical music, a chamber orchestra led by violinist Ilya Gringolts. I walked back to the hostel, checked in, showered, and got sushi. Then, I went to the concert. 

2/14/23

The Brisbane train station is one block from the hostel. I got a vending machine espresso drink from the station before departing towards the Australia Zoo. I had seen a few episodes of Crikey! It’s the Irwins before my trip started. It was a good stop to make. I went around the zoo and ended up in the middle of it, where the crocodiles were. The crocodiles were from Australia, some with backstories on display. I liked the alligators as well, and they were from the U.S.A. I got an Icee by the African savannah exhibit, where there were zebras, giraffes, and rhinos. There was a tiger feeding. I got a salad before the Crocoseum show - trained birds flying from trainer to trainer, and crocodile feeding. There was a moment to stop by the animal hospital before going back to Brisbane. I had potato gnocchi for dinner. 

2/15/23

It was a pretty nice, early morning. I got some fruit buns at Woolworth’s grocery store before my bus to Airlie Beach. This bus ride would take the rest of the day and the morning of the next. I got a long black from the station cafe. The Dallas Stars played, and I listened to that. I revisited some of my Youtube Music listening history from two or three years ago. This included “Moonshadow” by Cat Stevens., and “Let Me Go” by Alesso, Hailee Steinfeld, and Florida-Georgia Line. 

2/16/23

Once in Airlie Beach, I decided to go on a boat ride to a nearby island. This is the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef. The boat, the Camira, sailed out to Whitsunday Island. We anchored by one side of the island to snorkel, and I made use of my underwater camera in pursuit of some colorful marine life. Once anchored by another part of the island, we hiked up to a lookout over the beach, and walked down to it as well. Lunch for me was a veggie burger. I tried the Strongbow and the Great Northern Brewing Co. “Super Crisp.” In the evening would be a moment to walk through Airlie Beach - the pools, the beach, and the harbor, where I got a pizza. The hostel pool area was closed, but I sat down and almost fell asleep there.

2/17/23

The bus to Townsville departed at 9:50 A.M., by which time I had walked through the town again, to McDonalds, Woolworth’s and a pharmacy, where I got a pin with turtles on it, for my backpack. The bus ride there took about five hours. The bus station is linked to the ferry system between the town and Magnetic Island, where I planned to stay for two nights. I stopped by the hostel, but I had forgotten to make a reservation. The other hostel on the map was in Picnic Bay, about a mile away. I walked with a resident on the trail there. The island is pretty nice, not too populated, and I had a squash salad and a beer flight at Maggie Island Brewery - a fresh cucumber beer stood out - the last one on the flight. After that, I did the laundry, considering the hike to West Point, as it began to rain. 

2/18/23

Early morning, I had the cup ramen noodles I had, and waded in the pool with Louie, an Australian Shepherd. He swam across a few times, but I was preparing for my trip to Horseshoe Bay, on the other side of the island. This hike would start at the bay and go around the outer side to the north-east, down south, and towards the lookout, located closer to the center of the island, up a long flight of stairs. Adam, from the hostel, told me that I should bring carrots for the rock wallabies, if I intended on feeding them. I got these from the store at Horseshoe Bay. I walked on the trail as it presented itself, and although it was raining, I enjoyed looking at the beachfronts and flora. The informational guidepost mentioned that this island was a precautionary WWII lookout, used both by Australian and U.S.A. soldiers in that time. The lookout at the top was just two buildings. The Magnetic Island National Park entrance was nearby, where I waited for the bus. I rode to the south-eastern part of the island where the rock wallabies lived. I fed one a carrot immediately, gave one to some tourists who had scootered there, and with no other wallabies around, ate the last one. I missed the next bus back to Picnic Bay. There was a store nearby, where I got pasta, sauce, sour skittles, cheese, chips, and pineapple juice. I waited by the bus stop as the rain stopped and started again, before the next bus. I shared the pasta with some tourists from Germany. 

2/19/23

I woke up in time to swim at the Picnic Bay beach, and then again at the hostel pool with Louie. I took the 10 A.M. ferry back to Townsville, and walked through a memorial park. I got a pizza by the Townsville beach, and some ice cream after that. The bus to Cairns would be at 2:40 P.M., and I walked the beach for a bit, got some beers as UFC played on T.V., and wandered back to the station. It was nighttime in Cairns when I got there.

2/20/23

The early morning consisted of breakfast at McDonalds, by the harbor, where I boarded the Evolution to scuba-dive. The bus stopped at two different locations for diving and snorkeling. We were given some instruction on how to dive, on the way there.I opted to dive twice. The first time I dove, a fellow diver, Josephine, and I linked arms with an instructor. We descended, and some things that stood out to me were the shark, and a fish that followed me about the size of my upper body. After the dive, I snorkeled. The ship, the Evolution, moved to its next location, the North Hastings Reef. This location had more coral, and we dove in a group of five, including the instructor. We saw a few more colorful fish, a few giant clams, sea cucumbers, and two more sharks. Both dives were about 15-20 minutes. I snorkeled again, after removing the self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. I saw a turtle, a lone jellyfish, and a few fish by the boat that looked like Dory from Finding Nemo. The ship made its way back to Cairns, where I received my PADI certificate for my dive. I stopped by a restaurant for some fried seafood and a XXXX beer, then got some gelato, proceeding to walk the length of the beach and turn around towards the hostel.

2/21/23

I opted not to go to the rainforest/gondola-trip nearby, where I was aware of a koala sanctuary. I got a falafel wrap, and proceeded to the Cairns Aquarium. It was a good way to wind down the trip, looking at the fish and turtles. I looked into the Carins Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, where we saw two turtles. Carlotta was missing a left flipper, and was adjusting to swim without it. There was another turtle that had a balance issue due to one of the pressure systems in the head. I went back to Gilligan’s for the afternoon, and went to the pool. I drank a lot that evening, and got drinks for some of my roommates. 

2/22/23

My flight home would be at 6:10 P.M., and I walked all the way to the airport from the hostel, through the inner city instead of the beach, and through the Cairns Botanic Gardens and rainforest. I got there at around 2 P.M. I got some food and beer, a few mementos from the airport shop, and boarded the flight to Singapore. I would arrive there at around 11:00 P.M. 

2/23/23

Early morning, and I have gotten on a train to the city, but I mistook which stop to transfer, and was stranded, as that was the last train. I exited the station and waved down a cab. I explained what I wanted to do in Singapore, and he took me where I wanted to go. We stopped first by the Gardens by the Bay, where the park structures were unlit. I ran around the park for a bit, then we proceeded to a lookout, where the Sands, the harbor, and the dam between the river and the sea were visible. We drove through the inner city, and stopped at Little India to eat. I had seafood noodles, the driver had an egg dish. We had some coffee, and I was not allowed to pay for the meal. The driver stopped by to get gas, as we went back to the airport. My flight would leave from Terminal 3. Most of the airport was closed, but I went to the Jewel and fell asleep in there for a few hours, where the waterfall would run, but was not for the night hours. A few more hours would conclude the trip. 

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[sgiandubh]

Please excuse if I’m missing something but I don’t understand why he couldn’t be in Malibu on Tuesday and Los Feliz on Thursday they are only around 35miles apart . Los Feliz is also only 6miles from Burbank where the Saturn awards he is nominated in will take place on Sunday .

Dear Missing Something Anon,

It is technically possible. Wouldn't he be staying near the awards' venue, then - Los Feliz?

I think that would be the most logical option. Plus 35 miles in LAX traffic terms means a 1 hour commute, at an average (see the map I posted). Why would he complicate his life like that? And please, don't give me the helicopter argument, I don't think he is JR Ewing.

Let's try something, and suppose Tuesday Anon was correct:

His earliest flight option to LA left Paris on Tuesday at 10:15 AM. To be able to catch it, he would have to leave the hotel at around 07:15 AM local time, at the latest.

Arrival in LAX at 1 PM at the earliest. Allow for about 1 hour border and luggage formalities. Leaving the Airport by taxi/limo to Los Feliz, transfer takes between 40 and 90 minutes, depending on traffic, for an ETA around 4 PM:

All this, after a 12 hour flight. Even in First/Business class, you are still a zombie, but sure - believe what you want. Last time I traveled to DC from Bucharest, via Zurich (16 hours, 1 stop) I wanted to kill someone or pee near the luggage belt at a minimum, etc. And I traveled Business.

With what energy would he gleefully be in Malibu the same 'night' is beyond me. Perhaps I am a fool to assume people (even athletes like S, not overweight diplomats, like me!) are not machines - jet lag, anyone? But this is my take on things and I take full responsibility for it, along with the risk of being ridiculed or wrong.

All of this time, you comfortably remain Anon, presuming I know everything. I don't. I just reasonably speculate, in this case in point.

I am not the damn Oracle of Delphi! But I still think he did not leave Paris on Tuesday.

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