I flew from Brisbane to Los Angeles. The Qantas flight was good. The twelve hours flying time gives plenty of opportunity to sleep.
I landed in LA around 6.30 a.m. and took a shuttle to my hotel on Wiltshire Boulevard. I had originally booked into a hostel, but it is being refurnished and I was transferred to a hotel owned by the same company. The place turned out to be good.
Jet Lag
Albeit that I had managed to get some sleep on the plane, I had mild jet lag. The trick is to fall back into to a normal rhythm as soon as possible. This meant staying awake until dark.
I went for a walk and caught the Metro to Union Station to sort out my train travel. Amtrak confirmed that my train to Seattle had been cancelled due to a freight train knocking out a bridge. I had to look for alternatives. The flight were ridiculously expensive. I booked a Greyhound Bus ticket instead.
Pub
I had a meal in the Bounty Pub. The meal was ordinary, however, the conversations with the locals were interesting. Trump isn’t popular in this pub.
Santa Monica
Next day I headed back into the Downtown area. I recall that on my first visit in 1979, the downtown area was in serious decay. On my last visit three years ago, the downtown was undergoing bit of a revival, will people moving into apartments and pubs and restaurants opening. This is still happening at full steam.
I then caught the Expo train out to Santa Monica.
I really like Santa Monica. I first went there in July 1979. On that visit, I happened on really good pub – The Ye Olde King’s Head. I visited that on subsequent visits to LA in 1983, 86 and 93. I also went there on my last visit three years ago.
It is very popular with the UK expat community of which there are many in Santa Monica.
I got into a discussion with a bloke at the bar. He was doing a ‘Jack Nicholson’, wearing sunglasses indoors. He asked for the TV to turned to CNN and then got into a tirade about Trump. I asked him what he did for a living. He said that he “couldn’t tell” me, beyond saying he “looked for people and he had just returned for the Philippines.
Dodgy Part of Town
The next day I went back Downtown to visit the Greyhound station. I wanted to confirm the arrangements for carrying the bike. The information on their website was somewhat confusing. I also want see the bike boxes particularly by box would be able to fit my bike.
On the way to the bus station through a very rough part of town. There were lots of homeless people living in tents ridge on the footpaths. It wasn’t the sort of place that you would want hang around.
As it turned out I got advice from there Greyhound people that I would able to use my Qantas box
Having sorted that out decided go up to Hollywood. I am not sure why. The place does nothing for me.
In the evening I had a chat with an old Caltex colleague who lives just south of LA. Foolishly, I had neglected to forewarn him of my visit. It was great to chat. My colleague also gave me details of a mutual friend who also worked for Caltex and is now living in France. Hopefully I will be able to catch up with him when I am on in France in June or early July.
Leaving on a Greyhound
Next morning, I headed to a Public Storage place where I rented a locker the store my suitcase. As it turned out the locker was far bigger than I unexpected.
In the morning, I headed to Greyhound station using a shuttle bus operated by the hotel. The route took us through the downtown area. There is lot of construction work going on downtown and it took ages to get through the congestion and into the bus station.
I checked in and waited to board the bus.
When it came to boarding the bus, it turned out that my Qantas flight box was bigger than the standard Greyhound box and would not fit into designated place for a bike.
I had to take the box to the other side of the bus to loaded it. I left my bag on the tarmac. When I returned to the other side of the bus, the bag wasn’t there and I assumed that it had been loaded by the baggage handler.
The bus and headed north up Interstate 5. The road was very busy and despite having at least four lanes in each direction, the traffic was very congested. We passed through vast areas of orange groves and vineyards. This is agriculture on a major scale.
No Bag
It was late in the evening when we arrived in Sacramento. At this stop we were required to change buses. When I went to collect my bag it wasn’t there. I had a problem.
The staff at the bus station told me that I would have to call the customer service centre. The customer service centre turned out to be in the Philippines. I was part way through the call when I had to board the new bus.
We headed off into the night. I realized that I am far too old to travel on night of buses.
Here were two more changes of buses before we finally arrived in Seattle.
After I had off loaded the bike I asked Greyhound representative what I should do about recovering in my bag. I told him about the issue of having to talk to people in of the Philippines. He told me that it was a “joke that the customer service centre was here”. He told me that he would give me the mobile number of someone and that he knew in the Los Angeles station. I called the number. The bloke at the end of the line turned out to be very helpful. After a few minutes, he came back to me and told me that he had found the bag. That was such a relief.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, it took another three days before the bag arrived in Seattle. At each point where the bus is changed on the way, the bag was offloaded. Because no one claimed it, it was held over to next bus.
I left the bus station and caught the light rail into the downtown area of Seattle made my way to the hostel.
After checking in it headed across the road to a gastro pub where I had a couple of pints and a meal.
I was very pleased to be in Seattle.
Flickr Link
Last Visit
billrider2013 