THE JOURNEY
09 May, 14:45 (UK Time)
I rise to the alarm that Claire had set for 05:00 instantly regretting trying to finish off my 5L keg of Old Speckled Hen simply because it may not be fresh when I return home in 16 days!! One cup of tea later though I am back in fine fettle and prepare myself for the drive to Manchester Airport and the start of this year's epic journey. It is sad that this one is without Claire but exciting nonetheless and only slightly guilt free as I have her unwavering support.
Juliet said to Romeo that parting is such sweet sorrow but I've never quite got that and it is not easy to leave Claire to fend for herself while I am away. I know there'll be support for her in the shape of mothers but we are rarely apart for longer than a couple of days so it is never easy when a 2 week block comes along. A few tears on the doorstep later and I am on the move.
I always panic about these journeys and am never totally relaxed until I reach where I'm heading. At the moment Kailua-Kona and the Hapuna Beach Price Hotel is still over a day away. I have, however, made it as far as Heathrow and with a New York Deli burger and a pint of Shipyard Pale Ale lining my stomach, I am in reasonable spirits.
It is over 2 years since I last flew anywhere and I am slightly taken aback by how far airport security has moved on. Everyone accepts it is a necessary evil so there is rarely any resistance but it is still a shock to have your entire daysack dismantled because the scanner has caught the spray plaster in my first aid kit and also my bag of race food. The whole transaction is courteously dealt with by both searcher and searchee and over in a matter of 10 minutes. The only grumble is having to repack everything!! As I open the Exped bag that my food parcels are stored in I allow myself a grin at a minor victory when I notice that my 2 small bottles of Hot Diggedy Dawg Sauce have gone unnoticed. I quell my personal rebellion almost straight away though and dutifully place them both in my clear plastic bag for liquids.
Another ray of happiness comes when I find out that my connecting flight also is from Terminal 5 so no repetition is expected until I leave LAX tomorrow morning.
Time for another Shipyard I think.
10 May 01:50 (LA time)
The flight is largely uneventful. The tip I had to ask when boarding about the possibility of getting an upgrade proved to be false as the cabin crew tell me they don't do that anymore and requests should be made at check-in. So I settle myself into seat 22G for the next 11 or so hours to LAX. I manage to cram 3 decent movies - Split (excellent performances) Inferno (Da Vinci Code / Angels and Demons with different clues and baddies but entertaining nonetheless) and Jason Bourne (Bourne!!) In between these I am fed 3 times, given 2 free beers, snatch small chunks of sleep and am occasionally startled when a hand reaches over the top of the seat in front and rests at the top of my screen. It is like being at the movies with Thing from The Addams Family!!
As with Heathrow security measures, US Border Control has also advanced and the transition is largely automated and very high tech!! Maybe I've been living in the sticks too long. It is, however, very slick and I am through in no time at all. There is a minor panic as there is no sign of my bag even thought the handlers seem to have stood back. I ask one of them if there are any more on the way. He has obviously been asked this question about a dozen times but maintains control with a polite "yes Sir" and almost immediately another tranche of baggage, including mine, starts its journey on the carousel.
Across the road from Terminal 2 there is a branch of a very fine organisation called the Bob Hope USO, which caters for military personnel on a short term basis. For the princely fee of $0, I have been offered hot and cold drinks, food, showers and a place to sleep, which has been my main priority grabbing about 4.5 hours. This organisation is run 24 hrs a day entirely by volunteers who do this with the enthusiasm and genuine concern that you only seem to get from Americans. And it is from here that I am typing now.
10 May 06:54 (LA time)
I am now at the gate awaiting boarding my last but one flight to journey's end. I have had a nice hot shower and a nice breakfast croissant and brew courtesy of the USO and have had a, quite pricey, 2nd breakfast at the terminal.
In true British tradition I have chinned off that awful stuff that Americans call bacon in favour of some nice chicken and apple sausages. Coffee has naturally been substituted by tea.
Feeling glad that I decided to leave USO in plenty of time as I arrive at the Delta check in desk to be told I'm being re-routed on United Airlines. It's a little bit of hassle as I have to pay another $25 baggage charge with UA so will have to got through the faff of trying to get a refund from Delta. The good news is that I will still arrive in Kona at the same time and with airlines recent history of getting passengers to toe the line, I decide to keep the complaining to the minimum of a joke about getting redirected via Seattle! Everything is done in good spirits and I set off to UA check in desk with all of my teeth intact.
I am now regretting having a quick lookahead at the weather. It's not forecast to be constant but there is to be a fair bit of rain and cloud over the next week. I reckon karma is having a hand in this and not allowing me to have too much enjoyment without me li'l lady but she's having none of it and thinks I deserve some sunshine. Ain't she great?
10th May 15:45 (Hawaii Time)
The transition from Delta to UA has been without incident and I wait at the gate to depart. I notice that one or two people are quite obviously heading for Hawaii by their very appearance and, so to pass a little time, I decide to stroll around the gate area taking covert photos of each of them which I then add to a Facebook page I have created there and then called How Did You Guess I Was Going to Hawaii. I manage to get 4 individuals on there before it is time to board. It has passed time and served a purpose but I have only invited Claire to like the page so far.
I board the plane and am immediately a little concerned. This is going to be a near 6 hour flight yet the plane does not look set up for this. I find there are no complimentary drinks, we have to pay for any meals and the only entertainment is an intermittent wifi that you can only watch certain things on anyway. I decide that tis journey will be mainly done asleep!! Headphones are duly donned, tunes are loaded and the position is assumed. As the trolley comes round I do ultimately decide to have what seems to be a pretend McMuffin purely because they smell so nice and it also comes with a fruit bowl as a package. So my third breakfast of the day is complete and I settle back for the journey which, to be fair, is pretty good.
As the plane nears Honolulu, there is a glimpse of Big Island with some of its peaks pushing through the clouds. As I have an aisle seat I'm not really in a position to grab a decent photo. The same story goes as we pass Pearl Harbour at a low level as we land at Honolulu International.
The connection arrangements seem to be a little laid back and it feels like it's great if it happens but OK if it doesn't. I have to get a transfer to the gate on a Wiki Wiki bus and, as I'm the only one on it, I do get a little worried until I'm joined by a few more people. Most of these, however, are not going where I'm going and I'm left alone on the bus again save one elderly lady who is equally concerned. All concern is unfounded though as I find my gate with no fuss at all and, as I have plenty of time on my hands, I head to the bar for a couple of Fire Rock IPAs from the Kona Brewing Company which is very tasty.
There are dozens of opportunities to add to my new Facebook page but I decide I've had enough fun with that and have no need to pass any time. In a matter of moments the gate is open and I am on board the Hawaiian Airlines shuttle to Kailua Kona with the happiest cabin crew I have ever seen. These guys must finish work each day with their faces aching from smiling! Unlike the UA flight there is even a complimentary drink. This turns out to be just a small carton of fruit juice but, on a 40 minute flight, who's arguing?!?
There is no border control to speak of but I suppose this is an internal flight and all the security has been done previously. I don't try to even think about how that could easily be manipulate as I have finally arrived on the island. I grab a taxi driven by, the very laid back, Robert who gives me a few facts about his island including wising me up on the State flag, which actually contains an inset of the Union Flag, a connection to the days of Captain Cook.
I am now firmly ensconced in my ocean view room at the very luxurious Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and that is where the next post will begin. For now, I have completed a journey which started 44 hours ago and it is time for a rest.
Aloha
I rise to the alarm that Claire had set for 05:00 instantly regretting trying to finish off my 5L keg of Old Speckled Hen simply because it may not be fresh when I return home in 16 days!! One cup of tea later though I am back in fine fettle and prepare myself for the drive to Manchester Airport and the start of this year's epic journey. It is sad that this one is without Claire but exciting nonetheless and only slightly guilt free as I have her unwavering support.
Juliet said to Romeo that parting is such sweet sorrow but I've never quite got that and it is not easy to leave Claire to fend for herself while I am away. I know there'll be support for her in the shape of mothers but we are rarely apart for longer than a couple of days so it is never easy when a 2 week block comes along. A few tears on the doorstep later and I am on the move.
I always panic about these journeys and am never totally relaxed until I reach where I'm heading. At the moment Kailua-Kona and the Hapuna Beach Price Hotel is still over a day away. I have, however, made it as far as Heathrow and with a New York Deli burger and a pint of Shipyard Pale Ale lining my stomach, I am in reasonable spirits.
It is over 2 years since I last flew anywhere and I am slightly taken aback by how far airport security has moved on. Everyone accepts it is a necessary evil so there is rarely any resistance but it is still a shock to have your entire daysack dismantled because the scanner has caught the spray plaster in my first aid kit and also my bag of race food. The whole transaction is courteously dealt with by both searcher and searchee and over in a matter of 10 minutes. The only grumble is having to repack everything!! As I open the Exped bag that my food parcels are stored in I allow myself a grin at a minor victory when I notice that my 2 small bottles of Hot Diggedy Dawg Sauce have gone unnoticed. I quell my personal rebellion almost straight away though and dutifully place them both in my clear plastic bag for liquids.
Another ray of happiness comes when I find out that my connecting flight also is from Terminal 5 so no repetition is expected until I leave LAX tomorrow morning.
Time for another Shipyard I think.
10 May 01:50 (LA time)
The flight is largely uneventful. The tip I had to ask when boarding about the possibility of getting an upgrade proved to be false as the cabin crew tell me they don't do that anymore and requests should be made at check-in. So I settle myself into seat 22G for the next 11 or so hours to LAX. I manage to cram 3 decent movies - Split (excellent performances) Inferno (Da Vinci Code / Angels and Demons with different clues and baddies but entertaining nonetheless) and Jason Bourne (Bourne!!) In between these I am fed 3 times, given 2 free beers, snatch small chunks of sleep and am occasionally startled when a hand reaches over the top of the seat in front and rests at the top of my screen. It is like being at the movies with Thing from The Addams Family!!
As with Heathrow security measures, US Border Control has also advanced and the transition is largely automated and very high tech!! Maybe I've been living in the sticks too long. It is, however, very slick and I am through in no time at all. There is a minor panic as there is no sign of my bag even thought the handlers seem to have stood back. I ask one of them if there are any more on the way. He has obviously been asked this question about a dozen times but maintains control with a polite "yes Sir" and almost immediately another tranche of baggage, including mine, starts its journey on the carousel.
Across the road from Terminal 2 there is a branch of a very fine organisation called the Bob Hope USO, which caters for military personnel on a short term basis. For the princely fee of $0, I have been offered hot and cold drinks, food, showers and a place to sleep, which has been my main priority grabbing about 4.5 hours. This organisation is run 24 hrs a day entirely by volunteers who do this with the enthusiasm and genuine concern that you only seem to get from Americans. And it is from here that I am typing now.
10 May 06:54 (LA time)
I am now at the gate awaiting boarding my last but one flight to journey's end. I have had a nice hot shower and a nice breakfast croissant and brew courtesy of the USO and have had a, quite pricey, 2nd breakfast at the terminal.
 |
| 2nd Brekkie |
In true British tradition I have chinned off that awful stuff that Americans call bacon in favour of some nice chicken and apple sausages. Coffee has naturally been substituted by tea.
Feeling glad that I decided to leave USO in plenty of time as I arrive at the Delta check in desk to be told I'm being re-routed on United Airlines. It's a little bit of hassle as I have to pay another $25 baggage charge with UA so will have to got through the faff of trying to get a refund from Delta. The good news is that I will still arrive in Kona at the same time and with airlines recent history of getting passengers to toe the line, I decide to keep the complaining to the minimum of a joke about getting redirected via Seattle! Everything is done in good spirits and I set off to UA check in desk with all of my teeth intact.
I am now regretting having a quick lookahead at the weather. It's not forecast to be constant but there is to be a fair bit of rain and cloud over the next week. I reckon karma is having a hand in this and not allowing me to have too much enjoyment without me li'l lady but she's having none of it and thinks I deserve some sunshine. Ain't she great?
10th May 15:45 (Hawaii Time)
The transition from Delta to UA has been without incident and I wait at the gate to depart. I notice that one or two people are quite obviously heading for Hawaii by their very appearance and, so to pass a little time, I decide to stroll around the gate area taking covert photos of each of them which I then add to a Facebook page I have created there and then called How Did You Guess I Was Going to Hawaii. I manage to get 4 individuals on there before it is time to board. It has passed time and served a purpose but I have only invited Claire to like the page so far.
I board the plane and am immediately a little concerned. This is going to be a near 6 hour flight yet the plane does not look set up for this. I find there are no complimentary drinks, we have to pay for any meals and the only entertainment is an intermittent wifi that you can only watch certain things on anyway. I decide that tis journey will be mainly done asleep!! Headphones are duly donned, tunes are loaded and the position is assumed. As the trolley comes round I do ultimately decide to have what seems to be a pretend McMuffin purely because they smell so nice and it also comes with a fruit bowl as a package. So my third breakfast of the day is complete and I settle back for the journey which, to be fair, is pretty good.
As the plane nears Honolulu, there is a glimpse of Big Island with some of its peaks pushing through the clouds. As I have an aisle seat I'm not really in a position to grab a decent photo. The same story goes as we pass Pearl Harbour at a low level as we land at Honolulu International.
The connection arrangements seem to be a little laid back and it feels like it's great if it happens but OK if it doesn't. I have to get a transfer to the gate on a Wiki Wiki bus and, as I'm the only one on it, I do get a little worried until I'm joined by a few more people. Most of these, however, are not going where I'm going and I'm left alone on the bus again save one elderly lady who is equally concerned. All concern is unfounded though as I find my gate with no fuss at all and, as I have plenty of time on my hands, I head to the bar for a couple of Fire Rock IPAs from the Kona Brewing Company which is very tasty.
There are dozens of opportunities to add to my new Facebook page but I decide I've had enough fun with that and have no need to pass any time. In a matter of moments the gate is open and I am on board the Hawaiian Airlines shuttle to Kailua Kona with the happiest cabin crew I have ever seen. These guys must finish work each day with their faces aching from smiling! Unlike the UA flight there is even a complimentary drink. This turns out to be just a small carton of fruit juice but, on a 40 minute flight, who's arguing?!?
There is no border control to speak of but I suppose this is an internal flight and all the security has been done previously. I don't try to even think about how that could easily be manipulate as I have finally arrived on the island. I grab a taxi driven by, the very laid back, Robert who gives me a few facts about his island including wising me up on the State flag, which actually contains an inset of the Union Flag, a connection to the days of Captain Cook.
I am now firmly ensconced in my ocean view room at the very luxurious Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and that is where the next post will begin. For now, I have completed a journey which started 44 hours ago and it is time for a rest.
Aloha
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