Crossing the Desert with my Country Friends

 

It can be a long drive from Los Angeles, across the Mojave desert, to Las Vegas. Depending on the traffic in LA and how sleepy I am after a long international flight, it can take from 4.5 hours to 2 days.

I enjoy driving through the desert, however, and the trip is usually anything but dull. The scenery is definitely different and there are no shortage of unusual signs.

The LA radio stations are soon out of range, and every 50 miles or so, I scan through the radio dial to find another radio station to listen to. Often the choices are either gospel stations or country/western music. I'm not usually a big fan of C-W music, but if the choice is between it and gospel, the former wins hands down every time.

I especially enjoy some of the cornier songs. On this trip, I decided to jot down some of the better lyrics I heard along the way. These were my favorites:

When the phone don't ring, it'll be me...George Jones

You make my speakers go boom boom...Luke Bryan

[All I need to make this weekend perfect is you], some jerky and a twelve pack. Don't forget your flip-flops...Jon Pardi

My eyes are the only thing I don't wanna take off of you…Blake Shelton

You make me wanna roll my windows down…Florida Georgia Line

[I was] try'in to pour a little sugar in her dixie cup...Luke Bryan

She Feels Like A New Man Tonight...Billy Walker

You're the reason our kids are ugly...Loretta Lynn (no relation) and Conway Twitty

How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away...Dan Hicks

and my favorite:

I keep missin' you, but my aim's getting better…Tammy Davis

With songs like these to listen to, I'm always disappointed when I arrive in Las Vegas...almost.

Layover in Hong Kong

My flight from Perth to Hong Kong was late, causing me to miss my connection to Los Angeles. Cathay Pacific was very efficient, however, and soon had me re-booked on a later flight. They even gave me a $40HD meal voucher. I was initially quite pleased by this until I discovered that the exchange rate between the Hong Kong dollar and the U.S. dollar is about 8:1. My voucher actually amounted to about $5US. In an American or Australian airport, about the only thing you can buy for $5 is a small bottle of water or maybe a coffee, but I was hopeful my money might go further in China.  

At first glance, the Hong Kong airport looked to be much like any other large international airport in the world. There were a few differences – the signs were in English and Chinese, and the predominant language spoken was Chinese, with English a close second.

Something I've never run across in my travels was that here, I could also rent a bed in a small cubicle for a few hours. I could also buy a shower. Both of these would have been quite welcome if my layover was longer.

Eventually I made my way to the food court. It, too, was much like the food courts in most other airports. There are now McDonalds everywhere in the world, (Tonga claims to be the only country in the world without one), and the Hong Kong airport was no exception. In every country we visit, people tell us how bad and unhealthy the food at Micky D's is, yet it always seems they have the longest lines and are always busy. Since I was in Hong Kong, I certainly had no intention of spending my voucher at a McDonalds, however, and went in search of, if not Chinese food, at least something unusual.

I looked at the menus of almost every restaurant in the airport. Alas, $5 doesn't go much further at the Hong Kong airport than any other. I did find a couple of menu items at a Chinese restaurant, but they didn't look all that appetizing.

In the end, I am embarrassed to say, I bought a coffee and croissant at the McCafe.

Home to America

Airports are interesting places, don't you think? Flying home to America from Perth, Australia the other day … half way around the world … through four different airports … afforded me lots of opportunity to observe and ponder. My first thought … air travel is definitely faster than traveling on Nine of Cups. It has taken us 14 years to get to Australia and I got back to America in just 34 hours.

Layovers, within reason that is, don't bother me all that much any more.When I was traveling for business, it was a pain and a waste of time sitting in an airport for hours, but now it's less of an issue. I use the time to observe what's going on around me and check out the displays and wares that airports offer to lure bored, captive passengers into eating, drinking and buying things at escalated prices they probably wouldn't consider under other circumstances. I especially like “Duty Free” shops that charge no tax, but end up being significantly higher priced than if the tax was included. Go figure! I kind of resent the fact that they make you walk through these shops in order to get to the gates.

Sydney Airport is always a good place to lay over. I had five hours to check it out, so I was pretty thorough. Yes, there were all the usual upscale shops like Victoria's Secret, Coach, Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Godiva. I gave them all a pass. I prefer to browse in shops with more unique products and approaches to selling their wares. I enjoy National Geographic and the Discovery store. The Merino Shop, offering the finest in all things wool, had a great display with a bronze sheep shearing statue out front. Truth be told, I wasn't interested in the woollen products in the least, but the the bronze was pretty classy and elaborate for an airport shop. They must do okay.

Australian Made featured a big kangaroo at the front entry which got my attention. They sold classic Aussie akubra hats and sheepskins, Aussie t-shirts and the usual souvenirs, but the place had a sort of kangaroo-ish flare that distinguished it from all the rest of the souvenir shops.

Beyond the shops, I love to eavesdrop on conversations as I'm walking along. Snippets of different accents, different languages drift in the air. Sometimes I pick up a word or language I recognize. Other times, I'm at a loss. Women in burkas, guys in shorts and thongs (that's flip-flops for Americans, not skimpy underwear), men in turbans and one in colorful African dress all heading somewhere.

I'm fascinated with the Departure boards that change constantly. Flights to Nadi, Dubai, Delhi, Ho Chi Minh City and all manner of exotic places including Los Angeles, which might be exotic to you if you've never been there. I want to visit them all. I wonder where everyone is going and why. Business, pleasure, home for some emergency?

Though I didn't buy any, I did see both kangaroo and crocodile jerky on offer. I preferred some Australian licorice for the trip.