It is just that I need to pay my hotel in Costa Rica in cash and all the ATMs dispense here are $20 bills. So now I can finally swim in them. Had to do it, if only once.
April 30, 2010
I always wanted to do this...
It is just that I need to pay my hotel in Costa Rica in cash and all the ATMs dispense here are $20 bills. So now I can finally swim in them. Had to do it, if only once.
April 29, 2010
Texas!
Not too long after uploading my complaints about Texas being the most boring state in the universe I was starting to get annoyed by music coming from outside. "Hey! A country & western concert across the road!". I took my cameras, had 2 Coors light and had a blast with the people over there. Very friendly but overly protective of their women I might add... :)
So, some pictures of the general atmosphere only this time.
The 'pre-show'. The poor band had hardly any applause...
Place starting to fill up for the main attraction
Yes boy, you all are in Texas, you hear!
The main attraction (forgot their name though)
I still think that most of them were related (or at least there parents were before they married) but it was a blast. I secretly like country music.
Heehaw!
So, some pictures of the general atmosphere only this time.
The 'pre-show'. The poor band had hardly any applause...
Place starting to fill up for the main attraction
Yes boy, you all are in Texas, you hear!
The main attraction (forgot their name though)
I still think that most of them were related (or at least there parents were before they married) but it was a blast. I secretly like country music.
Heehaw!
Texas...
The moment I knew I had to transit planes in Dallas I was in doubt. Shall I or shall I not spend some time in the Lone Star State? My travel experiences in the US were limited to the civilized states like California, New York, Massachusetts, Arizona, Vermont, Washington DC and to a lesser extend Utah. I figured the middle of the US was merely there so you have something to fly over. Since I would be on the road for 5 months I figured 5 days in TX couldn't hurt and here I am.
Y'all oughta know that it was one giant mistake. Texas is the most boring place in the universe. Well, maybe second to the Flevopolder, but at least 10 times bigger. I am doing a 'tour' of this wonderful state. So far I have visited Wichita Falls, Waco and now I am in San Antonio. Here they have one of the 3 tourist attractions in Texas that have nothing to do with sports: the San Antonio Riverwalk. It is sort of an an artificial canal with a footpath next to it.
Here and there you find small terraces where you can have a lunch or dinner. Not at all bad but a bit like an artificial Utrecht without the real history.
I overheard the tales the tour guides on the tour boats tell and the general jest of it is "Here, in 1927 Mr. Robert B. Dandelion, second assistant to the secretary of the official tailor to the president of the USA at the time let go a fart that sounded exactly like the first notes of our national anthem. There is a plaque there to commemorate that historic occasion".
Only two more destinations to go (San Angelo and Dallas). To give you an idea how much fun it is to drive around Texas I include some pictures. One from every corner of the compass (could have been taken at any random time...) I was driving North at the time.
North
East
West
South
Not my best work so far, but it gives you a general impression. Part of why I came here was the hope to see some of the dramatic weather that the middle of the US is famous for. As you can see that did not really work out either.
If I don't die of boredom I will leave for Costa Rica on May 1st. Somehow I don't think I will be adding to this blog before that time.
Y'all take care now, you hear!
Y'all oughta know that it was one giant mistake. Texas is the most boring place in the universe. Well, maybe second to the Flevopolder, but at least 10 times bigger. I am doing a 'tour' of this wonderful state. So far I have visited Wichita Falls, Waco and now I am in San Antonio. Here they have one of the 3 tourist attractions in Texas that have nothing to do with sports: the San Antonio Riverwalk. It is sort of an an artificial canal with a footpath next to it.
Here and there you find small terraces where you can have a lunch or dinner. Not at all bad but a bit like an artificial Utrecht without the real history.
I overheard the tales the tour guides on the tour boats tell and the general jest of it is "Here, in 1927 Mr. Robert B. Dandelion, second assistant to the secretary of the official tailor to the president of the USA at the time let go a fart that sounded exactly like the first notes of our national anthem. There is a plaque there to commemorate that historic occasion".
Only two more destinations to go (San Angelo and Dallas). To give you an idea how much fun it is to drive around Texas I include some pictures. One from every corner of the compass (could have been taken at any random time...) I was driving North at the time.
North
East
West
South
Not my best work so far, but it gives you a general impression. Part of why I came here was the hope to see some of the dramatic weather that the middle of the US is famous for. As you can see that did not really work out either.
If I don't die of boredom I will leave for Costa Rica on May 1st. Somehow I don't think I will be adding to this blog before that time.
Y'all take care now, you hear!
April 25, 2010
Costa Rica in 5 days...
It looks like I am unlucky with my Costa Rica timing. I had been told May was the best month to go and that is why I did USA West first. Should have done Costa Rica in April and USA West in May it turns out. Ah well. The rainy season has started in CR and that means rain alright.
This is a rather depressing quote regarding the weather from www.costarica.com:
It is below there. Somewhere...
It looks like my 5 days in Texas are going to be sunny and in the high 20's (Celsius). Will have to work on my tan there... :)
This is a rather depressing quote regarding the weather from www.costarica.com:
Below is a picture of Costa Rica taken from a satellite showing weather conditions in the last hour. Since weather conditions change so quickly, there is a new animated picture every hour. The satellite is detecting the temperature of the clouds. Brighter clouds are colder, meaning higher and hence stronger.
It is below there. Somewhere...
It looks like my 5 days in Texas are going to be sunny and in the high 20's (Celsius). Will have to work on my tan there... :)
April 23, 2010
Haircut
As a PS: I finally found a hairdresser in Scottsdale. You have got to love US customer service. At the end, when I wanted to pay, they told me that the first haircut was always free. To see if you liked the way they worked.
Before:
After:
PPS: Can you tell this is a picture of a picture? :D
Before:
After:
PPS: Can you tell this is a picture of a picture? :D
A Beautiful Bad Day
The 2 days before I took my day off (it turned out to be 2 days off) I visited the Grand Canyon. As most of you know I am pretty anal about planning. I had booked my stay at the El Tovar hotel (normally booked solid 13 months in advance) almost 13 months in advance. It was in every calendar I used and in every bl**dy spreadsheet. I was to arrive at El Tovar on the 19th. In fact, all my reshuffling before that had been difficult since that date was set in stone.
So, it was out of bed early to get there for a 6 hour drive from Springdale. A town I love. It wasn't going to be a good day... First thing I noticed was that the tiny sting I felt on my face while 'hiking' Zion Canyon had started an impersonation of Mount Eyjafjallajokull on my face. I will forever be convinced it was an insect bite I scratched open, although probably from the infamous zitsquito. I will not make you nauseous with a picture. You will have to take my word for it.
When I got to my car I noticed that the right mirror was missing and that the door panels where dented. What the fuck? I had not hit anything. I must have gotten sideswiped by someone in the hotel parking lot or at the cinema. By now I was livid (nobody left a note) and was waiting for the police to file a report. At least I was happy I took out extra rental car insurance for this trip. The cop could not have been nicer. He even drove around to the cinema parking lot to see of he could find any clues and he had found my mirror. He was really making an effort. So rare to experience that over a simple fender bender. The hotel was also very helpful with printing and faxing all the forms to Hertz. After a lot of paperwork I was finally on my way. 2 hours late.
The drive into Grand Canyon NP I remembered to be boring, but that was if you enter from the south side. The drive from Utah is actually quite impressive and I kept arguing with myself that I should not stop too often to take pictures. Maybe a sign that I have been by myself too long now.
Here it is still small, but this is the Colorado River that formed the Grand Canyon over millions of years.
A small, insignificant canyon on the route.
After a while, I finally arrived at the Grand Canyon. I remember the first time I visited I became psychically aware of the size of it. Almost like vertigo. This time it looked a lot smaller but still majestic and very impressive. One of the sights on earth you really need to see.
I waited a long time to check in. I wanted to wait for the best light for the photographs. Me and 20 other overspending amateurs, I might add.
When I finally checked in the check in agent looked at me rather funny saying "that is strange, I don't have anybody under that name checking in". I was pretty cocky and told her I would retrieve the reservation number from my phone. "Here it is!", I said, "xxxxxx for arrival on the 18th!". I smiled and awaited her apology. "But sir, today is the 19th.... I have you as a no-show for yesterday...". I have never been more surprised. Have the Logica Project Management standards rubbed off on me? Am I now also unable to get where I need to be on time? Is this CMMI Level 5 Henk?
Apparently I looked so distraught (I was already calculating in my head how long I had to drive to get to the nearest town where they might have availability) so the girl made a very nice gesture. She offered me one of the suites in the hotel and I could use the already paid balance of the previous night towards this one. It would be another $250 unfortunately. I figured I could get that price way down. By now it was past 7PM so they weren't selling it anymore that day. If they wanted revenue from it, it had to come from me. Still needed to see it first.
OK. I was sold. Knowing that the room would go to waste unless I took it I got them down to $125 for the night. For that money I could not even have stayed at a Motel 8 in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon. At last a bright spot to a bad day.
Here is me, carefully hiding the other bright spot behind my nose. Take care!
So, it was out of bed early to get there for a 6 hour drive from Springdale. A town I love. It wasn't going to be a good day... First thing I noticed was that the tiny sting I felt on my face while 'hiking' Zion Canyon had started an impersonation of Mount Eyjafjallajokull on my face. I will forever be convinced it was an insect bite I scratched open, although probably from the infamous zitsquito. I will not make you nauseous with a picture. You will have to take my word for it.
When I got to my car I noticed that the right mirror was missing and that the door panels where dented. What the fuck? I had not hit anything. I must have gotten sideswiped by someone in the hotel parking lot or at the cinema. By now I was livid (nobody left a note) and was waiting for the police to file a report. At least I was happy I took out extra rental car insurance for this trip. The cop could not have been nicer. He even drove around to the cinema parking lot to see of he could find any clues and he had found my mirror. He was really making an effort. So rare to experience that over a simple fender bender. The hotel was also very helpful with printing and faxing all the forms to Hertz. After a lot of paperwork I was finally on my way. 2 hours late.
The drive into Grand Canyon NP I remembered to be boring, but that was if you enter from the south side. The drive from Utah is actually quite impressive and I kept arguing with myself that I should not stop too often to take pictures. Maybe a sign that I have been by myself too long now.
Here it is still small, but this is the Colorado River that formed the Grand Canyon over millions of years.
A small, insignificant canyon on the route.
After a while, I finally arrived at the Grand Canyon. I remember the first time I visited I became psychically aware of the size of it. Almost like vertigo. This time it looked a lot smaller but still majestic and very impressive. One of the sights on earth you really need to see.
I waited a long time to check in. I wanted to wait for the best light for the photographs. Me and 20 other overspending amateurs, I might add.
When I finally checked in the check in agent looked at me rather funny saying "that is strange, I don't have anybody under that name checking in". I was pretty cocky and told her I would retrieve the reservation number from my phone. "Here it is!", I said, "xxxxxx for arrival on the 18th!". I smiled and awaited her apology. "But sir, today is the 19th.... I have you as a no-show for yesterday...". I have never been more surprised. Have the Logica Project Management standards rubbed off on me? Am I now also unable to get where I need to be on time? Is this CMMI Level 5 Henk?
Apparently I looked so distraught (I was already calculating in my head how long I had to drive to get to the nearest town where they might have availability) so the girl made a very nice gesture. She offered me one of the suites in the hotel and I could use the already paid balance of the previous night towards this one. It would be another $250 unfortunately. I figured I could get that price way down. By now it was past 7PM so they weren't selling it anymore that day. If they wanted revenue from it, it had to come from me. Still needed to see it first.
OK. I was sold. Knowing that the room would go to waste unless I took it I got them down to $125 for the night. For that money I could not even have stayed at a Motel 8 in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon. At last a bright spot to a bad day.
Here is me, carefully hiding the other bright spot behind my nose. Take care!
April 22, 2010
A day off
Surprisingly it turns out to be the Arizona desert that is letting me down, weather-wise. It is a mere 18C and cloudy here. A little frustrating, since I booked a resort with the intention of revamping that tan. Tomorrow will be dreary too, so I guess I can do laundry, catch up on my reading and movies as well as chill.
It is a bit chilly in fact, that is why I turned on the fireplace in my room. If you gotta be stuck indoors, it better be in a suite. Gotta love the upgrades!
Hasta la vista!
It is a bit chilly in fact, that is why I turned on the fireplace in my room. If you gotta be stuck indoors, it better be in a suite. Gotta love the upgrades!
Hasta la vista!
April 19, 2010
Zion
Today I drove and walked through Zion NP. Drove more than walked, since hiking is not without risk here and my foot still isn't 100%. That did not ruin it for me however. Thank Hertz for the convertible. It is 1 AM here and I am tired and awake at the same time. I am looking forward to my trip to the Grand Canyon.
Now all I can hope for is that the volcano in Island will keep the airlines grounded until June. I don't want to go back.
Did you know there is no letter 'C' in the Icelandic alphabet? We wanted them to send CASH, not ASH.
Greetings from the long and winding road.
Now all I can hope for is that the volcano in Island will keep the airlines grounded until June. I don't want to go back.
Did you know there is no letter 'C' in the Icelandic alphabet? We wanted them to send CASH, not ASH.
Greetings from the long and winding road.
April 18, 2010
It keeps getting better!
Today I drove from Las Vegas to my favourite town in the USA: Springdale, Utah. It really is a unique little town in a fantastic, unbelievable setting. The drive wasn't half bad either. I avoided the I15 as much as I could and took the smaller roads. I can talk for hours about the beauty of this part of the USA, but a picture says more...
Now isn't that an impressive road?
It started out a bit desert-like. This is close to Vegas still. Lake Mead to be precise.
Something you can't avoid: stunning nature attracts the camper-crowds.
They are extremely nice, friendly and welcoming people by the way. So this part was already impressive, but the closer you get to Utah, the better. The redder too.
I can just park my car and stare at it for hours...
The entrance to Zion Park
I am going for a walk now. The sun is setting and that is always a beautiful time here in Springdale. Take care now!
Now isn't that an impressive road?
It started out a bit desert-like. This is close to Vegas still. Lake Mead to be precise.
Something you can't avoid: stunning nature attracts the camper-crowds.
They are extremely nice, friendly and welcoming people by the way. So this part was already impressive, but the closer you get to Utah, the better. The redder too.
I can just park my car and stare at it for hours...
The entrance to Zion Park
I am going for a walk now. The sun is setting and that is always a beautiful time here in Springdale. Take care now!
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