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Already planning next years holiday!
I am on my 2 week mandatory summer holiday/break from work, and I am already bored. So what better to do than to plan next years holiday? These past few days, I have been watching a YouTuber named Mr Jww, and his experiences in the Mille Miglia Storia, which is a global brand that combines the heritage of the world's most beautiful race with a fun, sophisticated, inclusive and contemporary lifestyle. It's essentially a 1000 mile rally with some of the most beautiful and rare cars in the world. Some take it as a road trip, while others take it VERY seriously.
Mr Jww is in the 1st bracket - he's just there to experience it and have fun while driving.
Anyway, as I was watching the videos, I made a decision - I am going to Italy on my next holiday. When is that? July 2024, is my aim. I will not go there alone. I asked a friend if she wanted to come, and she said yes. Now the planning begins.
First, we need to figure out where in Italy we are going to go. I have my eyes fixed on Rome, but Italy is a big country, so I will look around. The next step is to find a hotel. Because I am such a gentleman, I will ask her if she prefers one room together, or our own rooms. That's gonna be up to her.
In any case - one week in Italy next years is gonna be the best thing ever! I have so many things I want to do. Cooking classes, take pictures, relax and eat good food!
There is still a LONG time to go. The flight will be booked early next year, when we have picked a location. Until then, it's time for research.
Mr Jww is in the 1st bracket - he's just there to experience it and have fun while driving.
Anyway, as I was watching the videos, I made a decision - I am going to Italy on my next holiday. When is that? July 2024, is my aim. I will not go there alone. I asked a friend if she wanted to come, and she said yes. Now the planning begins.
First, we need to figure out where in Italy we are going to go. I have my eyes fixed on Rome, but Italy is a big country, so I will look around. The next step is to find a hotel. Because I am such a gentleman, I will ask her if she prefers one room together, or our own rooms. That's gonna be up to her.
In any case - one week in Italy next years is gonna be the best thing ever! I have so many things I want to do. Cooking classes, take pictures, relax and eat good food!
There is still a LONG time to go. The flight will be booked early next year, when we have picked a location. Until then, it's time for research.
The Land of a Thousand Smiles
A month after my flights back to Malaysia was booked, I lamented to Art how nice it would be if my best friends ( 2 sisters ) could come along with me and my daughter to Bangkok when I pay homage to Lord Brahma or Phra Phrom as known in Thailand, he replied, “Why don’t you bring them with you? I’ll pay for their expenses as well. All expenses, except shopping!”
I quickly informed my friends before he changed his mind! Lol! There were so many arrangements to be made and thankfully my daughter was on hand to help me out.
Less than 5 days after arriving in Malaysia from the US, still not recovered from the jet-lag, I traveled to Bangkok. I have always liked Thailand and her people.
My all-time favorite Thai dish, Pad Krapow Gai ( Minced Chicken with Thai Basil ) and my daughter ‘s favorite, Pad Thai, accompanied by the must-have Thai milk tea!
Wat Pho- The Temple of the Reclining Buddha.
We went to the Huamum Night Market, a 40-min drive on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Nearly bought this rubber monitor lizard for Art coz he has this fixation on this reptile after he first laid eyes on one of them ( a real one! ) when he traveled to Bangkok with me in 2017.
This was the real reason we were there that night. Scantily-clad men servers! Every hourly, for about 10 mins, they would go around and performed lewd acts on the patrons/diners
These are screenshots I took from my video reel. Our table was a hotspot because it was right in the middle!
We were still laughing very hard when we our food came. They were surprisingly good and reasonably priced too.
The following day, we checked this place out. Shing A Ring A Ring Cafe
I have been friends with these two sisters for almost 23 years now.
After our lunch, we headed to Big C where you shop for Thai snacks, souvenirs and other quirky stuff like phalllc-shaped soap bar
I can get these at our local Asian Market here in Omaha but I got a few packets for Art’s great-grandnephew anyhow.
I quickly informed my friends before he changed his mind! Lol! There were so many arrangements to be made and thankfully my daughter was on hand to help me out.
Less than 5 days after arriving in Malaysia from the US, still not recovered from the jet-lag, I traveled to Bangkok. I have always liked Thailand and her people.
My all-time favorite Thai dish, Pad Krapow Gai ( Minced Chicken with Thai Basil ) and my daughter ‘s favorite, Pad Thai, accompanied by the must-have Thai milk tea!
Wat Pho- The Temple of the Reclining Buddha.
We went to the Huamum Night Market, a 40-min drive on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Nearly bought this rubber monitor lizard for Art coz he has this fixation on this reptile after he first laid eyes on one of them ( a real one! ) when he traveled to Bangkok with me in 2017.
This was the real reason we were there that night. Scantily-clad men servers! Every hourly, for about 10 mins, they would go around and performed lewd acts on the patrons/diners
These are screenshots I took from my video reel. Our table was a hotspot because it was right in the middle!
We were still laughing very hard when we our food came. They were surprisingly good and reasonably priced too.
The following day, we checked this place out. Shing A Ring A Ring Cafe
I have been friends with these two sisters for almost 23 years now.
After our lunch, we headed to Big C where you shop for Thai snacks, souvenirs and other quirky stuff like phalllc-shaped soap bar
I can get these at our local Asian Market here in Omaha but I got a few packets for Art’s great-grandnephew anyhow.
Oslo Norway
Traveling to Oslo and looking for a local guide, prefer a female company. Does anyone advise?
My next flight will NOT be with Lufthansa! (part 1)
Back when I bought my trip to Washington D.C., I bought the tickets through Lufthansa in their Economy section. The flight was 3658 Danish kroner ($530.43), with a random seat allocation. I decided to spend 628 Danish kroner ($91.06), on picking my seats on all the flights, bringing the total cost of the trip to 4286 Danish kroner ($621.50).
Cheap, but it showed. The quality of the flight wasn't the best.
I will let you all know why I wouldn't pick Lufthansa again!
The trip was from Copenhagen to Frankfurt, and then onward to Washington D.C. A few days before departure, Lufthansa sent me an email where they told me, that they had gotten a different aircraft for my flight to Frankfurt, so I had gotten a new seat.
"alright, no harm done. At least I am going to go on my trip", and that first flight was quick. However - I seemed to be sitting between a company trip, because they all knew each other. They talked. And talked. And talked. Quite loud as well, and even when the safety demonstration was being performed. Very rude, I think.
The food on that flight - if you could call it that - was a bottle of water and a piece of chocolate. Granted, it was just an hour, but still. I was very hungry, and I had a two hour wait in Frankfurt - with no Euro on me, and my card isn't working outside Denmark.
Strike one.
We landed in Frankfurt ahead of time, which was fantastic! It was my first time in Frankfurt airport, so I had no idea what to expect. From the aircraft, we had to take a bus to the terminal, and from there, I had to find my gate for my next flight. Luckily, the gate was easy to find, so I sat down and relaxed until it was time to board.
An hour and a half later, we boarded. We were 350 people that needed to board - with just four people to handle that. It took a bit of time, but once we were situated in the aircraft - a rather old and tired Airbus A330 - we pushed back. The flight to the US was nothing to write home about. Pretty streamlined and pretty boring. The food was good, though. I got a chicken/mashed potato dish, which was excellent. Or maybe I was just hungry.
Just before landing I got very hungry. Luckily, they offered a snack, which I was very excited for. However - the bread was VERY dry - maybe because it had spent 8 hours in the fridge.. You don't put toast in the fridge..
Landing in Washington Dulles was good. We had some minor turbulence, but I wasn't worried. We touched down ahead of time, so it was off and through immigration. That flight was quite smooth, so maybe the Copenhagen to Frankfurt part was a one-off?
No.. The trip home was even worse. We pushed back from Dulles a few minutes behind schedule. That happens all the time, so as long as we landed on time in Frankfurt, I could make my flight home.
An hour into the flight, the captain came on the intercom, saying that some of the screens didn't show the entertainment, so they would kill the power and reboot. That didn't help, so they rebooted it again, which helped.
That was the only real memorable thing that happened on that flight, so fast-forward to landing in Frankfurt. I had an hour and a half to reach my gate and my connecting flight. I made the gate with 40 minutes to spare, so I sat down and relaxed. We boarded about 50 minutes later, and to my delight, I had a whole row to myself since the flight was only half full. That meant that boarding was completed well ahead of time, so we had about 20 minutes to relax, before we were taking off and pointing the nose to Denmark, and Copenhagen.
However - that was not to be for a while.. Read my next blog to find out why that was, and why I will not be flying Lufthansa again..
Cheap, but it showed. The quality of the flight wasn't the best.
I will let you all know why I wouldn't pick Lufthansa again!
The trip was from Copenhagen to Frankfurt, and then onward to Washington D.C. A few days before departure, Lufthansa sent me an email where they told me, that they had gotten a different aircraft for my flight to Frankfurt, so I had gotten a new seat.
"alright, no harm done. At least I am going to go on my trip", and that first flight was quick. However - I seemed to be sitting between a company trip, because they all knew each other. They talked. And talked. And talked. Quite loud as well, and even when the safety demonstration was being performed. Very rude, I think.
The food on that flight - if you could call it that - was a bottle of water and a piece of chocolate. Granted, it was just an hour, but still. I was very hungry, and I had a two hour wait in Frankfurt - with no Euro on me, and my card isn't working outside Denmark.
Strike one.
We landed in Frankfurt ahead of time, which was fantastic! It was my first time in Frankfurt airport, so I had no idea what to expect. From the aircraft, we had to take a bus to the terminal, and from there, I had to find my gate for my next flight. Luckily, the gate was easy to find, so I sat down and relaxed until it was time to board.
An hour and a half later, we boarded. We were 350 people that needed to board - with just four people to handle that. It took a bit of time, but once we were situated in the aircraft - a rather old and tired Airbus A330 - we pushed back. The flight to the US was nothing to write home about. Pretty streamlined and pretty boring. The food was good, though. I got a chicken/mashed potato dish, which was excellent. Or maybe I was just hungry.
Just before landing I got very hungry. Luckily, they offered a snack, which I was very excited for. However - the bread was VERY dry - maybe because it had spent 8 hours in the fridge.. You don't put toast in the fridge..
Landing in Washington Dulles was good. We had some minor turbulence, but I wasn't worried. We touched down ahead of time, so it was off and through immigration. That flight was quite smooth, so maybe the Copenhagen to Frankfurt part was a one-off?
No.. The trip home was even worse. We pushed back from Dulles a few minutes behind schedule. That happens all the time, so as long as we landed on time in Frankfurt, I could make my flight home.
An hour into the flight, the captain came on the intercom, saying that some of the screens didn't show the entertainment, so they would kill the power and reboot. That didn't help, so they rebooted it again, which helped.
That was the only real memorable thing that happened on that flight, so fast-forward to landing in Frankfurt. I had an hour and a half to reach my gate and my connecting flight. I made the gate with 40 minutes to spare, so I sat down and relaxed. We boarded about 50 minutes later, and to my delight, I had a whole row to myself since the flight was only half full. That meant that boarding was completed well ahead of time, so we had about 20 minutes to relax, before we were taking off and pointing the nose to Denmark, and Copenhagen.
However - that was not to be for a while.. Read my next blog to find out why that was, and why I will not be flying Lufthansa again..
My next flight will NOT be with Lufthansa! (part 2)
This is part 2 of my absolute nightmare of a trip home from the US. In the last blog, I detailed the trip to Germany and the US, and the trip back to Germany.
Now it's time for the absolute biggest annoyance with air travel: Delays!
We were sitting in the aircraft, all buckled up, ready for takeoff, when a van with two people came up to the side of the aircraft. They wore helmets and vests. "Oh boy, this can't be good", was my thought. About ten minutes later, the captain came on the intercom and explained that we had to disembark, because the aircraft had a malfunction. However, we already had a new aircraft, and all we needed to do was find the new gate. We would then be off shortly.
However, when we reached the gate, we had to wait for an hour and a half to be allowed to board. By then, the boarding time said 7:40 am. The flight was originally scheduled for a 7:15 am takeoff, so we were already 35 minutes late. 7:40 am came and went - no boarding yet. A few of the passengers went to the desk to hear how much longer it would take. No answer. Only that they were working on it. By then, the time was 8 am
New boarding time was put on the monitor: 8:20 am. That made one of the passengers so irate, that he asked the staff member to cancel his ticket, which the staff member did. Very little information was given to us. It was a mix between "sorry for the delay" and "we have no information yet".
8:20 am came and went - still no boarding. I am usually a very calm and positive guy, but even I was reaching the point of having enough. Finally, at 8:45 am, a full hour and 5 minutes after the 7:40 am boarding time, we boarded the flight. 20 minutes later, we were ready for departure. Takeoff was at 9:18 am and we landed in Copenhagen at 10:18 am. Originally, we were scheduled for a 8:35 am landing, so we were almost 2 hours late. I found my suitcase, and went home.
That whole delay in Frankfurt single-handedly made me swear to never fly with Lufthansa again. Some good experiences cannot outweigh the bad. I know it's a low-cost airline, which I definitely experienced. My next flight will be with SAS. They have a direct flight to Dulles from Copenhagen, and I will definitely spend a bit more to get a better class. I am thinking Premium Economy, since I don't really have the money for business class. One more strike for Lufthansa was also when their app suddenly locked me out, with no way to change the password.
Pro: The food on the flight from Frankfurt to Dulles was good. Smooth flight as well. The flight from Dulles to Frankfurt was, despite a reboot of the in flight entertainment, pretty smooth as well. We hit some turbulence on the way, but it wasn't extreme.
Con: The "food" from Copenhagen to Frankfurt, the sandwich before landing in the US, the delay in Frankfurt and the app shutting me out
Three pros and four cons. It wasn't all negative, but I am still not going to recommend Lufthansa. If they had been more open and transparent about the delay in Frankfurt, I wouldn't have minded that. However, because they gave so little information, they go on the cons list.
Overall, I give the flight, as a whole a 5/10.
Now it's time for the absolute biggest annoyance with air travel: Delays!
We were sitting in the aircraft, all buckled up, ready for takeoff, when a van with two people came up to the side of the aircraft. They wore helmets and vests. "Oh boy, this can't be good", was my thought. About ten minutes later, the captain came on the intercom and explained that we had to disembark, because the aircraft had a malfunction. However, we already had a new aircraft, and all we needed to do was find the new gate. We would then be off shortly.
However, when we reached the gate, we had to wait for an hour and a half to be allowed to board. By then, the boarding time said 7:40 am. The flight was originally scheduled for a 7:15 am takeoff, so we were already 35 minutes late. 7:40 am came and went - no boarding yet. A few of the passengers went to the desk to hear how much longer it would take. No answer. Only that they were working on it. By then, the time was 8 am
New boarding time was put on the monitor: 8:20 am. That made one of the passengers so irate, that he asked the staff member to cancel his ticket, which the staff member did. Very little information was given to us. It was a mix between "sorry for the delay" and "we have no information yet".
8:20 am came and went - still no boarding. I am usually a very calm and positive guy, but even I was reaching the point of having enough. Finally, at 8:45 am, a full hour and 5 minutes after the 7:40 am boarding time, we boarded the flight. 20 minutes later, we were ready for departure. Takeoff was at 9:18 am and we landed in Copenhagen at 10:18 am. Originally, we were scheduled for a 8:35 am landing, so we were almost 2 hours late. I found my suitcase, and went home.
That whole delay in Frankfurt single-handedly made me swear to never fly with Lufthansa again. Some good experiences cannot outweigh the bad. I know it's a low-cost airline, which I definitely experienced. My next flight will be with SAS. They have a direct flight to Dulles from Copenhagen, and I will definitely spend a bit more to get a better class. I am thinking Premium Economy, since I don't really have the money for business class. One more strike for Lufthansa was also when their app suddenly locked me out, with no way to change the password.
Pro: The food on the flight from Frankfurt to Dulles was good. Smooth flight as well. The flight from Dulles to Frankfurt was, despite a reboot of the in flight entertainment, pretty smooth as well. We hit some turbulence on the way, but it wasn't extreme.
Con: The "food" from Copenhagen to Frankfurt, the sandwich before landing in the US, the delay in Frankfurt and the app shutting me out
Three pros and four cons. It wasn't all negative, but I am still not going to recommend Lufthansa. If they had been more open and transparent about the delay in Frankfurt, I wouldn't have minded that. However, because they gave so little information, they go on the cons list.
Overall, I give the flight, as a whole a 5/10.
One year 1, 5 months and 10 days!
That's how long I have to wait until my next USA trip. By then, the date will be October 28.
The plan is to experience Halloween in the US. Once again, I am staying with my friend, her son and her cat, which I have nicknamed The Terror.. It's a long story.. Anyway!
I plan on booking the flight in six months. That gives me just over 4 months to save up, which is entirely possible. I am getting a second payout from work next month, so that's going to be put on my savings account. Before you know it, I have enough for my flight to the US.
This time around, I am flying direct! I don't want to change flights, because it can end badly, like my trip home earlier this month. I am also going to go a class up, and select Premium Economy rather than regular economy. More space on the plane and lounge access - two things I have never tried in my life, so I am thinking that now is the time. I also think the food is better, but I'm not sure.
I am prepared this time. The last time, I just picked the cheapest option available, which showed. This time, my flight will leave in the middle of the day, rather than at 6.35 am. That means I can get a good nights sleep at home before I head to the airport. Now that I know there is a direct flight from Copenhagen to DC, that's what I will take from now on. I gave Lufthansa a chance, and they blew it. I will explain more in a future blog.
Now I have my next trip to plan in a few months. And yes, that means another installment of my "Making plans for my USA trip!" blog series!
The plan is to experience Halloween in the US. Once again, I am staying with my friend, her son and her cat, which I have nicknamed The Terror.. It's a long story.. Anyway!
I plan on booking the flight in six months. That gives me just over 4 months to save up, which is entirely possible. I am getting a second payout from work next month, so that's going to be put on my savings account. Before you know it, I have enough for my flight to the US.
This time around, I am flying direct! I don't want to change flights, because it can end badly, like my trip home earlier this month. I am also going to go a class up, and select Premium Economy rather than regular economy. More space on the plane and lounge access - two things I have never tried in my life, so I am thinking that now is the time. I also think the food is better, but I'm not sure.
I am prepared this time. The last time, I just picked the cheapest option available, which showed. This time, my flight will leave in the middle of the day, rather than at 6.35 am. That means I can get a good nights sleep at home before I head to the airport. Now that I know there is a direct flight from Copenhagen to DC, that's what I will take from now on. I gave Lufthansa a chance, and they blew it. I will explain more in a future blog.
Now I have my next trip to plan in a few months. And yes, that means another installment of my "Making plans for my USA trip!" blog series!
Back home from my trip to the USA!
One week in the USA done! What did I see and experience there? Well. Lots of food, fun experiences and delays on the flight home. More on that later!
So.. Where in the US did I go? I went to visit a friend in Virginia. It's someone I have known for at least 13 years, so it's not something spur of the moment with someone I have only known for a week. No, this is a friendship that goes way back.
I slept on the sofa, which was very comfortable. That was the deal from the start, when I booked the flight. She was unable to get all the days I was visiting off, so I was alone in her apartment with her cat, until she got off work.Then, we'd go out for some food.
The first place I tried was Olive Garden, which was delicious! I got one of those make-your-own dishes, which was regular noodles, a 4 cheese sauce and Italian sausage on top. I liked it a lot.
We also visited something called Glory Days, which had the best sandwich ever! It was a short rib grilled cheese sandwich, and it was freaking awesome.
We also went to DC for some sightseeing. The following day, she was off work, so we decided to head back to DC to get some gifts for my family, as well as coming close to The White House. Naturally, the weather was warm, so it was a little sticky.
Am I done with the USA? No. Not at all! I want to visit again soon!
So.. Where in the US did I go? I went to visit a friend in Virginia. It's someone I have known for at least 13 years, so it's not something spur of the moment with someone I have only known for a week. No, this is a friendship that goes way back.
I slept on the sofa, which was very comfortable. That was the deal from the start, when I booked the flight. She was unable to get all the days I was visiting off, so I was alone in her apartment with her cat, until she got off work.Then, we'd go out for some food.
The first place I tried was Olive Garden, which was delicious! I got one of those make-your-own dishes, which was regular noodles, a 4 cheese sauce and Italian sausage on top. I liked it a lot.
We also visited something called Glory Days, which had the best sandwich ever! It was a short rib grilled cheese sandwich, and it was freaking awesome.
We also went to DC for some sightseeing. The following day, she was off work, so we decided to head back to DC to get some gifts for my family, as well as coming close to The White House. Naturally, the weather was warm, so it was a little sticky.
Am I done with the USA? No. Not at all! I want to visit again soon!
I want to go back!
I have been home for one day, and I am already planning my next USA trip. At least in my head. My next trip will be two weeks, but I am unsure if I want to go back to Virginia, or if I am going to go somewhere else. Maybe I can find a hotel somewhere, which won't break my bank balance. I saw one hotel called Hotel Washington next to The White House, but it's quite.. Expensive..
So I will look into finding a cheaper hotel somewhere. The idea of a motel came into my mind, but I quickly ditched that idea. Too much Criminal Minds, I suppose.
I do know that I want to visit other states than Virginia. Maybe visit all the states, if possible. The United States of America is a big country, so I doubt it'll ever happen. Mainly because I waited so long to visit for the first time. Maybe I'll just save up for a few years and take a full month in the USA, and either fly, take the bus or the train to see as much as possible. I also want to see some history, if there's anything left, anyway
.
In any case - I am not finished with the USA. At all!
So I will look into finding a cheaper hotel somewhere. The idea of a motel came into my mind, but I quickly ditched that idea. Too much Criminal Minds, I suppose.
I do know that I want to visit other states than Virginia. Maybe visit all the states, if possible. The United States of America is a big country, so I doubt it'll ever happen. Mainly because I waited so long to visit for the first time. Maybe I'll just save up for a few years and take a full month in the USA, and either fly, take the bus or the train to see as much as possible. I also want to see some history, if there's anything left, anyway
.In any case - I am not finished with the USA. At all!
Making plans for the USA! (final part!)
Ah, yes. Ladies and gentlemen! Today's the final entry in my "getting ready for the USA!" series. It's been 11 parts, but we have finally made it to the end! I am set to leave in less than two hours, and I have already packed my suitcase. I did that two days ago!
I also exchanged all the money that I need for a week long trip, but it wasn't without any drama. I had to exchange them in two stages, because my card would only allow for a certain amount to be exchanged daily. The first stage went off without a hitch. Everything was functioning as intended, so I ended up with $690 then. I still needed $575 more, so I went to exchange that at the airport. "Technical error", said the machine. I tried to draw some money out of an ATM - "Amount exceeds daily limit".. That was weird, since I hadn't spent any money that day. It was only after I got home, that I read a message from my bank. They had some issues with some cards, making purchases and withdrawals impossible. I went to the airport after work the next day, and by then I could withdraw the remaining money.
All is well now!
The next "oh boy what now" was Monday morning. I looked to see if my flight was leaving on time, and it then showed that my flight didn't fly on Wednesday. "Is this some form of joke? A punishment? How am I THIS unlucky with trips to the US?", was my immediate thought. As it turns out, my airline sent me an email at the early hours of Monday morning, explaining that they had to change aircraft, and so I had been assigned a new seat. A few hours later, the flight was back on the schedule.
So now I am ready to go! I still need to pack some toiletries, but other than that - I am ready! Ready to FINALLY visit the United States of America! It has only taken me 38 years to go, but better late than never, right? Before I leave, I have to make sure to take out all the trash and disconnect everything from the power supply. That means switching off every switch and pulling out the plugs from the wall. Everything that's connected to the electrical grid needs to be disconnected. Well, everything in my room, that is.
I have also switched phone subscription, to one that gives me 25 gigs of data in the world. Every electronic device I have to bring with me is on charge. My power bank and the battery for my camera. My phone is fully charged, and I am bringing my charging cable to use in my power bank. I never use public charge points.
What else.. Ah yes, my carry-on luggage. it's been so long since I have been on a holiday, that I have forgotten what to put in it. What I have in it is a shirt, my passport, money and all relevant documentation I need to show at the US border. Next, I have to put my toothbrush, my charging cable, power bank and camera in. By then, it should be 11 pm, at which point, ladies and gentlemen: I will be going on an adventure!
I will not be on the site while I am in the US. I have to experience so much! Oh.. That reminds me.. I need shorts, because apparently the weather is going to be nice and toasty! 26 degrees on Monday.. I also have jeans with me, just in case the weather gets a bit.. Nordic.. I also need some good walking shoes, since DC is a city built for walking. Luckily, I like to walk, so I shouldn't be too put off by that.
But yeah, I am ready to go! I can't believe it's here at last! It seemed like it was forever away just a few months ago!
I will update you all about the trip when I get home!
I also exchanged all the money that I need for a week long trip, but it wasn't without any drama. I had to exchange them in two stages, because my card would only allow for a certain amount to be exchanged daily. The first stage went off without a hitch. Everything was functioning as intended, so I ended up with $690 then. I still needed $575 more, so I went to exchange that at the airport. "Technical error", said the machine. I tried to draw some money out of an ATM - "Amount exceeds daily limit".. That was weird, since I hadn't spent any money that day. It was only after I got home, that I read a message from my bank. They had some issues with some cards, making purchases and withdrawals impossible. I went to the airport after work the next day, and by then I could withdraw the remaining money.
All is well now!
The next "oh boy what now" was Monday morning. I looked to see if my flight was leaving on time, and it then showed that my flight didn't fly on Wednesday. "Is this some form of joke? A punishment? How am I THIS unlucky with trips to the US?", was my immediate thought. As it turns out, my airline sent me an email at the early hours of Monday morning, explaining that they had to change aircraft, and so I had been assigned a new seat. A few hours later, the flight was back on the schedule.
So now I am ready to go! I still need to pack some toiletries, but other than that - I am ready! Ready to FINALLY visit the United States of America! It has only taken me 38 years to go, but better late than never, right? Before I leave, I have to make sure to take out all the trash and disconnect everything from the power supply. That means switching off every switch and pulling out the plugs from the wall. Everything that's connected to the electrical grid needs to be disconnected. Well, everything in my room, that is.
I have also switched phone subscription, to one that gives me 25 gigs of data in the world. Every electronic device I have to bring with me is on charge. My power bank and the battery for my camera. My phone is fully charged, and I am bringing my charging cable to use in my power bank. I never use public charge points.
What else.. Ah yes, my carry-on luggage. it's been so long since I have been on a holiday, that I have forgotten what to put in it. What I have in it is a shirt, my passport, money and all relevant documentation I need to show at the US border. Next, I have to put my toothbrush, my charging cable, power bank and camera in. By then, it should be 11 pm, at which point, ladies and gentlemen: I will be going on an adventure!
I will not be on the site while I am in the US. I have to experience so much! Oh.. That reminds me.. I need shorts, because apparently the weather is going to be nice and toasty! 26 degrees on Monday.. I also have jeans with me, just in case the weather gets a bit.. Nordic.. I also need some good walking shoes, since DC is a city built for walking. Luckily, I like to walk, so I shouldn't be too put off by that.
But yeah, I am ready to go! I can't believe it's here at last! It seemed like it was forever away just a few months ago!
I will update you all about the trip when I get home!
Making plans for the USA! (part 9!)
It's yet again time for your favourite blog - reading about a random Dane planning a trip to the United States of America. This episode is all about what happens the first few hours after I land in Washington DC.
The original plan was to be picked up by my friend, but work has gotten in the way of that, so I have been to Google Maps to see, how I can get to her place by myself, without having to deal with cabs. I found the PERFECT route, and since I am from a country where public transportation and metro is a huge thing, I will find it incredibly easy!
The route I have found takes me from Dulles to East Falls Church and then the bus further on to my destination. And yes, before you ask: I WILL be that annoying tourist with a itinerary on a piece of paper, with a confused look on my face.
So my day of traveling looks like this: Airport at 1 am at the latest. Flight to Frankfurt, Germany at 6:35 am. Layover for about 2 and a half hours. Boarding my flight to Washington at 10 am, flight departs at 10:30 am. 9 hours later: Touchdown in the USA! My first test awaits me: Clearing US customs.
From what I can gather online, and through friends and family, they ask a few questions: Where I am flying in from, what I do for a living and the famous "business or pleasure?". Note to self: Don't say Copenhagen when asked where I am flying in from. Frankfurt, is the correct answer.
Once I clear customs, I have to find my suitcase and then I am ready to start my holiday! I still need to figure out where the Silver metro train is located, but according to Google Maps, it's a short, 11 minute walk away. Next, I need to get one of those SmarTrip cards. I saw a video on YouTube where it clearly tells me where I can buy such a card. I just don't know how much to put on, since I have no idea how much I need. I might just put $20 on it, just to be safe. I don't want to run out of money.
So to sum up: I am in the air for a combined 10.5 hours, if everything is on time. The journey from the airport to where I am staying is another 1.5 hours, so that's 12 hours. Finally, there's the customs line, which can take about an hour. We're now up to 13 hours. Then I have to include the wait time at both Copenhagen and Frankfurt airports. 1 am to 6:35 am is 5 hours and 35 minutes, and the wait time in Frankfurt is 2 hours and 35 minutes, for a combined wait time of 8 hours and 10 minutes.
Add that to my flight and wait time at Dulles, and we're up to 20 hours and 10 minutes - almost a full DAY of traveling. When I arrive at my destination, I am SO going to sit down and relax!
The original plan was to be picked up by my friend, but work has gotten in the way of that, so I have been to Google Maps to see, how I can get to her place by myself, without having to deal with cabs. I found the PERFECT route, and since I am from a country where public transportation and metro is a huge thing, I will find it incredibly easy!
The route I have found takes me from Dulles to East Falls Church and then the bus further on to my destination. And yes, before you ask: I WILL be that annoying tourist with a itinerary on a piece of paper, with a confused look on my face.
So my day of traveling looks like this: Airport at 1 am at the latest. Flight to Frankfurt, Germany at 6:35 am. Layover for about 2 and a half hours. Boarding my flight to Washington at 10 am, flight departs at 10:30 am. 9 hours later: Touchdown in the USA! My first test awaits me: Clearing US customs.
From what I can gather online, and through friends and family, they ask a few questions: Where I am flying in from, what I do for a living and the famous "business or pleasure?". Note to self: Don't say Copenhagen when asked where I am flying in from. Frankfurt, is the correct answer.
Once I clear customs, I have to find my suitcase and then I am ready to start my holiday! I still need to figure out where the Silver metro train is located, but according to Google Maps, it's a short, 11 minute walk away. Next, I need to get one of those SmarTrip cards. I saw a video on YouTube where it clearly tells me where I can buy such a card. I just don't know how much to put on, since I have no idea how much I need. I might just put $20 on it, just to be safe. I don't want to run out of money.
So to sum up: I am in the air for a combined 10.5 hours, if everything is on time. The journey from the airport to where I am staying is another 1.5 hours, so that's 12 hours. Finally, there's the customs line, which can take about an hour. We're now up to 13 hours. Then I have to include the wait time at both Copenhagen and Frankfurt airports. 1 am to 6:35 am is 5 hours and 35 minutes, and the wait time in Frankfurt is 2 hours and 35 minutes, for a combined wait time of 8 hours and 10 minutes.
Add that to my flight and wait time at Dulles, and we're up to 20 hours and 10 minutes - almost a full DAY of traveling. When I arrive at my destination, I am SO going to sit down and relax!
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