Ameerika roadtrip 2019

Vaade San Francisco lennujaamast

Seekord viis tee esimest korda elus ookeani taha.

Reisi planeerimist alustasin ca 2 aastat tagasi. Mõte tuli isalt, tema on tahtnud sinna juba ammu minna. Nagu ikka, marsruut kokku, selleks kodutöö, et piiratud aja sisse mahutada nii palju kui võimalik nii, et ei oleks ainult tormamist ning tegelikult midagi ei näeks. Arvestasin, et tuleb pikki sõidupäevi aga ei tahtnud neid aja kokkuhoiu mõttes ära jätta. 

Siis öömajad kinni (eelmine august, jooksvalt mõningad muutused. Olin üllatunud, et ei saanud alustada mais nagu tavaliselt SuurBritannia või Iirimaa puhul), ESTAd, lennupiletid, reisikindlustus, auto, adapterid. Kerstilt, Marylt ja Maritilt sain kasulikke näpunäiteid. 

Mõtlesin, kuidas auto augustis Surmaorus vastu peab. Kas on vaja abi kutsuda. Kas võtame igaks juhuks kohaliku kõnekaardi. Kas ESTAst piisab. Ja tavapärased üliaktiivse mõttemaailmaga inimese mõtted aga see käib minuga iga kord kaasas.

Kõigepealt siis peaagu 11 tunnine lend Finnairiga. Reisi alustasime 31. juuli kell 16 ja kohale jõudsime 31. juuli kell 17. Kõigepealt muidugi pooletunnine kõigutamine Helsingisse, süda suutis juba pahaks minna. Ugh kuidas ma ei kannata iiveldust. Oleks siis, et ingver aitaks. Varusime sudokusid ja ristsõnu. Ostsime kaelapadjad (enne reisi ikka, ma ei ole nii rikas, et selliseid asju lennujaamast osta).

Õhtusöök. Loomaliha kartulipüreega

Lennukisse jõudes ootas meid tekk ja padi. Väike veepudel. Eesistuva inimese seljatoes olev ekraan, kust sai filme vaadata. Pärast õhkutõusmist pakuti meile lennukitoidu kohta täiesti normaalset sööki. Vaatasin filme. Kui tuli magamamineku aeg, kustutati laetuled, enamik magas, mõni norskas. Ma pingutasin kõigest väest, et ka magama jääda. Kaks korda. See aga ei õnnestunud ja vaatasin filme edasi. Meie öösel kell 2, neil päeval 16 pakuti hommikusööki. Lasanje ei olnud just tippklass. Ja mitte minu tavapärane hommikusöögi valik.

Seejärel olimegi lõpuks kohal. San Francisco rahvusvaheline lennujaam. Edasi tuli turvakontroll, kõigepealt vastasime arvuti ees mõnele küsimusele, andsime sõrmejäljed, lasime endast foto teha ning asusime järjekorda. Mis liikus edasi küll. Ja peaaegu tund hiljem olimegi selle lõpus ning saime templid passi. 

Pagas oli ilusti lindi kõrvale tõstetud, olime meie lennust ühed esimesed. 

Väljas otsisin kohta, kust hotelli helistada. See võttis natuke aega aga leitud see sai ning buss pidi kümne-viieteistkümne minuti jooksul kohale jõudma. Bussid tulid. Bussid läksid. Bussid tulid uuesti. Meie oma mitte kuskil. Sattusin rääkima ühe meiega samas hotellis ööbiva Austraalia paariga, kes oli oodanud juba üle tunni. See ei olnud väga julgustav. Mõtlesin juba, kas kasutada ära oma esimene 15dollari väärtuses tasuta sõit Uberiga kui lõpuks saabus meie transfeer, mis toimetas meid Days Inn San Francisco International Airport West nimelisse hotelli. Sisseregistreerimine oli sujuv, toas lutikaid ei näinud. Ning esimene öö Ameerika pinnal võis alata. 

This time our travels took us across the ocean for the first time in our lives.

I began planning our trip about 2 years ago. We got the thought from my father, who has always wanted to see America. As usual, I combined the route. My homework was to fit as much as possible into the limited time frame of two weeks without having to rush around and actually not seeing anything. I understood we would have to include days with driving long distances but I didn't want to exclude them to save a bit of time.

Next, I booked the accommodations (previous August, with some changes during the year. I was surprised that I couldn't start in May as usually with GreatBritain or Eire), ESTAs, plane tickets, travel insurance, booked the car, bought adapters. I got useful tips from Kersti, Mary and Marit.

I wondered how our car would hold in Death Valley. Would we need to call for help. Would we need a local sim card just in case. Would ESTAs be enough. And the usual thoughts of a person with an overactive imagination, but that is just how I am.

First, approximately 11-hour flight with Finnair. Our flight from Helsinki departed on the 31st of July at around 4pm and we arrived in San Francisco International Airport on the 31st of July at around 5pm. Well, it all started with a half-hour bumpy flight from Tallinn to Helsinki and I was already nauseous. Ugh, how I cannot stand that. If only ginger helped. My mother brought sudokus and my father brought crosswords. We bought travel pillow (before the journey naturally, I am not that wealthy to buy things from airports).

Breakfast

When we got to our seats a blanket and a pillow were nicely placed there with a tiny bottle of water. And there was a screen in the seat in front of you to watch movies or play games. We were served quite tasty meal for plane food after take-off. I watched some movies. When it was bed time, thhey dimmed the lights. Most people slept, someone snored. I honestly tried my best to fall asleep. Twice. But it didn't work, so I carried on watching movies. At around 2am for us, 4pm for them, we were served breakfast. The lasagne was so-so. And not my usual choice of breakfast.

Then finally we landed. San Francisco International airport. Then the security check. We answered some questions behind a computer, gave our fingerprints and had our photos taken and joined the queue. It was moving. It was. And about an hour later we finally got the stamps in our passports.

Our flight's luggage was nicely put together next to the conveyer belt. Apparently we were one of the first ones.

Outside I tried to find the place to call our hotel. It took some time but finally I made the call and I was told our shuttle would arrive within ten to fifteen minutes. Shuttles came. Shuttles went. Shuttles came again but not ours. I talked to an Australian couple who stayed at the same hotel and they said they had waited for more than an hour. I already thought I could use the complimentary 15 dollars with my first Uber drive until our shuttle arrived at last. No explanations.  We were taken to Days Inn San Francisco International Airport West. Check-in was fast, I didn't see any bed bugs in our room. No, it was a lovely room actually.  Our first night in America could start.