Los Angeles
LA, and specifically LAX, gets its own post as it has come to be a larger part of my trip than intended!
So after some "fuel value issues" the Quantas/American Airlines flight to LA (my first on the way to Mexico) was delayed an hour. An hour which didn't go any faster with the pilot's jokes, repeated jokes, about how "it's such a long way, we need all the fuel we can get!" This delay caused me to miss my connecting flight through to Mexico City. Well, it probably wouldn't have caused this in airports in countries other than the US where there is no transit/transfer - you've got to go through the visa waiver, customs and baggage claim procedures just as if you were actually staying in the States.
I have to say though, that after some of the horror stories I've read about transfering through LAX, it was actually very well handled. Lots of personal attention with people asking what my specific situation was etc. And it was painless getting re-booked on another flight the next day and having Quantas pay for a hotel, transport and meals.
So I'm having a night in LA in a decent hotel! Well, it's a lot less glamerous than that sounds - I'm in the LAX zone which is basically like that part of Auckland around the auckland airport (you know, MCDs, supermarket, a few random shops) but about 20x bigger...it just goes on and on and on (like LA itself it seems from the plane-window view). I tried to stretch it's limits on foot but turned back after 15mins of walking in one direction and still seeing service stations and fast food joints. Oh, and the homeless started getting more scary.
I was hoping to at least get a bus or something to downtown LA which is approx. 30mins drive away, but after having a massive burger and beer at 2pm at this surprisingly cool sports bar in the hotel, I pretty much fell asleep in my room until 7pm. I was dead tired. Then one of the hotel staff said going this late would be dangerous and being a Sunday night it would be fairly dead unless I knew where to go. Oh well, there'll be a next time.
It's actually worked out great for me as now I don't have to stay in stupid Cancun and can just get a bus straight away tomorrow to one of the towns around Chichen Itza. Woop.
Right, I'm going to go back to aforementioned sports bar and try their wings, which as the semi-drunk old guy in a tie sitting next to me at the bar while yelling at the NFL game said were "the best in this sorry State."