Well, here's a day by day report on both my Contiki and AX trip(s)!! The photos are at the bottom of each page!

29th June 2000

Well, there's not much to tell for today.

I got up, packed and checked out. Bye bye, Ocean Resort Hotel!

Sat in the sun and read Interview with the Vampire while waiting for the bus to the hotel... took a little while, that wait, but there wasn't anything else I could have done, while carrying around my luggage. :p

Eventually the bus came, and took me to the airport. (Back at Honolulu airport again! Almost been there more times than I've been to MEL this year! ;p )

I had a lot of time at the airport, so I spent that time going and having a look at all of the duty free shops - I got some taro bread, but that was about it.

All I can say is thank goodness for the aviation museum near my gate! I had something to do for a while - went in, had a look around, and watched their little show ... how the hour passed, when I had something to do! ^_^

Then I spent another hour in one of the cafes and had some lunch before it was time to go back and wait to get on the plane.

Eventually it happened, and I was set for the five hour flight to LAX.

Bye bye, Hawaii!

I wasn't in a window seat, so I didn't get any photos from this plan. Oh, well...

You know, having only ever flown international (well, once or twice to and from Sydney, but I don't count them as they're so short!), I was a shock to the system to find out that I a) had to pay for alcohol on top of the air ticket... and b) had to rent headphones to listen to the movie!

What a rip off!!!

I wasn't going to have alcohol anyway (it's bad for you when you're flying - makes jet lag worse, among other things), but having to pay US$5 (or was it US$10) to rent a pair of headphones really pissed me off, despite the fact that it was a crap movie, anyway.

So what did I do? I read my book for five hours (with a little attempt at sleep, and talking to the girl next to me.)

Hrm. Stupid five hour domestic travel.

I got to LA late in the evening, had to wait for yonks before getting my luggage... but I did make it to the smoggy city! With all of my luggaeg intact! And I found a bus to take me to the Disneyland Hotel, too! Yay!

By the time I got there, it was past midnight. So it was actually, technically, the next day. After getting to my hotel and dumping my stuff, I found a note left for me, by my friends (yay for people giving me messages at the check in desk!)... they were at the Lost Bar, and would be till 1am... if I got there in time, I was to join them! ^_^

At 12.30am I made it to the bar and found them, and some others who I hadn't met before. We spent a nice, long time at the bar talking and catching up, and drinking.

Heh... this is when we started a collection for Scott - as his apartment was basically empty, we got him Lost Bar souvineer plastic cups and Disneyland-ish stiring sticks to go with them. *grin*

I was pretty tired, so I can't remember who was there, other than Scott, Toshi and Jonno (another Melbournite, who I only ever see at AX... at least, until Manifest)... but we all had fun till the lack of sleep made us head back to our various hotel rooms for a little sleep... AX was to begin tomorrow!

Day Thirteen
Day Fifteen

Sorry, I didn't take any photos today...