Monday, December 2, 2013
Airfare on the rise?!
Read this article today stating that airfares could go up again. Seriously? Plane tickets are already too expensive with all the surcharges and junk they tack on. At this rate, only the mega rich will be able to fly.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Baby's first international trip
My wife and I became parents just about a year ago now. Soon after learning that we were expecting, I began to dream of future trips. I had practically grown up in a car, driving from my home to my grandparents', going cross country to visit relatives and criscrossing the globe as an adult. I was excited at the prospect of taking my future son or daughter all around with me. I was so excited.
Well after the boy was born reality set in; he didn't like traveling much after he was three months old. He would scream continuously for 3 hours while we drove back to Memphis from Nashville. Every time we would go somewhere, he'd freak out. We would try to set up long car rides early in the morning so that he'd sleep through most of it. Traveling went from something I loved to something I dreaded. It was with this negative mindset that I headed to the airport in late May. I knew my son was going to be that kid, the one who screams the entire flight causing the parents to be frazzled messes upon arrival at their destination. I was terrified.
We bade my mother farewell at security. I nervously went through security. I was a mess. I was not the cool, collected traveler that I usually am. This time I was restless and moody. I could feel the stress course through me.
The plane doors closed and soon we were off. The boy nursed for a few minutes and then passed out. He stayed asleep all the way to Washington DC. He woke up in time to watch us rush through the crowded airport in desperate hopes to catch our plane. "Ok" I thought "He's going to lose it this time for sure." I braced myself for the 12 hours or so of constant screaming. Then he started. He let loose with a scream. "Here it is." I moaned to myself, but after a couple minutes and another nursing session, he was out again. We did have a little problem in that some paperwork wasn't filled out properly thus causing us to be on the tarmac for about 2 hours.
We sat with this baby who at any moment could erupt in screaming fury. But he continued to sleep. He woke up as we rolled out to take off and was awake for a time after that, but again he slept. He slept almost the entire way to Japan. He was a champ. I was a little worried about trying to sleep once we were there, but I was just hoping to make it off the plane before he cause a massive scene.
The crying fit that I was sure to come never did. He was a perfect little angel the entire way. Both my wife and I were amazed at this. We thought for sure he'd be the terror of the flight. He even slept the entire way from Nagoya airport to my mother-in-law's house.
The flight having been conquered we were free to settle in to our temporary home in Japan.
We lucked out by having the boy sleep the entire way, but it goes to show that babies aren't always disruptive little devils. They can be calm and content while traveling by air. Also, it proves that you shouldn't always anticipate the worst. I certainly did, but was very pleasantly surprised.
Well after the boy was born reality set in; he didn't like traveling much after he was three months old. He would scream continuously for 3 hours while we drove back to Memphis from Nashville. Every time we would go somewhere, he'd freak out. We would try to set up long car rides early in the morning so that he'd sleep through most of it. Traveling went from something I loved to something I dreaded. It was with this negative mindset that I headed to the airport in late May. I knew my son was going to be that kid, the one who screams the entire flight causing the parents to be frazzled messes upon arrival at their destination. I was terrified.
We bade my mother farewell at security. I nervously went through security. I was a mess. I was not the cool, collected traveler that I usually am. This time I was restless and moody. I could feel the stress course through me.
The plane doors closed and soon we were off. The boy nursed for a few minutes and then passed out. He stayed asleep all the way to Washington DC. He woke up in time to watch us rush through the crowded airport in desperate hopes to catch our plane. "Ok" I thought "He's going to lose it this time for sure." I braced myself for the 12 hours or so of constant screaming. Then he started. He let loose with a scream. "Here it is." I moaned to myself, but after a couple minutes and another nursing session, he was out again. We did have a little problem in that some paperwork wasn't filled out properly thus causing us to be on the tarmac for about 2 hours.
We sat with this baby who at any moment could erupt in screaming fury. But he continued to sleep. He woke up as we rolled out to take off and was awake for a time after that, but again he slept. He slept almost the entire way to Japan. He was a champ. I was a little worried about trying to sleep once we were there, but I was just hoping to make it off the plane before he cause a massive scene.
The crying fit that I was sure to come never did. He was a perfect little angel the entire way. Both my wife and I were amazed at this. We thought for sure he'd be the terror of the flight. He even slept the entire way from Nagoya airport to my mother-in-law's house.
The flight having been conquered we were free to settle in to our temporary home in Japan.
We lucked out by having the boy sleep the entire way, but it goes to show that babies aren't always disruptive little devils. They can be calm and content while traveling by air. Also, it proves that you shouldn't always anticipate the worst. I certainly did, but was very pleasantly surprised.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Great Trip to the West: The Return
Our great trip was quickly drawing to an end. We had been on the road for over 2 weeks and we were beginning to get drained. We were also debating on how we should go home. We took I-40 out most of the way to California, and we had originally thought that we'd go back on I-80, but it was a bit longer and we were tired. We decided to go back the way we came.
But then we thought that it might be nice to see a "different nothing" on the way home. So we again changed our plans and decided to go the northern route.
This way was new to me. I had never been up that way before. I had no idea what it would be like so I was pretty excited. I'm always up for new and different experiences.
We began our trek at around noon PDT. We headed north to Lake Tahoe. I had heard stories about Lake Tahoe and they did not disappoint. It was gorgeous. Tons of Ponderosa Pines and the lake was a vivid blue. I could look back at the mountains that we went through just a week before. It reminded me of the Lord of the Rings. We took a few pictures and jumped back into the car to head back into Nevada. We filled up in Reno and it was a good thing we did, for Reno is basically the last bit of civilization until you get to Salt Lake City.
We drove along the lonely highway past house that stood in the middle of the desert. We stopped at a closed rest area, something that seemed normal in those parts. We continued to Winnemucca, a town that wasn't much more than a few restaurants and hotels. We thought about stopping, but I woefully felt energetic and thought we could go on to Battle Mountain. Which is what we did.
Now you might think that a city named Battle Mountain couldn't be anything other than awesome, but you would be wrong. There were about 2 or 3 exits to this town and when we pulled off at the second exit we swung in to the hotel there, eager for beds and rest only to find that it was booked. Not only was that hotel booked, but every hotel from there to Salt Lake City was booked. I was stunned. There I was with my pregnant wife in the middle of the Nevada desert with no prospects of getting a hotel room. I wasn't quite sure what to do. The very nice lady at the front desk was sympathetic and offered to allow us to sleep in the parking lot. She said we could use the toilet facilities and help ourselves to the coffee. She also called around for us, trying to find a hotel room. I wanted to mention her by name, but I can't find her business card. She was an angel in that wasteland. Eventually she did find a place in Elko, about an hour and a half away. He held his last room for us and we shot off into the night. I thanked her profusely before we left and vowed to never forget her.
We got to Elko and I called the hotel. He told me to get off of the interstate and go left. I did. I eventually wound up in the desert. I called him back and he kept telling me to go left. Finally I went right and sure enough found his hotel in just a few seconds. We checked in and helped ourselves to a late dinner of cup noodles and orange juice (our stores were running thin). After a few minutes of unwinding, we turned in for the night. Early the next morning I attempted to take a shower before we headed back on the road. I pulled the knob of the shower and nothing happened. I tried wiggling it around. Nothing. I played with it for a few minutes and then gave up. We quickly packed up the car and I went to the office to check out. Before I left I told the guy that the shower wasn't working. He immediately became defensive and basically implied that I was an idiot. That was the last straw. "Hey! I was just letting you know that your shower was f***ing broken! I don't give two s***s about it. I was trying to be nice so that the next customer doesn't flip out on you and kick your ass!" He apologized and we concluded our business. I left pissed off and just wanting to get out of Nevada.
The trip was long. The scenery didn't really change until we went through Salt Lake City. Once through that city, the background went from desert brown to more of an alpine feel. I could see some trees again and the mountains were very picturesque. But that was short lived because we soon made the climb north to Wyoming.
We pushed through the great grassy vistas of Wyoming. We stopped at a gas station just a few miles in the state and it was a good thing we did because after that stop there wasn't much else for a long long time. We were no long interested in seeing the local sights, we just wanted to go home. I was pretty burned out on driving and sleeping in hotels and in other beds that were not my own. We had come a long way and now home was calling our names. Also, we needed to be home in time for my wife's monthly OBGYN appointment. The wife slept as I pushed on. Mile after mile went by. Cheyenne and Colorado crept ever closer. Finally we made the turn south and soon were in Colorado, our tenth state on this adventure. We were going for the east side of Denver, but I was tired and my wife was tired so just south of Fort Collins, we stopped and got a hotel. We spent the evening watching TV and eating Taco Bell. It was much more restful than the previous night had been, and it was desperately needed.
Monday was a cheery day. We were well rested and our spirits were high. I made a quick call to my wife's doctor, hoping that we could postpone a day or so so that we could explore Denver, but sadly, it was not to be, either we saw the doctor on Tuesday or it would be a two week wait. We decided not to wait (we had tons of questions for the doctor that we wanted answers to sooner rather than later). We climbed into the car and headed out.
Kansas passed by. For some reason it felt like it took a very long time to get out of Kansas. We stopped only a couple times and not for very long, but it seemed that Kansas took forever to get out of. Not only did we have to go through most of the state on I-70, but we had to go south through another half of the state on I-35. The clock was ticking and I was bound and determined to make it home in time for the doctor's appointment early the next day. By 9 o'clock we were both tired and I knew that it would be better to sleep then and wake up early than to keep going and risk an accident or not being able to find some place to rest. I was still unnerved by our experiences in Northern Nevada.
Just east of Oklahoma City was our last stop of our trip. We got a room, took showers and went to sleep. At around 3 am Tuesday my alarm went off and we made a mad dash around the room to get ready to head out. We were done within 15 minutes and back on the road. I nervously checked the time. The minutes ticked by. I would silently calculate our ETA in Memphis at every mile marker. Finally we crossed the Mississippi bridge and into Memphis. Twenty minutes later we were in our doctor's office (we were 10 minutes late, but I had called several hours earlier to alert them to the situation).
Our great trip was at an end. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot. I learned a little humility in trip planning (especially with a pregnant wife!) and to not underestimate the distances between places. Overall we rode approximately 5,268 miles and were gone for 22 days and saw 11 states. This trip really allowed my wife to see just how big the US is (she's from Japan and could quite grasp how huge the US is). We will certainly do other trips, but nothing can compare to this first trip cross country.
But then we thought that it might be nice to see a "different nothing" on the way home. So we again changed our plans and decided to go the northern route.
This way was new to me. I had never been up that way before. I had no idea what it would be like so I was pretty excited. I'm always up for new and different experiences.
We began our trek at around noon PDT. We headed north to Lake Tahoe. I had heard stories about Lake Tahoe and they did not disappoint. It was gorgeous. Tons of Ponderosa Pines and the lake was a vivid blue. I could look back at the mountains that we went through just a week before. It reminded me of the Lord of the Rings. We took a few pictures and jumped back into the car to head back into Nevada. We filled up in Reno and it was a good thing we did, for Reno is basically the last bit of civilization until you get to Salt Lake City.
We drove along the lonely highway past house that stood in the middle of the desert. We stopped at a closed rest area, something that seemed normal in those parts. We continued to Winnemucca, a town that wasn't much more than a few restaurants and hotels. We thought about stopping, but I woefully felt energetic and thought we could go on to Battle Mountain. Which is what we did.
Now you might think that a city named Battle Mountain couldn't be anything other than awesome, but you would be wrong. There were about 2 or 3 exits to this town and when we pulled off at the second exit we swung in to the hotel there, eager for beds and rest only to find that it was booked. Not only was that hotel booked, but every hotel from there to Salt Lake City was booked. I was stunned. There I was with my pregnant wife in the middle of the Nevada desert with no prospects of getting a hotel room. I wasn't quite sure what to do. The very nice lady at the front desk was sympathetic and offered to allow us to sleep in the parking lot. She said we could use the toilet facilities and help ourselves to the coffee. She also called around for us, trying to find a hotel room. I wanted to mention her by name, but I can't find her business card. She was an angel in that wasteland. Eventually she did find a place in Elko, about an hour and a half away. He held his last room for us and we shot off into the night. I thanked her profusely before we left and vowed to never forget her.
We got to Elko and I called the hotel. He told me to get off of the interstate and go left. I did. I eventually wound up in the desert. I called him back and he kept telling me to go left. Finally I went right and sure enough found his hotel in just a few seconds. We checked in and helped ourselves to a late dinner of cup noodles and orange juice (our stores were running thin). After a few minutes of unwinding, we turned in for the night. Early the next morning I attempted to take a shower before we headed back on the road. I pulled the knob of the shower and nothing happened. I tried wiggling it around. Nothing. I played with it for a few minutes and then gave up. We quickly packed up the car and I went to the office to check out. Before I left I told the guy that the shower wasn't working. He immediately became defensive and basically implied that I was an idiot. That was the last straw. "Hey! I was just letting you know that your shower was f***ing broken! I don't give two s***s about it. I was trying to be nice so that the next customer doesn't flip out on you and kick your ass!" He apologized and we concluded our business. I left pissed off and just wanting to get out of Nevada.
The trip was long. The scenery didn't really change until we went through Salt Lake City. Once through that city, the background went from desert brown to more of an alpine feel. I could see some trees again and the mountains were very picturesque. But that was short lived because we soon made the climb north to Wyoming.
We pushed through the great grassy vistas of Wyoming. We stopped at a gas station just a few miles in the state and it was a good thing we did because after that stop there wasn't much else for a long long time. We were no long interested in seeing the local sights, we just wanted to go home. I was pretty burned out on driving and sleeping in hotels and in other beds that were not my own. We had come a long way and now home was calling our names. Also, we needed to be home in time for my wife's monthly OBGYN appointment. The wife slept as I pushed on. Mile after mile went by. Cheyenne and Colorado crept ever closer. Finally we made the turn south and soon were in Colorado, our tenth state on this adventure. We were going for the east side of Denver, but I was tired and my wife was tired so just south of Fort Collins, we stopped and got a hotel. We spent the evening watching TV and eating Taco Bell. It was much more restful than the previous night had been, and it was desperately needed.
Monday was a cheery day. We were well rested and our spirits were high. I made a quick call to my wife's doctor, hoping that we could postpone a day or so so that we could explore Denver, but sadly, it was not to be, either we saw the doctor on Tuesday or it would be a two week wait. We decided not to wait (we had tons of questions for the doctor that we wanted answers to sooner rather than later). We climbed into the car and headed out.
Kansas passed by. For some reason it felt like it took a very long time to get out of Kansas. We stopped only a couple times and not for very long, but it seemed that Kansas took forever to get out of. Not only did we have to go through most of the state on I-70, but we had to go south through another half of the state on I-35. The clock was ticking and I was bound and determined to make it home in time for the doctor's appointment early the next day. By 9 o'clock we were both tired and I knew that it would be better to sleep then and wake up early than to keep going and risk an accident or not being able to find some place to rest. I was still unnerved by our experiences in Northern Nevada.
Just east of Oklahoma City was our last stop of our trip. We got a room, took showers and went to sleep. At around 3 am Tuesday my alarm went off and we made a mad dash around the room to get ready to head out. We were done within 15 minutes and back on the road. I nervously checked the time. The minutes ticked by. I would silently calculate our ETA in Memphis at every mile marker. Finally we crossed the Mississippi bridge and into Memphis. Twenty minutes later we were in our doctor's office (we were 10 minutes late, but I had called several hours earlier to alert them to the situation).
Our great trip was at an end. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot. I learned a little humility in trip planning (especially with a pregnant wife!) and to not underestimate the distances between places. Overall we rode approximately 5,268 miles and were gone for 22 days and saw 11 states. This trip really allowed my wife to see just how big the US is (she's from Japan and could quite grasp how huge the US is). We will certainly do other trips, but nothing can compare to this first trip cross country.
ANA v. United
Typically when I travel by plane, I use one airline. This time, however, I flew on two airlines. This turned out to be a bit of an ordeal, but an educational one nonetheless.
First off, I'm not sure I want to use Untied again due to their customer service, or the lack thereof. When I purchased the tickets I went through United's customer service line. It took me an hour to finish the transaction. It was mainly due to the rep's poor command of the English language (please keep in mind that I was purchasing the tickets while in the United States from an American company, dealing with sensitive and important information). Even though we confirmed spellings and information several times, there were still several mistakes that could have caused major problems/delays on our international flight. Once I discovered the problems, I contacted Untied again and fixed them. They didn't fix the entire problem. We had to waste 20 minutes at the airport waiting for the people to fix it again.
The service on United was pretty bad as well. Due to a paperwork error, we were stuck on the tarmac for about 2 hours while officials sorted it out. We received no real apology or anything for this. Another irritating thing was the bassinet. Since we were traveling with out infant son we requested the use of a bassinet. I had no idea what to really expect, but I figured it would keep the boy off the floor and secure while he slept. The flight attendant eventually came by and gave us what looked like an old gym bag. She offered no explanation other than it was the bassinet and if the fasten seat belt sign was on, the boy would have to be held. She laid it on the floor and that was it. Not knowing what to do, we would put our son into this bag thingy and let him rest. We followed directions and held him in our laps during the turbulent segments of our journey, but other than the initial introduction of the device, we were left alone. I know I could have asked for further instruction, and I'm not sure why I didn't, but I figured at the time that the flight attendants would have gone through everything we needed to know as they gave it to us.
ANA was pretty professional the entire trip. Although it did start out kind of rocky when they refused to issue my wife a seat. She had a ticket, but they didn't give her an exact seat. They kept telling us that United would have to issue her a seat as we bought the tickets from them. United would tell us that since it was an ANA flight they would have to give us the seat. We called both airlines multiple times and got the same runaround each time. At Nagoya airport we asked at the ticketing booth and they said they would call and take care of it, which they did in front of us. When we got to Tokyo, we discovered that my wife still didn't have a seat and they were still trying to find the customer sitting next to me so that they could ask him or her to change with my wife. The funny thing is that they never once paged anyone or otherwise made it look like they were trying to work it out. I was pretty peeved by the time we got on the plane.
After we got on the plane everything changed. The flight attendants were at once helpful and accommodating. They could see how I was struggling with the boy, a backpack, a satchel and a couple other things. They helped clear the way to my seat and were patient as I blocked the aisle, trying to get everything situated. Soon into our flight an attendant came over and set up our bassinet. By set up I don't mean putting it on the floor, but she actually attached it to the wall, allowing us easy access to our son. I was blown away by the fact that it was an actual bassinet and that she had set it up for us. The courteous service didn't end there. Each time we needed something they came to help and often offered us assistance when they thought we needed it. They always smiled and were never rude like the United flight attendants were.
Overall, it was a good trip. Probably won't use United again, but I highly recommend ANA. They were very good to us and I am confident that they will be good to you as well. Stay tuned for more details of our 2013 Japan trip.
First off, I'm not sure I want to use Untied again due to their customer service, or the lack thereof. When I purchased the tickets I went through United's customer service line. It took me an hour to finish the transaction. It was mainly due to the rep's poor command of the English language (please keep in mind that I was purchasing the tickets while in the United States from an American company, dealing with sensitive and important information). Even though we confirmed spellings and information several times, there were still several mistakes that could have caused major problems/delays on our international flight. Once I discovered the problems, I contacted Untied again and fixed them. They didn't fix the entire problem. We had to waste 20 minutes at the airport waiting for the people to fix it again.
The service on United was pretty bad as well. Due to a paperwork error, we were stuck on the tarmac for about 2 hours while officials sorted it out. We received no real apology or anything for this. Another irritating thing was the bassinet. Since we were traveling with out infant son we requested the use of a bassinet. I had no idea what to really expect, but I figured it would keep the boy off the floor and secure while he slept. The flight attendant eventually came by and gave us what looked like an old gym bag. She offered no explanation other than it was the bassinet and if the fasten seat belt sign was on, the boy would have to be held. She laid it on the floor and that was it. Not knowing what to do, we would put our son into this bag thingy and let him rest. We followed directions and held him in our laps during the turbulent segments of our journey, but other than the initial introduction of the device, we were left alone. I know I could have asked for further instruction, and I'm not sure why I didn't, but I figured at the time that the flight attendants would have gone through everything we needed to know as they gave it to us.
ANA was pretty professional the entire trip. Although it did start out kind of rocky when they refused to issue my wife a seat. She had a ticket, but they didn't give her an exact seat. They kept telling us that United would have to issue her a seat as we bought the tickets from them. United would tell us that since it was an ANA flight they would have to give us the seat. We called both airlines multiple times and got the same runaround each time. At Nagoya airport we asked at the ticketing booth and they said they would call and take care of it, which they did in front of us. When we got to Tokyo, we discovered that my wife still didn't have a seat and they were still trying to find the customer sitting next to me so that they could ask him or her to change with my wife. The funny thing is that they never once paged anyone or otherwise made it look like they were trying to work it out. I was pretty peeved by the time we got on the plane.
After we got on the plane everything changed. The flight attendants were at once helpful and accommodating. They could see how I was struggling with the boy, a backpack, a satchel and a couple other things. They helped clear the way to my seat and were patient as I blocked the aisle, trying to get everything situated. Soon into our flight an attendant came over and set up our bassinet. By set up I don't mean putting it on the floor, but she actually attached it to the wall, allowing us easy access to our son. I was blown away by the fact that it was an actual bassinet and that she had set it up for us. The courteous service didn't end there. Each time we needed something they came to help and often offered us assistance when they thought we needed it. They always smiled and were never rude like the United flight attendants were.
Overall, it was a good trip. Probably won't use United again, but I highly recommend ANA. They were very good to us and I am confident that they will be good to you as well. Stay tuned for more details of our 2013 Japan trip.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Going back to Japan
Well this is the umpteenth time for me to go to Japan. It's mainly to introduce my son to his Japanese family and for my wife to load up on Japanese goodies that are either hard or impossible to find here. We'll be gone for a few weeks. We'll get to see many of our friends and family and will do and see somethings that have been on the bucket list for a long time. Chief among these will be going to Beppu. Beppu is on the island of Kyushu and is famous for its sulfuric hot springs. I've wanted to go there for years, but never got around to it.
This will also be the first time for me to use the Japan Rail Pass. It's basically a ticket that allows you to use any JR trail as many times as you want within a certain time frame. There are some restrictions, but that's for another post. We will be purchasing the week long pass and with it we will go to Kyushu, Kyoto and a few other places. I certainly intend on getting more than my money's worth from it. I wish I could convince my wife to let me get the two week pass, but it's not really worth the effort. Besides if I were to go to more places, I'd be more tempted to spend money that I don't really have.
Another part of the trip that I'm particularly excited about is the food. I miss Japanese food. I also look forward to karaoke and just having fun in my old haunts.
The hardest thing about this trip is the inevitable feeling of wanting to stay. It happens each time I go back there. I arrive and the nostalgia and good memories of my time in Japan flood back and I begin entertaining thoughts of staying. I know I can't, but I still feel that way at times. I've built a life here finally so I'm not going to just toss it away on an impulse.
Anyways, this trip will be fun and we're all excited. Well excited except for the part of taking a young baby on an international flight...
This will also be the first time for me to use the Japan Rail Pass. It's basically a ticket that allows you to use any JR trail as many times as you want within a certain time frame. There are some restrictions, but that's for another post. We will be purchasing the week long pass and with it we will go to Kyushu, Kyoto and a few other places. I certainly intend on getting more than my money's worth from it. I wish I could convince my wife to let me get the two week pass, but it's not really worth the effort. Besides if I were to go to more places, I'd be more tempted to spend money that I don't really have.
Another part of the trip that I'm particularly excited about is the food. I miss Japanese food. I also look forward to karaoke and just having fun in my old haunts.
The hardest thing about this trip is the inevitable feeling of wanting to stay. It happens each time I go back there. I arrive and the nostalgia and good memories of my time in Japan flood back and I begin entertaining thoughts of staying. I know I can't, but I still feel that way at times. I've built a life here finally so I'm not going to just toss it away on an impulse.
Anyways, this trip will be fun and we're all excited. Well excited except for the part of taking a young baby on an international flight...
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Critical Mass
The air was alive with excited energy. Bells, horns, and other claxons echoed around me and my party. We took some pictures of ourselves in front of the horde of cyclists and chatted with a few nearby.
Suddenly the front of the mass surged forward. People hurried onto their bikes and joined the queue. I pedaled the cruiser I was riding toward the current. Critical Mass had begun.
We headed up the main street, pedaling past street cars, the flashing blue lights of San Francisco's finest as our guides. Quickly we became a massive snake of people and bicycles, slithering through the streets and causing automobile traffic to halt.
We rode up the streets, following the riders ahead of us. There was no planned course. Whoever is in the front leads the group. Occasionally we would form a roundabout allowing those in the rear to catch up. There was some talk that it was also a form of protest against auto traffic.
I personally conquered some of San Francisco's legendary hills. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But it could have been better. I was riding a little road cruiser that only had a couple gears on it. It definitely not meant for hills, but I made it work. At one point I was chugging along and the guy in front of me stopped causing me to stop and lose my momentum. I had to walk the rest of the way up the hill.
Something that struck me was that we seemed to travel great distances in relatively little time. I remember passing the San Francisco City Hall and what felt like only about 5 minutes later we were on a hill about 2 miles away. It was very strange and awesome.
The spirit and the energy of Critical Mass is perhaps the best part of the event. Everyone was charged with positive energy and fun. I highly recommend this for anyone who goes to San Francisco.
Critical Mass is held every last Friday of the month and starts at 5pm. Take a good bike and your helmet and enjoy!
Suddenly the front of the mass surged forward. People hurried onto their bikes and joined the queue. I pedaled the cruiser I was riding toward the current. Critical Mass had begun.
We headed up the main street, pedaling past street cars, the flashing blue lights of San Francisco's finest as our guides. Quickly we became a massive snake of people and bicycles, slithering through the streets and causing automobile traffic to halt.
We rode up the streets, following the riders ahead of us. There was no planned course. Whoever is in the front leads the group. Occasionally we would form a roundabout allowing those in the rear to catch up. There was some talk that it was also a form of protest against auto traffic.
I personally conquered some of San Francisco's legendary hills. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But it could have been better. I was riding a little road cruiser that only had a couple gears on it. It definitely not meant for hills, but I made it work. At one point I was chugging along and the guy in front of me stopped causing me to stop and lose my momentum. I had to walk the rest of the way up the hill.
Something that struck me was that we seemed to travel great distances in relatively little time. I remember passing the San Francisco City Hall and what felt like only about 5 minutes later we were on a hill about 2 miles away. It was very strange and awesome.
The spirit and the energy of Critical Mass is perhaps the best part of the event. Everyone was charged with positive energy and fun. I highly recommend this for anyone who goes to San Francisco.
Critical Mass is held every last Friday of the month and starts at 5pm. Take a good bike and your helmet and enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)